User:SylviaStanley/sandbox
| Club Information | |
| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Established | 1888 |
| Home Pools | Warrender Baths |
| Sportspace, Berkhamsted | |
| Team Colours | Red, White |
| Swimming Information | |
| Chairperson | Gillian Hepburn |
| Head Coach | Laurel Bailey |
| Website | [1] |
Warrender Baths Club is a swimming club based in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom and was established in 1888.[1] Warrender Baths Club (WBC) ranks as one of Scotland’s premier clubs. in 2013 the Club had 340 competitive members with ages ranging from 5 to 22. They also had Water Polo and Masters sections of the club taking their total membership to over 600.[2] Their swimmers had competed regularly in a wide range of national and international competitions including Commonwealth and Olympic Games where they have won several medals.
Overview
WBC aims to help all swimmers fulfil their competitive potential and to retain their status as the best swimming club in the area.
WBC regularly has swimmers representing the club at the Amateur Swimming Association National Age Group Championships, the Eastern Regional Swimming Championships and in the Scotland County Age Group Championships, their aim is to increase the number of swimmers competing at County, Regional and National level. They can do this by offering swimmers up to 10.5 hours of pool training time per week.
History of The Club
The Beginning
Warrender Baths Club (WBC) can trace its history to 1886, when a few members of the Bellahouston Private Baths Club, Glasgow, decided with some Edinburgh friends to build a private swimming baths in Edinburgh. Frank Y. Henderson formed the Warrender Private Baths Company Limited which purchased a piece of ground from Sir George Warrender, MP, of Bruntsfield House. The Baths, designed by Robert Paterson, a local architect, were erected and equipped at a cost of £11,000 and opened on Saturday 17th December 1887 by Sir George Warrender.
The first recorded Baths Champion was George M. Paterson in 1892. He was also the first President of the Club in 1894 and secretary of the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association the following year.
The Early Years until 1914
From these early years, Warrender quickly established itself as Scotland’s top swimming and water polo club. In 1896, Frank Marshall became the first of many Warrender water polo internationals and in 1900 Stanley Bell of Warrender captained the Scottish team in the first and only Water Polo International to be held at Warrender. The pool was filled to the brim to get the requisite depth of water and youngsters were positioned in the subterranean passages so that they could quickly report should the buttresses give way.
In 1904, the Club colours of light blue, dark blue and scarlet were adopted. There was however at this time great financial depression and the Baths closed early in 1906 due to lack of support. At the AGM of the Club it was agreed to carry on the Club in other headquarters. In 1908, Edinburgh Corporation purchased the Baths and its equipment for £3000 and in May of that year Warrender Baths Club was reformed at its original home.
The club was suspended during the 1914-18 War. A plaque in the front lobby of Warrender Baths commemorates those from Warrender Baths who died in this war.
The 1920s and 1930s - The Golden Years
The club reformed in May 1919 and immediately returned to a position of strength when they again won the Scottish Championships.
By 1924, Warrender had its first Olympic representative, Ellen King. Ellen trained under Jimmy McCracken at Warrender and swam into 6th place in the 100 yards Backstroke in the Paris Games. She was the club’s greatest female swimmer up to that point and was the only swimmer to have won three British Championships at different strokes. Ellen went on to further international successes after she left the club in 1925.
Jean McDowall swam into 4th place in the 100 yards Freestyle in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and closely followed Ellen King, when in 1927 and 1928 she won all of the Scottish freestyle championships. At the 1930 Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada, Jean was joined by Jessie McVey on the Scottish team and the Club President George W Ferguson, (also the SASA President) was appointed as the Team Manager. In 1934, George Ferguson was chosen as the Commandant for the Empire Games and again Jean McDowall was on the Scottish team. Jean would go on to help rebuild the Club after the Second World War.
By 1932 the club was totally dominant in Scottish swimming, winning the Ladies Team Race Championship, the Men’s Team Race Championship and the Scottish Water Polo Championship, breaking all records.
The club maintained this dominance through to its jubilee year in 1938 when it again won the East of Scotland Team Race title, which it had held every year apart from two since 1914. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 again suspended the clubs’ activities until 1946, with the exception of two Galas held in 1942 and 1943 for charity. However, in the first fifty years, the Warrender men won the Scottish Team Championships seven times and the East of Scotland Team title no fewer than twenty two times. Meanwhile, the women had been Scottish team champions on three occasions, runners up seven times and won the East of Scotland title eleven years running. In Water Polo, Warrender teams had won the Scottish Cup eight times, the East of Scotland Championship fourteen times and the Edinburgh Corporation Trophy seventeen times. In addition, Club members had won over one hundred Scottish and Eastern individual championships.
1946 to 1960s - Rebuilding the Club after WW II
When the post-war Committee of the Club met in 1946 they were faced with the daunting task of rebuilding the Club virtually from scratch. It took several years to re-establish the Club’s swimming prowess, much of which was attributable to the work of George Kirkland, Willie Porter and Mae Cochrane and by 1950 the Warrender junior team was the best in the East District. In 1951, the Club regained the East District Team Race Championship for the first time since 1938. The Club continued to develop its strength, and in 1958 Jim Hill, Ian Percy-Robb, Val Marrian and Bill Law represented Scotland in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Cardiff. The Club continued to grow in the 1960’s, increasing both the depth of its swimmers and the extent of the training facilities used.
1960s to 1980s - Domination of Scottish Swimming
The Club is highly visible and successful in County and Regional swimming activities. Its inclusive nature results in an impressive ‘strength-in-depth’ of swimmers enabling it to field multiple teams in multi-Division competitions - teams which compete successfully at all levels of these competitions.
