Lancashire Constabulary Sports & Social Club

The secretary had received reports from each sports section that highlighted the successes and achievements during the past year. Once again, the club committee were impressed by the continued high standard of sporting talent and the countless number of first, second and third placings at PSUK Regional and National levels.

Some of these reports are detailed, some brief. Either way, they give an excellent reflection of the talented sports men and women that we have representing the force.

May this continue and may I stress at this point that it is important that Sectional secretaries report back in as much detail as possible on the achievements and activities of their members. This will enable us to continue funding support up to the limits of the money we have available.

The reports for 2005 are currently being submitted. Further reports will be posted here in the coming weeks.

Running seems to go from strength to strength in terms of popularity. This is probably because it is one of the key 'keep fit' sports and playing costs are minimum. Also, there is much scope to encourage all skill levels of runners who can participate at both county and national events.

Again, well turned out with the Lancashire men scoring 4th place in the team event and ladies also scoring 4th place team.

The section organises two annual Inter-Divisional events - a cross-country in February and a 10k road race in July. The Cross Country event was held at Witton Park, Blackburn. An excellent turn-out from Lancashire with 48 runners and a further 48 runners attending from other police northern league police forces. Despite freezing cold conditions and periodic snow flurries everyone had an enjoyable race.

Pennine Division took many of the prizes with 1st places men and women's teams. However, Central's Mike Riley and Northern's Anna Willets took the men and women's individual places.

The course will be hosted by Northumbria Police on Newcastle Town Moor close to the city centre. Fine, dry, sunny weather and blue skies greeted the 275 runners representing 36 UK police forces. Lancashires men's team had their best team performance for many years scoring 5th place overall. A good effort was also had from the three Lancashire ladies. The Lancashire male veteran 40+ team also scored well placed 8th overall.

Lancashire Constabulary Athletics Section volunteered to organise the 2005 British Police Fell Race course. I live in the neighbouring force area, Cumbria at the foot of the Howgill Fells. I thought it appropriate to stage this event over these somewhat 'forgotten' hills.

The highest of the Howgills stand at just over 2000 feet, Fell Head being the highest summit on the course. The range I picked tower elegantly above the M6 motorway and I am sure those travelling north on the M6 toward Scotland will often look across right and marvel at these 'elephant skin' like rolling hills.

On race day the Howgills were blessed with fine, dry and sunny weather. I started the day at 7.30 am running around the 11 mile course to place the check point markers. I had already run the course two days earlier to double check the coordinates, so my legs were a little tired.

As I climbed the last hill, Blease Fell, it was fairly apparent to me that I had set a rather 'mean' course. Having said this, I have to say it is a real 'fellrunners' course with everything on offer. Some gradual ascents and descents and some very steep ones to compliment. River crossings, grassy traverses, few rocks and plenty of very runnable, dry grassy slopes.

I completed the course in just over three hours arriving back in Tebay at 11 am to meet Ian Campbell, the race organiser. Within minutes the first competitors began to arrive, congregating at the Cross Keys Inn. We had a total of 89 entries with 70 taking part on the day. These runners represented 15 British police forces. An excellent turnout.

The race started on time with conditions still being warm and sunny with broken cloud. The field soon spread out with Cheshire's Malcolm Fowler maintaining the lead throughout the race finishing the eleven mile course in 1.30.37. His younger Cheshire colleague, Ian Weatherill took advantage of Malcolm's form and good navigational skills but was unable to take a lead, finishing third to West Yorkshire's Jonathan Wright.

Derbyshire's Christine Howard was first lady and overall sixth place finishing in a tremendous 1.41, only eleven minutes behind Malcolm Fowler.

Third in 2004, Lancashire were placed 4th this year with Mike Riley (Central) having a tremendous run being placed 5th overall. Ian Pudge (Pennine) a good race and was 2nd home with Veteran 50+ Phil Corris being our third counter flying home in just over two hours.

The bulk of the field all finished this gruelling 3200 foot ascent course in under 2 hours 30 minutes.

I, acting as sweep (and completing my second lap of the day) and my faithful border collie, Cassie, followed the last runner home in 3.30, nicely timed for the presentation and a welcome hot meal at the Cross Keys Inn, Tebay.

Despite three check-point markers going AWOL during the race, the 2005 British Police Fell Race went tremendously well. There were only two retirements. This was a record number of finishers for some years and the only injuries reported were very sore calves!

