Fencing hub gets straight to point

U10s Boys Sabre . . . Alex Lister and U10s Girls Sabre Eleanor Blackledge with head coach Stuart Marshall

A NEW fencing centre is on guard to become a force to be reckoned with after five members clinched national titles.

Just months after opening Chadderton-based Marshall Fencing Club can now boast very convincing victories at the British Youth Championship and British Senior Championship which were staged at the English Institute of Sport venue in Sheffield.

The British Youth Championships features competition in age groups at under-10s, under-12s, under-14s, under-16s and under-18s.

The Marshall stars ­— who train at the Manchester Fencing Centre, in Waddington Street, under head coach and former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Stuart Marshall ­— were Alex Lister, who won the under-10s boys’ sabre event, Eleanor Blackledge (under-10s girls’ sabre), Nicole Saunders (under-12s girls’ sabre) and James Edwards (under-16s boys’ sabre).

Andrew Thornley triumphed in the the over-40s men’s sabre event.

The club ­— the biggest dedicated facility in the UK ­— sent a total of 40 fencers for the final event in various age groups, and to come away with four winners was a truly exceptional achievement, says Stuart.

“This was huge for us,” he said.

“We have not had that amount of British Champions before in the club’s five-year history.”

He added: “Moving to the new centre means we can train four times a week which is a lot compared to other clubs who may train once a week.

“This gives us the opportunity to produce competitive fencing.”

Stuart won the under-16 title twice and under-18s national title twice in his youth.

Since opening in October last year, 13 young fencers have qualified for the England squad.

The British Fencing Association-approved centre ­— which was the dream of Stuart and his partners, Dave Taylor and Michael Swiffin ­— has 20 fencing pistes and has created about 10 jobs.

It attracts competition fencers from across the region and now, with the help of Oldham Sports Development, is offered free fencing lessons to schools around Oldham.

They next major competition is the English Youth Championships in Hertfordshire in June.

The Marshall Fencing Club meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 6pm to 7.30pm, and on Saturdays between 10am and 11.30am.

The first session is free, then its £5 thereafter.

Contact Stuart Marshall on 07791 862655 to arrange your child’s first session, or check out marshallfencing.co.uk.

At the British Youth Championship finals, the young fencers compete in ages groups U10/U12/U14/U16/U18.