Ben and Dave are to OSLTC what Ben and Jerry’s are to ice-cream : quality. You don’t ditch quality, you respect it and you learn from it.

Dave has coached, motivated my 3 boys over the past 10 years at least. He is a fantastic coach and a fantastic person. To many they are Oxford Sports Tennis Club. This decision seems bizarre and to lose either Dave or Ben would be a massive loss to tennis at the club.

My five boys have all undergone performance coaching at Sports for the last 20 years. Any guesses why we have been at Oxford Sports for so long? The children have always built a tremendous rapport with the coaches. This is why we are happy to do a 60mile round trip!

I struggle to understand the reasoning behind appointing an external head coach rather than giving our excellent internal candidates a chance. Recent email correspondence to club members suggests to me that there is a slightly toxic atmosphere in the club with unhealthy tensions between different fractions. This is not good!

Ben and Dave have not only been hugely welcoming but incredibly supportive and loyal throughout my years at the club. Surely they deserve the opportunity to build and develop the club they clearly love. So disappointed at the committee’s decision

Dave&Ben have coached and inspired many junior members including my 3 children to high standards but more importantly to enjoy the sport of tennis. Always there through thick / thin sunshine and snow. Hugely committed and not been given the opportunity to show how they can develop and take OSLTC forwards.

I used to be coached by both Ben and Dave as a junior, having moved from Woodstock tennis club to Oxford Sports, specifically because of the recommendation from Ben. Having left the club to go to university, and since graduating and moving back to Oxfordshire I was considering rejoining the club, but having since learned of the toxic environment and the lack of respect shown to both Ben and Dave, I have decided to join another club. I am shocked at the treatment they have received over the past few weeks, especially when they have both committed many years to the club and developed such a successful junior programme. I hope that the club recognises their effort, and owns up to the problematic treatment of both Ben and Dave, at the very least.

Ben and Dave have coached my son for 7 years now and he has kept up with his tennis, unlike many other sports which have gone by the wayside. I ascribe much of his enduring enthusiasm for the sport to Ben and Dave’s encouragement and patience. As his private coach, Ben has always been a positive mentor. I have no clue about the decision concerning Head Coach, but if the committee lose these two loyal and experienced coaches, then they can hardly question why members doubt their overall approach to the management of the club.