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In this episode of The Heritage Show, Luke sits down with Glynn Archibald for a wide-ranging conversation about volleyball, refereeing, mentorship and a life shaped by the sport.

Glynn takes us right back to the beginning, growing up in St Lucia, the culture around volleyball there, and how his journey later took him to St Kitts, where coaching became another part of his story.

He reflects on moving to the UK, his playing days with a local club in Watford, and the opportunity that eventually led him into refereeing.

From there, the conversation explores the art of being a great referee — not simply knowing the rules, but managing the game, communicating with coaches, understanding people, and allowing the entertainment and flow of the match to come through.

Glynn also shares how he became involved in sitting volleyball, his development as an international referee and referee delegate, and his experiences at Paralympic Games both on court and in senior officiating roles.

One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation is mentorship. Glynn speaks passionately about supporting and developing other referees, including having the privilege of mentoring Katarina Cepinova, who went on to become the first female international referee from the UK.

Full of stories, insight and reflections from decades within the sport, this is a conversation with someone who has made a lasting impact on volleyball both on and beyond the court.

A brilliant episode with a hugely respected official, mentor and, above all, a genuinely decent human being.

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In this episode of The Heritage Show, we sit down with Geoff Allen to explore almost 60 years of playing, coaching, developing and leading within English volleyball.

Geoff began coaching at just 17 years old before founding Wessex Volleyball Club in 1976. Fifty years later, the club is still going strong, having supported thousands of players and developed more than 100 athletes who went on to represent England or Great Britain.

An FIVB Level 3 coach, Geoff has worked across almost every level of the game, from mini-volleyball and junior development to National League, regional and England programmes. He also spent 39 years as a Volleyball England Staff Coach tutor and later served the organisation as a Director, President and Chairman.

Geoff reflects on building Wessex alongside his wife, Lynn, the challenges of sustaining a successful club, developing players and coaches, and creating something that can continue beyond its founders.

We also explore who holds responsibility for growing volleyball in England, what the sport still needs to do better, the biggest lessons Geoff has learned, and what volleyball has given him in return.

A conversation about coaching, commitment, community and an extraordinary volleyball legacy.

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In this episode of Digging Deeper, I’m joined by Alex Porter, one of the most influential figures in English volleyball.

Alex’s journey through the sport is hard to sum up in just one role. He has captained Team GB, played overseas in Sweden and Austria, coached, led clubs, launched programmes, organised camps, supported athletes into university opportunities, and now plays a key role in shaping the future of indoor volleyball as Volleyball England’s Indoor Performance Director.

But what really stands out about Alex is that he has always been a builder.

He has built teams, clubs, cultures, programmes, pathways and opportunities. From helping grow Tendring Volleyball Club from one team to nine, to launching Essex Rebels and contributing to major success across NVL, Super League, BUCS and student volleyball, Alex has consistently shown what is possible when ambition, people and long-term thinking come together.

In this conversation, we dig deeper into Alex’s early journey in volleyball, his experiences as a player and leader, his move into coaching, the development of Essex Rebels, the lessons he has learned from building successful environments, and his new role with Volleyball England.

We also explore what he sees as the biggest opportunities for indoor volleyball in England, why player and coach pathways matter, and what needs to happen next if the sport is going to continue to grow.

Alex brings so many stories, insights and reflections from a life in the game. His commitment to volleyball, his understanding of people, and his willingness to do things differently really come through in this episode.

A brilliant conversation with someone who has given so much to the sport, and is still helping build what comes next.

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