Water polo community remembers Brian Campbell

Teams from Portobello and Warrender clubs are among those contesting a junior memorial tournament for celebrated ex-water-polo coach, Brian Campbell, who was in his early sixties when he died in 2019.

Organised by Brian’s son, Alasdair and due to get underway at the Carnegie Leisure Centre, Dunfermline, on Friday evening opposition to the capital pair will come from as far away as Worthing, Radcliffe (Manchester) and Northampton as well as fellow Scots Menzieshill and Stirling.

New champions will have to be crowned in this under-18 event as 2022 winners, Sedgefield, are unable to travel.

Alasdair said: “In two years this has become the biggest junior water polo tournament in Scotland and we have added an under-15’s this year as well as an exhibition involving minis.”

Brian Campbell is regarded a real pillar of Scottish water polo and started out as a player for both Dunfermline and Scotland. However, his main passion was coaching which saw him spend decades coaching both Dunfermline and the Scottish junior squads.

While at Dunfermline, Brian won the British Cup with his junior boys team in 2008 before finishing runners-up in 2009. Dunfermline won the cup again in 2010 and although Brian wasn’t coaching, it was the majority of his players that were still in the team. While working with the Scottish junior squads, Brian was responsible for producing some of the most talented  players to come through the Scottish junior set-up in the past decade.

Alasdair said: “The BMC Cup aims to share the same values Brian had which was giving opportunities to people in and out of the water. He always tried to find ways of giving players
and coaches opportunities they would otherwise have not been able to experience, helping them develop not only their water polo skills but a range of skills outside of the water too.

“Therefore, this tournament is all about giving everyone involved an opportunity to improve and develop their skills, from the players and coaching staff to the officials and volunteers  helping out.

“The first edition of the BMC Cup took place in 2021 in the form of a one day all boys event, with Stirling emerging as the eventual winners. By the time 2022 came round,
the tournament had grown into a full weekend of water polo, featuring eight teams from both Scotland and England and seeing Sedgefield crowned as the winners.

“The first ever girls edition was held in September this year with Liverpool coming out on top in the under-18s event and Dunfermline winning the mixed under-14s.”

The tournament will be live streamed on the BMC Facebook page.

Organisers are also selling merchandise and raffle tickets through their online shop,  all profits being directly invested back into the BMC Cup – https://the-bmc-cup.sumupstore.com/