News archive 2008
Hume Resigns | Damien Takes Over | Poly Go Down | Honour for Scott| David Boot Honoured | BUSC Results | Funding Bid by GB 'Friends' | Daily Mail Article | University Promoted | Leeds Up | Swindon Go Up | Friends' Boost ! Registrations | Olympic Ref | Greg's Debut | Euro Plan | Welcome Ken! | GB 13th in Europe | Four Head For Europe | Exeter Tour | Tiny Spires Obituary | Olympics TV |
NICK HUME QUITS
British water polo has suffered another major blow with the resignation of National Performance Director Nick Hume, who cited the shortfall in funding for the sport through to the 2012 Olympics as a major factor in his decision.
“Following the announcement of funding for water polo through to London 2012, which resulted in a 75 per cent cut of planned investment for the sport, I have been giving my future and the future of the sport careful consideration,” he said.
“I have enjoyed my time with British Swimming and during the last six years the sport has made huge strides. The creation of a full-time water polo programme based in Manchester has enabled the senior men and women’s teams to train professionally for the first time in the sport’s history.
“I hope my decision to step down will give the athletes the best possible chance of success for 2012."
British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes said: “We are disappointed with Nick’s decision to leave water polo at this time. Lack of funding for water polo is a big concern for all of us but we have been making good progress to address the issue. For instance, the recent investment by British Gas will go some way to assist us with funding water polo.
“However, we respect Nick’s decision and we wish him well with his career and thank him for his significant contribution.”
DAMIEN'S NEW ROLE
NWPL officers will include two new, young members following the annual meeting - international referee Damien Taylor, who takes over as officials' co-ordinator, and Rohan Monico, son of chairman Steve Monico, who becomes assistant secretary.
Damien succeeds Jim Dalley, who stood down after five years' service due to heavy work commitments.
Remaining officers of the league were all re-elected. The new Division Four representative is Nick Ludford, of City of Cambridge, while David Quinlivan, of Swindon Dolphin, moves up to the Division Three role.
Referee Mike Jukes has been co-opted on to the committee to assist treasurer Mike Clark.
POLY RELEGATED - AFTER 47 YEARS!
Polytechnic's proud record of being the only ever-present club in Division One during the 47-year history of the National League ended when they went down 10-8 to relegation rivals Portobello at Millfield School.
Portobello began their last match of the season knowing that one point would be sufficient to retain their status in the top grade. But a Poly victory would have put the London club - NWPL champions on a record 17 occasions - level on points with the Scots and kept them up by virtue of a superior goal difference.
Poly started well enough - they led 3-0 after the opening five minutes - and were still 6-4 up after two periods. But the third period saw Portobello net four goals without reply to ensure success.
Portobello finished the season in ninth place. Otter, runners-up in Division Two, elected not to issue an end-of-season challenge to Portobello.
Big disappointment of the Millfield weekend was Penguin's inability to field a team for matches against Rotherham and Bristol.
Click on the Division One results page for this season's final tables and latest scores.
SCOTT COMPLETES TOP GOAL-SCORING HAT-TRICK
Congratulations to Scott Carpenter, of Lancaster, who has won the Peter Olsen Trophy as the top marksman in Division One for a third consecutive season. He totalled 78.
Highest individual scorer in the league was Steve Margetts, a consistent marksman in his days with Newton Abbot but now playing for Division Four champions Swindon Dolphin.
Tyldesley's Mike Cowburn haded the scorers' list in Division Two with 85 while the leading player in Division Three was Adam Whitehall, of Warley, on 71.
For details of the season's top marksmen and major kings, click on the divisional stats pages.
LIFE MEMBERSHIP FOR DAVE BOOT (Mar 2009)
Match secretary David Boot was honoured with life membership of the National League at the 47th annual meeting at Hockley Heath.
David has served for 15 years in one of the league's most demanding roles, overseeing registrations, results - and, season by season, producing a most comprehensive statistical summary covering all divisions.
He becomes the NWPL's sixth life member. The others are Stephen Baker and Howard Cartwright, who both served as chairman and secretary; current treasurer Dr Mike Clark; former secretary and treasurer Roger Hargreaves; and Philip Jones, the founder secretary who was also chairman between 1976 and 1982.
