120^th ANNIVERSARY

 

To celebrate the Club's 120th Anniversary a Dinner Dance was organised at the Wendover Hotel, Eccles attended by approx. 230 people. To commemorate the occasion all guests received a boxed Royal Doulton plate with the Tyldesley crest and a specially designed booklet “The Forgotten Years”. Throughout the week various events took place including a disco at the Formby Hall which included a buffet, disco and a live band called The Soul Men.

 

SOCIAL SCENE

 

In addition to the 120^th Anniversary celebrations other social events included the Presentation Evening, the club holiday to Dolfriog Hall, Wales, a Bavarian night with Willie Messerschmidt and his Oompah Band at Paddys, an Italian Night with a 3 course Italian meal again at Paddys, a barbecue at the Comfortable Gill and the Christmas Party.  A Sports sale rounded off the fund raising.

 

SWIMMING

 

The swimming section had a very successful year.  In the Junior Swim League the team were champions and were successful in the following age groups:

 

Winners:       10 year girls

                    10 year mixed

                    14 year boys

                    16 year boys

                    16 year mixed

 

Runners up:  12 year boys

                    12 year mixed

 

For the second year in succession the club entered the Central Lancashire Intermediate League to enable its second string swimmers the chance to compete. The swimmers competed well and eventually finished in third position only just missing out on promotion to the first division by one point.

 

In the Central Lancashire Age Group Knockout competition following and extremely close and competitive gala Tyldesley won in the final against Urmston.

 

During the course of the year Tyldesley swam in the Central Lancashire Junior Jubilee competition with a series of galas culminating in a final which was held at Urmston Sports Centre.  In the A Final the team swam against Howe Bridge Aces, Urmston and Trafford and came out clear winners against some of the strongest teams in the area.

 

For the second year in succession the Senior Swim Team finished in first place in the Central Lancashire Senior Swim League. The individual teams achieved some excellent results and first places went to the following teams: junior gents freestyle and medley, gents intermediate freestyle and medley, gents freestyle and medley and ladies intermediate medley.

 

Individual winners in the Senior Swim League were Andrew Rigby junior breaststroke, Philip Stout junior butterfly, Jonathan Stafford junior freestyle, Paul Bailey gents butterfly, Michelle Todd junior butterfly and Leanne Stafford senior backstroke. Individual runners up were Richard Hampson junior backstroke, Lee Toone senior freestyle, Polly Derbyshire junior breaststroke, Melanie Fairhurst senior breaststroke and Rachel Giles senior butterfly.

Leanne Stafford broke a Welsh record in the 200 m backstroke in the Welsh Age Group competitions.  This was a record that had stood since 1990 and Leanne broke the record by two seconds. Later in the year Leanne achieved her first full International Cap for Wales when she competed in Swansea in an International Invitation Gala.

 

In the National Age Group competiton held at Crystal palace, Richard Hampson won a silver medal in the 200 m butterfly, was eighth in the 100 m butterfly and tenth in the 400 m freestyle.  Philip Stout finished fifth in the 200 m butterfly, seventh in the 400 m IM, tenth in the 100 m butterfly and 200 m backstroke and was fifteenth in the 100 m backstroke.  Matthew Hampson finished in twelve place in the 200 m butterfly.  Kate Ward and Jonathan Stafford both finished in the top twenty five swimmers in the country.

 

In the ASA Inter Counties Gala at Sheffiel Ponds Forge, Lancashire were represented from Tyldesley by Leanne Stafford, Richard Hampson and Philip Stout and the team finished in fifth place.

 

Richard and Matthew Hampson were selected for the Division 7 Schools team for the ESSA Schools finals.

 

Michelle Todd, Kate Ward, Kelly Banner, Samantha Greensmith, Stuart Carlisle, Andrew Hurst, Khalid Jhugroo and Christopher Osborne represented Central Lancashire at the Northern Counties Inter Association Gala at Everton Park.

 

Samantha Greensmith, Kate Ward and Khalid Jhugroo represented Central Lancashire in the Triad Trophy competition against North Lancs and Cumbria.

 

Several Tyldesley swimmers competed in the Northern Counties Long Course in Wigan.  Medal winners or final placings went to Kelly Banner, Khalid Jhugroo, Stuart Carlisle, Matthew Hampson, Kate Ward, Richard Hampson, Jonathan Stafford, Philip Stout and Leanne Stafford.

 

SENIOR & U18s WATER POLO

 

The Senior Water Polo team maintained their positions in the National League Division 2 and 1^st Division Northern League.

 

The U18s Water Polo team entered the Northern Counties U18s competition for the 1^st time and won it. 

 

Two Tyldesley players represented Northern Counties in the ASA Inter District U20s competition.

 

Gregg Stott (captain), Paul Cowburn, Philip Stout, Jonathan Stafford, Andrew Rigby, Matthew Cutt and Michael Cowburn represented Lancashire in the ASA U18s Inter Counties tournament.

 

JUNIOR WATER POLO

 

The U16s Water polo team won the Northern Counties U16s competition for the second year in succession, remaining undefeated and scoring a total of 186 goals in ten matches.  The team also reached the semi final of the ASA Youth competition but were beaten by Bristol.

 

In the Manchester & District Shield the U14s finished 3rd. 

 

The juniors hosted and won a tournament against Portabello and Stretford.  The Scottish visitors stayed overnight at the homes of the Tyldesley players and a buffet was provided after the tournament.  The conduct of the Portabello players during the weekend was a credit to their club.

 

Paul Cowburn, Michael Cowburn and Philip Stout represented the England U17s Water Polo Team in an International Tournament in Denmark against Finland, Sweden, Poland and Denmark.

 

Paul Cowburn, Michael Cowburn, Philip Stout, Andrew Rigby and Jonathan Stafford were invited to England training.

 

Philip Stout (captain), Jonathan Stafford, Andrew Rigby, Michael Cowburn and Matthew Cutt represented Northern Counties in the ASA Inter District U16s competition at Sheffield Ponds Forge and the team won the event. 

 

Michael Cowburn (captain), Robert Bond, Andrew Grime, Richard Harrison and Dominic Derbyshire represented Manchester & District in the Northern Counties U16s Inter Association tournament and the team won the event.

 

Gregg Stott (captain), Paul Cowburn, Philip Stout, Jonathan Stafford, Andrew Rigby, Matthew Cutt and Adam Summers represented Manchester & District in the Northern Counties U19s Inter Association tournament.

 

Dennis Topping who for many years had coached first the senior water polo squad and then later the junior water polo squad, which he founded, retired from coaching due to ill health.