About Us

Welcome to The Winning Margin! We are a husband and wife team, James and Davinia Catlin, running our first ever store in South Croydon. Sport has been the central theme in both our lives from a young age. We were looking for a business opportunity and saw some sports shops for sale. Who doesn't love a sports shop? Right? Well we always found we were increasingly frustrated by lack of quality of products that matched our needs, finding each one like a jumble sale selling things like darts, five year old entry level boots and signs declaring DO NOT PLAY WITH THE BALLS!

There had to be a better way so we started from scratch and after months of toil we opened in January 2018. Having lived in the local area for the last few years (for Davinia all her life) we looked at what sports are happening locally and what was missing. The store reflects the locality and specialises in Running, Training, Rugby, Hockey, Cricket, Netball, Tennis and Nutrition. In store we have a variety of features to maximise your experience and help you choose the right products to further your sporting journey. 

We have a revolutionary 3D foot scanner to accurately measure your feet and select which shoes will suit you the best. There is 3G AstroTurf hitting area to try out boots, bats, sticks and rackets. There is also a weightlifting platform to try out various training footwear and accessories. We also sell coffees, teas, protein shakes and smoothies by the cup with sofa and bar area, with USB charging ports and WiFi, to chill out in.

                   

We like to think we know our stuff, so here's a bit more of our background.... Ladies first

Davinia

Davinia currently plays rugby for Harlequins in the Tyrrell's Premier 15s. She already has 2 Championship winning league and Cup medals and a National County title. She represented England at U20's for 2 years in an undefeated side. Before focusing solely on rugby at Bath University, where she was a TASS athlete, she fought nationally at Judo and played Netball for Surrey. She also played Hockey. Davinia has a BA Hons In Sports Performance.

 

 

James

James has played Semi-Pro rugby for over 10 years in the National Leagues. Having represented Cardiff and Pontypridd districts in Welsh trials at U18 and U21. He has enjoyed a number different roles within the sports industry in his career, from working Ski resorts, Personal Tariner and Fitness Manager in the number one health club in the UK. He recently finished being a PE teacher for the last 7 years. He has been published in the Journal of Sports and Exercise Science and has an MSc in Apllied Sport and Exercise Science. He was fortunate to be taught by notable Sports Scientists Professors, Craig Sharp, Greg Whyte Alan Nevill and Andy Lane.