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NATIONAL WATER POLO LEAGUE | |
Founded 1962 (Affiliated to the A.S.A.) |
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| NEWS | ASA NEWS | EVENTS | RULES | Updated 22 March 2008 - new articles in blue | |
|
NATIONAL WATER POLO LEAGUE | |
Founded 1962 (Affiliated to the A.S.A.) |
||
|
HOME
CLUBS COMMITTEE FIXTURES
RESULTS
APPLICATIONS |
||
| NEWS | ASA NEWS | EVENTS | RULES | Updated 22 March 2008 - new articles in blue | |
NWPL FIXTURES FOR 2008 SEASON
Champions Bristol Central begin the defence of their National League title by facing newly promoted Invicta at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, on 6/7 September. Invicta also play Cheltenham and Rotherham – a tough start. Bristol’s other matches are against Portobello and Polytechnic.
The Division One programme features a first visit to the new international pool at Cardiff on 4/5 October and the inclusion of two GB Junior sides – the more senior team facing the top five clubs in the second phase of the season, with the new younger entrants (1991 age group) up against clubs placed 6th to 10th.
Four new teams have been elected to the National League for the 2008 season. They are:
· Grantham Kings, the Midlands League champions, who have regrouped after withdrawing from the NWPL two years ago.
· The RAF, the Inter-Services champions, who return to the league after taking part for one season way back in 1966.
· City of Manchester Hawks: Manchester plan to blood a number of highly promising youngsters in their second string.
· Swindon Dolphin: The resignation of Reading prompted an application from the Wiltshire club, who supplied the bulk of Reading’s players in Division Three last season.
With City of Birmingham, Croydon Amphibians and Ealing all promoted to Division Three, the newcomers will join Bedford, City of Cambridge, City of Newcastle, University of Bristol and Weymouth & Portland in a new look Division Four.
For detailed 2008 fixtures lists, click on the relevant fixture pages.
NARROW BRISTOL VICTORY AT BUSA FINALS
Bristol clinched the BUSA men’s title at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, after one of the most exciting and closest of competitions for a number of years.
The last of the three days of competition began with any of three teams – Bristol, Cardiff and Manchester – capable of victory. With Bristol defeating Manchester 11-5, it left Cardiff with the difficult challenge of defeating Sheffield by 18 goals to top the table on goal difference.
For a while, this looked possible, Cardiff leading 7-1 in the first period and 16-4 after three. In the final period, however, Sheffield matched their opponents goal for goal and, in the end, Cardiff had to settle for a 21-8 victory and the runners-up spot.
There was plenty of drama earlier in the tournament. Old rivals Bristol and Cardiff drew 11-11, Cardiff grabbing an equaliser 30 seconds from the end. On day two, Cardiff recovered from 5-1 down in the first period to edge out Manchester 16-15.
Bristol’s Joel Thomas, who plays his National League polo for Cheltenham, was voted Player of the Tournament.
Cardiff won the women’s title. The men’s and women’s trophy winners were Birmingham and Bristol.
HUNGARIAN TOUR
Aim for the top! That’s the philosophy of James “Jaggers” Baker, of National League club Weymouth & Portland, who has arranged for a large squad of Devon under-18s to tour Hungary this summer.
The schedule begins with three days’ coaching in Budapest by Balas Vincze, whose remarkable playing career featured 358 Hungarian international caps and three Olympic medals. There will also be practice games against local sides.
After further training in Sventes in Hungary’s southern plains, two Devon teams will compete in a ‘Future Olympians’ tournament against various European sides, as well as one from the US. “We are realistic about our prospects of success,” admitted Jaggers. “When we asked one of our prospective hosts how England was rated at water polo, the response was ‘how do you view Hungary at soccer?’”
Four Devon coaches will be travelling with the squad, including Jason Quiterio, the National League’s youngest referee. For more information, contact James Baker on 
jaggers@exeterwaterpolo.co.uk or 07736301877.
BRISTOL CLINCH CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN!
Lancaster’s magnificent five-year reign as National League champions is over after Bristol Central claimed the 2007 title in style at Loughborough University.
NWPL Chairman Steve Monico presents the Dr John Howell
Memorial
Trophy
to
Bristol
skipper
Jon Hutchings
By defeating Manchester 15-7 and Rotherham 16-13, Bristol finished two points clear of Lancaster, the runners-up. In reality, however, the victory over Manchester on day one was sufficient to ensure top spot because, in the very next match, the other title challengers, Cheltenham, went down 16-15 to Rotherham.
Bristol’s superior record in matches against Lancaster this season – two wins, one defeat – also meant at that stage that they could not be caught by their arch rivals.
Rhys Tamlyn, Bristol’s coach, pinpointed his team’s 9-8 victory over Lancaster on 18 November as the result that made all the difference. “In October,” he recalled, “I thought that playing in the European LEN Trophy would boost our league prospects. But on our return we lost both matches against Lancaster and Cheltenham at Loughborough and it dented confidence.
“We then did some work in training and began to play well again. We believed we could win the title after that vital win over Lancaster in their own pool.”