Five members of the section represented the force and competed in this International event in Austria in June. Ray Entwhistle and Steve Cooney (Pennine) David Watkinson (Southern) Shirley Worrall and Sue Harrison (HQ), Michael Horne and Steve Broadbent (Northern) ran this popular alpine downhill event.

The start of the marathon race was at 4pm on Saturday from the Italian border town of Brenner. We travelled a short train journey from Steinach to Brenner arriving in good time to allow us a relaxing hour in an Italian street cafe in 90 degrees of glorious sunshine.

The start area was well organised. Baggage lorries and staff were on hand to collect kit right up to minutes before the race. We started on time in 'no man's land' between the Austrian/Italian borders. We headed into Italy some 2 km descending gently down the Italian side of the pass before turning back uphill to cross back into Austria. We then started to make the 2500 foot, 24 mile descent toward Innsbruck. Our race numbers seemed to be accepted as our 'passports' between the two counties!

When I first read about the Tyrolean Speed Marathon I thought this must be a PB event. However, I was disappointed to find that the 'downhill' didn't assist that much. Only a month earlier I achieved a 3.20 marathon time over an undulating course. Today I struggled to finish in 3.40. Somehow my speed did not increase on the descents, I only managed short bursts of speed before my legs wanted to resume their normal cruising speed. Much of the course was flat and certain sections were a little uphill.

Despite the disappointment of the 'not so fast' speed marathon course the views along the 26 mile route were magnificent. For the first half of the race the sun shone and temperatures were 80 to 90 degrees. The second half of the run was a different story. The skies darkened with torrential rain, thunder and lightening during the final hour of the race right above us. The rain cooled me down nicely and I later learned this was the worse electrical storm in Austria for many years!

I finished in the lovely city of Innsbruck with excellent crowd support and was greeted by the half marathon team who had all finished the race.

The bulk of the team opted for the half marathon that started just south of our village and traversed the same route into Innsbruck. The team achieved good finishing times despite the thunder storms that they also endured while entering Innsbruck.

Steve Cooney and Ray Entwistle finished together in an excellent time of 1.34. The remainder finished well in respectable half marathon times.

Seven members travelled to Derbyshire and attended the Derby Stadium. Star jumper, PC John Wiggans (Central) won silver medals in the Men's long jump and triple jumps.

Six other members of the Athletics Section also took part in a variety of track and field events. Sue Harrison and Shirley Worrall ran a gruelling 5000m race. Though only just over three miles the pace of the track pushes a runners speed and stamina to the limits and both ladies ran a tremendous race.

Dave Watkinson and Michael Horne competed in the veterans 5k and returned excellent times in very warm, sunny conditions.

Steve Broadbent competed in a pentathalon of track races including, 5k, 3k steeplechase, 3k race walk, 1500 metres then concluded with a 200 metre leg of the medley relay.

The section organises two annual Inter-Divisional events - a cross-country in February and a 10k road race in July.The ever popular summer 10K Road Race was very well supported totalling 90 entries from the force with 64 completing the 6.2 mile course on the night.

Our top male runners competed for the force against a large number of north-west running clubs. Shaun Brady (Northern), Mike Riley (Central), Stuart Williams (HQ) and Chris Shaw (Pennine) placed 8th, 15, 18th and 22nd overall. A tremendous team achievement. Anna Willetts (Northern) was first lady in a great time of 44.50.

The 2005 event was hosted by the PSNI in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Eleven Lancashire athletes flew from Liverpool to Belfast on Friday 16 September for a three day stay in Bangor.

The race started early Saturday, at 10.10 am from Bangor Park. The police race followed the Bangor Classic 10k open race that started at 10 am. The Police Sport UK 10 mile course started with a lap around the park before passing through Bangor town centre. It then negotiated the coastline eastwards beside the Belfast Lough with views looking out to the Irish Sea. The course was one lap and predominantly flat with some contra-flow sections that allowed runners to see the lead runners pass by. However, there were some short inclines that reduced overall times fractionally.

The Lancashire team returned some tremendous finishing times. Mike Riley (Central Division) was first in just on the hour with five more of Lancashire runners under 70 minutes. The ladies put in great performances with Sue Harrison picking up the 2nd Veteran 50+ prize at the award ceremony that took place that evening.

Just three members of the Athletics Section entered the 2005 PSUK Championships. Steve Broadbent (Northern Division) Simon Banfield (Eastern Division) and Michael Horne (Retired Northern) travelled to Cardiff to take part in the annual Cardiff City Marathon event.

The police race was incorporated within the City Marathon and some 60 police entries joined the 1300 other marathon runners in this event.

