# North of England Hard Court Championships

The North of England Hard Court Championships and later known as the Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships for sponsorship reasons was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament established in 1913 and ran until 1988.

## History

The North of England Hard Court Championships was a combined men's and women's clay court tennis tournament first established in 1913 at the Yorkshire Lawn Tennis Club. Scarborough, Yorkshire, England. In 1956 the tournament changed location to the Argyle Lawn Tennis Club, Southport, England for the duration of its run until 1988.
In 1941 the Argyle Lawn Tennis Club established the Southport Easter Open tournament, and from 1956 that tournament was incorporated jointly with the North of England Hard Court Championships. From 1981 to 1984 the championships were sponsored by the paint company 'Weatherall' and was known as the Weatherall North of England Hard Court Championships. In 1985 the company Wilson Sporting Goods took over sponsorship of the event and was known as the Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships until 1988 then was discontinued.

## Finals
### Men's singles

(Incomplete roll)
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| North of England Hard Court Championships ||||
| 1920 | Mark Hick | Ralph Douglas Watson | 6–2, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1922 | Ernest Bisseker | Jack Hillyard | 6–3, 5–7, 6–8, 6–2, 6-3 |
| 1931 | Arthur W. Hill | Lionel Antrobus | 6-1, 6-4 |
| 1933 | John Colin Gregory | Donald MacPhail | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1934 | Vernon Kirby | Alan Martin Wedd | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1935 | Raymond Tuckey | Pat Sherwood | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1936 | Raymond Tuckey (2) | Pat Sherwood | 6-4, 8-6 |
| 1937 | Raymond Tuckey (3) | Ronald Alfred Shayes | 6–4, 2–6, 6–3 |
| 1938 | Murray Deloford | Harold Hare | 6–3, 4–6, 6–1 |
| 1939 | George Godsell | Pat Sherwood | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1940/1945 | Not held (due to world war two) | Not held (due to world war two) | Not held (due to world war two) |
| 1946 | Ignacy Tłoczyński | Jack Harper | 8–6, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 1947 | Ignacy Tłoczyński (2) | Tony Mottram | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1948 | Ignacy Tłoczyński (3) | George Godsell | 7-5, 6-0 |
| 1949 | Ignacy Tłoczyński (4) | Bobby Meredith | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 1950 | Ignacy Tłoczyński (5) | Derrick Leyland | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 1951 | Czeslaw Spychala | Donald Butler | 6–4, 4–6, 7–5 |
| 1952 | Staffan Stockenberg | Czeslaw Spychala | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1953 | John Barrett | Ignacy Tłoczyński | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1954 | Ignacy Tłoczyński (6) | Matthew Farhang Mohtadi | 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 1955 | Ivor Warwick | Ian A. Macdonald | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1956 | John Horn | Mike Hann | 7–5, 4–6, 6–4 |
| 1957 | Robert Bédard | Alan Mills | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1959 | Alan Mills | Malcolm Gracie | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1960 | Lew Gerrard | Alan Mills | 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1961 | Tony Pickard | Mike Hann | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1962 | Jimmy Tattersall | Trevor Adamson | 4–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| North of England Hard Court Lawn Tennis Championships ||||
| 1963 | Jimmy Tattersall (2) | Malcolm Gracie | 8-6, 6-2 |
| 1964 | Clay Iles | Mark Cox | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 1965 | G.B. Jones | Geoff Stubbs | 7-6, 6-2 |
| 1966 | Billy Knight | John Roderick Mcdonald | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1967 | Billy Knight (2) | John Roderick Mcdonald | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Open era ||||
| North of England Hard Court Open Championships ||||
| 1968 | Geoff Stubbs | David Gunson | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1969 | Clay Iles (2) | Robert G. Clarke | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1970 | Allan McDonald | Ken Weatherley | 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
| 1972 | Robert G. Clarke | John Howarth | |
| 1973 | John Marnoch | Robert Armytage | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 1974 | Geoffrey Paish | Willem Prinsloo | 6–1, 6–7, 7–5 |
| 1976 | Roger Webb | Antony Fawley | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1977 | Neil Rayner | Nigel Sears | 6–2, 1–6, 6–2 |
| 1978 | Andrew Jarrett | Trevor Heath | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 1979 | Harvey Becker | Kevin Harris | 0–6, 7–6, 6–2 |
| 1980 | Keith Gilbert | Nigel Sears | 6-0, 6-2 |
| Weatherall North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships ||||
| 1981 | Nick Brown | Simon Ickringill | |
| 1982 | Michael Appleton | Neil Rayner | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 1983 | Neil Rayner | Harvey Becker | 6–4, 4–6, 6–1 |