Rhys added: “People know that we have established match-winners like Craig Figes, Matt Thresher, Danny Williams, Jon Hutchings and John Sissons in our squad. But this has been a real team effort, with Paul Morris scoring a hatful of goals in recent weeks, goalkeeper Andy Crawford outstanding and bench players such as Sean Coles, Brad Poole and Greg Harper all making a significant contribution.
“Our target now will be to win the British Championship. In the longer term, I would like to think we can improve sufficiently to at least get through the first round of a European competition.”
For more action from the final weekend at Loughborough, click on the results page.
INVICTA’S DOUBLE TRIUMPH
It’s been a memorable season for Invicta. The club’s senior team won Division Two with a five-point advantage over runners-up Solihull while the young Marlins team grabbed the Division Three title on an exciting last day of competition.
Invicta have tasted Division One action in the past – they spent three seasons there between 2001 and 2003.
But it will be a very different team that locks horns with the country’s top clubs next year. Invicta’s player development programme offers a shining example of what can be achieved with careful planning and inspirational leadership from individuals like head coach Martin Burke and secretary/team manager Fred Holehouse.
Of this season’s 15-strong squad, nine are either still at school or in their first year at University. Four players – Sean King, Jack Waller, Alex Murphy and Callum Bailey – train at Manchester with the GB squads.
Martin now relishes the challenge of competing against the best. Invicta, he explains, was created some 15 years ago from an amalgam of Worthing, Hailsham, Hythe and Beckenham clubs. “The idea initially was to improve the standard of polo in the area by bringing together a group of senior players and raising the quality of their performance so that they took the message back to their local clubs.
“It was soon realised that the development of youngsters was the key to a longer-term future and we began to concentrate on building new squads. From 1993, when we entered the National League, we still tended to lose players to other clubs at vital times in their development.
“But then, of course, the National League introduced shared venues, which made all the difference in ensuring we retained our own people.”
For Marlins’ skipper Stuart Collins, success in Division Three was especially sweet. “This is the fourth time I’ve been involved in an Invicta promotion in the National League. The previous three were all via the play-offs, so this is the first time I’ve got my hands on some silverware,” he said.
Caledonia were runners-up in Division Three but declined to challenge Division Two club Reading to a play-off. It meant that Hucknall remain in the second tier next season.
DIVISION
FOUR
TITLE
FOR
BIRMINGHAM
After a
dramatic
weekend
of
twists
and
turns,
tight
finishes
and
unexpected
results
(click
on the
results
page for
more
details),
City
of
Birmingham
emerged
at
Crowborough
as
Division
Four
champions.
Runners-up
Croydon
Amphibians
confirmed
afterwards
that
they
will be
challenging
the
seventh-placed
Division
Three
team to
an
end-of-season
promotion
play-off.
Birmingham
travelled
to
Sussex
as
comfortable
leaders
of the
division
with 23
points,
followed
by
Croydon
and
Ealing,
both on
20. All
had
played
11
matches.
The
drama
unfolded
like
this:
For
Birmingham
supremo
David
Giess,
his
team’s
success
was a
triumph
for the
development
system
launched
as part
of the
Birmingham
Advanced
Swimming
Scheme.
“After
Birmingham
dropped
out of
the
National
League a
few
years
ago, we
developed
a
programme
based
chiefly
around
the
Boldmere
club and
this has
produced
a lot of
good
young
players
– for
example,
first
teamers
Matt
Foulds,
Toby
Hook and
Ashley
Hillier
are all
only
17,” he
said.
“We
brought
in a few
old
hands
like
Walsall’s
Gary
Tonks
and Rob
Cash and
Alex
Boyle,
of Camp
Hill,
and they
have
helped
the less
experienced
players
along.
We will
really
look
forward
to the
challenge
of
Division
Three.”
Back
row:
John
Cooper,
Tom
Carpenter,
Alex
Boyle,
Phil
Lucas
and
skipper
Marcus
Hook.
Front:
Gary
Tonks,
Toby
Hook,
Matt
Foulds,
Richard
Baker,
David Giess,
Rob
Cash,
Ashley
Hillier
and
Mike
Foulds
PORTOBELLO SURVIVE
Portobello will remain in Division One next season after defeating Division Two runners-up Solihull in a play-off at Loughborough – but it was a desperately close affair.
Solihull played superbly in the third quarter, recovering from 4-3 down to lead 8-5. In the final period, however, Portobello rallied again, drawing level with two and a half minutes left and grabbing the winner a minute later through Matt Bayliss.
BIRKENHEAD MOURN MARK MITCHELL
Former Great Britain, Everton and Birkenhead star Mark Mitchell died on Wednesday, 22 November, following a heart attack while out power-walking.
Mark was an outstanding junior water polo player, breaking into the England and GB team aged 17 in 1971. He was a member of the squad who narrowly failed to make the 1972 Olympics. That team included Terry Bensted, Roddy Jones, Martyn Thomas, George Mears, Andy Lench, Dennis Neale and Neil Muir.