The race started at 9am in the Cardiff High street and followed a two lap course around the City, down to the Cardiff Bay and back in and around the Pontcanna Park and along the banks of the River Taff.

The route was nice and flat. It was well marshalled with plenty of drinks stations and three Lucozade Power drink points. The weather was fine and sunny and temperatures did rise as the morning progressed.

The race followed the Cardiff Marathon that started at 8.15 am. Many of the lead marathon runners caught up with the tail end of the half marathon runners that caused a little congestion but at the same time we were able to use the slower runners as a pace.

The race finished with a lap of the football field inside the Millennium Stadium. The 400 meter finishing lap made a spectacular end to what was a very enjoyable race.

PC Steve Broadbent finished in 3 hours 14 minutes being placed 2nd in the PSUK Veteran 45+ category - 11th overall. Mr Simon Banfield ran his 3rd marathon knocking 30 minutes off his previous best finishing in 3 hours 23 minutes - 16th overall. Mr Michael Horne was running well to 16 miles but then developed a calf injury and dropped out of the race soon after.

Again, well turned out with the Lancashire men doing well in third place by the half-way point in the season.

The regionals in 2005 have been hosted again by Lancashire although Cheshire have kindly offered to host the event next year. The entry from Lancashire was bigger than in recent years as a result of new events - super vets for men over 45 and ladies over 40, and also new recruits like Ashley Gibson from Preston who is no doubt a champion of the future.

All the above qualified to represent the North West region in the PSUK finals in Edinburgh from 22 April - 25 April 2005.

In the national championships Lancashire officers played well with the following results:-

As a team Lancashire and the North West region did do very well in the events we entered but we are still looking for new players especially ladies.

Also of note is that again both Paul Hope and Keith Ashton were selected to represent the PSUK British team this year in both matches and also the European Championships.

This year, the Men’s Basketball Section continued field a team in the Burnley Basketball League, and entered the Police Sport UK National Championships.

We repeated the 2003/04 season achievement in the league by again coming second, and in the period up to New Year in the 2005/06 season, we were undefeated.

The Regional Qualifier for the Police Sport UK National Championships were again hosted in Gateshead by Northumbria. We were once again narrowly defeated by Northumbria, having lead for 80% of the game, and were soundly beaten by Greater Manchester who went on to come third in the final Tournament. As a result, we did not progress to the finals.

We are still looking to recruit new players recently, so if you are interested in playing basketball, please contact the secretary, Peter Zsigmond by email: Peter Zsigmond

The Women’s Basketball Section have been training hard for their return to competitive National Competition in 2006. They will be competing in the Championships to be held in Grangemouth, Scotland on 12-14 May 2006, and all participants are welcome. If you are an experienced player, or just fancy a go, please contact Peter Zsigmond (details shown above), or Jo Stubbs at Bispham by email: Joanne Stubbs

2005 saw the members of the Clay shooting section enjoying an excellent team spirit and coming first in the Team North West Regional, 100 Bird, Down the Line Championship. With members Keith Whitwell and Ken Tyson collecting individual prizes for coming 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. Lancashire had won this competition in 2003 and having lost it to GMP in 2004 by 1 point the win in 2005 was all the more sweeter. That set the scene for the rest of the regional competitions and Lancashire “A” team came second to G.M.P. in all the other competitions.

Several members also qualified for the National Competition which cover the 3 disciplines, held over 4 days in September, but unfortunately in the Skeet and DTL competitions, Lancashire were unable to form a team of 5 members so all competed as individuals.

2005 also saw the newer members now beginning to challenged the shall I say the “more mature shooters” and I think I have to include my self in that category now. With Dave Sumner and Warren Clough adding to the team score and gaining their first awards.

The end of 2005 also saw an increase in enquiries from sport and social members wishing to join the team.

The Clay Shooting Section will try to encourage all levels of clay shooters. On average to compete in the PSUK, regional competitions a starting level would be score of 60% in Sporting and 75% in DTL and Skeet with increases to 85% to compete in the Nationals.

There are always opportunities on the three annual social shoots, for sports and social members wishing to gain experience in competition shoots. Anyone with a basic knowledge of clay shooting wishing to gain this experience can contact the Secretary.

