RAF WIN INTER-SERVICE WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR THE 5TH IN SUCCESSION

After a long year of preparation, the RAF Water Polo Team met at DCAE Cosford on 1 Jul in order to start their Pre-Inter Services training. Having completed their first season in the National Water Polo League the Team was in confident mood to defend their title as Inter Services Champions.

Although hampered by several of the local opposition teams dropping out of fixtures at short notice, the Team (coached by ex-GB coach Norman Leighton) completed the week’s schedule without major incident – beating South Derbyshire 10 – 9 in the only remaining friendly fixture.

The Team moved down to HMS Temeraire to first face the Army and then the hosts, the Royal Navy, in this year’s competition. Saturday 11 Jul saw the first game, with the Norman Leighton having to pick a final 13 from his squad of 14. The winners would earn themselves a rest day and the losers would have to face the RN the next afternoon.

As is now almost compulsory, the RAF team made an always tricky match more difficult than was required. Having several times secured a 2 goal lead for the RAF, the Army forced their way back into the game before half time meaning that the game was still up for the taking by either side. 2 goals each by ever-present Flt Lt Stephen Brassington and the crowd’s favourite, SAC Andy Huckle, supported by goals from several other team members provided the basis for a thrilling final quarter in which the Team’s fitness and experience from the NWPL came to the fore. Team Captain Sgt Michael Whiteley showed his skills by scoring 3 goals in the final quarter, taking his tally to 4 for the match and the RAF to a well deserved victory 12 – 9.

Having watched the RN play the Army on Sun (Army 10 – RN 7), the RAF knew that the RN would come out all guns blazing in order to establish as firm a basis as possible before the RAF superior fitness could come in to play. SAC Dai Jones, unlucky not be selected for the first game, replaced SAC Ben Kingshot for this match and straight away forced his way into the starting team determined to make his mark. The RAF were immediately frustrated by the post and Navy goal keeper throughout the first quarter and went 3 – 0 down during the first period. With the Royal Navy in confident mood the RAF had to score first in the second period and managed to do so before the Navy retaliated, making the score-line 4- 1 to the Navy. At this point the RAF fitness and training kicked in. By the end of the 3rd quarter the RAF had added a further 7 goals to the Navy’s zero. Including a tense penalty taken by the resurgent SAC Dai Jones. The final quarter was a case of calm possession and the cup was the RAF’s again. With fitness pulling them through the RAF continued to stretch their lead with Flt Lt Matt Chapman clocking up 4 goals and Flt Lt Rich Elford, continuing from his first ever IS goal against the Army on Sat, scoring twice in the match rounding off a comprehensive fight back and victory by 12 – 5. The final whistle saw the RAF Team retain the title and increase their unbeaten record to 5 years straight.

With this also came the announcement of the retirement from the RAF Water Polo Team of Sgt Ian Russell. A devoted team member for 20 years, Sgt Russell was the Team’s hard-man central defender and, having missed last year’s victory whilst training the Iraqi Police Force in Basrah, was determined not to leave on a loss. Ian has left a big cap for Sqn Ldr Ian Cheesworth and Fg Off Ben Durham, the squad’s remaining central defenders, to fill next season and the whole of RAFSA wish him and his family the best.

Squad:

Cpl Almond RAF Cranwell
Flt Lt Stephen Brassington RAF Northolt
Flt Lt Matt Chapman RAF Linton on Ouse
Sqn Ldr Ian Chesworth JSSU Corsham
Flt Lt Trev Down RAF Akrotiri
Flt Lt Rich Elford RAF Odiham
SAC Andy Huckle RAF Coningsby
Flt Lt Chris Jones DEFPETCEN West Moors
SAC Dai Jones RAF Lossiemouth
SAC Ben Kingshott RAF Brize Norton
Wg Cdr Damian Orton JSSU Corsham
Cpl Ryan Norris DCAE Cosford
Flt Lt Barney Polden RAF High Wycombe
Sgt Mitch Poulton AFCO Birmingham
Sgt Russell RAF St Mawgan
Sgt Whiteley RAF Brampton

Support Staff:

Sqn Ldr Mark Vincenti DE&S Ensleigh Mr Norman Leighton CoachMr Tony Bennett Goal Keeping Coach / Match OfficialMr Tony Coleby Goal Keeping Coach Mr Gus Lees Match Official

INTERSTATION WATER POLO 2009

2009’s Inter Station Water Polo Championships consisted of 3 Stn teams playing a round-robin followed by a full final. All eyes were on RAF Waddington who had dominated the competition over the previous years but had recently lost players due to postings, RAF Cranwell had a large but mostly inexperienced team whilst RAF Akrotiri had made the long flight with a bare 7 players.