MANCHESTER CLINCH BUCS CROWN (Mar 2009)
Manchester clinched the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) men's title at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, beating previous champions Bristol 9-6 in the championship decider.
In earlier matches, Manchester defeated Cardiff 20-5 and Edinburgh 13-4. Other results: Cardiff 8 Bristol 6, Edinburgh 4 Bristol 6, Cardiff 9 Edinburgh 9.
In the women's senior competition, Birmingham were champions, recovering from 8-3 down to defeat runners-up Loughborough 12-10.
'FRIENDS' LAUNCH FUNDING INITIATIVE (Feb 2009)
Friends of Water Polo have announced the launch (on 7 February) of a fund-raising initiative aimed at ensuring GB men – as well as GB women – take part in the London Olympics in 2012.
A statement by the Friends says: “We have been asked by David Sparkes (Chief Executive, British Swimming) to concentrate our efforts on providing funding for the players to enable them to remain within the high performance programme in Manchester.
“To fully fund the athletes of both squads will amount to approximately £250,000 per annum.
“The board of British Swimming have decided to give priority to the women’s squad but the aim of British Swimming remains to have both teams in London 2012. With only £1.45 million allocated to water polo, this is still insufficient to prepare one team, let alone two.
“Friends of Water Polo have been given a target of £100,000 for this year. However, we need at least £250,000 to allow both programmes to survive and stand any chance of meeting the performance criteria.
“This amount will buy us time and allow other ASA-driven funding streams to bear fruit. In addition, there is still a hope that UK Sport will be able to provide additional funds as 2012 approaches. It is important we keep the squads in training – and competitive – during this very difficult period.”
The Friends have set a target of generating 100 founding members willing to donate £1000. The launch takes place during the GB Championships at Manchester Aquatics Centre. For more information, click on www.friendsofwaterpolo.co.uk.
GB POLO FUNDING (Jan 2009)
On 22 December, the Daily Mail highlighted the current funding crisis threatening the future of the National Performance Centre and regional centres – and, therefore, GB’s prospects of taking part in the 2012 Olympics – in a splendid article by the newspaper’s Olympics correspondent, Neil Wilson.
Many of you will be aware that GB recently entered the FINA World League and drew home and away matches early in 2009 against three of most powerful nations – Montenegro, Italy and Romania. The entry has now been cancelled on financial grounds.
Here, we reproduce Neil Wilson’s article in full. It was headlined "Funding Crisis Sees London 2012 Polo Hopes Washed Away".
For 19-year-old Sean King, it will mean the end of his Olympic dream. For team captain Craig Figes, aged 30, the end of his international career.
For performance director Nick Hume and head coach Jerome Read, it may mean looking for new jobs.
A decision by UK Sport's board not to allocate realistic funding to eight Olympic and four Paralympic sports has had an immediate and catastrophic effect on the lives of 32 young water polo players and their coaches.
Even before UKS meet again on January 29 to decide how much of a consolation pot of £12 million each will receive, British Swimming, water polo's governing body, have moved to cancel 90 per cent of its Olympic squad's competitive programme next year.
Britain's men have been pulled out of the World League, just when they had been invited to make their debut in a powerful grouping of Italy, Montenegro and Romania. Every other international match planned has been scrapped.
There are fears that the High Performance Centre at Manchester and the regional centres will be closed after March and Great Britain training sessions curtailed because pool hire will be too expensive under the minimal funding which is likely.
Young players who signed one-year contracts for student homes to next July when they moved to join the squad in Manchester now fear they will not be able to pay their rent if their £600-a-month grants are ended.
'We just don't know where we are, nobody does,' says King, promoted to the senior squad in the autumn. 'There's a lot of fear about. Some moved homes and families to Manchester to be part of the squad.
'Some, like me, chose a university in Manchester to be on the squad. Now everything's been cancelled except a training camp in Italy next month which had already been paid for. If the worst happens, I'll finish my degree in 2010 and go abroad to play in a professional league. A couple of guys have already been invited to Italy. But it'll mean the end of our Olympic dream.