The angling section like many others is still failing to attract new members, who are still serving members , despite recent pleas on the website. However we have attracted enquiries from two more retired members who are now rejoining the sports club

During the last year we participated in the PSUK North West Champs. held in Cheshire. The team were runners up only 1 point behind the organisers. On the individual front Mr. Bateson was placed 3rd individual. Again on the National front we entered a 6 man team for the event which took place on the River Cam in Cambridge. Due to the distance involved we were unable to practice on the venue which proved a very difficult one. Despite this the team finished a creditable 13th place out of an entry of 26. The event was won by the organisers which shows the value of local knowledge and practice on the venue. Next years event will take place on the Gloucester canal on the 6th to the 8th of September.

As regards Sectional sport we participated in events in West Yorks, Greater Manchester and Cheshire during the summer months. The team had some success winning the Greater Manchester event whist Steve Carr and Ian Bateson were placed 2nd and 4th individuals. In the Cheshire event Dave Thompson was individual runner up. At the current time we are involved in a 5 match individual event which is held throughout the winter months and which is organised by the Lancashire force. At the current time this is being led by Mr Thompson with only one match remaining.

We would still love to hear from more serving members who I know are still out there as they are still participating in their own Divisional competitions. Anyone interested please contact the secretary Ian Bateson via the web site.

2005 proved to be a very disappointing season, in light of the optimism at the start of the year with the influx of a number of quality cricketers amongst the new recruits.

In the first round of the Police Sport UK Trophy, Lancashire were drawn at home to old rivals Nottinghamshire, and what a close contest this proved to be, at Fleetwood Cricket Club. Batting first, Lancashire recovered from the nightmare start of losing 2004’s star batsman Leo Cook to the very first ball of the game. Lancashire went on to post a respectable 170 all out, in the last of the 45 overs, thanks largely to Andy Ainsworth’s 62 not out.

In reply, Nottinghamshire progressed slowly against tight bowling and fielding, but it was always felt that 170 would be not quite enough. Gary Bolton was the pick of the bowlers with a miserly 10 runs from his 9 overs, with 2 wickets and 4 maidens. The pressure was maintained but veteran campaigner and previous scourge of Lancashire, David Fraser-Darling, remained at the crease throughout the innings with 75 not out, and saw Nottinghamshire home off the very last ball of the 45^th over.

A new development for 2005 was the ‘plate’ competition, which affords each team at least one more game of cricket. However, due to circumstances beyond our control (the London bombings) we proceeded to the plate semi-final without playing another game. We then met West Mercia, again at home, at a new ground for us, St Annes CC, in August. Here came the biggest disappointment. Despite having probably the strongest squad of police cricketers in Lancashire for many a year, the team we fielded that day was a very poor reflection of it, with a couple of people standing in as last-minute replacements, and a couple of others carrying injuries who ideally shouldn’t have played.

Despite this, Lancashire put in a spirited performance. Captain Richard McCutcheon took 4 for 14 off 8 overs as West Mercia made 190 all out. However, we never really looked like winning, losing wickets at regular intervals and ending up 40 runs short on 150 all out. There were contributions from Neil Gregson, 29 (probably a personal best for the county and certainly a first ever ‘top score’, so I had to include it!), Mike Foreman, 28 (deliberately run out by Neil Gregson to protect his top score!), Steve Edwards, 25, Leo Cook, 22 and Tony Armitage, 20. However, nobody played the ‘anchor’ role to go on and win the game for us.

So, ultimately a very disappointing season. However, the winter has brought yet another influx of good cricketers into the organisation, who have played competitive cricket to a good standard. I’ve been saying this for a few years now, but there really is no better time than the coming season for Lancashire to win the PSUK Trophy for the first time in its history. Surely the luck is due to go our way? But we need to make our own luck, by fielding the strongest possible team to do ourselves justice.

2005 saw a much busier year for the section with representation at the PSUK Mountain bike, Road race and Time trial events.

Neil Higgins managed a commendable top ten finish in the road race and 2^nd place in has age category. The event was a combined services event and was dominated by skinny firemen making his result more successful from a police perspective.

At a local level a number of members competed in local road race and time trials for the club. There was a team of four regularly entered for the criterium series at the Sports Arena at Cottam, Preston. A number of returning and beginner racers used this event to gauge and develop their fitness as well as using it as a taster for competitive racing.

For the season of 2005 members from the club competed at 3 competitions on a regional basis.

During June 10 members fished in a 3 day boat competition at Rutland with opposition provided by Cheshire Constabulary and the Grey’s international teams. The Lancashire teams performed well in a pairs basis and the event was won by Andy Baldwin and partner from Pennine Division with a total of 42 fish. The event is organised by the Pennine Division fishing representative, Dave Milburn. Any interested parties should contact Dave at Eastern Division PPU.

