Then
Now
Janis Avens
Janis left the club in 1995 but looks forward to playing with the team again sometime.
Serwan Baban
Serwan, who played in many a crucial B&D League game for Riga left the club in 2000.
Dave Bartos
Les Clewlow
Les joined the club in the eighties and continued to played throughout the nineties. He is currently living in Sydney, Australia since he says "Although most of my work is in the Northern Hemisphere, I live in Sydney out of a lifestyle choice".
Les still makes the trip to Belgium with the Riga Rebels touring side most years
Mike Darwin
Mike was Riga's star hitter for many seasons during the 1980's and it was never understood why he never received an England call-up (something we seem to be seeing again! <sorry, editorial comment>)
Sylvie Darrieumerlou
Sylvie played for the Ladies 2nd team from 2000-2002.
Steve Grimes
Steve played for the club in the early eighties before moving down south to play with Speedwell, then Essex Estonians.
He is still playing National League with Thames Valley and normally appears at the Whitefield tournament.
One of Riga's few internationals, Steve made a few appearances for Wales (OK then, not actually whilst he played for Riga)
Nora Grymova
Nora played for the Ladies 2nd team from 2000-2002.
She has now returned to the Czech Republic but comes back to see us from time to time.
Phil Hudson
An original member of the Leeds agiR side. Phil was Riga's 1st team setter during the late 1980's and after many years of exercising by lifting pint weights has made a big comeback in the last 18 months, playing for Preston, then Ellesmere Port and now - the ultimate - for Riga in Division 1!
More importantly he is a founder member of the Riga Rebels touring side and can be found propping up a bar in Belgium at least one weekend in August every year.
Stephen Jones
Steve played for, & coached Riga from 1989-1995. He is still working at Henley College Coventry. He has just come out of retirement and after playing and coaching for Leicester VC he returned to Riga as the Men's 2nd team coach, then disappeared off once more to coach at Loughborough.
Ernie Jowsey
Ernie played for Nottingham Rockets before coming to Riga and never let us forget it. After a spell in the first team and despite being the best setter in the club, Ernie played for Leeds agiR in Division III North during the 1982-83 season - an idea he and Martin concocted at the EVA. At the time Ernie was EVA treasurer and Martin was EVA Competitions Commissioner.
Gerry Kelleher
Gerry is now living in Warrington with Fara and their kids and is Professor of Artificial Intelligence at John Moores University in Liverpool.
He is still playing volleyball in Warrington.
Will McLean
Will describes himself as "a former almost Riga Boy".
Now playing for Bridgend, he coached the Welsh Ladies Senior Volleyball team in the late 1990s.
Eric Murnieks
A founder member of the re-birth of the club in 1970 and player in the first team for many years until the mid-1980's.
Master exponent of the "on yer bike" shot out at 4 which scored many a point for Riga.
Pete Newnham
Pete has just moved up north with Sema Group after many years down south.
He has just joined Phil and Gerry in playing for Rebels in Warrington & Ellesmere Port Eels.
After missing a few years touring due to some propagation of the species we are expecting a return to Belgium from him this year.
Paul Nightingale
Ex-National League captain & coach. "Florence" was the founder member of the "Riga" club (with Eric Murnieks) in the early seventies & the man primarily responsible for getting me gainfully employed (might need your help again there Paul!)
Ken O'Brien
Yet another veteran of the Leeds agiR team. Ken was well known for his cheery disposition on & off the court.
Ken disappeared from the scene at about the same time as the SDP and believe it or not the two are linked!
Toomas Ojasoo
Tom played for Riga for many years and indeed for the first team well into his forties - may have played even longer if the libero role had come in earlier.
Now the CEO of the English Volleyball Association
Tina Perkins
Setter extraordinaire & star burper for the Women's 2nd team. Had a 1 night fling with Robbie W. at Bath last year. Can be heard yelling "Come on girls" most of the time when on court. And...what DOES she think of Martin?
Craig Pope
Craig joined Riga before going off to Bristol University and when he came back he had learnt how to play!
He played for the 1st team for most of the 1980s before moving down south and is now living in Devon.
Colin Reid
Another original member of the Leeds agiR team.
Colin has not played for 18 months after a bad injury on the court in Assende, Belgium whilst playing for Riga Rebels - but at least he did not spill any beer!
Colin is currently living in the Lake District with Angie but they are just about to leave for 6 months in Auckland, New Zealand.
Amanda Squires
Amanda played for Riga Ladies for a few years between 1995 and 2000. Now moved to Devon she is a member of the Devon Ladies team that gained promotion to Div 2 in 2003.
"Decimal" Dave Stone
Dave was a original member of the Leeds agiR team back in 1982 and gained his moniker "Decimal" during an away trip to Keswick when he past the famed 10-pints of beer in an evening (as did a few others I seem to remember).
Dave got married around about 1991 (I can't remember the exact date) & we have hardly seen him since!
Come on Dave - give us a shout.
Justine Sutton
Justine was the setter of the promotion winning Ladies team of 1999. Now moved to Devon she has repeated the trick with Devon Ladies and they are competing against the 2 Riga teams in Division 2 in the 2003-2004 season
Dave Wylie
Dave came down to Riga from Edinburgh (and has returned back up to bonnie Scotland we are led to believe).
Whilst down south Dave played for the first team in the early 1980's, played for Leeds agiR in 1982-83, and coached University of Warwick ladies.
He also made several trips with Warwick University to the Enschede tournament in Holland - Sarah & Virginia will remember them!
