E News September 2014

Tina and I are just back from a great long weekend in Ghent. A Belgian city with canals, restaurants, ancient beer cellars, and tourist attractions.

Belgian lacrosse champions Ghent Goblins were hosting the European club championships which are named in honour of Ken Gallucci, who did much to develop refereeing across continental Europe.

Stockport, standing in for NEMLA champions Cheadle, were crowned European Champions after a close game with Zuerich. SEMLA champions The Blues were in the bronze position. As well as the hosts there were also teams from Czech Republic, Eire, France, Finland, Germany, Norway, Scotland and Sweden.

Lacrosse has come of age in Europe!

World Lacrosse Championships

Old news now but England were fifth holding off Scotland who enter the Blue Division for the first time with Japan relegated. With 38 nations competing it was the largest lacrosse gathering yet. Hopefully there will be even more teams for us to accommodate when the next championship takes place in Manchester in 2018.

Canal Trip to High Peak

The Northern Centurions spent a leisurely afternoon navigating the High Peak Canal. We had a fine lunch, ale, and much talk of past daring do on the pitch. An excellent time was had by all thanks to our Northern Committee. A few photos are attached courtesy of David Marsden.

The next event is the, now, annual lunch at Davyhulme Park Golf Club on 19th October.

Development

We’ve still been busy over the closed season. A lacrosse taster course is now on the curriculum of a school in South Woodham Ferrars with all pupils having a go at the game using sticks provided by The Centurions.

In a major move continuing to fill the lacrosse gap between Reading and Bath Archbishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury now has lacrosse on the curriculum. In a link with South Wilts Girls Grammar School they have been playing mixed lacrosse. The school is an academy in the historic centre of Salisbury next to the cathedral with around 2,000 pupils. (I’m just amazed how big schools get now a days!) This year they will be using the new kit we provided to play the men’s game.

With the end of the University of London Student’s Union the London team is no more. However two new sides have sprung up from King’s College and UCL to join existing teams at Imperial College and Royal Holloway College. We’ve supplemented a grant from the UCL Athletic Union to help this on its way.

The continuing growth of the game, particularly in the universities on Wednesdays, has put real pressure on refereeing resources. To help out we are sponsoring the new course materials for an enhanced refereeing course the ELA is launching.

Peter Griffiths

Sadly Peter Griffiths passed away this Summer at the age of 90 - some 10 years after his last full game at the age of 80! In 1997 Peter, who played for Heaton Mersey, was recognised as a Centurions Award winner for his considerable contribution to lacrosse. A good innings.

And so another season begins……..