Lancashire submitted three teams for the National police pairs competition held at Draycote in October. The day is well attended by all forces and this year Cheshire Constabulary sent 12 teams and not surprisingly ended up winning. Best finisher was Insp John Puttock for Lancashire.

For the rest of the year members fished in conjunction with Divisional competitions with matches held at Stocks Reservoir, Esthwaite water and Ladybower Reservoir.

Any members wishing to be kept in touch with the organised events for the forthcoming years can contact Jim Boothby on (Int) 415783.

The club owns a membership ticket for the practice facilities available on this water and during the year 32 members used the facilities throughout the year. Application has been successful for this coming year and the facilities will be available for 2006. Any member wishing to fish the facility should contact me to ensure availability as the water has limited numbers allowed. New members are welcome to make use of the facilities as a means of getting back into or interested in the sport and visits can be arranged with some members to assist novices. The club owns 2 still waters at Sabden and Colne both being stocked with Rainbow Trout. There is a security gate on the Sabden facility and the code can be obtained from me or Dave Milburn prior to visiting.

The Football Section operates two teams, a regular and a veterans squad. The section has developed a fine pedigree over the years in PSUK terms. The regular team have been national champions on 3 occasions and the veterans are currently champions, having recently regained their title (see report below).

The regular squad participates every Saturday during the season in the West Lancashire Football League, associated cups and the Lancashire Amateur Shield.

A combined team also participates in the Regional Frank Close Cup, which includes GMP, Merseyside, BTP, Cheshire and North Wales. Lancashire will host the Finals Day at Police Headquarters in April 2006.

The PSUK Regular team were knocked out in the Regional Final last season, losing to South Yorkshire.

The PSUK Veterans Team regained their title as National Champions, beating Strathclyde Police 3 – 1 at Port Vale FC ground in April 2005.

They have entered the competition on 6 occasions, winning it 4 years running, then being knocked out in the quarter final in 2004 (see list of winners below).

PS Ian Dawson playing in his first full season in Veterans football netted an hat trick and the man of the match trophy.

PC Mark Woolston was awarded the Keith Harrison Trophy for his services to Lancashire Constabulary Veterans football.

Back Row Left to right - Steve Benn, Keith Lee, Ian Dawson, Chris Charlton, Mick Marren, Shaun Juriansz, Dave Charlton, Jeff McCann

Front row - Gary Salisbury, Ron McDonald, Mark Woolston, Derek Scott, Brian Price, Paul Catterall, Peter Mallett, Andy Murphy, Graham Houston

1997 Staffordshire beat Leicestershire at Burton Albion after extra time and penalties
1998 West Midlands beat Northants at Staffordshire Police Sports ground
1999 West Yorkshire beat Essex at Chester City FC
2000 Lancashire beat Merseyside at Chester City after extra time and penalties
2001 Lancashire beat Northants after extra time at Witton Albion FC
2002 Lancashire beat Greater Manchester at Bolton Wanderers FC
2003 Lancashire beat Metropolitan at Maine Road Manchester City FC
2004 Strathclyde
2005 Lancashire beat Strathclyde at Port Vale FC.

The Football Section is regularly looking to recruit new players and anyone interested should contact the secretary.

The season got underway back in April with the first county medal at Green Drive Golf club in April. John Wilkinson and Dave Butler took the honours with fine net scores of 66 each.

Early May saw the first team match led by Captain Tim Parker (now retired) At Myercough college. Always a good opener on greens that can challenge the strongest minds. We won again keeping our 100 % winning streak intact. Since 1999.

The force team was eliminated in the Battle of Norfolk in a closely fought match in late May held in the local zone final of Royal Norfolk ! You may have read the fine report detailed by Captain Parker. I understand his sword hangs proudly in his hallway to serve as a small reminder of this experience. At the same time as this match the National Championships were being contested on the fine course of Belviour Park Belfast. A week that suffered more than most from the Irish weather systems known locally as always raining. Day three was rained off and this led to the days sight seeing of Belfast city centre. A treat in itself followed by a few glasses of the local brew. I understand Rod Stewart who was in town attracted several competitors to attend his concert in the town that week. Ian Hill finished in the top ten and went on to represent the force against the Civil service later in the season held at Walton Heath Surry.

The North west championships were held at Formby Hall a delightful golfing complex where we saw an excellent turn out of Lancashire Officers. Ian Hill took the top honours along with Dave Butler.

June saw an attempt to move the county medal inland to encourage competitors to attend. my thanks goes to Ian Geogerty who organised this event. It was held at Turton Golf Club in conjunction with an Eastern division match.

