The 15th July saw the 2017 End of Season Tournament.

What better way to round off the biggest season to date than the biggest ever Goalball UK End of Season Tournament?  Over 90 players travelled from all over the country to the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield to compete in this friendly competition.

For the first time ever, there were 4 levels of play at the Event. Along with the usual Novice, Intermediate and Elite, this year there was a Junior section where Talent Development Officer Faye and Great Britain Athlete Dan Roper took the inspiring youngsters (between the ages of 7 and 12) through various drills, followed by games. In addition to the players, we had friends, family, volunteers, coaches and officials.  We had over 130 people in attendance this year, along with 9 Guide Dogs, which was fantastic.

 

The tournament was rounded off with a celebration of the season and the presentation of awards and trophies. This year it was kicked off by the newest member of the Goalball UK team, CEO Mark Winder, who gave a rousing speech about the many accomplishments made by the national and domestic teams as well as individuals. He also spoke about the many developments happening behind the scenes and exciting plans for the future. All this can be seen on the recorded live stream our Facebook page.  Following Mark’s speech, it was then time to give out the Regional and National Trophies and top goal scorers awards (all of which can also be found on our Role of Honour page):

 

Novice

Region A

Novice Region A Winners: Lancashire Lions

Male Top Goal scorer: Danny Clarke (VI Bees)

Female Top Goal scorer: Amelia Robertson (Lancashire Lions)

Region B

Novice Region B Winners: New College Worcester

Male Top Goal scorer: Jack Britton (Croysutt Warriors)

Female Top Goal scorer: Sally Brittion (Croysutt) & Ada Eravama (New College Worcester)

 

Novice League Shield (Finals): Fen Tigers

 

 

Intermediate

Region A

Intermediate Region A Winners: Lancashire Lions

Male Top Goalscorer: Ryan Wilcock (Nottinghamshire Sheriffs)

Female Top Goalscorer: Meica Christensen (South Yorkshire)

Region B

Intermediate Region B Winners: Fen Tigers

Male Top Goalscorer: Danny Reeves (Birmingham)

Female Top Goalscorer: Laura Perry (Fen Tigers) 31

 

Intermediate League Shield (Finals): Fen Tigers

 

 

Elite

Elite League Shield: Northern Allstars

Male Top Goalscorer: Dan Roper (Royal National College Academy)

Female Top Goalscorer: Laura Perry (Royal National College Academy)

 

2016/17 National League Champions: Lancashire Lions

 

 

The Player of the Season award which went to Naqib  Ahmed of New College Worcester and Northern Allstars.

The Keith Loud Service to Sport Shield went to Paul Miller of Lancashire Lions.

Look out for a news article where we will cover those awards and the recipients in more depth.

 

 

In short, this season has been the biggest for Goalball in the UK!

  • 45 teams entered the tournament over three levels of play, some players traveling from abroad to take part.
  • There is a record high of 27 active officials in 2017
  • There are 600 players involved in Goalball in the UK!

 

 

Goalball UK would like to continue this growth and improvement onto next season. This is already being seen in the Intermediate levels where there will now be 3 regional leagues playing in 2 hall venues, meaning longer games and more teams. There are plenty more exciting changes to come, so stay tuned. Click here for the Competition Calendar.

 

There are still plenty of opportunities to play goalball over the summer break, click here to find out more.

 

For now, from the Goalball UK team, thank you to everyone that has made the 2016/17 season the biggest and the best…and it is only the beginning! Without you amazing players, coaches, officials and volunteers this would not be possible!