'I'm not saying we'd have won a medal in 2012 but, given the training time we've had for the past couple of years, we'd have performed creditably.'
Parents and supporters are so desperate to keep the programme alive that, at a meeting at Millfield School last weekend, they decided to try to enlist the help of former players such as Prince William and Max Clifford. They are talking of each paying monthly into a fund to finance Britain's Olympic programme. 'We have to do something. It can't end here,' says Sean's father David.
Figes, Britain's team captain, abandoned a professional career in Spain to join the programme two years ago. He moved with his girlfriend to Manchester and took a part-time teaching job to fund himself.
'There's lot of guys in debt, with contracts on accommodation they won't be able to afford and little chance of finding work in the present climate,' he says. 'At my age, I probably wouldn't have still been around in 2012 but, if this squad had been able to keep training as hard as it has until then, it would have done a decent job.
'Everybody's under huge stress. We heard about the funding problem a while ago and expected 10-15 per cent in cuts. But now, even if we get an even slice of what's left, it will be a 70 per cent cut and that won't even fund the hire of training pools.
'Several young players will get offered professional contracts in Europe but it's hypocritical to expect other countries to finance our Olympic preparations.'
Whatever UKS decide, Figes thinks it is too late because of the cancellation of the year's competitions. 'Even if we got money, we'll have lost a year. It'll be like we have to start all over again. You can't do that so close to the Olympics.'
Water polo supporters are encouraged to add their comments to the Mail website.
BRISTOL'S PLAY-OFF VICTORY (Dec 2008)
University of Bristol won promotion to Division Three with a 10-8 victory over Ealing in a play-off at Walsall Gala Baths (14 December).
Ealing, who finished seventh in Division Three, started confidently against the Division Four runners-up, building a 7-5 lead by the start of the final period. But the University recovered to 8-8 with two and half minutes left and then clinched victory with goals by Sean Taylor and Fergus Allerton.
For more details, click on the divisional news pages.
LEEDS TRIUMPH (Dec 2008)
City of Leeds won promotion to Division Two when they defeated Hucknall 12-10 in the play-off at Loughborough University (6 December).
The match was closely fought throughout - period scores (Hucknall first) were 3-3, 2-4, 1-1 and 4-4. Hucknall recovered to trail 10-11 in the final quarter before Lewis Young took Leeds through with a goal just over two minutes from the end.
Leeds' Hungarian duo of Balzs Keszthelyi and Piotr Cichy played major roles. They both scored three goals and Andy Marshall also netted three. For Hucknall, Dan Siddons and Adam Ellis claimed hat-tricks.
Success for Leeds means the club regains Division Two status after a one-year absence.
Meanwhile, National League chairman Steve Monico presented the Division One champions' shield to Lancaster skipper Alex Parsonage at Loughborough University. Lancaster, guaranteed the title before the Loughborough weekend, claimed two more victories - 20-2 against Penguin and 16-12 against their nearest challengers, Rotherham.
SWINDON EARN PROMOTION (Dec 2008)
Swindon Dolphin, newcomers to the National League this season, dropped just a single point - they were held to a 13-13 draw by Bedford on the final weekend (29/30 November) at Walsall - in completing a title-winning Division Four campaign.
University of Bristol finished as runners-up and qualify for a play-off against Ealing, the seventh-placed club in Division Three.
Our picture shows NWPL chairman Steve Monico presenting the Division Four shield to Swindon skipper Andy Hicks. For latest scores and a final table, click on the Division Four results page.
'FRIENDS’ GIVE CASH-STRAPPED GB POLO NEW HOPE (Jan 2008)
Friends of Water Polo, an organisation launched in December 2008 to step up the battle to ensure GB participation in the London Olympics, have already made spectacular progress – and received literally hundreds of messages of support.
In the first few days, lobbying led to an excellent article by Daily Mail Olympics correspondent Neil Wilson (see general news page). This explains the financial crisis affecting the sport and how it impacts on prospects for 2012.
The Friends have now gone live with a new website, www.friendsofwaterpolo.co.uk. Other actions include:
*Securing a meeting with UK Sport officials on 16 January to discuss the crisis.
