When Gareth (the BCU guy) said he was organising another regional fun polo competition and that the only date he could get at the pool was the 22nd December, I expected that folks would have other things on their mind and in their diaries. But I needn’t have worried, 5 adult teams and 4 junior teams descended on Horwich Pool with the full intention of having fun.

Adult Teams

Northern Star, Ribble, Oakwood, Bolton and Pendle Paddlers

Youth Teams

 Northern Star, Ribble, Oakwood and Bolton

We didn't enter a youth team because we needed our youth members to help us adults 

On arrival we registered our team, going for the understated name of GB Reserves. We were issued with a rules sheet, a running order and a packet of mince pies. 

In both the adult and the youth teams there was a wide range of ability. For some of the youths, who were both polo novices and relatively new paddlers, the polo added to the challenge of making the boat go where needed. Moving sideways to get to the ball or position the boat seemed to give most trouble, but this didn’t dampen enthusiasm any.

I suppose I should mention that our PP team, comprising Lewis, Jonathan, Niall, Tony and I won the adult section, putting into practice the finding space, keeping moving, maintaining possession principles that I can’t help banging on about on Sunday nights. To be honest Tony and I just guarded the back while the lads got on with it and it was good to see them working well together using a combination of power (Niall and Lewis) and stealth (Jonny). Tony and I were very appreciative of the opportunity that the lads kindly afforded us to score a goal each!!! 

PP team member views on the competition:

Jonathan – it were awreet, mince pies, grunt

Lewis – where has Peter hidden the mince pies, grunt

Niall – I don’t like mince pies, grunt

My biggest challenge of the evening, other than getting kit to Horwich and back, was being 2nd referee. To make the games flow and as enjoyable as possible, I discovered that the rules were best applied flexibly (but fairly - before anyone gets excited), making allowance for the team’s ability. I did have one or two controversial moments when I hadn’t realised that the ball had entered the goal, but in my defence this was because the lighting was poor, the goals had no netting and the viewing angle was tricky. Now I know that my eyesight is regularly called in question when I ref at Colne baths, but on this occasion I was wearing my contact lenses. Honest!!! 

It was a pleasure to be a part of an event like this and observe the passion that folks, particularly kids can have about sport. I wonder if this is a game that might be attractive to kids who are disenfranchised from the education system’s regular sport offering. Perhaps it’s a game through which young people might be attracted into paddling in general. There seems to be such a gulf between what we are doing already in terms of polo for fun and the national leagues. With a bit of effort maybe PP could bridge that gap and in the process develop the polo stars of the future. 2012 here we come?