Iain Macleod, Class of 1979

I studied Medicine at Dundee University from 1979-1984 and, after completing my pre-registration year in Dundee hospitals, I returned to Croydon and spent three years on the Croydon GP Training Scheme. I worked locally over the next six years, apart from a season playing polo in Perth (Australia) and a year working in New Zealand, before moving to Worcestershire in 1994. I joined St Saviours Surgery in 1995 and am now the semi-retired Senior Partner.

What initially drew you to water polo, and when did you start playing?

Ian Marsh! He invited all the pupils in the swimming team to come along at lunchtimes to give it a go and it just went from there.

How did you balance your academic and athletic commitments during your time as a student-athlete?

Medicine certainly had a higher academic attendance requirement than most courses, with more lectures and then clinical training on the wards. The university would have preferential times (early mornings or blocked lanes) to allow us to do swimming training in the pool even if it was busy and I’d do gym work in the evenings. It helped that the Head of PE at Dundee University at the time was David Barr – a former GB water polo captain and coach.

I struggled to stay fit during my early hospital jobs as we worked between 80 and 110 hours a week, but once I became a GP my hours were easier.

Can you share a memorable moment or game from your water polo career?

Captaining Trinity to their first English Schools title in 1979 was memorable – we played the finals in Grimsby in October after we’d left school, so had to reassemble the team from universities all over the country.

I was lucky enough to play for Scotland and in 1983 we played in a tournament in Tenerife. Apart from the usual other minor nations we usually played (Wales, Israel, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark), Spain took part. They were in the top three teams in the world and had a legendary player called Manuel Estiarte – who was the best player in the world at the time (in seven matches we scored 70 goals as a team and came third; he scored 70 goals himself as Spain won comfortably). We only lost 15-8 to them in our best game and my claim to fame is marking him briefly and not being scored off! Interestingly, after a hugely successful Olympic career in and out of the water for Spain, Manuel is now a tactical adviser for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City FC.

What specific skills or attributes do you think contributed most to your success in water polo?

Dogged determination?! I wasn’t the best player in the Trinity team, but had a steady head and perhaps a calming influence, which might be why Ian picked me as captain before some better players. I certainly made the most of what talent I had!

How did you overcome setbacks or failures along the way?

I think I always felt I’d done well to achieve what I had – I’d have loved to have played for GB and had a trial as an U21, but really wasn’t fast or strong enough. I had knee surgery four times between the ages of 11 and 24, which was part of the reason I took to water polo as it was non weight-bearing – I was never going to be a rugby player!

I managed to play for 45 years until I dislocated my shoulder and had my third shoulder surgery. I was advised by the surgeon that enough was enough . . .

Can you describe the camaraderie and team dynamics within your water polo team?

The Trinity team of 1979 was very different from what I see of the current players coming through Trinity. Few of us were club swimmers and most were just good all-round sportsmen who were good swimmers and Ian Marsh coached us well to use the strengths we had. We would all play polo every lunchtime and every afternoon after school that we could, and we hated the swimming training. It was only when I went to uni that I put the hours in swimming that were needed to play at a higher level. In those days, we also all played for the Old Boys in Surrey, London, and national leagues, so we got plenty of match experience and travelled around together, which was good for team spirit.

What role did your coaches play in your development as a water polo player?

I really owe it all to Ian Marsh, who got me started and interested in polo and made me captain when I wasn’t the obvious first choice. He’d be the first to agree that I made the most of what talent I had! He really was the force behind many of the talented polo players and the achievements of Trinity teams over many years. David Barr, at university, was also a great coach who had written books on polo and who came out of retirement to coach the newly formed Dunfermline WPC. We won the Scottish Club title at our first attempt.

What changes would you like to see in the development of water polo, particularly at the grassroots level?

Sadly, over many years involved in the game and watching my son play in development squads, the problem ultimately comes down to funding and public exposure. It is regarded as a great spectator sport in many other countries, but we seem unable to engage the public interest in the UK. As with most minority sports, it is chronically underfunded, so the best players aren’t retained as they have to work for a living. When they play for GB, they’re up against professionals who do nothing but play polo. I understand that changed briefly before the London Olympics and the result was obvious as the quality of that generation of players stood out among other British players. But the funding wasn’t sustained; as soon as the Olympics were over, most of the minority sports were cast back into obscurity. Personally, I would tithe Premiership footballers 10% of their income and give it to all other sports – they’d never notice the loss and it would give millions to more deserving causes!

What were some of the most memorable lessons you learnt from your water polo career?

I was previously a racquet sports player and am now a golfer, so I always loved the contrast of polo with its physical challenges and the camaraderie of being part of a team.

How has your experience in water polo influenced your life beyond the pool?

Medicine can be a very demanding job, both physically with the long hours and mentally. I always felt that water polo kept me fit enough to cope with those demands, but also provided a great stress reliever for the day job.