*Organising a petition to 10 Downing Street with the aim of gathering 10,000 signatures. To add your name, click on http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/WaterPolo2012/
*Outlining the Friends’ objectives and current progress in a special presentation to delegates at the NWPL annual meeting on 11 January.
Immediate aims of the group are to build a campaign which ensures that GB men’s and women’s teams are able to compete in three years’ time; and to investigate ways of creating significant new fund-raising for the sport.
The Friends are particularly concerned at the plight of young athletes who committed themselves to full-time training at the National High Performance Centre in Manchester – in many cases making considerable personal, social, financial and academic sacrifices – and now see their Olympic dream under threat from “savage” cuts in funding.
“The Games in London offer the unique opportunity of a wild card entry as host nation," say The Friends. "This will provide the impetus for a legacy beyond 2012 and the continued renaissance of the sport. To hold an Olympic water polo competition in London without GB teams being represented would be a tragedy given the history and tradition of British water polo.”
REGISTRATION OF OFFICIALS (DECEMBER 2008)
All water polo officials (referees and table officials) are reminded that they should register to become licensed by the end of December 2008.
The water polo officials' licensing scheme started on 1 January 2008. Up to 31 December this year, registration is a simple matter of completing the relevant form, providing a passport photograph and getting someone to verify your active involvement as an official at your current grade.
Delaying into the new year will make the process more complicated because applicants will then be expected to meet more stringent requirements before gaining approval.
Once registered, officials receive a logbook to record activity and progress, plus photographic identification card and a lanyard. The officials' licence will last four years, with renewal available after that provided certain criteria have been met.
Aim of the new system is to give the British Water Polo Officials' Group and the IoS (Institute of Swimming) an opportunity to maintain an efficient register of active officials and to keep it related to the level and standard of individuals rather than relying on information supplied by clubs through their annual membership lists. The scheme also forms part of the BSTWPC-approved mentoring and development scheme.
There is no requirement to be registered as a licensed official. However, those who wish to remain active are encouraged to do so as it is anticipated that only licensed referees and table officials will be eligible to officiate at specific events.
For further information or to receive an application form, contact either your ASATWPC regional water polo rep or Ruth Beech, IoS Co-ordinator, Harold Fern House, Loughborough. Tel: 01509 618746.
BEIJING REFLECTIONS (SEPTEMBER 2008)
Brian Littlejohn is back on National League duty after his stint as one of the 24 FINA-appointed referees at the Beijing Olympics. It was, he says, a challenging and exciting experience, as well as being a busy one – he was required as a referee, timekeeper or goal judge for at least one match every day.
The three matches he refereed were all in the men’s competition and featured the three eventual medallists - Serbia’s 11-7 defeat of Germany, a 4-2 Serbian victory over the USA and Hungary’s 12-3 win against Canada.
Says Brian: “The first two games had the pundits ripping up their form papers at the end of the first periods - the Germans went 3-1 up against Serbia while Serbia were goalless against the Americans.
“As for me, once the line-up presentations had been made, the nerves were back to normal form (yes, even referees get nervous before matches) and I managed to concentrate on the game in hand.
“I think it can be said that matches at this level are easier in the sense that teams are more knowledgeable about the rules and are more likely to play 'real polo' (not with one player hanging up in attack for the whole game or a couple of tired players just making it to half way!).
“This, coupled with the speed of the game, increases the pressure to make the right decisions at the right time. Add in the spectators, who invariably are more knowledgeable and present in larger numbers than your usual British crowd – as well as other knowledgeable spectators, referees, delegates etc – then the atmosphere is tremendous and really helps focus the attention.”
Brian was appointed to the FINA list after qualifying as a LEN referee in 1997. His lasting memory of Beijing 2008? “The feeling as I walked out on to poolside prior to my first match. Although I've played in goal for the Scottish and British water polo teams at many competitions, this was my first Olympic Games and obviously the highest level competition.
“It's fair to say you get just as nervous, if not more so as a referee than as a player in a team. At least in a team you have your mates around you and someone usually to cover for you but the referee’s only friend is his colleague on the other side of the pool.”
