Lothian and Borders Police hosted the annual British Police Volleyball Championships in Edinburgh over the weekend 5th/6th September 2009. Having last hosted the championships in 1999 at Meadowbank Sports Centre, the event moved to the south of the City with the ladies playing at The Crags and the men at Edinburgh University Centre for Sport and Exercise at the Pleasance.
The sun shone on what was a highly competitive and enjoyable weekend. All competitors stayed in Edinburgh First’s accommodation at Pollock Halls, within walking distance of the playing venues and where a presentation dinner and ceilidh were held in the South Hall on the Saturday night with the Chief Constable, Mr David Strang, welcoming everyone to Edinburgh.
12 ladies teams (a record number) and 11 men’s teams (235 competitors), representing 13 police forces throughout the country (Sussex, Gloucestershire, Merseyside, MET, Grampian, Fife, Humberside, Lancashire, Dorset, Northumbria, Strathclyde, L&B, Essex) provided a weekend of exhilarating and very competitive volleyball.
The Scottish Volleyball Association supported the competition by running a referee assessment weekend and by providing their finest Grade 1 referees to officiate over the finals on the Sunday and players aching limbs were eased by the attention given by 9 Sports Masseuses from the Scottish School of Professional Massage.
The event supported the local charity Drum Riding for the Disabled and in excess of a £1000 was raised through a raffle, donations and the sale of t-shirts.
Reigning champions Strathclyde, retained both titles despite bold efforts by all the other teams including the hosts whose men’s team took the title holders to a 25-14, 25-17 final. L&B ladies put in their best ever performance losing 25-21, 25-15, in the semi-finals to Sussex.
Results
Ladies Plate Final
Winners Merseyside beat Humberside (25 – 18, 24 – 16)
Men’s Plate Final
Winners MET beat Grampian (25 –12, 25 – 16)
Ladies Cup Final
Winners Strathclyde beat Sussex (25 –14, 25 – 19)
Men’s Cup Final
Winners Strathclyde beat Lothian and Borders (25 –14, 25 –17)