Bill Baillie came across handball by accident. It is an accident that could take him all the way to the 2012 Olympics in London.

It was over 30 years ago that, when his judo class was cancelled one night, he ventured into a handball training session at the Tryst Sports Centre in Cumbernauld.

Baillie has been hooked ever since and he is now performance coach to the men’s world-class programme based in Sheffield.

The aim is to build a team capable of standing up for itself in London in four years time, which would be a considerable achievement, given that the sport has been largely a recreational one in this country.

Having based the GB squad in Denmark initially, it is now housed in Yorkshire and the team will host a major tournament in Sheffield in October.  The full list of countries competing has still to be confirmed.

There are currently four Scots in the squad – Chris Mohr, Brian Bartlett, Johnnie McAleer and Alan Stokes – with Scott Frew and Stuart Clark having been cut last month.

Baillie, 46, is still as passionate about the sport as he was when he was first introduced to the game by Steve Welsh in Cumbernauld in 1976.

He took over as coach of Tryst 77 four years later and spent seven years there, before moving to Salford to take up a post as a full-time handball development officer with the local authority.

Baillie pulls no punches as he conducts a GB training session, and there is an impressive intensity as he seeks to take the players to a new level.

The early signs have been encouraging. “The squad has made good progress over the last 12 months and recently took part in the Partille Cup in Sweden, remaining unbeaten in six matches, winning five and drawing one,” he points out.

“The squad will be playing in two tournaments in August, both in Denmark, and will also have a tournament at home from October 21-26, the details of which have to be confirmed.”

Handball has had to broaden its base with a view towards 2012 and recruited some players, such as Frew, through the Sporting Giants programme and introduced them to the game.

Players who had never seen the game before were given an opportunity to make the squad and Baillie believes it has been a more than worthwhile exercise.

“The Sporting Giants was a success for us with the recruitment of 11 athletes into the programme last year, with nine still remaining,” he goes on.

“The cutting of players is always difficult but the processes put in place to ensure support after being cut and the realistic and open training targets has ensured that the players receive the much needed support and guidance. Some of the cut players are now trialling for other sports.

“The short-term goal for the squad is for the players to play at the highest club level in Denmark appropriate to their development level, and we will also be competing in a league set up in the Aarhus area to provide us with regular competition as a squad.

“The long-term goal is to be competitive and put in a creditable performance at the 2012 Games.”

RM
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