42 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 1997 Options
Sport Successful season In brief for sporting Wrens Four Nations
Veteran earns national vest NAVY Veteran Bob Chapman (Heron) has been picked as first reserve to run for England at the international crosscountry race to be held in Northern Ireland this month. Bob has been an active Navy athlete for over 30 years and was the RN 5,000m champion several times in the 1970s and has represented Devon and the Combined Services on the track and over the country. Bob also finished his track season at the end of September with a fine win in the British Veterans inter-area match at Solihull. Running for South West Counties in the 5,000m, Bob was a clear winner in 16m 52 on a warm, humid day. Q Claire Norsworthy (CINCFLEET) broke her personal best by two minutes wttrt a time of 37m 22 in the Kruf Cardiff 10km. Taff John (Collingwood) ran a solid 2hrs 45 in the Berlin Marathon and, over totally different terrain, Mark Gooderidge (Excellent) was 8th in the Butser Hill Race in 32m 14s. In the Midland Area 6 stage road race at Birmingham, top Navy runners Gary Gerrard (CTCRM) and George Roper (Heron) helped Bristol to 4th place while in the Great South Run (10m) Al Rich recorded 55m 11s (38th), Tim Watson 55m 43s (46th) and Jimmy Young 55m 54s (51st). Chris Cook (HQ&S RM) finished 5th in the Brixham 10km in 33m.
• Wrens Navy Cup Soccer Champions 1997 HMS Sultan, pictured with their coach, LPT Jeremy Webb.
SPORTS women from HMS Sultan were victorious in three major competitions over the summer months. In the first 11-a-side Navy Soccer Cup for women, the Sultan team began with a 13nll annihilation of HMS Dryad, with some outstanding play from WAEA Becky Webb, POWren Allie Fairey, POWren Chrissy Proudley and LWWTR Claire Watte, simply unmatchable. In the quarter-final they faced stiffer opposition
Knockout blow by Portsmouth PORTMOUTH is celebrating its first victory in the Intercommand Soccer Cup for 14 years. Goals from POPT Paul Barton and CPO Steve Johnson saw them to a 2-0 victory over Naval Air Command. The competition reverted to a knockout and plate format for the first time in many years and the plate competition was won by the Royal Marines. The first intercommand for women was held, and a team from NAC, Fleet, Scotland and outstations won the title after playing on a league basis against teams from Plymouth and Portsmouth.
COMMAND SOCCER Their performances were very encouraging and bode well for the future of women's football. The competition was transferred to RNAS Yeovilton at fairly short notice and the RNFA Committee put the smooth running of the competition down to the hard work of Lt Micky Norford and all his staff. Capt Graham Robinson, in his last engagement as Chairman of the RNFA, presented the cup and mementoes to the Portsmouth
Command team while the new Chairman, Capt David Tall, presented mementoes to the women's teams. Q RNFA Referee PO David Finch achieved another milestone in his sporting career when he was chosen as reserve official for the FA Carling Premiership match between Southampton and Spurs at the Dell on Oct 25. David, of North Corner Group, Portsmouth, started refereeing in 1984 after a course run by the RN Referees Society's CC Stuart Clay on HMS Hermione, while on Gulf Patrol. PO Finch has also officiated in FA Cup and FA Vase competitions.
against Collingwood but even their county standard keeper could prevent a 7-1 defeat to put Sultan into the semis against HMS Nelson. After several close calls, Claire Watts put Sultan ahead, and by half time the score was 6-0. When the tally reached 11 Nelson capitulated and Sultan were through to the final. The final took place at HMS Drake against a hard-fighting HMS Seahawk. On a windswept pitch Suttan set about the opposition, battling for every lose ball. After a brave fight Seahawk lost 5-0 and Sultan's name becomes the first on the Trophy. RESULTS: PLAYED 4 WON 4 LOST 0 GOALS FOR 36 GOALS AGAINST 1.