### Women's singles

(Incomplete roll)
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| North of England Hard Court Championships ||||
| 1913 | Mary Gray Welsh | Jessie Green | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1914 | Mrs E. Wilkinson | Mary Gray Welsh | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1915/1918 | Not held (due to world war one) | Not held (due to world war one) | Not held (due to world war one) |
| 1919 | Phyllis Satterthwaite | Mrs A. Wilkinson | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1920 | Elsie Goodlass Holtby | Mrs Hobson | 2–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1921 | Elsie Goodlass Holtby (2) | Mrs Hobson | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1922 | Phyllis Satterthwaite (2) | Joan Austin | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1923 | Norah Fosdick Middleton | Mary Gray Welsh | 6–2, 5–7, 7–5 |
| 1924 | Ruth Watson | Lesley Cadle | 6–4, 7–9, 6–4 |
| 1925 | Ruth Watson (2) | Elsie Goodlass Holtby | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1926 | Ruth Watson (3) | Mrs Wormald | 6–1, 5–7, 6–1 |
| 1927 | Aurea Edgington | Eileen Connell | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1928 | Elsie Goldsack | Aurea Edgington | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1929 | Elsie Goldsack (2) | Dorothy Anderson | 6-3, 8-6 |
| 1930 | Dorothy Anderson | Janet Lawson | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1931 | Dorothy Anderson (2) | R. Bray | 6-2, 7-5 |
| 1932 | Freda James | Janet Lawson Walker | 6-2, 7-5 |
| 1933 | Freda James (2) | Edie Rudd Luxton | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1934 | Doris Bullock | Nancy Kidson | 2–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1935 | Joan Hartigan | Rosemary Smith | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 1936 | Nina Brown | Rosemary Smith | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1937 | Thelma Jarvis | Denise Huntbach | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1938 | Gladys Southwell | Nina Brown | 6-4, 4-0 ret. |
| 1939 | Suzy Kormoczy | Nora Maingay | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1940/1945 | Not held (due to world war two) | Not held (due to world war two) | Not held (due to world war two) |
| 1946 | Jean Quertier | Sheila Barraclough | 6-1, 7-5 |
| 1947 | Joan Curry | Joy Gannon | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1948 | Joan Curry (2) | Peggy Dawson-Scott | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 1949 | Joan Curry (3) | Lesley Hunter Fulton | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 1950 | Thelma Coyne Long | Jean Quertier | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1951 | Susan Partridge | Helen Fletcher | 6-3, 3–6, 10-8 |
| 1952 | Jean Petchell | Valerie Lewis | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1953 | Pat Harrison | Jean Petchell | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1954 | Barbara Knapp | Jean Petchell | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 1955 | Georgie Woodgate | Barbara Knapp | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1956 | Angela Buxton | Elaine Watson | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 1958 | Angela Buxton (2) | Margaret R. O'Donnell | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1959 | Shirley Bloomer | Margaret H. O'Donnell | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1960 | Shirley Bloomer Brasher (3) | Elaine Shenton | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 1961 | Shirley Bloomer Brasher (4) | Margaret R. O'Donnell | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 1962 | Margaret Cooper | E. Smith | 6-1, 6-4 |
| North of England Hard Court Lawn Tennis Championships ||||
| 1963 | Margaret R. O'Donnell | E. Smith | 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1964 | Nell Truman | Heather Allen | 2–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1965 | Margaret R. O'Donnell (2) | J. Hope | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 1966 | Margaret R. O'Donnell (3) | Alex McAlpine | 6–1, 5–7, 6–0 |
| 1967 | Rita Bentley | Jitka Volavková | 9-7, 6-3 |
| Open era ||||
| North of England Hard Court Open Championships ||||
| 1968 | Janice Townsend | C. Penn | divided title |
| 1969 | Shirley Bloomer Brasher (5) | Janice Townsend | 6–1, 3–6, 6–0 |
| 1970 | Evonne Goolagong | Joyce Barclay Williams | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1972 | Veronica Burton | Shirley Bloomer Brasher | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 1973 | R. Allen | A. Morris | 4–6, 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1974 | Lindsey Beaven | Corinne Molesworth | 6-0, 6-4 |
| 1976 | Michelle Tyler | Corinne Molesworth | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 1977 | Anthea Cooper | Debbie Jevans | 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1978 | Corinne Molesworth | Annette Coe | 6–7, 7–6, 6–3 |
| 1979 | Cathy Drury | Jane Plackett | 7-5, 7-6 |
| 1980 | Belinda Thompson | Joy Tacon | 2–6, 6–1, 6–0 |
| Weatherall North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships ||||
| 1981 | Lisa Pennington | Denise Parnell | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1982 | Michelle Tyler (2) | Kate Brasher | 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1983 | Kate Brasher | Sara Gomer | 6–3, 2–6, 6–4 |

## Event name

* North of England Hard Court Championships (1913–1962)
* North of England Hard Court Lawn Tennis Championships (1963–1967)
* North of England Hard Court Open Championships (1968–1980)
* Weatherall North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships (1981–1984)
* Wilson North of England Hard Court Tennis Championships (1985–1988)

## Locations and Venues

The championships were held at the Yorkshire Lawn Tennis Club. Scarborough, Yorkshire, England from 1913 to 1955. In 1956 event was transferred to the Southport Argyle Lawn Tennis Club, Southport, Merseyside until 1988.

## Tournament records
### Men's

* Most Singles Titles: Ignacy Tłoczyński (6)
* Most Singles Finals: Ignacy Tłoczyński (7)

### Women's

* Most Singles Titles: Shirley Bloomer Brasher (5)
* Most Singles Finals: Shirley Bloomer Brasher (6)