The 2025 GB Roberts Team Has Been Chosen!

Here is Chris Hunter with an in-depth report on the selection weekend…

The range was in very good condition and Bob Vassie, in spite of a recent medical emergency, insisted on attending and leading from the front. His team at Sywell had prepared the range beautifully for training on the Saturday, and they even managed to arrange plenty of sunshine to accompany the customary Sywell wind.

Athletes took to their points and sought divine insight on how to read the conditions for Sunday’s selection matches. Thankfully Kate Fisher was on hand to offer refreshments – a cup of tea and a Tunnock’s Tea Cake sometimes the only medicine for a confusing afternoon on a windy Sywell range! Miracles were performed with IT in the scoring hut with laptops miraculously agreeing to liaise with printers – this boded well for Sunday! Things wound down by about 5:30pm and we left to anticipate the excitement of the following morning.

In the evening, Mike and I met to finalise the scoring program, and were ably assisted by Duncan Farmer and David Sherwood, whose respective knowledge and experience with Excel meant data entry could be swiftly collated and rankings ordered – I am now familiar with the word “concatenate”! It was important to ensure that both the 100 yards gun score, and specifically the Xs attained at 100 yards where appropriately recorded and athletes ranked on this basis.

On the Sunday, the sun had gone and a fair breeze blew from right to left across the range. Although the first detail did not start until 10:30, most of the athletes were there by 9:00 or 9:30, and one could feel the tension begin to rise! Mike welcomed the athletes on the point, and gave a stirring speech congratulating those in attendance on their success at progressing to this point. The athletes were ordered alphabetically from left to right; end bays were not used to ensure that wind flags either side would be visible to all shooters. Indeed, this point was rightly queried by Kay Taylor, and additional wind flags were installed on the right side of the range.

The trial consisted of two single Dewars, the rationale being that the Roberts Match would be a single dewar, and athletes needed to be ready to go “straight out of the box”. The first Dewar saw 29 athletes (one was unable to attend owing to illness) cut to 22. Athletes shot 50 metres first under Bob’s careful oversight as Chief Range Officer

and then moved targets back to 100 yards for the second part of the first stage. There was feverishly efficient scoring with Terry Grey, David Rising, and David Poxon all on the gauges; Bob acting as arbiter, with Mike and myself checking additions and tallying scores. Some cross-shooting and additional shots on target made for an additional frisson of excitement in the stats room! Scores were posted and the challenge period ticked down. Sadly Geoff Webb (on countback), Richard Wilson, Shelbie Marsland, Adrian Pamment, Darren Sprules, Keith Simmons and Tim Blackwell did not progress to the second stage.

Geoff Webb, Shelbie Marsland, Darren Sprules, Keith Simmons

Crucially, in the background, Kate had been rustling up a storm in the canteen, with the now legendary Sywell sausages available for the athletes on their lunchbreak. I reckon plenty a frayed nerve will have been comforted by the best hotdogs in all Northamptonshire on Sunday!

At 1:30, stage 2 began, with athletes now re-ordered from left to right based on their 50m score. Bill Baird had led the way in the first stage with 395 and consequently was positioned in the first lane on the left side of the range. The wind continued generally from the right, but sneakily tweaked its angle of attack to keep the athletes on their toes.

Bill Baird - winner of the first stage

This time athletes started at 100 yards, and in a flash, both details were finished, and the cards returned for scoring. Sadly Sian Corish had an equipment malfunction with a floating particle finding its way into her rear sight – in spite of additional time to clear it, sadly this cost her both time and concentration, and ultimately her place in the squad – the sport can throw in some cruel curve-balls on occasion. Results were posted, and the challenge time ticked down. This time sadly Cliff Ogle, Kay Taylor, Sue Norman, Sian Corish, Robin Law, and David White

Sian Corish, Kay Taylor, Sue Norman, David White

The squad, now selected was invited into the clubroom and thanked for their participation, and congratulated on their excellent performances. In the second stage Lina Jones prevailed with the high score of 394 Lina and Bill were awarded a celebratory bottle each, and squad plans were discussed and shared, and the wonderful Sywell team thanked for hosting the trials so seamlessly.

Lina Jones, winner of the second stage

Left:  Lina receiving the 2nd stage winner's award from Mike Arnstein
Right:  Bill receiving the 1st stage winner's award from Mike Arnstein

The final Roberts Squad is comprised as follows:

Athletes:

Lina Jones (Bookham)

Kenneth Bowley (Ruislip)

Vivien Minett (North Walsham)

James Paterson (Driffield)

Paul Guilloud (Worplesdon)

Jim Duguid (Bedford)

Robert Dowling (Chichester)

Simon Green (Appleton)

Charles Cooper (Downshire)

Richard Fowke (Headley Park)

Adam Fowler (Bookham)

Wendy Foith (Bedford)

Louise Aiken (Downshire)

Bill Baird (Havant)

David Butcher (Bury St Edmunds)

Duncan Farmer (Havant)

Leonard Thomson (Banff & MacDuff)

Management:

Michael Arnstein – Captain

Christopher Hunter – Adjutant

David Phelps – Coach

2025 GB Team Roberts Squad

You can also get a pdf version of this report here