Club history

Menzieshill Whitehall was formed in January 2003 after the merger of one of the oldest and youngest swimming clubs in Dundee.
Whitehall Amateur Swimming Club was formed in 1887 by two solicitors, Wm Kidd and James McKay. They conducted their business from an office in Whitehall Street – hence the name of the Club.
Whitehall Amateur Swimming Club was formed before Scottish Swimming, which wasn't formed until January 28th 1888.

Menzieshill Swimming & Water polo Club was formed within Menzieshill High School by Frank Jordan, a member of the PE staff, in the 1970's.
In 1972 Frank Jordan formed a small swimming & water polo team at Menzieshill HS. The school squad took part in their first training session in April 1972. By the end of the summer 1973 many of the pupils were keen to be part of the team. As the numbers kept increasing the team took part in local inter-school competitions and friendly galas.
In 1974 Menzieshill HS swim team began winning titles at District & National School events, setting the long standing record of winning all four Midland School Swimming Championships.
Between 1975-1982, Menzieshill challenged school and club teams all over Britain, winning Scottish, District and local championships. They set up another record by having a relay team in every final at the Scottish Schools Swimming Championships in 1977.The greatest achievement in swimming as a school team has got to be the setting up of World Record for the 100 Mile Marathon Relay Swim on three seperate occasions - 1974/1977/1980. In 1977 the time set was 27hrs , by 1980 the team had it down to 22hrs 8mins, manitaining their place in the Guinness Book of World Records. They STILL hold the record for a school squad at this event, and photographs of the three World Records Teams hang in the world famous Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The club affiliated to the SASA (Midland District) in 1983. Frank is Honorary President of the club and came out of retirement to act as President in the absence of the club having one for 2009 and 2010.
Throughout the years the club has had various international swimmers and water polo players and gained many honours at various levels in, swimming, water polo and open water swimming.

Between the years 1966-68 Frank was a Scottish Senior Polo Coach, Mens National Polo Coach. 1980-94 Frank was Senior National Womens Coach. 1979-80 he was the Scottish Age Group Swim Coach and Dundee Schools Swim Coach.
In Water polo Whitehall were runners up on no fewer than 6 occasions in the Scottish Cup in 1903, 1904, 1907, 1912, 1952 and 1960.
Menzieshill junior boys water polo teams won the Scottish Cup 1988,89 & 90, and the senior men won 1st Div from 1984-87.
Menzieshill Whitehall have been runners up twice in their short history in 2004 and 2009.
The Menzieshill Ladies team gained their greatest achievement in 1984 when they were crowned British Champions and have also been Scottish Champions and were Scottish Champions for 8 consecutive years from 1981 to 1989 with the new Menzieshill Whitehall gaining the crown in 2003.
In the junior events the Clubs have been Scottish Youth Champions on no fewer than 6 occasions.

Frank was the founder member of ladies water polo. After the successful trip to Malta,on his return, Frank got in touch with Perth, Dunfermline, Portobello and formed a league. From that league it then became the Scottish cup, which is still played to this day.
Many swimmers have competed at the top level with Billy McGoldrick, winning a Bronze Medal at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Australia.. Robert Sreenan was an Olympian who also played water polo and still is the record holder for the double Tay open water swim.

In 2009 the Club achieved Swimark status with Scottish Swimming and development club status with Dundee City Sports Council and at the citys' annual sports awards were crowned Sports Club of the Year. In 2010, Graeme Brown(head coach) was awarded Coach of the Year and Logan Shepherd was awarded Young Sports Person of the Year. In 2011, Louise Fox was awarded Young Sports Person of the Year and Steven Cuthbert was awarded Community Coach of the Year. Again in 2012, Louise Fox was awarded Young Sports Person of the Year.
In 2014 the junior water polo team won Young Sports Team of the year.
Currently, the Club caters for all abilities of swimmers, from ages 5 – 20. The sessions are designed to suit complete beginners through to those senior swimmers aiming to compete at national level.
In 2010 swimmers have entered the national bronze squad and 12 water polo players represented Scotland at the inaugural Tri-Nations water polo event.
In 2011 - the Club achieved PoloMark status and was the first Club in Scotland to achieve this status.
In 2012 - 16 water polo players represented Scotland at the Tri-Nations event held in Cardiff, Wales.

In 2013 - the Club achieved SwiMark Plus status. The Club was the first Club within the Midland District to achieve this status.
In 2013 -11 water polo players represented Scotland at the Tri-Nations event held at Tollcross, Glasgow.
2014 - Four ladies selected to play for the Scotland Ladies Water Polo Team in the Commonwealth Water Polo Tournament, with one lady as 1st reserve for the team and one man as 1st reserve for the Scotland Mens Water Polo Team.
Training sessions are held in different venues throughout the city.

