(A & Team galas held at Droitwich LC)

Report by Stewart Nicklin

I don’t normally create a report after league galas, and leave it to the A and B team managers to write some words of wisdom.  However, after two both electric galas, I just couldn’t help it!!

 First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS to everyone.  You all swam out our your skins on Sunday and clocked some fantastic times with many of you smashing times only completed a few weeks previously at Nuneaton or the Counties.  WELL DONE!!

As most of you know, I don’t very often see the B Team swim and what a performance you gave me, I was so impressed. The team pulled together like a well-oiled machine and with the loud mouths of Ant Millard and Zoe Hunter on poolside, the teamwork was superb, with everyone cheering (well screaming!!) each other on down the pool.  Perhaps that’s what it was - the wind blowing the swimmers down the pool!!  The B Team gala was always going to be hard.  Being up against some clubs’ A Teams it was going to be a hard task to win – and yes, as Ant Millard will tell you, I did say “We will finish second” and I am glad to say I WAS WRONG!! (Now I don’t say that very often!!)

All through the gala I could have asked no more from anyone with everyone giving 110%.  The effort that you put into training could be spotted miles away as in nearly every 100m race, when your strength and fitness kicked in on the last 50m, we pushed our way through to the front with some fantastic finishing.  Well done!!

As we neared the end, we kept our heads (but more importantly our arms and legs!!) and powered our way into the last events with some fantastic results and winning the gala.  It was one of the best galas I had been to for a long time and was a truly fantastic result - clearly displaying the quality and depth in our Club.  Well done everyone.

Now not to be out done, the A Team swam later on in the day.  With two victories in the first and second round, the team was on a high.  But I must be honest, I was nervous as we had yet to swim against Worcester and Halesowen also had a strong team.  As the gala began, it was clear it was going to be close with the clubs’ positions changing after each and every event.  The atmosphere on poolside was like something I had never experienced - it was just deafening with the screaming, shouting and not forgetting Sam Rowbotham’s air horn!!  Fantastic device!!  We didn’t get off to the best of starts but after a team talk, we all came together and took to the fight with the team lining down the side of the pool and packing out the shallow end behind the lane.  As the gala progressed, it was clear that only a few points would be make the difference to who was crowned the League Champions.  As the atmosphere built, even more of my ability to use my stopwatch was severely hampered.  With my emotions getting the better of me, I just did I what I did best and SHOUTED!!!  Hey I’m louder than an air horn - who would have guessed!! (Well ok!!)

As we came to the near the end, with only the Breaststroke individuals left and then to the relays, the pressure was beginning to mount.  Parents were constantly shouting and, with the clubs’ ever changing positions, we all knew it was now or never as Sophie Lord and Phil Harrington took to the pool.  The pressure on them was overwhelming but they shone through with two great victories keeping our hopes alive.  At this point, just to add some more pressure, the officials decided to read out the points which left Stourbridge, Worcester and Halesowen all on equal points.  It could not be closer.  By this point, I had lost the ability to spell my name, never mind take splits, but as our swimmers powered their way up and down the pool, I could ask nothing more of them with every swimmer recording a PB for 25m FC!!!  Now that’s impressive!!

As the relays progressed, the positions were scattered across the three clubs that made it impossible to predict the result.  As we stood on the poolside, it could not have been more tense, we knew we had to beat Worcester to get our hands on the shield due to the 12 league points we had already collected with two previous round victories.  During the read-out of the gala points, the screaming three minutes earlier had gone and there was total silence.  It was a fantastic gala with us just losing out to Halesowen by one point!!  It could not of been closer.  With Worcester finishing in third place this gave us the extra league point we needed and so were crowned Worcester Winter League Champions 2006.

This was the best gala I have possibly ever been to, it was so close all the way through but we achieved my aim.  We finished third two years ago, second last year and I said, “we will win the year after” and here we are. Congratulations to everyone.  You swam yourself proud and displayed the talent and depth as a club that we hold.

Once more, congratulations to both teams and all swimmers,

Stewart Nicklin
Head Coach