NOVEMBER 17 - BRITISH VOLLEYBALL has today made its first staff appointment in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic Games and has announced Wayne Coyle as performance manager.

Coyle, currenthly head of sport and director of Olympic and Paralympic strategy for Sheffield, will oversee the British programme on its course to Beijing in 2008 and, even more importantly, London.

He was previously a player, coach and team manager of the England men's team. Coyle's volleyball event management experience is unrivalled, and includes the World University Games in 1991, several international matches and the English National Cup Finals.

“Having a background in volleyball and wealth of experience, Wayne is the ideal person to set the foundations for a successful British programme," said Richad Callicott, the president of British Volleyball. "British Volleyball is also actively working to recruit a team of coaches for the programme.”

The post is being funded from the £4.04 million awarded to the sport earlier this year by UK Sport. The extra money has already enabled British Volleyball to hold several training camps this year.

“I am honoured by the appointment in a sport with which I have been very closely involved," said Coyle, who will start in the New Year. "The opportunity presented to British Volleyball to compete in the Olympic Games in 2012 is one which must be grasped wholeheartedly and I relish the challenge presented.”

Volleyball was introduced to the Olympics in 1964, but there has been no representation by Britain before. Beach Volleyball was introduced at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and Britain was represented by Audrey Cooper and Amanda Glover, who finished ninth. Britain qualify automatically as hosts in 2012.

OCTOBER 19 - THE British Volleyball Federation (BVF) have been busy interviewing prospective candidates to oversee preparations for the 2012 Olympics from the 120 applications received.

OCTOBER 25 - THE FIVB, the world governing body of volleyball, has officially voted to allow a unified Great Britain team at the 2012 Olympics in London.

JUNE 7 – LONDON 2012 today unveiled their masterplan for the Games site moving volleyball from the Olympic Park to Earls Court and revealing minor changes and details of how the facilities will be used once the Games have finished.

JUNE 14 – BRITAIN’S fledging men’s Olympic volleyball team has completed its first summer training camp in Glasgow, which marked the start of British Volleyball’s intensive six-year plan to prepare for the 2012 Games.

MAY 23 - SHEFFIELD'S plans to become a key player in the build up to the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 took a major step forward today with the news that the British volleyball squads are making the city their home. The Team GB men's and women's squads are to relocate to the English Institute of Sport-Sheffield as part of the British Volleyball Federation's development plans ahead of London 2012.