Solid Season in the Pool

The 2012 British Water Polo Season has now come to a close, and now is a time for reflection on what was a roller coaster season for the Carlisle Aquatics senior team. Playing in national division 3 was sure to provide a stern test with newly promoted Carlisle competing at this level for the first time in the clubs history.

The Carlisle squad received a welcome financial boost prior to the start of the season, thanks largely to a sponsorship drive from the players and coaches. Huge thanks must go to everybody involved and all those generous enough to offer sponsorship, in particular local construction firm Cubby Construction Ltd, who were kind enough to commit to a main sponsor deal for the season. All sponsorship received was put towards league entry fees, all of which seem to be rising each year.

With the sponsorship boost received, Carlisle’s young squad entered the new season brimming with confidence and hopeful of not only retaining their status in division 3, but perhaps even pushing for a second successive promotion.

The initial goal for Carlisle was to finish in the top 5 and secure their position in division 3 for another season, and they did their chances no harm in Week 1 (15th/16th September) with two victories, beating Worthing and Cambridge 10‐9 and 15‐8 respectively. The second weekend in Sheffield (29th/30th September) proved to be slightly less straightforward. It began with a shock 17‐16 defeat to early strugglers South Derbyshire, with Carlisle putting in what was to be the worst performance of the season. The youthful Carlisle side showed impressive resolve the following day however, outplaying division favourites Northumbria in an exciting 8‐8 draw before dominating old rivals Manchester 14‐4. The results on the Sunday ensured that the team had already secured a top 5 finish and a place in Championship 2. This meant the Carlisle side, albeit slightly under strength, had nothing to play for at Walsall in Week 3 (13th/14th October) and it showed, losing both games, 11‐10 to Leeds and then 16‐10 to Birmingham.

With the benefit of hindsight, Carlisle should perhaps have made more of an effort in that final weekend as their league position of 5th meant that they were dealt the toughest possible fixtures in the first weekend of Championship 2.

Phase 2’s opening week (10th/11th November) saw Carlisle pitted against arch rivals Northumbria for a second time, as well as division 2 sides Rotherham (former BWPL Champions) and Croydon. Playing what was some of their best water polo of the season so far, Carlisle went down to narrow defeats in all three games, with their opposition showing that little bit more maturity and composure, which you have to say will develop over time with the Carlisle squad (the average age of the squad was only 20)! Knowing that promotion was probably out of their grasp, Carlisle were now playing for pride and in Week 2 (24th/25th November) produced two plucky performances against more physical opposition, drawing 16‐16 with division 2 side Exeter before beating Birmingham, who had outplayed Carlisle earlier in the season, 17‐15. The final Weekend of the season (15th/16th December) saw Carlisle avenge another earlier defeat, beating South Derbyshire 16‐15, before cruising to a comfortable victory, 15‐8, over an out of control Leeds.

Carlisle can look back on the 2012 BWPL season with a great deal of pride. Even with injury setbacks and absentees at most of the fixtures, they were competitive at a level which is the highest at which a team from Carlisle has ever played. With another year of hard work, growth and maturity, Carlisle should be confident of their promotion chances in 2013.