The first match saw RAF Cranwell take on RAF Waddington in what was thought to be a certain win for Waddington however Cranwell had other ideas and went in at half time 4 – 3 ahead. The start of the second half had Waddington draw level but they were never able to increase to a lead and Cranwell edged ahead to a 7 – 5 lead before a tense last minute had Waddington pull back a goal and pile on the pressure but to no avail and the final score was 7 – 6 to RAF Cranwell.

The next match drew RAF Cranwell against 7-playered RAF Akrotiri – however Akrotiri did include the RAF goalkeeper (Flt Lt Chris Jones) and stalwart RAF pitman Flt Lt Down. Aware of the team numbers against them, Akrotiri took a steady but assertive lead and went in at half-time 3 – 0 ahead. A similar performance saw them finish the match 6 – 1 winners.

The last of the round-robin games put Akrotiri against Waddington and again the solid team play combined with steadying hands of Down and Jones saw a half time lead for Akrotiri of 4 – 2. Despite tiring limbs, the RAF Akrotiri team pushed on and scored a final 2 goals with no reply, meaning a final score of 6 – 2.

The final game was played over the full 4 quarters and lined up inexperienced RAF Cranwell against level headed RAF Akrotiri. With a brief for Cranwell to try and tire the 7-man team and catch them on the break both teams started with good intentions however it soon became clear that ex-RAF captain Flt Sgt Hitchman could not fight a one man battle and Akrotiri went in at quarter time 3 – 0 ahead with goals from Jones (playing out of position), Fuller and Peel. The second and third quarters went a similar way, with Akrotiri absorbing all of the Cranwell pressure only to counter attack and score 2 in each quarter, going in at 3-quarter time 7 – 0 ahead. Pride caused a Cranwell rally and the new-boys defended doggedly, preventing Akrotiri from extending their lead and a last minute shot from OC Gardiner beat the RAF keeper, Jones, to spoil his clean sheet and provide a consolation goal and final score of 7 – 1 to RAF Akrotiri.

RAF Akrotiri became the first overseas station to win the RAF Inter-Station Water Polo Championships and did it comprehensively, scoring 19 goals and conceding only 4.

Cyprus Lion Newspaper Report:

' The RAF Akrotiri Water Polo Team has been crowned the RAF Champions after becoming the first overseas unit to win the prestigious Inter-Station Championship. The team overcame all opposition in the tournament - but perhaps the hardest challenge was getting to and from RAF Cranwell in Lincs. With only a bare minimum seven players available (water polo is played with seven players in the water with up to six 'rolling' substitutes on the bench), the Akrotiri players' high-level of fitness was a key factor in their success - coupled with the seamless team-play that had been honed in the Akrotiri pool during the preceding weeks.

The group stage of the competition was negotiated in fine style with the Akrotiri team recording several comfortable victories. The highlight of these early games was a 6-2 win over the reigning (five times in-a-row) champions RAF Waddington. The calm and assured goalkeeping of Cpl Dave Lemon during this match allowed the team to push forward and demonstrate some attacking flair. The energetic Cpl Pete Fuller was tearing up and down the pool to good effect and helped to assist the ageing, yet evergreen, Flt Lt Trev Down to punish the tiring Waddington team with some clinical finishes. This victory ensured that Akrotiri would face a strong RAF Cranwell team in the showpiece final.

Despite being roared on by a large and appreciative crowd and having home advantage the youthful Cranwell side were soon on the back foot. With the dependable Cpl Matt Barnet taking over from Dave Lemon between the sticks, Flt Lt Chris Jones (the first choice RAF goalkeeper) was again released to play in an attacking role - Jones soon had the ball in the back of the Cranwell net thanks to a key pass from SAC Lyndsey Wellings (the only female to play in the competition) During the first two quarters Capt Ade Peel turned back-the-clock to his 1980's heyday and despatched a couple of composed finishes to stretch the lead. Pete Fuller claimed his first goal of the competition to take the half time score 4-nil. With the trophy now within sight, the Akrotiri team played out the remainder of the game with aplomb. Tournament top-scorer, Chris Jones added a further long-range strike and the redoubtable Trev Down added a sixth as superb passing play and aggressive defence - exemplified by the feisty Cpl Craig Nicholls - took the heart out of the Cranwell side. The 'cherry on the icing on the cake' came late in the 3rd quarter - a rebound was plucked out of the air by the telescopic arm of Ade Peel and with 3 defenders forcing him under water and his back to goal he calmly placed the ball back across the bemused Cranwell keeper and into the net. The last quarter saw Cranwell score a late consolation, but with the final scoreline reading 7-1 to Akrotiri the once vociferous home support were now standing and applauding the much-travelled team from the Med.

After the match team captain Cpl Matt Barnet was justifiably proud:

'We have a well-known saying in the RAF PTI trade: 'Do it for the Badge', over the last 2 days we have 'done it for Akrotiri'. I am so proud of my team, this rates as one of my greatest sporting highlights'.

