Bill Lovely

Bill Lovely was a member, and captain, of the Plaistow United Water Polo Club that was dominant in the 1920s and 30s and were regarded as England’s best club. They won the Southern Counties title every year from 1927-38. Lovely, an Essex county player, was a regular international player and was England captain between 1927-29. One of his team-mates at Plaistow was the Olympian Ted Temme, the first man to swim the English Channel in both directions, from England and also from France.

In his early days, Lovely was also a long-distance swimmer and was the Essex long distance champion for five years. He also held the Port of London one-mile title, and was the half-mile champion 12 times between 1922-34.

Lovely was one of the original five members on the ASA water polo committee. He coached the Great Britain teams at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and was England coach at the time of his retirement due to ill-health early in 1953. That summer, while on holiday on the Isle of Wight, Lovely died suddenly at the age of 52. His wife Alice, who was also an Essex swimming champion, lived until the age of 104. Their daughter Wendy was also a swimmer and grandson Sami Robertson was a distance and ice swimmer.