Sultan girls also travelled to HMS Raleigh to defend their title as the reigning Women's inter-unit soccer six-a-sides. Seahawk, Neptune, Raleigh and Osprey were dismissed in some fine play before the break, with LWWTR Claire Watts scoring the first of four hat tricks and POWren Proudley scoring after Just 3 seconds against Osprey. HMS Brave and HMS Warrior were the next victims before Sultan faced Seahawk again after they fought they way back in by finishing runners-up in League B. After a hard-fought but entertaining match, Sultan proved that the trophy still rightly belonged to them by winning 3-0. RESULTS: PLAYED 7 WON 7 LOST 0 GOALS FOB 30 GOALS AGAINST 0.
And after a highly charged final of the Women's Navy Cup Volleyball, Sultan beat HMS Warrior by three sets to one to become the the first team in the competition's history to achieve three successive victories.
on*. MEM Akram won the bantamweight t i t l e in a walkover, then stepped up a grade to take on Illustrious's champion, I.STD Ferris, in a special bout. After three gruelling rounds fought at a furious pace, Ferris won a close majority decision. Next, MEM Kavanagh's fast p u n c h i n g was too much for Collingwood's OM F i n n a n and
the referee stopped the fight after just 1 min 15s. MEM Mordue's awkward southpaw style and speed had OM Foster covering up throughout their 3x2 min contest and a devastating right hand, left hook combination forced the ref to stop the fight to save further punishment. Bout six saw MEM McCall take on experienced boxer OM Colbourne (Collingwood). McCall attacked from the bell to try to fluster the stylish Coulborne, but was caught by a straight right from which he was unable to recover. MEM Coleman was the next
Sultan boxer into the ring and his fast combination punching and clever ringcraft earned him a unanimous decision, and 'best boxer' of the evening. AEM Black's rugged power hitting tactics were too much for the brave LS Shepherd (Illustrious) and the referee stopped the contest after two rounds as the nonstop barrage took its toll. At superheavyweight, LMEA Law, weighing in at 14st 2 took on WEM Robinson weighing in at 17st 6. The two giants both stood their ground, throwing heavy punches until a straight right hand from Robinson caught Law clean
on the chin, leaving the Sultan boxer unable to continue. Additional bouts saw Collingwood's light heavyweight OM Malony beat Excellent's Cpl Tolley, and Birmingham's AB Junnier defeat Scotland's LMEA Shaw As Sultan team captain McCall lifted the trophy, in celebration, Sultan/Portmouth Command coach 'Q' Shillingford praised all the boxers in the competition. He is now forming the command team to box at the RN Novice Championships on Thursday November 13 at HMS Nelson, starting at 1930.
Golf round-up Smith (DRAMalvern) and Cpl Joe Sharpe (CTCRM). The RAF triumphed by the overall score of 8-4. The championship was effectively decided on the second day when the RAF used their strength in the singles matches to overcome the Army by a score of TA- 4 VL
Rivalry rekindled With only second place to play for, the final match between the Army and the Navy could easily have become an anti-climax, but the recent rivalry between the two teams ensured that the encounter would have been anything but that. Westbury and Gilbert again got the team off to a good start and with a further foursomes win from team captain Cdr Ian Yuill (AFPAA HQ) partnered by Smith, and half a point from Sharp playing with LAEA Terry Taylor (Sultan) the Navy were one point to the good at lunch. With four points needed to secure a rare win, the singles started well with Gilbert achieving a notable double victory over the Army champion. But the momentum could not
RN skydiving is taking off NAVY skydivers made their presence felt at the Army Championships at JSPC Netheravon last month. Lt Andy Holmes (820 NAS) lifted the Navy Cup after a win in the open novice accuracy landing with PO Phil Elston (Northwood) 6th in the same event. PO Steve Lambert (Sultan) PO Robbie Way (Dryad) Lt Al Veal (Beaver) and CPO Mick Tyler (Faslane) were fifth In the open intermediate formation skydiving - an excellent result, given that three of the team have been away on Ocean Wave.
New date for Cricket AGM
US successes
• Portsmouth Area light middleweight champion MEM Coleman was named best boxer after his victory over Excellent's AB Hursthouse.