To ensure impartiality, Beijing officials stayed away from the athletes’ village in the Grand Skylight Catic Hotel, just 400 metres from the Birds Nest Stadium. “We were so well looked after that it is still difficult to return to normality even after this time," Brian continues.
“The Chinese people we met were really happy about the games being in Beijing and could not do enough to help you have a good time and enjoy their country. They were very proud and knowledgeable about the history of China and, although we did not get out of Beijing very far – only to visit and walk on the Great Wall, which according to Chinese culture means that I can now consider myself a man! – we were still able to appreciate a lot of the history, the focal points and the vastness of this great city.”
Brian’s next international appointment is the LEN Trophy group competition in Montenegro in October.
Congratulations Brian on your Olympic success!‘
GREG’S BIRTHDAY DEBUT (October 2008)
Australian goalkeeper Greg Bray may well have created a Division One record when he made his first NWPL appearance for Polytechnic in the match against champions Bristol Central at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.
Three days earlier, Greg celebrated his 52nd birthday! Does that make him the oldest player to make his debut in the top flight? Probably so. Not that it is unusual for some very well known veterans to make occasional emergency appearances for their clubs.
Norman Leighton, a National League debutant for County of York all of 30 years ago, played full games in goal for Rotherham Metro last season. Even Cheltenham coach Martyn Thomas (star GB goalie in his heyday) and Lancaster-based ref Ken Potts have seen brief action in the past couple of years.
Not that anyone can quite match the achievements of Dave Edwards, who began his extraordinary National League career with Leamington in the mid-1970s and today is still a key member of the Cheltenham first team squad.
Greg is an architect who has been transferred to the UK by his company to work on one of the Olympic development site projects. His home team is Richmond Tigers, one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Melbourne. He has played for more than 30 years, mostly in Victorian State League 1 – his last appearance was a week before he left for the UK.
Greg was manager of Richmond Tigers for five years as well as joint manager prior to his arrival in London of the Victoria Tigers, the Victorian team in the Australian NWPL. His one appearance for the Victoria Tigers happened three years ago – against Sydney team Cronulla Sharks, making him the oldest debut player in the Aus NWPL.
Playing at Ponds Forge, he says, was an enjoyable experience. “I have noticed a difference in the quality of pools between Melbourne and London – Melbourne has more which can be used for water polo. However, pool time for training in a city like London is just as difficult to arrange as in Melbourne.”
He adds: “Training in the outdoor pool at Hampstead Heath lido, even in summer, is definitely an experience to remember!”
EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS PLAN (SEPTEMBER 2008)
LEN Technical Water Polo Committee is to consider major changes in the structure of the European Championships after the 2010 competition in Zagreb, Croatia. It could mean GB playing more competitive matches in the UK.
The current B Championships would be abandoned and replaced with a qualification system more akin to European soccer. All but the automatically-qualified top six in Zagreb would take part in preliminary rounds, with teams divided into groups and playing round-robin games on a home and away basis. For more details, read Wolfgang Philipps on www.waterpoloworld-com.
The proposals will be debated at the LEN Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, on 27 September.
KEN'S DEBUT (SEPTEMBER 2008)
A prominent water polo administrator from Japan enjoyed his first taste of National League action when, at the age of 52, he made his debut for Otter 1869 during the Division Three weekend at Walsall.
Katsumi Kuroda, known as Ken, arrived in London last June in his professional role as a Senior Vice President of the Mitsubishi Corporation.
He has played water polo for 38 years and is a member of the Japan Swimming Federation water polo committee as well as serving on the Asian Swimming
Federation technical water polo committee.
His work includes the responsibility of hiring a foreign coach for Japan's national team, managing national team activities, interpretation of FINA rules and evaluation of referees - all of which he continues while travelling from his new London base.
Finally, Ken is also a member of the committee looking at the potential for Tokyo to host water polo at the 2016 Olympic Games.
GB OUT OF LUCK (SEPTEMBER 2008)
There was disappointment for Great Britain at the European Junior Men's Championship in Istanbul. The team lost all three group matches - Italy 7-13, Germany 9-12 and Croatia 2-17.
Group winners were Serbia, Greece, Croatia and Hungary.
