Weston tennis legend Les Treen has retired after more than 50 years of being involved in local tennis.

TENNIS legend Les Treen has been presented with an engraved Bristol Blue Glass Bowl to mark his retirement, achievement and long service to county tennis.

In a career which has spanned more than 50 years, Les was honoured at Avon LTA’s recent AGM in Bristol.

On his appointment as a teacher at the Weston Grammar School for Boys in 1957, he formed a tennis club, which in 1963 produced the first state schoolboy to win the national under-16s singles title and in 1979, became the only state school ever to win the national schools’ under-15 team title, the Melbourne Cup at Wimbledon.

A self-taught player, Les played for Somerset for 20 years and captained the Avon veteran age group teams for a further 25 years. He won the veteran Somerset Open nine times and the Avon Closed six times.

Les has represented Wales in various age groups and captained the Wales 60+ team, winning the Welsh 60+ title four years in succession. In 1999 he was ranked No 2 in the UK (65+) after reaching the finals at Wimbledon, Bournemouth and Eastbourne in the national championship age groups and has also represented Great Britain in international championships.

In 1987 and 1988, he and his eldest son Philip, a former British junior squad member, now coaching in America, won the British Futures father and son title, defeating David Lloyd, the former Davis Cup captain, and his son Scott in straight sets.

In 1987, the pair played for GB in Spain, where they won their match in the inaugural international tournament to help beat the USA team 2-1 in the final to win the Victor Kiam Cup. The following year, playing as the British No 1 pair, the team lost 2-1 to eventual winners Canada.

Les has also been a selector of both Somerset and Avon senior teams, was secretary of the Weston annual tournament for 13 years. He was also chairman of Avon Schools’ LTA and SW England Inter-County Schools’ Championships for 21 years.

He also found time to be on Avon veterans’ LTA and and Avon’s Development Committees, as well as organiser and referee of the Somerset Junior, Senior Closed and Open tournaments for varying periods.

After the presentation, Les said the bowl would be a constant reminder of the countless individuals he has worked with or played against and the long and happy association he has enjoyed with clubs, schools and county tennis for more than half a century.