Tournament Champions!

Basingstoke successfully competed at the Cranleigh Waterpolo Tournament winning the closely fought competition.

Here are the results:

Winner: Basingstoke 7pts

2nd: Tunbridge Wells 6pts

3rd: Cranleigh I 5pts

4th: Blue Marlins 2pts

5th: Cranleigh II 0pts

Basingstoke players of the Tournament were Bushy and Nihar. They only played in one game but supported the rest of the team throughout.

Donkey move was closely contested but it must go to Trace for his corner taking skills; he managed to throw the ball backwards out of the pool.

Basingstoke supporters also won the raffle with a record number of prizes going to Deborah.

[Top]

Champions of London?

With yet another comfortable victory under their water polo hats Basingstoke could win Division 4 of the London League.

Basingstoke Water Polo Club comfortably pulled apart Ealing’s defence to win an impressive 10-5. With a near-full squad back after the summer it didn’t take long for the team to gain a psychologically crucial first Ľ lead of 4-1 against a very competent London team, thanks largely to trigger-happy Morgan putting away a pair and Captain Paton also getting one.

In the 2ndquater the home team extended their lead to 7-3. A courageous Jack Holdroft, playing his first full length senior match for the club – aged 15 – devastated their defence assisting at least 4 goals, Trewella at the other end of the maturity scale putting 1 of these away. Key-playmaker Howe and utility man John Dare-Williams kept Ealing’s attack at bay with decisive steals and some inspired play. 6’ 6” keeper Sasson has installed great stability at the team’s back allowing the club to push forward confidently at times like this.

The second half started poorly for Basingstoke with only one Ealing goal scored in the 3rd quarter, Richard Sungod carelessly conceding 2 majors and Steve Fairhead retiring himself from the rest of the game. But Basingstoke responded in the final quarter, 2 goals coming from Allan Fairhead taking his tally to 4 and making him once again top scorer. Unfortunately one of the visitors didn’t appreciate his scoring streak getting him dressing-roomed, for retaliating to a punch in the mouth. Bridger, specialising in right sided attacks, found enough space to park the Titanic and sank the teams 9th.

The final score; 10-5. Can Basingstoke now win the League?

[Top]

Poor pool threatens ‘polo

The quality of the water in the town centre swimming pool could ruin Basingstoke Water Polo Club. “Every time we play here, whether for training or home matches, the water stings our eyes terribly,” says Vice-captain Gavin Bridger.

According to the centre’s management the chlorine levels are fine and the stinging sensation is caused by children relieving themselves. But the water polo team, who play the sport - in which you are unable to wear goggles - in pools all over the country, find their home pool of embarrassingly poor quality. Prompted by a particularly harsh assault on their eyes last Tuesday Bridger says “after only a few minutes it’s like trying to play in a fog because your eyes mist up so much. Maybe it isn’t caused by the chlorine levels, but if that’s the case then Basingstokers must have particularly slack bladders as other pools rarely affect our eyes as much.” Every time the club has a home match it receives complaints from the visiting team about the water quality.

Hopefully the new Aquadrome may save the club, where it already trains every Thursday. It is awaiting new goals and equipment, supplied by a sports council grant, before it can play matches there.

[Top]

Basingstoke Hammer Harlow

Published in The Monday Gazette on 30/09/02.

A rejuvenated Basingstoke team comfortably dismantled the Essex team of Harlow on Tuesday (10.09.02) with a 12-3 victory to the visiting team.

For the 5^th consecutive game Allan Fairhead was top scorer, getting a goal in each quarter. At the other end of play keeper Richard Sasson and central defender Paul Adams put on a very solid performance keeping the goal deficit low, the latter even sneeking in a goal from 8m out. The 2 Steves (Paton and Fairhead) absorbed the worst from this physical team but kept their cool throughout, Fairhead Jr. getting a lovely goal in the first quarter.

Ben Nayor had a good game scoring 3 goals in the 2^nd quarter in the deep, dispite being a shallow end specialist. Gavin Bridger also had a marvellous game getting back his form after a year out, with 2 decisive goals in the first half. The final goal came from Trace Morgan who made the most of a man-up with a Power-play set piece.

Squad:

1. R. Sasson 6. G.Bridger

2. S. Paton 9. T. Morgan

3. B. Naylor 10. S. Fairhead

4. P. Adams 11. A. Fairhead

[Top]

Winner:	Basingstoke	7pts
2nd:	Tunbridge Wells	6pts
3rd:	Cranleigh I	5pts
4th:	Blue Marlins	2pts
5th:	Cranleigh II	0pts

1.	R. Sasson	6.	G.Bridger
2.	S. Paton	9.	T. Morgan
3.	B. Naylor	10.	S. Fairhead
4.	P. Adams	11.	A. Fairhead