The RAF Water Polo Team Manager and PR mogul Flt Lt Steve Brassington was clearly impressed:

'I was expecting Akrotiri to be strong; that said, I was not expecting them to win the competition in such style. A number of much larger UK-based RAF units - including my own - failed to field a competitive team to match them. The success of Akrotiri will hopefully rekindle Services Water Polo in Cyprus - which can only be good news for the future of the sport in the RAF'.

Following the water polo tournament, the weary team then competed in the RAF Inter-Station Swimming Championships and came a creditable 3rd overall. Highlights included a bronze medal for SAC Lyndsey Wellings in the female 100m breaststroke and Cpl Pete Fuller came within a whisker of a medal when he was placed 4th in the 50m butterfly - even though he clocked the same time as the 3rd placed swimmer. Cpl Matt Barnet was a willing late entrant in the 800m and set a Personal Best time in claiming 6th spot.

When the swimming and water polo results were combined to calculate the standings for the historic Mounsey Trophy, RAF Akrotiri were placed in 3rd - an outstanding achievement given that the Mounsey Trophy winners, RAF Cranwell and runners-up, RAF Waddington had much larger squads that only had to travel a few miles at most!

A fitting endnote to the proceedings was an award made to Flt Lt Trev Down by the RAF Swimming Association. Trev was presented with an engraved crystal decanter and glasses to mark his 25th consecutive year as a member of the Association's Inter Services squad. A feat he achieved as a member of the RAF's water polo team that won a 5th consecutive victory at the 2009 Inter Services back in July. As part of an emotional acceptance speech, Trev was quick to praise his team mates over the years and thanked his wife Tracey for her unstinting support of his sporting endeavours.

Plans are now underway for a BFC Inter-Unit tournament and a RAF vs Army Cyprus Inter-Service fixture in 2010 - details will be promulgated to units in due course.

The RAF Akrotiri squad:

Team Captain Cpl Matt Barnet, Capt Ade Peel, Flt Lt Trev Down, Flt Lt Chris Jones, Cpl Pete Fuller, Cpl Dave Lemon, Cpl Craig Nicholls and SAC Lyndsey Wellings. '

NATIONAL WATER POLO LEAGUE 2009

The RAF Water Polo Team resumed their participation in the NWPL Div 4 with high hopes for improvement after a successful 08/09 season, culminating in the retention of the IS championship. Immediately hopes were dampened by the postings of goal keeper, Flt Lt Chris Jones, and stalwart, Flt Lt Trev Down, to RAF Akrotiri, rendering both unavailable for the league season.

12 / 13 Sep - Sheffield

The first weekend saw the RAF travel to Ponds Forge with a weakened squad due to Ops and exercises to face teams from Cambridge, Newcastle and London (Otter). Playing off a reduced bench the RAF started with a respectable, if frustrating, loss by 15 – 9 against the weakest opposition for the weekend, Otter. From this point the weekend proceeded to go from bad to worse, with the RAF playing their second match of the day against one of the favourites for the league, Cambridge, and losing to an eventual score-line of 31 – 6. Sunday continued the trend, with the RAF down to a squad of 8 players before the match against Newcastle even started. By the end of the first quarter the RAF were down to a bare 7, due to 3 major fouls counting Flt Lt Rich Elford out of the rest of the match. A resilient display, including an unexpected full game for new boy Sgt Mitch Poulton, saw the RAF struggle to a tough 23 – 7 defeat.

10 / 11 Oct - Walsall

Weekend 2 had the team move to Walsall Gala Baths for another 3 matches that would test fitness and team resolve. First up was new team Worthing; an unknown quantity who eventually secured 3rd place in the league. With a strengthened squad of 11 players available, the RAF entered the water with renewed vigour, only to be firmly put in their place by a very capable opposition. Having fought back from 4 – 0 down to a first quarter deficit of 6 – 3 the RAF soon realised that the new team was not going to be easy picking and Worthing soon showed their full ability, stretching their lead consistently to a final score of 29 – 7. The second match of the day saw the RAF facing up to another new team that entered the league as favourites and finished as Champions (losing one game all season). The RAF’s leaky defence and struggle to score continued as the team seemed to be picking the ball out of the net with alarming regularity and the RAF succumbed to a 26 – 8 loss. Sunday brought the Manchester Hawks team, a young team that had caused the RAF problems last season. With morale wavering the RAF dug deep but found themselves 8 – 2 down at half time; the second half saw a measure of the RAF determination as the team fought back, winning the second half by 9 – 8 (with 5 second half goals from Flt Lt Matt Chapman) however, with the damage already done, a close defeat of 16 – 11 could not be avoided.

