A new film is in the works that will meticulously recreate an epic table tennis match that took place at the Butlins holiday camp in Bognor between two brothers in 1978.
Following in the wake of Janus Metz Pedereson’s Borg/McEnroe which will recreate the 1980 Wimbledon final in detail, ‘Pong’ will focus on a lesser known but equally fascinating battle of wills.
“It was raining, I remember that,” said Neil Reynolds, elder of the two brothers
“Kev was a bit bored and restless, so I said I’d give him a game of table tennis.”
What Neil didn’t realise was that the game would last over four hours and that ultimately he would win by a staggering 156-154 score line.
“It was that requirement to win by two clear points. To be honest, I was happy to call it a draw at 12-12 and go and have some fish fingers for tea, but Kevin was a stickler for rules, so we just kept going.”
It is director Jessica Gibson’s first major movie since her ill-fated shot-for-shot remake of the shot-for-shot remake of Psycho.
“I think what attracted me to the story was the endurance of the two young boys. I mean, they were nearly three hours late for their tea. They must have been really hungry. That’s drama, right there.”
“I really feel that a four-hour shot-for-shot recreation of a 1978 table tennis match in Butlins is my way back after Psycho.”
Neil, however, remains ambivalent about both film and match.
“Well, the film’s nice and everything. But I can’t help thinking that I had my time again, I’d have just left Kev to it and gone for my fish fingers instead.”
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