The following piece is part of a series of profiles prepared for the World Flying Disc Federation.
PROFILE
The GB team is a mix of the old and the new with standout players in Foord, who has made a name for himself at Paganello with UTI/ Clapham and as an import to touring Toronto club team GOAT, and Forth, a fixture on the international stage with accolades galore. Add in Ollie Gordon who made a name for himself as the only European player to compete on the 2011 NexGen tour. The top line male players certainly rose to the occasion with their run in Sakai and the World Games team will need to duplicate their prowess in Cali.
Head-to-head GB can match up with the teams seeded ahead of them, but can they sustain success?
Some further analysis from Blockstack TV’s Steve Giguere:
“One way to describe the women on this team is ‘fast.’ If they were choosing women in terms of matching the pace on the field of the men then they did a great job. There are no obvious handlers or receivers—just six players who can bring the whole package to the table. That said there is an obvious leader in Bex Forth. It’s a great blend of experience without sacrificing talent. For the men, I would order them in groups:
Big and Dangerous: Tom Abrams, Rich Harris, Ollie Gordon
Tom and Rich have been tearing up the UK tour with Clapham Ultimate for a few years now. They bring height with a knowledge of how to use it. Ollie’s tour with NexGen turned him from a great player into a monster all-rounder bringing the USA experience back as part of his game.
Goldfish: Rich Gale
He’s in his own group. He’s distinctive for getting a rosy glow on his cheeks during play that I’m certain must give him an advantage because he looks non-threatening. I played briefly with him on EMO in the UK and he stood out as the quiet guy who was a bit quicker, got a bit more air-time and was always a step ahead. His abilities are like that of a goldfish: they grow to the size of the container they are in. World Games is a big container.
Versatile and Creative: Justin Foord, Matt Parslow, Dave Tyler
Same guy, different names. Everybody knows Foord from guarding Beau [Kittredge, Team USA] at Paganello. Since then he’s the number one guy at Clapham and did time with GOAT last year. He threw a lefty break scoober for a goal at Worlds last year. Four years ago, Dave Tyler was invited to the World Games try-out having never played on a GB team before. At the time he was captain of the Warwick team which also had Abrams and defeated Portsmouth big in the University National Finals. Unfortunately for Matt Parslow he was on the receiving end of that defeat, however, he was the main reason the Portsmouth team was even in that final.
ROSTER
| First Name | Last Name |
No. # |
Gen. |
Height | Exp. | Position | Club Teams |
| David | TYLER |
6 |
M |
6’0” (184 cm) |
7 yrs | Cutter | Kapow |
| Matt | PARSLOW |
7 |
M |
6’0” (183 cm) |
7 yrs | Cutter | Fire of London |
| Jackie | VERRALLS |
9 |
F |
5’1” (155 cm) |
7 yrs | Cutter | Iceni |
| Jenna | THOMSON |
11 |
F |
5’4” (164 cm) |
7 yrs | Handler | SYC |
| Ollie | GORDON |
14 |
M |
6’4” (193 cm) |
13 yrs | Handler/Cutter | Chevron Action Flash |
| Richard | GALE |
18 |
M |
5’9” (176 cm) |
10 yrs | Handler | EMO |
| Richard | HARRIS |
19 |
M |
6’2” (188 cm) |
8 yrs | Cutter | Clapham |
| Rebecca | FORTH |
23 |
F |
5’6” (168 cm) |
19 yrs | Handler/Cutter | Iceni |
| Sophie | EDMONDSON |
26 |
F |
5’7” (170 cm) |
7 yrs | Handler | Leeds |
| Issy | BURKE |
27 |
F |
5”4” (163 cm) |
16 yrs | Handler | Devon |
| Justin | FOORD |
28 |
M |
6”1” (185 cm) |
7 yrs | Cutter | Clapham |
| Tom | ABRAMS |
32 |
M |
6”2” (188 cm) |
8 yrs | Cutter | Clapham |
| Becci | HAIGH |
41 |
F |
5’5” (165 cm) |
5 yrs | Cutter | Iceni |
Team Colours: RED, WHITE & BLUE
CLUB & COUNTRY EXPERIENCE:
Great Britain has made a habit of success lately at European Championships and European Club Championships winning two silvers and two golds in Maribor 2011. Most of Team GB travelled to Sakai for 2012 WFDF Worlds where the Open team pulled off a rather spectacular run to the finals that helped them earn the final bid to the World Games. Captain and veteran Rebecca “Bex” Forth in particular has seen a lot of international success and has remarkably competed at every WFDF Worlds since 1996. Jenna Thomson is GB’s sole returner from the 2009 World Games squad.
RECENT GREAT BRITAIN INTERNATIONAL RESULTS:
2012 WFDF World Championships, Sakai, Japan
Open: Bronze Women: 7th Mixed: 5th
2009 The World Games, Kaoshing City, Taiwan – 5th place
2008 WFDF World Championships, Vancouver, Canada
Open: 4th Women: 5th Mixed: 5th
2004 WFDF World Championships, Turku, Finland
Open: 5th Women: 5th Mixed: 7th
TOP DEFENDERS:
- #19 Richard “Gash” Harris — very athletic and has a great layout Ds. always plays with passion, huge defender in the end-zone
- #32 Tom “Mum” Abrams – big pulls, great defensive instinct, young legs
- #14 Ollie Gordon – athletic and tall, one of the best defenders in Europe
TOP THROWERS:
- #7 Matt Parslow — has every throw and finds improbable spaces on the field
- #26 Sophie Edmondson — specializes in hucks with touch
TOP RECEIVERS:
- #28 Justin Foord — has the height and big-game experience to make the play
- #23 Bex Forth — still known for her closing speed and layout blocks
- #41 Becci Haigh — spirited leader plays bigger than her height
- #9 Jackie Veralls — speedy on the unders
TEAM COACHES and CAPTAINS
- Coach: Sion “Brummie” Scone
- Captains: Rich Gale, Rebecca Forth
Brummie coached GB Open to that aforementioned Silver medal in 2012, the highest result Great Britain has ever achieved at Worlds in any division. Could they be peaking at just the right moment.
FAVORITE PART ABOUT ULTIMATE:
The international community, spirit and fair competition.
Also, getting paid to be on television. Justin Foord appeared in an advertisement for Mazda where he performed trick shots in and out of moving cars. If that Mazda is open on the field in Cali, Foord will be sure to find it.
HOW MANY ULTIMATE PLAYERS IN GREAT BRITAIN?
Approximately 3,000.
WHAT WORLD GAMES SPORTS WILL YOU WATCH AFTER ULTIMATE?
Sumo, Speed Ascent and Gym Acrobatics
FOLLOW TEAM GB
Web: UKultimate.com/gb_world_games
Twitter: GBWorldGames
Also coverage at TheShowGame.co.uk
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