24 / 25 Oct – Marlborough

Weekend 3 provided a slight break for the RAF team, as they only faced 2 teams – Bedford and Ealing. First up was the potentially damaging fixture against Ealing (league leaders and up to this point undefeated). The early signs were not promising, with the impressive Ealing stretching a 4 – 1 quarter time lead to a 8 – 4 half time score-line. However a mixture of relaxation by Ealing and dogged determination by the RAF saw the score-line start to swing in the 3rd quarter with the RAF closing the gap to 10 – 8 and then surprising everyone with a tense last minute finale that saw the RAF take the first point off Ealing with a 13 – 13 draw, including a first RAF goal for new-player Cpl Ryan Norris. Buoyed by the unexpected result from the previous day, the RAF arrived on the Sunday to play Bedford in a traditionally close fixture. The RAF continued from their previous form, going in at half time 7 – 6 ahead! The third quarter was equally tight with both teams scoring an extra 2 goals. Bedford immediately equalised at the start of the 4th quarter before a tit-for-tat quarter saw no goals for the next 4 minutes; then, with 2m 50 sec to go, Bedford struck the hammer blow and scored their 10th and final goal leaving the RAF chasing the game as the clock wound down. The final whistle blew and the RAF knew that they had seen their best chance slip through their grasp.

22 Nov – Walsall

A hastily re-arranged weekend saw tournament 4 slipped by 2 weeks due to logistical problems on the side of NWPL and Nottingham Uni. Thankfully for the RAF, the new weekend coincided with an already arranged training weekend, meaning that all players were already available. 11 RAF players travelled from RAF Cranwell to play the last of the new teams, Carlisle. Having made a good start (leading 4 – 3) the RAF were then shown the value of being able to train together consistently as Carlisle stretched away steadily to a final score of 17 – 7. The second match saw the RAF line-up against old time sparring partners Grantham in what was become a fight for pride for the RAF side. The RAF matched Grantham goal for goal up to half time, but then the curse of the 3rd quarter struck and Grantham scored 4 goals to the RAF’s one. The 4th quarter saw honours even again but the RAF had been undone by the 3rd quarter lapse and the final score was 11 – 8 to Grantham.

5 / 6 Dec – Walsall

The final weekend saw a departure from the norm, with the league splitting into 3 mini leagues, with the top 4, middle 4 and bottom 3 teams all playing round-robin tournaments to decide final positions. This breakdown placed the RAF in competition with Otter (w/e one, 15 – 9) and Bedford (w/e 3, 10 – 9).

Shocked by the nature of the first encounter, Bedford approached this game with a team that had already played their first match earlier that day. Any sign of fatigue was immediately dispatched as a confident Bedford team attempted to impose their style of play on to the game, punishing any RAF errors. In a game marked by the RAF’s continued ability to hit the woodwork, the RAF tried valiantly to get into the match but the experienced Bedford kept their score ticking over and a unrepresentative final score-line of 18 – 7 to Bedford made the RAF look worse than the actual play had been.

Entering the final game of the season, the RAF could no longer catch either of the teams above them and were playing for pride against an Otter team who wanted to finish on a high. In a close game, the RAF matched Otter in the 1st and 4th quarters, however could only manage 3 goals to Otter’s 6 in the middle 2 quarters, leading to a final score of 12 – 9 to Otter.

Summary:

On the face of it NWPL 09 could be seen a negative experience however, the long term aim of the RAF’s entry into the league is to provide the opportunity for the RAF team to play as a consolidated squad against high-level opposition. The league has provided 12 matches that the RAF would otherwise have struggled to timetable into their own training weekends and has allowed new players, Sgt Mitch Poulton and Cpl Ryan Norris, to experience competitive water polo prior to cauldron of the IS10 matches.

Of particular note was the impressive scoring by Flt Lt Matt Chapman. Matt was top goal scorer throughout the league and, faced with one fewer match than his nearest rival (due to the round-robin format), was only usurped at the final fixture weekend, finishing 2nd in the league, with 58 goals.

The Squad:

Cpl Si Almond Headley Court

Flt Lt Steve Brassington (Manager) RAF Northolt

Flt Lt Matt Chapman RAF Valley

Sqn Ldr Chesworth JSSU Corsham

Sqn Ldr Tony Coleby (Ret) MOD

Flt Lt Ben Durham RAF Coningsby

Flt Lt Elford RAF Odiham

SAC Andy Huckle (Captain) RAF Coningsby

SAC Dai Jones RAF Lossiemouth

Cpl Ryan Norris DISC Chicksands

Wg Cdr Damian Orton JSSU Corsham

Flt Lt Barney Polden RAF High Wycombe

Sgt Mitch Poulton AFCO Birmingham

Sqn Ldr Vincenti DE&S Enfield