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National League EN BREF:
WEEK TEN MAIN
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Everything you didn't know you needed to know ... |
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RUSSELL: PASSION AND DEDICATION
 There
are a lot of reasons why I love covering events, of all sizes, shapes and
languages, but one of them is that it allows me to meet interesting people
wherever I go. And today, it was Stephen Russell, Wolverhampton
Team Manager.
I did meet him briefly at the away match in Nottingham, and he promised me
a great welcome if I was ever to come to Wolverhampton. And he held his
promise…
From the minute I arrived in this sumptuous club, I was treated like a VIP
(thank you Barry and Alan), he showed me the club, the sumptuous grounds,
the gardens, talked to me about the history of the club, made sure that I
would get a written document to help me write our report, made sure I got
food and tea, and all that, as the whole “greg drama” was happening, and
believe me, he had other things on his mind… |
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CLUB HISTORY
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 “If
I tell you that I retired from my MD position 5 years ago, and that we
started with the National League 4 years ago, you will understand why I
was “recommended” for the position. “Don’t worry”, I was told, “it will
only take you a couple of hours per week”…
 “I
want to stress that, when we started in the NL four years ago, we would
have never been able to pull it off if it hadn’t been for the help of
Brian Hargrave. As we were contacted quite late, in July for a start
in September, we hadn’t a clue where to start. Brian helped us with the
search for sponsors, the quantifying of costs, he pointed us to some
players, etc. We owe him a lot…"
Players seem to stay at this club… Mark Cairns, for example, has been
playing for the team from the start, four years, and 33 victories out of
the 36 matches he has played, Scott Handley, for 3 years, and Anthony,
Shelley and Alex for 2 years.
 “We
don’t have a main sponsor, but we actually have 11 of them (BT,
Electricals Centre, First City, Highfield Consultants, TKBS, Viking
Electrics, Warley Carriers, Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries) ! That way,
we are not dependant on the will of a single sponsor, and all our sponsors
are club or club member related.
“Our club is friendly, well appointed and with genuine enthusiasm.”
And the man should know, he has been a member for the past 21 years…
Like I said, passion and dedication… |
WHAT A DAY… WHAT A NIGHT…
 Yes,
it was a hard day for Nottingham. It all started when Natalie Grinham,
their lady player, was refused entry to the country by the Immigration
Officer, asking her to produce a “work permit” to enter the United
Kingdom.
“I don’t understand why”, said a really stunned Natalie, “as an Australian
citizen, I have a European work permit, but I was told today that I needed
a special one just for the UK!”
The immigration officer wouldn’t let her go through, asked her question
after question, and wouldn’t let her call anybody. “It wasn’t a very
pleasant experience, I must say.” Eventually, the officer let her call
Nottingham’s captain, Sir Simon Parke, who was able to confirm everything
that Natalie had told him.
So, after moult desiderata, Natalie entered the country. But it was not
the end of the troubles for Nottingham…
 Gregory
Gaultier, meant to play string 2 and meet Alex Gough, was supposed to
land at 12pm in London from Nice. Unfortunately, his plane developed
engine troubles, and was redirected to Lyon. There, the passengers were
asked to wait for the next plane between Lyon and Luton. Six hours later,
they eventually boarded the plane, scheduled to land in Luton at 5.45pm.
The team managers are supposed to give the final line up at 6.30pm, and
all players are meant to be on site by 7pm, or more generally for the
presentation of the players. But due to the exceptional circumstances,
Stephen Russell, Team Manager of Wolves, accepted that the decision would
be made by Nottingham a few minutes before 7pm, as long as Gregory was
ready to play at 8.30pm.
It was a very hard decision for Parkie and the Nottingham Team Manager Bob
Spall to
take. If they were to give Greg’s name for the line up, and he couldn’t
arrive by the 8.30pm deadline (anything can happen on a road, now, can’t
it?), Nottingham would lose the match. Purely and simply.
So they took the only reasonable decision, and decided to slide everybody
up, with Nick Douglas as the 4th string (who was on his way anyway just in
case…).
OK, in retrospect, Greg did arrive at 8.30 sharp. And Nottingham did lose
the encounter. But, as we say in French, if ifs and buts, you could place
Paris inside a bottle… |
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WEDDING BELLS FOR NATALIE
Yes, the ever so charming and shy Natalie Grinham is about to make
an honest man of Tommy Berden, presently national coach for the
Dutch Team.
“We met 6 years ago in Japan during a tournament that he actually won. As
Tommy is not a party boy, we really had to taunt him to make him come to
the wrapping party. And we had a very nice time, and we talked all night…
The following week, we were on the same tournament in Malaysia, and… we
have been together ever since…”
 “So
I moved to Amsterdam partly because my sister lived there, and partly
because of Tommy. We bought a house together 20 minutes from Amsterdam in
December 2003. And on Christmas Day this year, as we were at my cousin’s
house in Australia, he actually proposed… And I said yes.”
 When
I asked her to describe her man in three words, she replied
“understanding, very kind and straightforward…”
The happy couple will tie the knot in March 2006, just before the
Commonwealth Games in Australia, which will allow his family to be able to
assist in the Ceremony and then look at the competition.
I just love stories that end up with a wedding. Sorry, hopeless romantic,
the French woman… |
WHAT SCORING PLEASE????
OK, I’m just lost. After a week in Kuwait, where I was constantly changing
from traditional to 9 (WISPA) and PAR to 11 (PSA), I covered the Canary
Wharf Classic, PAR to 9, then this weekend, the BSPA Wimbledon, again
WISPA and PSA, and tonight, WISPA and PAR to 9.
I don’t have a clue how I’m supposed to mark down my scores, I swear…
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
NLP: A ANOTHER WAY OF PERFORMING
 Wolverhampton
Lawn Tennis and Squash Club is not only a beautiful club, inside and
outside, but seems to have a few surprises to propose, like the very
interesting Pete Gooddings, a squash coach specialised NLP, which
as everybody knows (not) means Neuro Linguistic Programming.
I did ask about the technique, but my English isn’t that good, so if I
understand well, it’s all about modelling excellence and reproducing the
best of the athletics’ of the player using mindset technique.
“I was taught by the man who invented the technique, Ken Way, and I’m now
trying and propagate what I learn to others. Scott Handley for example
seems to be extremely receptive to the process.”
We didn’t have much time to talk, but watch this space, as the man has
promised to send me a little article for Kaleidoscope… |
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National League EN BREF:
WEEK TEN MAIN
PAGE
Everything you didn't know you needed to know ... |
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