Formby proves another stern test DESPITE some excellent performances from Navy golfers, the overall strength of the Army and RAF won through at the Interservices championships at Formby Golf Club writes Cdr Gary Skinns. The Navy had recently lost by the narrowest margin to the Civil Service over the testing links at Formby and the excellent course proved to be another stern test for the Services' top golfers. The RAF played some fine golf in winning both their matches and deservedly won the championship for the first time since 1992. The first day saw the Navy, this year's host Service, play the RAF. The morning foursome saw a 3-1 victory for the airmen, but with two matches going to the final green, and our opponents sinking a put from off the final green, the score could quite easily have been reversed. The Navy's top pairing of WEMM Alistair Westbury (St Vincent) and PMA Scott Gilbert (DMTC Aldershot) produced the Navy's win with a resounding 4/3 success. In the absence of Navy champion Bill Stretton, Gilbert, in his interservices debut, duly stepped into the No.l slot and continued his morning form by trouncing the RAF champion 7/6. The foursomes deficit was always going to be difficult to make up and so it proved, with only two further wins in the shape of another first-timer - Lt Peter
BAND Sergeant Major Neil Silvester represented England in the prestigious Four Nations Rover Cup Golf Tournament on the Portuguese Algarve. The RM earned his place on the famous San Lorenzo course after coming in eight under off a handicap of 22 at Southwick Park and shooting a level par of 72 off 16 at The Warwickshire in the qualifying rounds. At the end of the week-long, all expenses paid trip, which included five-star hotel accommodation, England (26) finished a close second to Scotland (29) with Wales (22) and All Ireland (19) bringing up the rear.
THE DATE of the RN Cricket Club AGM has been changed to Thurday January 18, 1998 but the venue, the rugby club pavilion at Burnaby Rd, remains the same. The previous date was December 2.
Sultan supplies seven champs FIGHT out of 11 boxers from HMS Sultan reached the finals of the Portsmouth Area Boxing Championships and seven became area champi-
call-up for RM
be maintained and, despite wins from Smith and Taylor, the team ended one match short of the requirement and the final score ended 6M- 5^ to the Army. Although the overall result was disappointing, the performance was an encouraging one. The Navy squad is getting younger and the level of talent increasing. Gilbert's 4 from 4 at the top of the order is the best Navy performance since the days of Phil Guest, and Smith, probably the year's most improved golfer, deserves great credit for his 3 points from 3. There were also interservices debuts for WTR Ian Learmouth (Neptune) and Cpl Chris Graham (RMR Bristol). With few losses to the squad over the immediate future, it is only a matter of time before the interservices salver is again in dark blue hands. Q After the rigours of Formby, a ten-man team took part in the annual Cornish Piskey at Newquay and repeated last year's performance to become runners up in the main event. There was another notable win over the Gloucester men but the only real note of disappointment was that our conquerors in the final were again the Army! Q As Navy News went to press, a Combined Services tour of Australia was under way. The team is being managed by RNGA Vice Chairman Cdr Nigel Overingtpn and the Navy is represented by Westbury, Lt Guy Norris (820 NAS) and CPO Eddie Comerford (HMS Caledonia.)
LT CDR Adrian Olliver, currently with DSWS in Florida, came third in the State's Open Epee Fencing Championships. And ex-POMEM Tom Cunningham won the Carolina State cycling championship after completing a 25-mile time trial in 1 hour 20 seconds. Tom was in the Navy team for 20 years before retiring and moving to the US in 1994. See Calling Old Shipmates on P36.
Angling result CONGRATULATIONS to the RN/RM Coarse Angling Team who have had their best ever result in the NFA championships. They have been promoted to Division 1 after five years of trying, catching small fish on all 12 sections of the Rivers Cam and Ouse to finish 5th out of 78 teams. Team Captain, Mne Taff Howells (Stonehouse), co-ordinated the practice and drew up the successful team plan.
Harrow battle THE CREW of HMS Vengeance achieved a double victory over sailors drafted to HMS Ocean in the opening rounds of the mini-ships cup. The submarine-in-build beat the ship-in-fit 3-1 at soccer and 34-7 at rugby.