Club News

Grant to support the Juniors water polo section

The Club has been successful in winning a grant from the Jack Petchey Foundation, worth £1,200 over the next 12 months. The funds will be used for a quarterly award where a Juniors squad member, voted for by Junior club members and their coaches, can select from a wish list of ideas for how a sum of £300 is to be spent on the Juniors water polo section. The candidates will not necessarily be just the best players: effort, attendance, contribution etc. will all be considered.

Ron Turner

We are sad to announce the loss of Ron Turner, an inspirational member of Penguin, who died on 12 October 2007 following a road accident.

Born in Notting Hill in the late 1920s, Ron lived most of his life in the Acton/Shepherd’s Bush area and worked as an engineer for Lucas.

Ron played water polo in two Olympic Games – Helsinki in 1952 and Melbourne, 1956, as well as being a reserve for the last London Olympics in 1948. At the Games in 1956 he was selected to play in the 'best of the rest of the World' team that played against the Olympic Champions.

He was a member of the hugely successful Penguin sides that won the ASA knock-out competition in 1947, 1951 and 1952.

Ron was an exceptional forward player, known for his fitness and tough approach. His shot accuracy was unerring. He was also a model player and trained hard, often on his own at Acton or Lime Grove baths. His training was interrupted once, he related, when the Germans raided Acton and a bomb came through the skylight into the pool!

Well-known for his self-effacing approach, Ron was a guiding light for literally generations of Penguin and Middlesex water polo players. When the time came to hang up the costume, he coached, managed and administered water polo in Middlesex.

When he retired from playing water polo at the top, he continued to swim and train.  Until his final years, Ron was a regular swimmer with the Penguin Masters, even with a heart pacemaker. He was Middlesex champion at backstroke and achieved  a number of Masters’ records.

Twice Penguin President, he had also been President of the London League and Middlesex County.

Ron recently celebrated his 80th birthday.

Ron is survived by wife Gill, his daughter Mandy and son Russell.

We will miss him greatly.

Other news

Jerome Read has accepted the position of GB Men's Water Polo High Performance Coach. This is a tremendous achievement. He joins another Penguin, Nick Hume, who is the National Water Polo Performance Director.

Rachel Bull has been invited to join the GB water polo development squad. Rachel first joined us as a junior player, and has moved up to train with the women.