Langney Wanderers are set to make their Sussex County Football League debut on Saturday when they play Billingshurst in a Division Three clash at Shinewater Lane.

Formed just three years ago, Langney Wanderers join the Sussex County Football League this season as its only new club despite five other clubs having been lost to the league over the summer (through a combination of promotions, withdrawals and a merger).

Langney’s promotion from the East Sussex Football League also sees a return to County League football for their Shinewater Lane ground in Eastbourne. Previously the ground had been home to Shinewater Association before that club merged with Eastbourne United some years ago.

Times have changed since then and ground requirements are a lot more strict and demanding. When asked what work the club had to carry out in order to secure their promotion, Club Secretary Tracey Saunders replied: “The work we had to do; where shall I start! We had to lengthen and widen the pitch, add a handrail around the pitch, install dugouts, construct a referee’s room with shower, put four new showers into the away changing room, add an 18-seat bench plus coat hooks into both changing rooms, put in a unisex toilet for spectators and install a bell to enable the referee to signal both teams prior to each half.

“All the work is finished now and we can’t wait to play Billingshurst in our first league game on Saturday.”

After losing just one game in the East Sussex Football League last season (winning its Premier Division by 15 points) and having further strengthened their playing squad, Langney are understandably confident ahead of the new campaign.

“We want to win Division Three and I think we have a good chance of doing so,” said Saunders when questioned about the club’s ambitions for the forthcoming season.

Langney Wanderers host Billingshurst in their first ever County League match this Saturday (24 August) at 3pm.

Kit Munns | Freelance Sports Writer

Italy reigned supreme in Brighton over the weekend, successfully defending all three available titles, as the European Beach Tennis Championships came to Great Britain for the first time.

Five years after hosting the Beach Volleyball Under 21 World Championships in storm-like conditions, glorious sunshine welcomed the players and supporters from a record 20 nations, as they arrived at Yellowave in Brighton for the 2013 European Beach Tennis Championships.

Great Britain entered three pairs into each of the categories being contested – the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles – however, ultimately, it was the Italian duos who further extended their nation’s domination of the sport.

The men’s title went to Alessandro Calbucci and Marco Garavini who, just a week earlier, also won the World Championships. In the final they defeated another Italian pair, Michele Cappelletti and Luca Carli.

Flamina Daina and Michaela Zanaboni won the women’s title by beating German duo, Dorothee Berreth and Carina Blank while, in yet another all-Italian affair, Flamina Daina and Marco Garavini defeated compatriots Eva D’Elia and Luca Carli in the mixed final to complete the Italian clean sweep.

The rules of beach tennis, a relatively new sport, are similar to those of regular (lawn) tennis with a few key differences:
 

• Beach tennis is played on a smaller court with a higher net
• The ball is not allowed to bounce (given the court surface is usually sand)
• Paddle-type bats are used in place of standard rackets
• A slightly depressurised ball is used
• Players only get one serve (which may be overarm or underarm)
• Any service-let is ignored
• Any game reaching deuce is then won by a single deciding point

 
Italy’s success in Brighton maintains their outstanding record of having won every available title at both the European and World Championships since the advent of these events. It was, therefore, something of a major shock when Brazil defeated Italy in Moscow last month to win the World Team Championships for the first time.

Kit Munns | Freelance Sports Writer

Great Britain returned from the ninth World Games in Cali (Colombia) last week having won six gold medals.

The World Games, held every four years, were first staged in 1981 and provide a platform for world competition in sports not included in the Olympics. In 1985 the World Games were staged in London, with several events being held at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Since then the Games have grown with each staging. Around 4,000 athletes were competing in Cali in over 30 sports, ranging from Artistic Roller Skating and Orienteering to Parachuting and Karate.

In addition to the six golds won, Great Britain also picked up six silver, and three bronze medals. This haul of 15 medals placed Britain ninth on an overall medals table topped by Italy.

In 2009, Great Britain won four gold, six silver, and nine bronze medals, finishing eleventh on the overall medals table.

The British gold medallists in Cali were:

• Alice Upcott and Dominic Smith (Acrobatic Gymnastics – Mixed Pairs)
• Danielle Jones and Shanie Redd Thorne (Acrobatic Gymnastics – Women’s Pairs)
• Naomi Folkard (Field Archery – Recurve)
• Darren Appleton (Pool)
• Katherine Driscoll and Amanda Parker (Synchronised Trampolining)
• Damien Sharman (Water Skiing – Jump)

Unfortunately the only visual coverage of the Cali 2013 World Games was online, with live footage occasionally plagued by buffering issues.

When asked via Twitter why they chose not to broadcast the World Games, British Eurosport somewhat sidestepped the question replying: “We have just finished our coverage of the Universiade from Kazan and now have the FINA World Championships and Tour of Poland.”

BBC Sport failed to respond.

Kit Munns | Freelance Sports Writer

Ben Maher, riding Tripple X III, was a popular home winner of The Longines King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead on Sunday, just 48 hours after his below-par performances left Great Britain on the verge of FEI Nations Cup exit at the group stage.

Maher, a member of Great Britain’s gold medal winning team at the London Olympics a year ago, produced one of just three clear rounds from 49 starters to force a jump-off with Ulrich Kirchhoff (Ukraine) and Marcus Ehning (Germany).  After then posting a second clear, Maher had the luxury of watching on as both Kirchhoff and Ehning were unable to match his efforts meaning he collected the first prize of €66,000 and the much coveted King George V Gold Cup title.

Afterwards Maher was quick to praise the Hickstead venue and patriotic home crowd. “You can’t beat a home crowd. I love jumping in England,” he added.

Attention now turns to the final group round of the FEI Nations Cup in Dublin on Friday [9 August] where Maher will be hoping he – and his fellow British teammates – can rediscover the form that helped them take the Olympic title some 12 months ago. “I’ll probably be riding Cella in Dublin,” he said. “Tripple X will travel to Ireland but will probably find it tough going.”

Britain need a top three finish in Dublin to be absolutely certain of qualification for the FEI Nations Cup [Show] Jumping Final in September.

Speaking last Friday after Great Britain’s disappointing performance in their home round of the FEI Nations Cup [finishing fifth equal of the eight teams competing] British boss, Rob Hoekstra, was understandably frustrated. “In the end there were just too many faults,” he said, “but you never know, we may yet go to Dublin and win it!”

Kit Munns | Freelance Sports Writer