Left, the ladies ball it in at the start of Day One on Furzton. Right, the England team before the big event.
All pictures by Steve Martin , Angling Journalist and Photographer, Tel – 01202 777892
Mob – 07812 360278, email – steve.martin1@ntlworld.com
WHITE Acres NFA Team England Ladies sealed the fate of all opposition with a masterful display of controlled power and angling prowess by lifting the World Crown for the second year in succession, and the impact of such a majestic performance on home soil will have other top class nations wondering just what they have to do to stop this titanic outfit from making it three in a row next year in Portugal.
Having stamped their authority on Day 1 with no less than three section winners and a section 2nd, the White Acres NFA Team England Ladies marched into action as soon as the siren sounded for three hours of nail-biting conflict between the leading protagonists, except that the England squad kept their cool, remained totally staid and steady during intense battle, as others wilted under pressure and were gradually ground into submission by what must be one of the finest ladies teams ever to be assembled on the World stage in the 10 years of these Championships.
Team coach, Tom Pickering, couldn’t sing the girls’ praises enough, and his words: “They were simply magnificent over the two days and I couldn’t have asked for any more” probably sum up the thoughts of many, both those associated with the England team and those who cheered on each and every one of them as fish after fish came to the net.
Left is Italy’s Simoni Pollastri, who came second to Wendy Lythgoe in A section on Day One with this catch. Centre: Sandra Scotthorne nets a big roach on Day One on her way to a section win. Right: Ladies bronze medal winner Luana Almedia of Poland lands a net fish from peg A1 on Day Two.
For the second day running the White Acres NFA Team England Ladies line-up scored a mightily impressive three section wins, with Sandra Scotthorne banking an incredible 7th section win in a row whilst representing her country from peg C08, Emma Pickering making up for her visible disappointment of sixth place the previous day by storming to an all-the-way win with 3k 570g from peg A06, and Wendy Locker backing up her 2nd on Day 1 with an onslaught in ‘B’ Section that led her into the Individual Silver Medal position.
Sandra Scotthorne’s back-to-back section wins gave her an unassailable 2 point perfect penalty score which gave her Gold for the second successive year to put the icing on the cake of the magical team achievement. Whilst Sandra celebrated both team and individual gold medals, the last words were left to White Acres NFA Team
Helen Dagnall (left), Italy’s Stefania Conforto, and France’s Isabella Hawryhuck are all into fish on Day Two. Stefania finished sixth overall, Isabella fifth.
Final Team Result
Gold:
Silver:
Bronze:
4 Portugal, 56
5 Hungary, 57
6 Poland, 67
7 Czech Republic, 76.5
8 Luxembourg, 85
9 Croatia, 86
10 Romania, 88
11 Slovenia, 93.5
12 Germany, 100
13 Finland, 109.5
14 South Africa, 129.5
15 Bosnia, 137.7
Above left, the gold medal winning White Acres Endland Ladies team. Above right, the bronze medal winning Italians.
Below left, silver medallists France. Below right: The top three individuals, with England taking gold and silver.
Section Winners: (Day 2)
E11 Esther Gaspers (
D14 Jeanny Strichartz (
A06 Emma Pickering (
B02 Wendy Locker (
C08 Sandra Scotthorne (
Overall Individual Positions
Gold: Sandra Scotthorne (
Silver: Wendy Locker (
Bronze: Luana Almeida (
