Clissold v Enfield SC September 2006

Double success for Clissold SC in club's first water polo matches

here is what the Hackney Gazette said

Clissold Swimming Club introduced water polo into its training programme in February 2006 and this has proved to be very popular. The water polo players have now taken part in their first competitive fixture, with two squads from Clissold SC competing against the water polo players from Enfield SC at Southgate Leisure Centre on Sunday 17th September.

Two matches were played, the first for the U16 squad and the second for the U14 squad. The U16s match started off as a very closely fought contest, with the score at half time being 2 - 2. But the Clissold players upped their game in the second half and the final score was 6 - 4 to Clissold SC. Man of the match was Jonathan Jarrett, who scored 5 of Clissold’s 6 goals, with the 6th goal being scored by Richard Hawkins. The goalkeeper, Ciaran Potter, made some great saves, and every member of the squad contributed to the final result. Clissold’s successful squad comprised Kieran Battistella, Rachel Bull, Richard Hawkins, Katie Ings, Matthew James, Jonathan Jarrett, Hannah Macdonald, Charlotte McVeigh, Ben Pitt, Ciaran Pottter and Safaa Usmani.

The U14s got off to a flyng start, with Clissold SC 4 - 0 up at half time. But Enfield SC came back strongly in the second half, scoring 4 goals in quick succession and the final result was 6 - 4 to Clissold SC. Congratulations to Nabil Hijiet-Andaloussi, Dan Mason and Ben Pitt, who scored 2 goals apiece, and to the other seven squad members - Gabriel Cramer, Katherine Miller-Brunton, Abigail McNeill, Oscar Price, Sarah Taylor-Reid and Joe Towndrow.

As well as to the players themselves, great credit for the club’s success in their first ever competitive water polo matches goes to James Reddick from London Poly Water Polo Club, who coaches the squad and to Andy Doyle, who assists him.

The club has recently been awarded a grant from the GLA to host three water polo taster sessions as part of the GLA's London Summer of Sport. The first of these sessions took place on Sunday 10th September and the next two will be held on Sunday 24th September and on Sunday 8th October from 10.00 - 12.00 am at Ironmonger Row Baths. These taster sessions will be free of charge to any young people aged 8 - 18 who are competent swimmers and would like to come along and try out water polo. We hope to see more participants at the next sessions [LINK].

Clissold Swimming Club is Hackney’s competitive swimming club and offers a full training programme for swimmers of all abilities age 5 - 18. For further details, please ring 07891 880781 or visit our website at www.clissoldswimmingclub.org.uk.