SWIM Bournemouth assistant coach Sam Woodward has called for a fresh look at the idea of creating a South East Dorset “super-club” by merging the area’s three main clubs.

The former Bournemouth Dolphins head coach believes a three-way merger between Swim Bournemouth, Poole and Seagulls would give swimmers and coaches the tools to take on the best clubs across the country.

It’s an idea that has been around for many years. As long ago as 1989, the then Dolphins assistant coach Peter Presbury mooted it in an interview with the Echo after leading a similar enterprise in Nottinghamshire some years before.

Olympic coach Presbury’s Nova Centurion squad has gone on to produce literally scores of internationals, mostly notably Rebecca Adlington, the first British swimmer for 100 years to win two Olympic gold medals.

A similar squad in Dorset came a step closer to reality at the end of 2010 when Dolphins and Ferndown Otters – then the county’s two leading clubs – concluded years of merger negotiations by forming Swim Bournemouth.

But attempts to also involve Poole and Seagulls fell on stony ground.

And with those two clubs currently enjoying the most successful spells in their respective histories, any new merger moves are again likely to meet with resistance.

In the recent National Arena League campaign, Poole finished in a best-ever fourth place in the Western Premier Division table while Seagulls succeeded them as champions of Division One.

Meanwhile Swim Bourne-mouth’s A team exceeded even their own expectations with sixth in the Premier final and seventh in the league while their B team won promotion from Division Two.

Woodward believes this across-the-board success supports his case for extending the merger.

“In 2012 all three clubs will have teams in the Premier Division and one a B team in Division One,” he says. “Just 21 miles separate the homes of Christchurch Seagulls and Poole, and nestled in between are the three pools Swim Bournemouth train at.

“This geographical spread is no different to any large metropolitan city where a swim programme might use up to five pools spanning a huge radius.

“Cardiff, Leeds and Nottingham are fine examples of these types of programmes.

“But maybe therein lies the problem. If South East Dorset were a large city with a better road network, maybe the merger of all four clubs could be a realistic vision.

“Or is it more than that? Swimmers, parents and committees may need to see further than their own clubs and open their eyes to the endless possibilities of a South East Dorset super-club who can train and compete together.”

Woodward says a merger proposal put to the coaches of the four clubs in 2010 would have involved the creation of performance and age group squads featuring the best swimmers from each.

“These squads would bring to-gether the best swimmers of each club to train and work together,” he said. “Each club would retain its identity by remaining as a hub feeding the performance squads.

“The four coaches agreed to go away and think about the proposal but only two came back to the table, the others feeling it wasn’t the right time for their clubs.

“In hindsight, getting two coaches to agree a way forward was an achievement in itself. Four at one time may have been just too ambitious.”

Swim Bournemouth’s declared aim – which is in line with ASA policy – is to “produce, retain and recruit the best swimmers possible in becoming the performance centre for swimming in Dorset”.

Woodward believes that a broader scheme would probably require the appointment of a head coach from outside the area – “someone with a wealth of experience and the respect of coaches and swimmers”.

That in turn would probably require financial help from the ASA, at least in the short-term.

“Now in our conurbation, four clubs have become three and maybe in the future three will become one,” Woodward adds.

“I certainly believe that is the way forward for swimming in our area. You only have to look at this season’s collective results to see and wonder: ‘What if…?’”