Garstang golf club held the final medal attended by 17 players a fantastic turnout to a course that is improving every year. The Christmas dinner was Ok too I can confirm. Carl wood closely followed by Tim Parker took the honours with scores of 67 and 68 respectively.

The Palfrey trophy was played at Didsbury golf club where we used some retired officers and were defeated by GMP officers in a match played in good spirits.

Mid Sept saw us eliminated by Merseyside in a battle royal held at West Derby Golf Club Merseyside. Dave Butler summed up the match by stating " How can a ball hit three trees and still end up in the middle of the 18 fairway on a shot ? " The luck was definitely not on our side this day it was fair to say.

End of September saw Captains Day held at the finest of golfing venues Fairhaven Golf Club. Nigel Barnes took the net honours with scores of 147 net followed by Gary Haley and Dave Butler on 151. Ian Hill won the Woodmansey trophy gross prize with an am 72.Again the event was struck by heavy rain during the afternoon. All credit was due to those that managed to complete 36 holes. 20 players attended and reported a fine day and thanks to Tim for arranging such fine prizes in his final season as a Bobby.

The 2006 season holds much expectation of success with some strong new players fighting for team places. The inter divisional match is on the agenda again if the support is there. Fairhaven hosts the British Championships week commencing 5 June. Volunteers sought. special leave available. Membership has risen I am pleased to say again and there are now 68 golfers on our books. It will be difficult to see if we can maintain these current levels of participating in matches / competitions with the proposed budget cuts for sectional sport but one can only try.

Lancashire Constabulary reached the Quarter Final stage of last seasons PSUK Ladies Hockey Competition, they were drawn against the Metropolitan Police, and this fixture was played early January 2005 at Blackpool. The result was a win for the visitors 4-1 with Captain Wendy Jacobs scoring Lancashire’s goal.

Lancashire entered the Police National 11 a side Hockey Championships which this season was held over weekend 20^th & 21^st August 2005 at Manchester. Our team performed very well over the weekend eventually running out winners of the Ladies Plate Competition. On Saturday 20^th August the Ladies competition was split into two sections, Lancashire were drawn in Section B with Merseyside, Northumbria, Strathclyde and South Yorkshire the results were as follows:

These results saw Lancashire 3^rd in their section on goal difference and they then went into the Plate Competition on the Sunday. This then gave Lancashire 5 hard games against the following teams, Northumbria, GMP, Strathclyde, Met Police and Thames Valley the results were as follows:

Lancashire Ladies were crowned Plate WINNERS at the Presentation Dinner after the competition and the Shield was collected by PC Wendy Eastham (Eastern) and PC Lisa Dunne (Central). The Shield is displayed behind HQ Bar.

PSUK Ladies Hockey Championship 2005/06 has begun and Lancashire have had just the one tie. Their Round 1 away game against North Wales was forfeited by North Wales which meant Lancashire were drawn in the Second Round at home to Lothian & Borders Police. This fixture took place on Tuesday 29^th November 2005, a very cold day with the original pitch at Leyland being ruled unfit at the last minute. A replacement pitch was found locally and the tie took place with Lothian & Borders winning 3-0.

Lancashire now enters the PSUK Ladies Plate Competition and don’t now expect to play until Jan 2006.

The Ladies Hockey Section are always on the look out for new players, eligible players are Police Officers, Police Support Staff including PCSO and now members of the Special Constabulary as long as they subscribe to Lancashire’s Sports & Social Club. For any further details please contact Helen Knaggs, full details are held on the Sports & Social Club Web Site.

I have just taken over as secretary of the section and hope to compete in PSUK Table Tennis Championships in Norfolk in May 2006.

I am looking for new members to compete in the various indoor games disciplines in 2006 / 2007. These include table tennis, darts, pool, billiards and ten-pin bowling.

Unfortunately I have to report that the Motor Club has been rather dormant in sport this year due to many factors which mainly includes the location and timing of events which clashed with others.

The Federation ran a ‘Drive for Life’ Charity event raising money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care Charity and Lancashire was involved when the participants visited 55 Force Headquarters in 24 hours including Lancashire on 3^rd April 2005.

One of our Members Bob Flewitt, a DC at Headquarters, has been campaigning with the Preston and District Motorcycle Club in their 400 Race Series and although not yet a winner is improving all the time.

We thank the Sports Club for their support and look forwards to the 2006 Season.

Lancashire Netball is gong from strength to strength. The club now has over 25 members who are regularly attending training sessions, held on a fortnightly basis at HQ.