Achievement history

Swimming

MEN

  • T H RAE - 1927, 100yrds Breast Stroke

  • J D REYNOLDS - 1929, 220yrds Free Style

  • ANDY SHARP - 1937, 50yrds Free Style

  • ROBERT SREENAN

    • 1953,54 &55, 440yrds Free Style

    • 1953,54,55 &56, 880yrds Free Style

    • 11 British Championships from 1952-58

    • 1952 Olympic Games, Helsinki

    • To this day, Robert holds the record for the Double Tay Swim from Broughty Ferry to Tayport and back.

  • R S BURNS - 1955 150yrd Back Stroke

  • A HOOD - 1955 & 56 Junior Boys Champion 100yrds Back Stroke

  • IAN BLYTH - 1958, 100yrds Butterfly, Olympic Games 1960, Rome

  • A NAIRN - 1930 & 31, Junior Champion 100yrds Free Style

  • BERT DOWNIE - Midland District Champion, Back Stroke

  • ROBERT BROWN

    • 1968,69,70,71,72 & 73, Midland District Champion 100m Butterfly, Breast Stroke & Free Style.

    • 1968,6970,71,72 & 73 Midland District Champion 200m IM.

    • 1972, Scottish Team, Isle of Man Nations Cup

    • 1972, Scottish Schools Champion (Milne Trophy) 100m Breast Stroke

WOMEN

  • E CAMERON

    • 1930 Junior Champion 100yrds Free Style

    • 440yrds Free Style

    • 1938 5 x 100yrds Free Style women’s relay

    •  

  • FLORA CONNELLY

    • 1954 & 55, 300yrd IM

    • 1955, 100yrds Free Style

    • 1955 & 56, 100yrds Butterfly

    • 1956, 440yrd IM

    • 1927,1928 & 1930,100yrds Back Stroke – 1921

MENZIESHILL

  • MENZIESHILL HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAM

    • 1974, set the long standing record of winning all four Midland Schools Swimming Championships.

    • 1974,77 & 80, World record for the 100mile marathon relay, maintaining a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. This record is still held today by the school team.

    • 1977, Menzieshill broke another record by having a relay team in every final at Scottish Schools Swimming Championships.

    • 1974, set the long standing record of winning all four Midland Schools Swimming Championships.

MENZIESHILL

MENZIESHILL WHITEHALL

  • BRANDON BUCHAN - Scottish Disability Sport Swimming Records

    • 25th May 2012, Dundee, 200m Back Stroke

    • 7th Sept 2013, Dundee, 100m IM

    • 2nd Nov 2013, Dundee, 400m, 800m 7 1500m Free Style

    • 23rd Nov 2013, Sheffield, 200m Free Style, 200m IM

    • 2013, Junior Swimming Champions Records(for swimmers with a learning disability), 100m Free Style, 100m IM, 50m Breast Stroke, 50m Back Stroke, 50m Butterfly.

TAYSIDE AGE GROUP LEAGUES WINNERS

  • Premier League - Menzieshill Whitehall 2016, 2017

  • 1st Division - Menzieshill Whitehall 2009, 2012, 2014

  • 2nd Division - Menzieshill Whitehall 2011

Water Polo

SCOTTISH CUP SENIOR MEN

1903 Warrender 4 Whitehall 1 (Runners up)

1904 Wynman 7 Whitehall 2 (Runners up)

1907 Western Baths 3 Whitehall 1 (Runners up)

1952 Motherwell 12 Whitehall 4 (Runners up)

1960 Motherwell 12 Whitehall 2 (Runners up)

2004 Portobello 15 Menzieshill Whitehall 2 (Runners up)

2009 Portobello 23 Menzieshill Whitehall 4 (Runners Up)

2012 Dunfermline 15 Menzieshill Whitehall 9 (Runners up)


SCOTTISH CUP WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIPS (Graz Trophy)

1986, 87, 88, 89, 1990 Menzieshill

2003 and 2010 Menzieshill Whitehall


1ST DIVISION WINNERS SENIOR MEN (before leagues combined to one division)

1986 + 1988 Menzieshill

Menzieshill SCOTTISH NATIONAL LEAGUE YOUTH WINNERS (U18)

2001 Menzieshill

NATIONAL ACADEMY LEAGUE WINNERS (U16)

2000 Menzieshill

SCOTTISH CUP U17 CHAMPIONSHIPS (W.Mellor Trophy)

1988,1989,1999, 2000 Menzieshill, 2014 Menzieshill Whitehall

SCOTTISH CUP YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS 16 Under (renamed DAVE BALBIRNIE TROPHY in 2012)

2005 and 2006 Menzieshill Whitehall

SCOTTISH SENIOR LADIES NATIONAL LEAGUE

2016 Menzieshill Whitehall Senior Ladies

SCOTTISH CUP

2016 runners up Menzieshill Whitehall Senior Ladies 2016 runners up Menzieshill Whitehall U21 Men 2016 runners up Menzieshill Whitehall U18 Boys

SCOTTISH Cup

2017 runners up Menzieshill Whitehall U21 Men 2017 runners up Menzieshill Whitehall U16 Mixed

The last known water polo match Whitehall played was against NCR in 1965, where they were beaten 6-5. Frank Jordan played in this match against Whitehall.