The Club is operated by a team of parent volunteer-professionals in a caring and responsible manner. The team is headed by Gillian Hepburn, as Chair, with a strong team of Committee Officers behind her. Laurel Bailey was appointed Head Coach in September 2010.
1980s to 1990s - Continued Success
The Club draws on the enthusiasm and commitment of many parents and guardians of its membership to provide a wide range of voluntary support including coaches, coaching support, event officials, stewards etc. Parents and guardians also provide the invaluable motivational and practical support throughout training as well as in competition.
1990s to 2013 - Decline and Rejuvination
Locations
Warrender Baths Club is based at Warrender Swim Centre 55 Thirlestane Road, Edinburgh EH9 1AP, Scotland. Facilities at Warrender include a 25m indoor pool, gymn and a sauna.[3] The club also uses
Competitions
WBC swimmers have the opportunity to take part in a number of competitive swimming events both as individuals and as part of a team at local, county and regional level. Elite swimmers may also achieve national times and be eligible for those events
During the year a range of Open Galas will be promoted by the club.
The principle events are as follows:
Club Competitions
- Club Championships are typically held in January (middle distance) and June/July (sprint).
- HHSC Birthday Open: this is an open meet held in October/November annually. All club swimmers who are eligible are expected to compete.
- Shark's Gala is a fun event for all members of the club from Aquabears to Masters. The timing of this event may vary year on year but is usually in December.
- Peanuts Trials - Prior to the start of the Peanuts League each year the club holds a trials gala to help with team selection, all swimmers in the qualifying age groups are expected to compete.
Scotland County Swimming
WBC swimmers compete at the annual Scotland Youth (15-17yrs) and BAGCATs or British Age Group (9-14yrs) County Championships which are held in March each year. The Masters competition is held towards the end of June. Younger swimmers trying to qualify for their first County Championships also have the opportunity to compete in the Development Meet in November
Eastern Region Swimming
WBC is affiliated to the East Region which includes Midlothian, East Lothian, and . Regional events include:
- The East Region ASA Championships which are held in June each year.
- The Chiltern League: this is a junior club-based competition attracting teams from Scotland, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Bucks. This event has three Rounds each year for each of its two Divisions. WBC enters one team.
National Swimming
Swimmers who achieve their National Qualification Times can swim in the National Championships for their age group, these usually take place in July/August.
The Masters team (swimmers over the age of 25) compete for the club each summer in the Scottish British, European and World Championships.
East of Scotland Swimming League
Scotland Swimming League operates the following county competitions:
- Herts Major League– the county’s premier competition, organised into three Divisions with 10 to 12 teams in each Division, and three Rounds each year. WBC enters two teams each year.
- Peanuts League – aimed at younger swimmers, again organised into three Divisions with 10 to 12 teams in each Division, three Rounds each year. HHSC enters three teams each year, currently the only club in the County to do so.
National Swimming League
The National Arena Swimming League (formerly known as The Speedo League) is a National League competition broken down into seven Regions and WBC competes in the London Area and is currently in Division 2. The London Area is organised into three Divisions with over 40 Clubs spanning from Tring to Hove, Windsor to Norwich.
Notable Swimmers
David Wilkie the Olympic gold medallist swimmer,[4] Ellen King a silver Olympic medallist,[5] bronze medal Olympic swimmers Paul Easter,[6] Gordon Downie[7] and Alan McClatchey[8], Olympic finalist Jean McDowell[9] and Olympic swimmer Craig Benson[10] trained with Warrender Baths Club.[11] World champion and Olympic silver medallist Keri-Anne Payne joined Warrender Baths club in 2012.[12]
Sean Fraser won a bronze medal at the Beijing Paralympics 2008.[13]
References
- ^ Archibald, Cathy (21 November 2008) Report PS 52 - Warrender Baths Club Scottish Parliament Pathways into Sport Committee Report, Retrieved 14 February 2013
- ^ Staff Q&A: Warrender baths Club Kukri Sports, Retrieved 14 February 2013
- ^ Staff Welcome to Warrender Swim Centre Edinburgh Leisure, Retrieved 14 February 2013
- ^ Staff (2013) David Wilkie Biography Sports Reference LLC/USA Today Sports, Olympic Sports, Accessed 14 February 2013
- ^ Hannan, Martin (17 November 2002) Scottish sports hall of fame: The nominees: Ellen King (1909-1994) Scotland on Sunday, Retrieved 14 February 2012
- ^ "Swimming in Scotland: Scottish Swimmers, Swimming Venues in Scotland, Alison Sheppard, James Anderson, David Wilkie,..." General Books LLC, Published 6 November 2010, ISBN-13: 9781157957690
- ^ "Gordon Downie Biography". Sports Reference LLC/USA Today Sports. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ^ "Alan McClatchey Biography". Sports Reference LLC/USA Today Sports. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ^ Tedder, Anita and Daniels, Stephanie (12 February 2000) Jean Burnett The Herald, Retrieved 14 February 2013
- ^ Staff (2012) London 2012 Olympics - Craig Benson Profile the Telegraph, Retrieved 14 February 2013
- ^ Gilmore, J., editor (1990) "A Hundred Years of Warrender Baths Club 1888-1988" Warrender Baths Club, Edinburgh ISBN 0-9516787-0-1
- ^ Magnay, Jacqueline (29 December 2012) Keri-Anne Payne considers switching to the pool after the pain of fourth at London Olympics The Telegraph, Retrieved 14 February 2013
- ^ "London calling as Fraser nets bronze in 100m clash". the Scotsman. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
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