The recruitment of new players has allowed selection of squads and competition for places.

PSUK Knockout competition

Lancashire A team reached the quarter finals of the cup side of the competition, unfortunately they were narrowly defeated by a small margin of 4 goals by South Yorkshire Police.

Lancashire B team reached the final of the plate competition and played against West Midlands. The final was a closely fought game with both teams being on level pegging until the last quarter when unfortunately West Midlands pulled ahead by a couple of goals and won the competition. Nevertheless, Lancashire B are a relatively new squad and should be congratulated on their success in their first year together and for bringing home some silverware to Lancashire.

Annual 2 day PSUK netball tournament

The annual PSUK 2 day netball tournament was hosted by West Midlands in August 2005.

Due to summer holiday commitments Lancashire were only able to enter one team, this being an amalgamation of the A and B teams.

Despite torrential rain on the first day of the tournament Lancashire played exceptionally well and did not lose a game. This was a particular achievement as they had been drawn in a very tough section, which included Merseyside and GMP. (Overall winners of the tournament)

As a result of their hard work Lancashire were placed into the gold section of the competition the following day. Again, Lancashire were drawn in the most difficult section, which included The Met and Derbyshire.

Lancashire’s best moment of the day was playing The Met in a nail biting game, the Met eventually winning, but only by 1 goal.

At the end of the weekend Lancashire achieved a placing of 7^th out of 31 county teams.

The 2006 tournament is being hosted in September and it is hoped that we can enter both Lancashire Teams and improve further on our performance last year.

The section has had some good successes in 2005, with the regular members turning out at the major competitions through the year. New members have been sought and expressions of interest and requests for information on events have been received from a number of Constabulary staff. Most have not yet taken the plunge in competition but it is hoped that competing members will increase as the sport becomes more recognised.

First event of the year was the North of England Indoor Rowing Champs at Manchester Velodrome. PC Pete Burke gained 5th place in the 2000m 40-49 open and 3^rd place in the 500m in the same category. I collected Bronze in the 2000m 40-49 hwt.

The Outdoor championships were held in Belfast in September. I competed in the open singles scull and in a Coxed Four as part of a composite crew from The Metropolitan Police placing as runner up in both events. I still haven’t persuaded the other members to compete outdoor yet.

The British Indoor Championships is the major event in the UK for Indoor Rowers with competitors from all the Universities, clubs and Olympic outdoor squads. Their open competitions produce some amazing times but luckily our competitors are not competing in their age group at present. PC Pete Burke and PC Carole McNally were both entered in the event but were unable to compete due to illness. I entered the 40-44 open women’s event placing 4^th .

Previous years have seen the rugby league section struggling to survive as a consequence of a lack of the availability of players. Last season saw the innovative merger between ourselves and the Greater Manchester Police. Not only did this result in a wider player base from which to choose but also assisted with other issues on a pure economy of scale basis.

On the playing front, last season started with some demoralising defeats. However further hard work and team spirit saw us start to gain in confidence and as a result start to win a few of the matches. Several of our players were also rewarded with a call into the Great Britain Squad. It is no doubt that the merger has unearthed a new crop of talented players, which is not only good for the inter police rugby but also the national representative side.

The game of the year was the defeat of 5 times defending champions at the semi final stage in the National competition of West Yorkshire Police in their own back yard at Shaw Cross amateur club in Dewsbury. The game was a one sided affair in the first half with west Yorkshire dominating, but the team spirit that had been so evident in the early part of the season emerged again and the new look combined team ran out worthy winners.

This only left the much fancied Metropolitan Police team in the final at York. We ran out comfortable winners at 58-8. There was some fine rugby on display that day and it was a particularly poignant day for PC Gary Lowe who crowned an illustrious career in rugby league both within police circles and in the amateur game generally by lifting the national cup as team captain.

So a lot to live up to over the next year as defending champions, but a task which I am sure the ever developing combined team will rise to. We expect greater things in the future.

Rugby Union - By Section Secretary - Insp Stuart Noble

It appears that the Rugby Union section is currently suffering from the reversal in fortune that the Rugby League section is experiencing.

This last season has been a very difficult one with the team suffering heavily from injuries and the non-availability of players. As such we had to concede the PAA Area Final Fixture to Cumbria, who I believe are still progressing in the cup.

Holding most matches on Wednesdays the new approach to provincial leagues has limited fixtures; most clubs now only play on a Saturday. This has had significant implications for the section as many of our players also represent local clubs at weekends. This is a matter that is being progressed by the fixture secretary who is proposing a number of pre and post-season matches which has historically proven to be very successful.

