ENGLAND BOSS STEPS DOWN AFTER 21 YEARS

“We no longer go to make the numbers up – we go to win medals!”

One of the longer England team management careers of recent times has come to an end following the announcement by Angling Trust England Anglers With Disabilities boss John Weeden that he is stepping down from the role.

Having been involved with the team for over 20 years and at the helm since 2013, John feels the time is now right to hand over the reins and take a step back to focus on his own fishing. However, he’ll not vanish into thin air, vowing to help his replacement settle into the role in coming World Champs and to continue his legendary fundraising efforts!

“Managing at this level takes up a lot of time and effort, and although I have absolutely loved doing it, the sacrifices have been great,” John said. “I’ll still be around on the trials and am happy to go to the World Champs to help out, but my personal aim is to try and make the England Masters team, to do a bit of fishing for myself. However, whatever the lads need from me in the future, I will do all I can for them – they won’t get rid of me that easily!”

John originally helped the late Dave Vincent with running the team back in 2003, then aiding Joe Roberts when he took over. It was around 2013 when Dick Clegg asked John to take over fully, something he didn’t need asking twice about.

“We always struggled as a team, both on the fishing front and financially, and I knew we had to become more professional,” John explained. “With no funding available, I took matters into my own hands, and in the last 10 years I reckon I’ve raised close on £100,000 to help the lads. You shouldn’t have to pay out of our own pocket to represent your country, but fishing isn’t awash with cash like other sports. I also got the anglers to be more organised, ensuring they had enough hooks and rigs tied, had enough groundbait buckets and so on. Experience has shown me that it’s those little that win medals.”

And talking of medals, there have been a fair few won by the team under John’s leadership. The undoubted highlight came back in 2019 in Italy with team silver, arguably his proudest moment, but one which could have been so much better.

“When I think back, it pains me to think we should have been world champions,” he revealed. “Italy are by far and away the best team in our category, so to beat them on home soil would have been incredible. I can remember Mark Russell caught a little fish that got us silver, but he also lost a carp that would have won us gold. That’s sport and that’s match fishing though.”

Going forward, the team is in a good place with a decent amount of money already in the bank for 2025’s World Champs. On top of this, John’s continued fundraising will further swell the coffers meaning that the anglers won’t have to worry about finances and can instead focus on the fishing.

“When I look back, I can be very, very happy – we’ve improved our world ranking, won medals and created a buzz around the team,” John said. “We no longer go to a World Champs to make the numbers up. We go to compete and win medals. On a more personal note, I’ve found the last 21 years really inspiring, seeing the anglers overcome their disabilities and giving everything. I love every single one of them that I’ve managed and will do everything in my power to help them in the coming years.”

Angling Trust Head of Competitions, Steve Fitzpatrick, thanked John for his years of dedication saying: “It’s important to remember that this is a volunteer role and John has shown an incredible level of dedication over the past two decades in supporting and managing the England Disabled squad.

“In our eyes he’s one of the unsung heroes, a true legend of our sport, and we can’t thank him enough for the leadership and hard graft he has put in. John’s legacy is not only the medals won but the solid foundation he has built and the strong team-spirit which now resonates within the squad.

“We wish him all the best in his own fishing and hope to see him with a well-deserved medal around his neck in the next few years. Thanks John!”