London GD Handball Club

Affiliated to the EHA, London GD Handball Club currently has 3 men's and 2 women's competitive handball teams in both the English National and Regional leagues, as well as a Youth Development Programme in place to generate Junior squads. The club which was formerly known as London Great Dane^[1] was founded in 1976.^[2]

London GD Handball Club
Founded	1976 (as Great Dane Handball Club)
Arena	Copper Box Arena Hackney Wick / Stratford
Capacity	6,000
League	Premier Handball League
Club colours
Home Away
Website Official site

Club history

London GD Handball Club was previously known as Great Dane Handball Club, and was founded by Anne-Marie Thrysoe and Andrew Ferguson. Established in 1976 by a group of Danish girls involved with the Anglo-Danish Society Students Club, thereof the name of the club, "Great Dane".

Throughout the years, the club established itself firmly on the English handball scene, and has become much more than a club with mainly Danish players. In 2010, in a bid to reflect this, the club changed its name to London GD Handball Club and at the same time registered as a limited company. The East London-based club currently has over 100 registered players from at least 20 different countries, and many more people training with the club regularly.

The club started playing handball as a women's team only, with men occasionally coming to practice. They started training two days a week at Ruislip Eagles Sport Centre but soon moved to the new (at the time) Wapping Sport Centre in East London. London GD's main home ground is now the Olympic Handball Arena, also known as "Copper Box", although Leyton Score Centre remains as training venue for developing teams.

From 1976 to 1986, the club was heavily involved in the development of Handball in London with at one stage two sub venues spun off including Croydon and West London. The club also merged with another club at one stage run by Paul Bray.

Around 1980, members of the club formed the Greater London & South East Handball Association together with Ashford Tanners, Ruislip, Ipswich and other clubs in East London. The association is no longer active, but London GD is a member of the newly established London Handball Association that was set up in 2010.

In 2000, the back then called Great Danes started to get some success in both women's and men's handball and from then on the club has always been among the top three clubs in the country.

In 2005 the club participated in its first official European Competition by playing in round 2 of the men's Challenge Cup. Since then, London GD have participated every year.

In 2010, after winning their third Double (League and Cup Champions), the club's women's 1st team entered the Challenge Cup for the first time, managing an historic win against A.S. Aris Thessalonikis from Greece.

The 2010/11 season resulted in both league and cup victory for the men's team. This past September 2011 they have made history by winning their round 2 group in Malta to go through round 3 in Greece for the first time.

For the 2011/2012 season we entered two-second teams in the development leagues, both men and women, with the former winning the South Regional Championship.

After the London 2012 Olympic Games, London GD men 1st team participated in the new EHF Cup against a giant Danish Club, KIF Kolding Kopenhagen, playing their two games at foreign ground.

This past season 2012/2013 London GD ladies won the EHA Cup against Thames Handball Club, and the club's men 1st team won the Super 8 English National League without losing any single game, giving them the unique slot for EHF Cup again, which saw them playing against a Turkish team from Ankara in September 2013.

Teams

Women's current squad

Women Premier Handball League

 

Women Premier Handball League London GD Handball Club

Squad for the 2018–19 season^[3]

Goalkeepers 58   Anna Baikova 1   Nicole Zdzieblo Wingers LW 31   Maria Marselli 23   Nikola Szymura 81   Ilaria Di Pastena RW 10   Thu Maria Tran 18   Eva Salinas Rivada Line players 56   Aleksandra Garaloska Women Regional Handball League   Women Regional Handball League London GD Handball Club Squad for the 2018–19 season GK   Kaisa Bentzen WING   Alice Trotter   Alysha Martin   Juliana Amado   Claire Cousin   Dominika Kampa   Marie Veyron Men's current squad Men Premier Handball League   Men Premier Handball League London GD Handball Club Squad for the 2018–19 season Goalkeepers 1   Adriano Stagni 58   Clement Baudot 12   Theo Bougouin Wingers LW 6   Martin Vanegue 24   Björn Imöhl 77   Silviu Hapenciuc   Israel Camara 49   Jehan Karkour RW 5   Dan-Emanuel 61   Ruben Cabrera Martinez Line players 44   Jose Javier Ivorra Adrados 19   Ayrton Gelin 58   Clement Burry Men Regional Handball League and 3rd team   Men Regional Handball League London GD Handball Club Squad for the 2018–19 season   Carlos Candel Gil   Moritz Bannas   Carlos De Cozar Martinez   Musat drogos ionut   Chris Hussey (handballer)Chris Hussey   Nicolas Veillard   Christopher Goodale   Paul Garrett   Clemens Moehring   Qi Peng Wang   Ferenc Kover   Richard Brooks   George Taylor