GB then lost to France in one of the matches for positions 9-16. The game was tied at 8-8 at full time. France then won a penalty shoot-out 5-4.
In the 13/16 positional game, GB defeated Slovenia 8-5. GB then beat Israel after extra time in a penalty shoot-out to finish 13th. Montenegro defeated Spain 9-7 in the final.
FOUR HEAD FOR EUROPE (septEmber 2008)
Four National League clubs will be competing in European club competitions this year - possibly the largest-ever UK entry.
In the Euro League qualification round (3-5 October), West London Penguin travel to Porto, Portugal, where they are grouped with GSS Panionios (Athens), Olympic (Nice), CSM Leonardo Oradea (Romania), BMK Kharkov (Ukraine), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) and host club SC Slagueiros.
Rotherham Metro are in the Slovenian coastal town of Koper, grouped with T-Mobile Honved (Budapest), Budvanska Rivijera (Montenegro), Spandau 04 (Berlin), hosts Rokava and Widex Donk, of Gouda (Netherlands).
LEN Trophy (16/18 October):
In Prancj, Montenegro: Bristol Central, SS Nervi (Italy), WPC Beograd (Serbia), PVK Val Prancj.
In Chios, Greece: Cheltenham, VSPU Volgograd (Russia), NC Chios.
HUNGARIAN SUCCESS (SEPTEMBER 2008)
Exeter's Hungarian tour - which featured a strong contingent who play for Weymouth & Portland in the National League - proved a great success. A highlight occurred on day one when the party received an official lunch reception at the British Embassy.
The programme included a Budapest training camp involving local Club BVSC as well as members of the Canadian national team, plus coaching by Balas Vincze (358 Caps for Hungary).
The Exeter party comprised 31 players and five coaches. The programme included a tournament in Szentes, where Exeter's three teams faced tough opposition from clubs representing some 15 countries. In one match, Exeter celebrated a rare British achievement - victory over a Hungarian club, Monor.
The tour was made possible thanks to a five-figure sponsorship package obtained from Devon County Council and Michelmores LLP by Exeter chairman and head coach James ("Jaggers") Baker. Next up for Exeter? A repeat Hungarian tour next year, plus ambitions to visit Croatia and Mongenegro. For more information, contact James at jaggers@exeterwaterpolo.co.uk.
DEATH OF TINY SPIRES (September 2008)
The sudden death has occurred of Barry (Tiny) Spires, a stalwart of RAF water polo for many years. He had only recently celebrated his 60th birthday.
Tiny will be remembered as an extremely popular member and formidable pit forward of RAF teams over many years. After finishing playing, he coached the side to numerous Inter-Services titles in the 1980s and 1990s.
In all, he served for 38 years in the RAF. He was instrumental in forming the RAF Lyneham team that competed in the Wiltshire and Bristol & West Leagues for many seasons. Later, he coached the former Chippenham club and then the Wroughton team in Swindon. Wroughton enjoyed their most successful period at this time, progressing to Division One of the Bristol & West League and entering the National League in 1998, winning the Division Three title in 2000.
Golf had been Tiny's great passion since retiring from water polo in 2001. He collapsed and died after completing a round at his local club. The funeral is at Semington Crematorium, near Melksham, on Firiday, 5 September, 3.15pm, followed by a gathering at the Officers' Mess, RAF Lyneham.
OLYMPICS TV COVERAGE (august 2008)
Did you catch the BBC "red button" screening of the Olympic men's water polo bronze medal match and final?
OK, the commentary was dire - for example, you won't discover a new offside rule in the NWPL this season; neither will our table officials re-set the possession clock after every minor foul!
But at least the broadcast acknowledged the great efforts being made in GB to prepare a team for 2012. And the matches WERE shown, albeit without achieving the main channel coverage of other (less exciting?) sports, such as handball and beach volleyball.
Hopefully, it was a sign of better things to come. But please don't sit back and grumble about the paucity of coverage for our sport on TV in the UK, however justified this may be. Write to the sports departments at the BBC, Sky and Eurosport and tell them you want to see more of this brilliant action! Then they may sit up and listen. Who knows, we might even see the cameras at a National League fixture before very long.