Mark was a member of the Everton team during the 1970s that quickly progressed to Division One of the National League and ultimately Europe. He was top scorer in the National league in 1977 and 1978, eventually moving to Birkenhead in 1979.
He helped Birkenhead gain the ASA title in 1983, the side including international colleagues Howie Cartwright, Maurice Caldwell, Mike Morrow, George Mears and Paul Rollinson. Mark helped develop junior Birkenhead players Dave Partington and Andy Evans.
Mark's scoring prowess continued through the 1980s and he again was NWPL top scorer in 1986 during his final season when he was 32. He played many times for GB and England and was also a capable defender. Birkenhead’s Allan Murray used to plead with him to go up forward twice per quarter knowing he could score every time.
Mark Mitchell will be remembered as a larger than life personality and one of Britain's greatest water polo players.
The funeral took place on Thursday, 29 November Thornton Crematorium, Chesterfield, 3pm.
| Current articles - click on the News item below for details | ||
| 2007 | ||
| Oct 12 | Penguin mourn Ron Turner | Ex-GB Olympian dies |
| Oct 1 | Will Bottrell, of Weymouth & Portland | Makes his debut at 13 |
| Sep 1 | New discipline sanctions | New automatic sanction now in place |
| Jul 14 | Portobello's NWPL green light | Portobello cleared by the ASA |
| Apr 30 | European Youth Championship | Results |
| Mar 12 | Div 4 Trophy : Lost & Found | Div 4 trophy recovered from London cab |
| Jan 15 | 2007 NWPL programme delayed | Report from 2007 AGM |
| 2006 | ||
| Dec 16 | Final reports from all 4 divisions | 2006 Final Results |
| Oct 5 | Death of Harry Woods | Report |
| Sep 15 | Automatic water polo sanctions | Report form |
| Feb 28 | GB Juniors given green light by NWPL | NWPL votes for GB Juniors |
| Jun 5 | Key NWPL post for Ross Elder | Report |
| Feb 28 | Lancaster win 2006 British Championships | 2006 Result |
| 2005 | ||
| Dec 11 | Potential club event | Walsall tournament result |
| Nov 8 | 2006 Annual General Meeting | Details published |
| Oct 13 | Lancaster excel in Croatia | LEN trophy |
| Oct 3 | Bristol make friends in Italy | LEN trophy |
| Sep 18 | Refs earn promotion to LEN clinic | Referees in Hungary |
| Sep 13 | Automatic water polo sanctions | Report form |
| Sep 13 | Automatic water polo sanctions | Procedures |
| Sep 11 | Referee evaluation | Guidance notes |
| Sep 10 | NWPL test new rules | 2005 season 1st weekend report |
| Feb 28 | Lancaster win 2005 British Championships | 2005 Result |
| Archived articles - click on the News item below for details | ||
| 2004 | ||
| Dec 21 | Referee management | Reaction from the NWPL referees |
| Dec 11 | Referee management | End of year report |
| Dec 5 | Hucknall down - Poly to Play-Offs | Results from final Div I weekend |
| Nov 28 | Promotion joy for Otter | Results from final Div II weekend |
| Nov 28 | Relegation blow for unlucky Warley | Results from final Div II weekend |
| Nov 4 | Aspiring clubs target National League | Eight clubs show interest in joining for 2005 |
| Oct 31 | 2005 Annual General Meeting | Details published |
| Oct 10 | Non-fulfilments | Article by NWPL Chairman, Steve Monico |
| Sep 11 | New referee delegate system implemented | Technical Meetings each NWPL weekend |
| Jul 31 | NWPL adopts new plan | Referee development |
| Apr | Prince William takes the plunge | William plays in Universities tournament |
| Feb | Lancaster win 2004 British Championships | 2004 Result |
| Jan | Four new teams join the NWPL | The League expands |
| Long serving trio honoured | Life membership of the NWPL awarded | |
| 2003 | ||
| Dec | New structure for international polo in GB | Press release |
| Nov | NWPL 2003 Division results | 2003 reports |
| Sep | An impressive start | Jack Trewhitt of Bristol Central |
| Disciplinary procedures | New disciplinary procedures announced | |
| Feb | Lancaster win 2003 British Championships | 2003 Result |
| 2002 | ||
| Jul | NWPL 40th Anniversary | Get your 40th Anniversary book |
| Mar | Commonwealth Championships | Manchester 2002 Report |
| Feb | Penguin win 2002 British Championships | 2002 Result |
| 2001 | ||
| Nov | David signals his last time out ! | Referee David Bathurst retires |
| Oct | Who is the oldest player still playing in the NWPL ? | John Gouldby of Hucknall in play at 50 ! |
| Sep | Who is the youngest player to appear in the NWPL ? | Adam Monico of Bedford on target at 13 ! |
| Feb | Bristol Central win 2001 British Championships | 2001 result |
KEEPING IN TOUCH
These news pages are for ALL National League clubs.
So if you have an item of interest (new players, tours abroad, injuries or anything else
that won’t have lawyers on our backs), please get in touch as soon as possible by
emailing chris.ducker@nwpl.co.uk