Athlete Hall of Fame

This is where we recognise and pay tribute to our athletes that have reached a class of their own, standing above their peers by their achievements on the water while representing their country and the contribution they have subsequently given back in developing the sport to new heights at international, national or regional and club level. They have shown determination, dedication and passion though their whole lives to canoe polo. Only a very few athletes will be recognised here but they represent what every athlete should aspire to be.

ALAN VESSEY ex-National Team Athlete, British Canoe Union ‘Award of Merit’ Holder

He is a founding member of St. Alban’s Canoe Club situated north of London. He has been a part of the British National teams for over 20 years. He has attended 17 major Championships in the course of the years achieving Gold in two World Championships and in one European Championship. Playing at home he has won 6 National League Championships as well as 6 National Championships. He has played with the Italian Serie A team C.N. Posillipo from Naples. He has since retired from playing internationally but in the role of Squads Manager he still plays a huge part in the National Teams success. Recently he had been given the British Canoe Union ‘Award of Merit’ for the appreciation of his involvement in the sport in the UK.

GINNY COYLES ex-National team athlete, British Canoe Union ‘Award of Merit’ Holder

Ginny is a member of the Friends of Allonby Canoe Club from Liverpool and for over 20 years has been playing canoe polo in Regional, National and International League events very successfully. She has played with the Senior Women’s National Team in the World Championships in 1996, 2004, 2008 and in 2010 winning Gold in 2009; she has played also in the European Championships in 1997, 2001, 2005 and in 2009. She has played and won in the National League fourteen times, in the National Championships eleven times. She has played and won four times with her team in the European Club Championships in 2006, 2008, 2009 and in 2011. She played in the World Masters Game in 2009 with the team Mutineers winning the Bronze medal. She is still playing canoe polo with her club teams at National and International events as well as providing her skills to help develop the teams and the players in the National Squads. She too has been given the British Canoe Union ‘Award of Merit’ for her many years of involvement in this sport.

GREG SMALE ex-national team athlete, ex-chairman I.C.F. Canoe Polo Committee, ‘Award of Merit’ Holder

He started playing canoe polo as a boy scout at the age of fourteen with St. Alban’s Canoe Club. He played with the Great Britain Senior Team for ten years winning around 25 International Tournaments, silver at the 1993 European Championships and a bronze at the 1994 World Championships. In the eight year period from 1995 to 2002 he coached the Great Britain’s Women’s Senior Team for 4 years and the then Great Britain’s Men’s Team (jointly with Mike Moffitt) for 4 years reaching 8 consecutive World and European Championship finals. In 2003 he became a member of the I.C.F. Canoe Polo Committee and in 2007-2013 he was the Chairman of the International Committee (I.C.F. Board Member). Away from the international scene, he is a British Canoeing Board Member, a graduate of the U.K. Sport International Leadership programme and has received the B.C.U. Award of Merit for his coaching of the British national teams.

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