All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club are invited to become members. The patron of the club is Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and the President is The Duke of Kent. The Club was founded by six gentlemen at the offices of "The Field" on 23 July 1868 at the height of a croquet craze as the "All England Croquet Club," and held its first croquet competition in 1870. Its original ground was situated off Worple Road, Wimbledon. Croquet was very popular there until the then-infant sport of lawn tennis (a game introduced by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield a year or so prior, and originally called "Sphairistikè") was
Spooning (croquet) Spooning (croquet) In croquet, the term spooning has historically been used to refer to two ways of setting the ball into motion. The term is rarely used in the modern game and is not defined in the official laws. In one sense, it is simply pushing the ball with the mallet instead of tapping. It is recognized by making no noise. This was at one time considered an unfair but good technique, upon appeal the umpire must declare whether the ball was spooned or tapped. In modern Association Croquet, pushing the ball would generally constitute a fault under rule 28.a.4,