One of Uphill Badminton Club’s most loyal and committed players over the last decade has been none other than Matthew Cole.

Weston Mercury: Matthew Cole has been with Uphill Badminton Club for 14 years, ever since coming to the club for the first time in 2006.Matthew Cole has been with Uphill Badminton Club for 14 years, ever since coming to the club for the first time in 2006. (Image: Archant)

Cole has been a member of the club for almost 15 years, after first joining through the strength of their club nights whilst still playing league matches for his childhood club Mark Badminton Club.

After taking Mark from Division Six to Division One, Cole joined Uphill for their matches in 2006, before going straight into the club’s A team.

This helped strengthen the defending league champions to continue even more success as he helped the A team win 10 more Division One titles between 2007-2016.

This included an unprecedented 100 per cent season in 2011-12 where he helped the A team win all 10 of their matches 9-0 to achieve the ultimate 110-point campaign.

Cole has also been a fixture in the club’s Bristol Men’s team during their 18-year stay in Division One, mixing it with some of the best county players from the South West.

In 2013, Cole partnered his now wife Christy to Sid Moxon trophy success.The annual mixed tournament was open to pairs from across the Avon and Bristol area and they comfortably beat an established county duo in the final.Cole is also a regular singles player competing against the Somerset restricted champion weekly and led him to be invited to represent Somerset at county level last season.