About Us:
How SSC Was Formed
The club was first formed in 1893, formally known as SASC (Scarborough Amateur Swimming Club). The club was an 'off-shoot' from Scarborough Rowing Club as many of their members wanted to swim rather then row all the time. A committee was formed consisting of eight members - four from the rowing club, and four from the proposed new club. The new club was formed in May of 1893.
The original club colours were red and white, and these are still worn today. The early club also had a keen interest in water polo which was played during the summer months off the North Pier in Scarborough's North Bay, which stood until 1905. Scarborough's water polo team would often play the likes of York and Liverpool water polo teams. It was a big attraction to potential club members back then, as Water Polo was a very new sport. Their first competitive Water Polo match was against Liverpool, who gave Scarborough a sound thrashing 0-8. Sadly water polo in Scarborough does not now play a major role and usually is played once a year.
Swimming was still the club's main focus and over the last 100 years the club trained at several different pools, these included Blands Cliffe Swimming baths (now known as Corrigan's), the Aquarium (underneath the Spa Bridge), the South Bay Pool, North Bay Pool (now known as Atlantis) and the club's current base, the Scarborough Indoor Pool. The club also did galas and performances at Peasholm Park and the Open Air Theatre, where people came just to watch performances by the SSC swimmers.
Most recently, our head coach Sam Greetham has coached swimmers for SSC, and has great success in Speed Swimming and Open Water swimming. He has coached swimmers to the highest level, with many swimmers making National Qualifying times and he has also coached Open Water swimmers who have gone on to win National medals and achieve International representation at 5k and 10k events. Also during the past fifty years, the club has been producing swimmers capable of taking on the Channel, and have swam at different locations throughout the World - A fine achievement for a Town club!
Our club continues to make progress in the swimming world, and achieved "Swim 21" status in 2004. The club continues to dominate local swimming with high quality training which is reflected in the club's many successes, especially as Champions of the Ridings League for 2005, and the progression of many of our swimmers to achieve National Qualifying times - A Record second to none!
Swimming in Scarborough is one of the biggest sports in the area, and between the two swimming clubs based in Scarborough, they can boast a membership of over six hundred swimmers, which can easily match most City teams for size, and indeed, many of the town's swimming fraternity move freely between the two clubs on a regular basis.
By 2009, there will be a new swimming pool / leisure complex built on the present site of the old North Bay Pool and the old Corner Cafe sites, known as the Sands Project. It is still unsure in what context swimming in Scarborough will take in 2009, but I'm sure Swimming can only benefit and prosper and hopefully it will prove to be a super prospect for swimming in the Town of Scarborough.
Swimming in Scarborough must continue to look forward, and with this thought in mind, Scarborough Swimming Club, the area's first Swim21 accredited club, feel that there are exciting times ahead, and embrace the challenge change will most certainly bring.
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Paul Yeoman
Webmaster
