RANKINGS AND RECOGNITION

THE official FIPS Ed World Rankings have recently been released, and they make exceptionally good reading if you’re a proud English angler. There’s no question that our teams travel well, as the rankings show, with almost all our sides in the world’s top three. We’re consistently proving that, when it comes to stepping up to the plate, we can do it.

As a manager in the competition world, it gives me a huge personal sense of pride seeing England at the top of the tree in carp fishing. This squad is truly the best out there and it’s been a pleasure forming, managing, and coaching it over the last six years.

It’s incredibly competitive out there, and it’s been an amazing ride.

As a nation we’re pretty good at this competitive fishing lark, but why doesn’t angling get the recognition that other sports do? The feeder lads have just returned from their event in Serbia, bagging bronze and retaining their No1 ranking in the process. Yet no one outside of angling knows. Not so long ago the Kayak squad took the same result in a tough event in the USA and, although their rankings aren’t published yet, they’re up there for sure. But once again, no one knows. The incredible Barnsley Blacks are No1 in the World Clubs ranking but we see very little coverage outside of angling social media.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

There isn’t funding for TV coverage, the mainstream newspapers are apathetic, and there’s little or no coverage from the governing body or the teams. England’s international results used to be the talk of the town. Maybe we simply don’t “tick the box” for what those in authority want, or have to, promote.

Sadly, angling seems once again to be facing inwards rather than out. Anyone got any solutions?

“The England squad is the best out there”