Radcliffe Swimming and Water Polo Club 

is 125 years old 

2024 sees an historic milestone in the history of Radcliffe Swimming and Water Polo Club as the club is 125 years old.  

On May 6th 1899 Radcliffe Baths on Whittaker Street was opened by Colonel J. J. Mellor, M.P. for Radcliffe and Farnworth. On June 14th 1899, at a public meeting, Thomas Boardman, chair of the Baths Committee, proposed the forming of a club to be known as Radcliffe Swimming Club. A committee was formed with Boardman as Chair, Colonel Mellor M.P. as President and Artur Rothwell as the secretary and Radcliffe Swimming Club came into existence. Time was made available at the baths on a Wednesday night 8.30pm – 9.30pm for the swimming club and Mr Terrell, the baths Superintendent was appointed as the club’s professional swimming instructor.   

The club held their first annual gala on 26th September 1899. Andrew Greenhalgh, a local resident and businessman presented a silver cup and the winner would become the Club captain for the following year. The first race for the Cup was held over 250 yards and Miles Harrison was the first winner and hence club captain. The cup is still competed for but now the race is over 100 metres freestyle.    

In 1900 the Club formed a water polo team and joined the third division of the Manchester and District Swimming Water Polo Association water polo league which they won. The team consisted of the following players; Startup, goal; Smith and Settle, backs; Murphy, half back; Harrison, Singleton and Greenhalgh, forwards. The club is still very active in water polo with a number of junior teams, a women’s team and a men’s team currently playing at National level. The club has produced a number of international and regional players and is one of the region’s strongest water polo clubs. 

The 1901 Radcliffe water polo team and a winners’ medal for the 1900 third division win  

There have been two Olympians, Pauline Sillett and Martin Smith. Pauline was a member of the 1964 Tokyo Great Britain swimming team and swam in the 400 metres freestyle and 4 x 100 metres freestyle team, she competed in the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica winning a gold medal in a record time in the 4 x 110 yards medley relay and the 1966 European Games in Utrecht, Holland where she won a bronze medal in the 100 metres freestyle. Martin competed at two Olympic Games, Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980. At Moscow Martin won a bronze medal as a member of the 4 x 100m medley relay team. He swam at the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth Games where he won a sliver medal in the 4 x 100m medley relay and two bronze medals, one in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay and one in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. He swam in the 1978 World Championships in Berlin winning a bronze medal in the 4 x 100m medley relay and the 1977 European Championships in Jonkoping again winning a bronze medal in the 4 x 100m medley relay.      

Olympians - Pauline Sillett and Martin Smith 

The club has made a number of English Channel crossings and was once a major force in lifesaving competitions winning many regional and national titles and having international competitors. The club has also competed in regional, national and international run, swim and shoot competitions, known as biathlon, triathlon and biathle, and has produced a number of National champions. 

For a number of years the club was well known in open water competitions and in 1933 one of our swimmers, who went on to be one of the club’s foremost coaches, James Wallwork, was presented with the Kille Cup, the Ashton Shield and a gold watch and chain for his achievements in the Morecambe Cross Bay swim. In fact, members and officials of the Morecambe Cross Bay Swimming Association and Morecambe and Heysham Corporation visited the Boars Head pub in Radcliffe to present the awards to James. 

During its 125 years the club has had a number of locations which it has called home. The original home was Whittaker Street baths, then from 1968 to 2016 the baths on Green Street, Radcliffe and then the Coney Green Pool, Radcliffe which closed in 2023. The club are now looking forward to moving to the new Radcliffe pool which will open soon in the centre of Radcliffe. The Club currently trains at Castle Leisure Centre and Ramsbottom Leisure Centre while the new pool is under construction.  Currently the Club’s swimming team competes in local leagues and a number of open galas throughout the season. The Club’s Championship gala takes place once a year and many of the trophies date back to the early days of the club. The Club also holds a shrimps gala for the younger members.  

   Whittaker Street Baths, Radcliffe