Spalding Water Polo Club hosted the inaugural Jack Carpenter Memorial Cup at Bourne Outdoor Pool on Saturday, bringing together current and former players, friends, and family to celebrate the life of a much-loved club member while raising funds for The Brain Tumour Charity.
The event was held in memory of Jack Carpenter, who passed away earlier this year following a battle with cancer.
As well as honouring his contribution to the club, the day successfully raised £1,803.75 for The Brain Tumour Charity through donations and a raffle.
Jack played a pivotal role in shaping Spalding Water Polo Club into what it is today. Among his many contributions was the creation of the club’s junior section, encouraging young players to take up the sport and develop their skills.
Many of those junior players have gone on to represent other clubs, while several are now key members of Spalding’s first team.
The memorial match saw a blend of former and current players split into two teams, the Spalding Sharks and the Spalding Orcas.
The Sharks, captained by Steve Rogers, featured returning players Ed Martin, James Scotney and John Teesdale, alongside current squad members Matt Papworth, James Seymour, Paul Greenslade, Harry Bumfrey, Dave Lord and Gareth Lord.
The Orcas, led by Tim Shields, included former players Tom Carpenter, Jon Davis, James Teesdale and Adam Sellers, joined by current club members Tom Norfolk, John James, Joe Scotney, Nathan Henfrey and Mark Le Sage.
In front of a strong crowd, the match proved both entertaining and fiercely contested.
The low evening sun created challenging conditions for both goalkeepers as teams switched ends, while the physical nature of the contest demonstrated that some returning players had lost none of their competitive spirit, despite being occasionally reminded of the modern interpretation of the rules.
The game remained closely fought throughout before the Sharks edged a thrilling contest 13-12.
Sharks goalscorers were James Scotney (6), Gareth Lord (3), Harry Bumfrey (3) and Ed Martin (1).
Orcas goalscorers were John James (4), Nathan Henfrey (2), Tim Shields (2), Tom Carpenter (2), Adam Sellers (1) and Joe Scotney (1).
Following the success of the inaugural event, Spalding Water Polo Club hopes to establish the Jack Carpenter Memorial Cup as an annual fixture, to be held on the first Saturday of August each year.
Club members said the event was a fitting tribute to Jack’s legacy, celebrating both the sport and the club he worked so hard to develop while raising valuable funds for a cause close to many people’s hearts.