In summary a very disappointing season, although, we are pleased to acknowledge the significant success of the rugby league section, a discipline of the game that many of our players are involved in. We all look forward to a more successful 2006/2007.

A Successful year with Lancashire sailing crews competing in events ranging from regional dinghy regattas, PSUK Offshore, PSUK Dinghy Championships, to the Europol International Race Series in Holland.

PSUK Offshore Sailing Championships - May 2005

A crew of seven sailors represented Lancashire at the Offshore Championships held off the west coast of Scotland, Argyll. The 37-foot yacht was raced for five days in testing weather and tide conditions from Crinan to Oban and around the Isle of Mull.

It is believed that this is the first year that Lancashire Constabulary has taken part in the national offshore championships, and the 19^th position achieved is a base to build on for future 2006 and future years.

The Lancashire crew were-Andy Cuddon, Kevin Boyce, Simon Hayes, David Shepherd, Peter Blackburn, Chris Shaw, Ian McMillan.

PSUK Dinghy Championships – June 2005

Held at Scaling Dam Sailing Club, Cleveland. PC Andy Cuddon attended for Lancashire and was placed 7^th in the Laser class championships, and 15^th position in the open dinghy championships.

Europol “Coppers Cup”- September 2005

David Hayes and his crew from Lancaster travelled to the Netherlands to compete in the biennial International sailing regatta held on the Ijsselmeer inland sea. 30 teams from the law enforcement agencies from 10 countries attended. Lancashire finished in 14^th place. Lancashire was one of only 4 united Kingdom Police force entries. The Dutch hospitality was good, and we hope to attend this event in 2007.

Held at Winsford Flash Sailing Club, Cheshire. Andy Cuddon was placed 8^th in his Laser class dinghy.

The 2006 year sailing season is already being planned, the Offshore Sailing Championships PSUK are to be held on the Solent, on 22-26^th May 2006. The Laser and dinghy Championships PSUK are being held in Nottingham on 14-16^th June 2006.

So come along all you sailors and landlubbers, get on board and enjoy the sport of sailing. You don’t get wet all the time. Have a look at the Intranet or website www.policesailing.org.uk

Andy Cuddon will be retiring in June 2006, and is looking for other keen sailors and serving personnel to take over / assist with the running and development of the dinghy and offshore sailing sections.

Lancashire’s newly formed Sea Angling Section made a foray into PSUK competitions with a last minute entry into the PSUK National Shore Fishing Championship. This was hosted by Hampshire Police and fished over 2 very, very cold days in early November. The first round was an evening event fished off the beach at Southsea . The second round was fished the following afternoon at Hayling Island.

There were approximately 160 anglers in the competition from all over the UK including competitors from the Northern Constabulary who’d travelled over 700miles to the venue and a team from PSNI.

The event was dominated by the 4-man team from Kent, who won both the team competition and the individual prize. Hats off too them as the fishing was pretty poor all round.

Alas, Team Lancashire didn’t fare very well, with a nil return on both days. As ours was only a 2 man team, we were heartened by the fact that a number of more experienced four man teams had also failed to catch. This perhaps meant that we were twice as good as them.

We were encouraged by the reception and welcome we were given by other competitors, some remarking how good it was to see Lancashire back in the competition after a notable absence. We’ve learned quite a lot about the organisation and have made some useful contacts.

This year the section hopes to field teams in the PSUK Boat fishing Championships to be fished at Orkney in August and also to field an improved team into the PSUK Shore Fishing championships in Southwest Scotland later in the year..

Here is a picture of Team Lancashire members Dave Stainton and Paul Harvey fishing in the pitch dark and freezing cold conditions encountered at Southsea.

I am pleased to report that the section has once been reasonably successful again – The pistol section is still struggling to get back on track – the introduction of new pistols to comply with the legislation is helping but slowly. We have success in the Gallery rifle and Lightweight sporting rifle events with Phil Davies and Alan Jones from Pennine Division. Dave Hodson, Paul Hatton, Steve Edmondson and Rod Quirk continue to dominate the North West Police Sport UK region in small bore rifle.

Iain MacDonald showing us the way forward yet again in the full bore rifle, not bad for a retired officer

Short Range National Finals – Dave Hodson equal first place but placed 2^nd on count back.

During the year both Dave Hodson and Paul Hatton were fortunate enough to be selected to represent the PSUK in the annual matches against England, Wales, Army and the Inter services.