Back players LB 24   Claudia Schönbächler CB 3   Mayte Perez Laguna 31   Christina Rehnberg RB 7   Tania Corti 26   Juste Brazenaite Coaches   Jordi Cidoncha   Jose Manuel Roldan Fitness Coach   Konstantinos Chiotelis LINE   Ines Cheaib   Claudia Wessling BACK   Janou Janssens   Julie Chicaud   Brigitte Ringstad   Helena Tisthammer CENTER   Liliana Da Silva   Fanny Legrand   Nathalie Leister   Kate Napier COACH   Jose Javier Ivorra Adrados Fitness Coach   Konstantinos Chiotelis Back players LB 29   Adria Gascon 96   Mircea Viorel Panti 46   Bill Taylor 23   Nuno Goncalo Salgueiro Pires CB 3   Aurelian Gug 21   Geoffroy Deneuville 26   Valentin Truchot 7   Jordi Ferrer-Torras 13   Marvin Gorgen RB 48   Patrick Guenther 55   Alexander Rauner 56   Will Moore Head Coach   Miguel Puig Assistant coach   James N'Doumbe Physiotherapist   Sergio Otero Puig   Ryan Matovu   Guillaume Botbol   Sam Kemp   Igor Lozanoski   Stefan Goetti   Jakub Szypicyn   Thomas Eckersall   Konstantinos Chiotelis   Thomas Feltin   Laszlo Kun   Tobias Hoering   Luigi Calvo   Tomas Zaboj   Michaël Grosmaire   Zvonimir Filjak   Mohamed Koronfel   Mariusz Urban   Nikiforos   Florian Lambinet   Roger Kuhn   Florian Wißgott   Roi Dulman   Florin Ginghina   Rui Gomes

Club achievements

Men's First Team

 

Men's First Team in 2019

Competition	Years
Premier Handball League	Champion: 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2001, 2000 Runners up: 2015, 2007
English Cup	Winner: 2018, 2012, 2011, 2009 Runners up: 2016, 2015, 2014
British Cup	Winner: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Weymouth Beach Handball Champions	Champion: 2007 Runners up: 2006
British Beach Handball	Champion: 2015, 2014, 2013
Oktopus Tournament (Eindhoven)	Winner: 2005

Women's First Team

 

Women's First Team in 2018

Competition	Years
English League	Champion: 2018, 2016, 2015, 2010, 2007, 1986 Runners up:2017, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004
English Cup	Winner: 2018, 2015, 2013, 2010 Runners up:2012, 2011, 2009
British Cup	Winner: 2007, 1986 Runners up:2005
British Beach Handball Plate	Winner: 2013
Oktopus Tournament (Eindhoven)	Winner: 2006, 2005

European track record

Women

Season	Competition	Round	Club	1st leg	2nd leg	Aggregate
2018–19	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	No participation due to the lack of budget
2017–18	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	MRK Žalgiris Kaunas	13–42	21–32	34–74
2016–17	EHF Cup	R2	No participation due to the lack of budget
2015–16	EHF Cup	R2	OF Nea Ionia	11–35	17–27	28–62
2010–11	EHF Cup	R2	Group phase

Men

Season	Competition	Round	Club	1st leg	2nd leg	Aggregate
2018–19	EHF Challenge Cup	1/16 finals	Shakhtar-Academiya	22–40	15–33	37–73
2017–18	EHF Challenge Cup	1/16 finals	AEK H.C.	16–40	21–41	37–81
2016–17	EHF Cup	R1	Maccabi Rishon LeZion (handball)	14–38	22–41	36–79
2015–16	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	HC Kehra	16–37	26–43	42–80
2014–15	EHF Cup	R1	Limburg Lions	18–28	12–44	30–72
2013–14	EHF Cup	R1	Ankara BB SK	14–44	18–38	32–82
2012–13	EHF Cup	R1	KIF Kolding	16–46	16–42	32–88
2011–12	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	AC Doukas	20–30	15–36	35–66
2010–11	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	Group phase
2009–10	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	Group phase
2008–09	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	Group phase
2007–08	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	Group phase
2006–07	EHF Challenge Cup	Group matches	Group phase
2005–06	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	Group phase

Individual players' achievements

Greater-London and South-East Select Men's Team 1981

Thorkild Hove and Paul Bray^[4]

Players who played for national teams

• Will Moore   United Kingdom
• Aleksandra Garaloska   Macedonia
• Francesca Graham   New Zealand
• Maria Marselli   Cyprus (beach handball)

Juniors playing for national teams

• GB   Naomi Bell
• GB   Aaron Bradley Shankar
• GB   Bill Taylor

References

1. "Thames Handball Club find the going tough against Great Dane". croydonguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
2. Puig, Miguel. "Club History". londongdhandball.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
3. "WOMEN PREMIER HANDBALL LEAGUE". London GD Handball Club. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
4. "British Handball History: GLSE Select's first ever game in 1981". britishhandballmemories.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2016.

External links

• Official website
• Men 1st team profile on EHF website
• Women 1st team profile on EHF website
• Facebook page
• Twitter account
• Handball Blog