Fogarty hopes he has “given back” to the sport he loves 

First playing at the age of 12 through his school, St Ambrose Barlow in Liverpool, he has remained wedded to the sport ever since as a player, coach and highly-respected official. 

But it is on the Board that some of his most important work has taken place, helping to oversee the modernisation of Volleyball England and navigate some difficult periods. 

“I joined the board seven years ago, hoping to give something back to the sport that has given me so much,” said Brendan. 

“There have been big changes in that time are we are now in a much better place financially, given my first Board meeting we discussed possible insolvency! 

“I feel the game at the top level has improved in presentation with the Super League, Final 4 and Cup Finals being presented in a far more professional setting than previously. 

“The make-up of the Board has developed into a diverse group with expertise from various elements of both sports and business – and that has been a big positive.” 

Brendan’s first major step into volleyball came when his school teacher, Steve Williams, gave him his first start in National League Division 3 aged 15, playing for Block 75. 

He went on to play National League volleyball for 20 years for Liverpool City, including playing in the 1991 national final, which was live on the BBC. 

In that time, he made numerous England squads before, at 28, switching allegiance to become player/coach for the Ireland team. 

Brendan’s interest in refereeing started in his early 30s, and he was soon put on an accelerated programme, becoming a Grade 1 official within two years. 

Apart from a six-year period when he coached Ashcombe Ladies, he has refereed ever since - totalling 35 years - taking to the stand at beach events in Norway, an indoor U18 event in the Faroe Islands and two National Cup finals. 

He was also a statistician at the London 2012 Olympic beach volleyball tournament, working throughout the competition, including at both finals.  

On his Board tenure, Brendan said: “If I had to say one thing I am most proud of, it is how we navigated our way through Covid and came back stronger. 

“Given my job outside of volleyball was in the area of safety management, I produced a lot of the return to play protocols and risk assessments that helped get the sport back up and running after a year off. 

“Everyone on the Board worked hard to make it happen, and the sport has, in my opinion, come back stronger than ever, with rising (participation) numbers throughout. 

“Joining the board also gave me the chance to reacquaint with a number of old friends and adversaries, and my participation in a number of the committees has hopefully helped drive the sport forward.” 

Brendan is hoping to see the sport continue to grow in popularity after he steps down at Saturday’s AGM – and he hopes to see the level of play continue to improve alongside that. 

He would also like to see a bigger home representation across Super League sides. 

“I see a positive future for volleyball and, in my opinion, the best way forward would be to harness the progress we have made at the top level in beach. 

“To do this, we could bring in a dedicated programme for a number of dedicated players at a young level and drive progression at world level. The same indoors could be applied, but I appreciate the costs are, at present, prohibitive. 

“Another concern of mine is the number of British-born players playing at Super League level. It’s a difficult conundrum, but if we are to develop a strong national team, this is something that needs to improve.” 

While Brendan will no longer be as directly involved in the overseeing the sport, he is planning to remain very much a part of it. 

He said: “I will miss being part of the Board and the people on it. We have a real diverse group of people who want what’s best for the sport and people who are always interesting to be around, when we get together.  

“I will stay involved through my refereeing for a few more years yet, and I will also hope to attend some of the big events going forward.”  

Volleyball England would like to thank Brendan for his hard work and input during his tenure. 

For more information about the upcoming Volleyball England AGM, click here.