It seems (to a swimmer) that the organisers of every competition use a different way of identifying the competing clubs. One way to avoid this is to adopt the ASA club codes. These were published in 1997, last revised in September 1998, and many organisers may not be aware that they exist.
The code book is freely available from the ASA (Competitions Secretary) and for each club provides Full Club Name (max 34 characters), a 3-character Code, District, County and and an abreviated 12-character club name.
Depending on the computer system that you use, you could give the full name, abreviated name or the code in your programme and results. I notice that there are duplicate (3-character) codes for some clubs. This might be a problem if both clubs were competing at the same meet and the solution is to add the District Code (one letter) to the code to make a unique 4-letter code.
Would these codes be useful to you?
Note that the club codes database now sits behind the latest version (Rev 4.9) of the SPORTSYSTEMS Meet Organisation system. This means that meet organisers using this system will always get the correct club names for GB clubs.
A sample page is shown below. (Warning: It is out-of-date and I may have introduced typos.)
Swimming Clubs: September 1997 Club Name Code Di County Meet Code 1066 SWIMMERS TEN S SUSX 1066SWIMMERS 1930 ASC ENT X SEAS 1930 A.S.A. MIDLAND DISTRICT - M - - ABBEY BATHERS ABY S HERT ABBEY BATHER ABBEY S C ABB W DORS ABBEY ABBEY SCHOOL ABS S BKSB ABBEY SCHOOL ABERAVON ABV Y WALE ABERAVON ABERDARE DIVING ABD Y WALE ABERDARE DIV ABERDEEN ASC NAN X SNOR ABERDEEN ABERDEEN DOLPHINS ASC NAD X SNOR ABERDEEN DOL ABERFELDY SHARKS MAH X SMID ABERFELDY SH ABERGELE AHG Y WALE ABERGELE ABERTILLERY ABT Y WALE ABERTILLERY ABERYSTWYTH ABR Y WALE ABERYSTWYTH ABINGDON S C ABG M OXNB ABINGDON ABINGDON VALE ABI M OXNB ABINGDONVALE ACCRINGTON S.C. ACC N LANC ACCRINGTON ACTON S C ACT S MIDX ACTON ADDINGTON S C ADD S SURR ADDINGTON ADWICK (DONCASTER) S.C. ADW E YORK ADWICK AIR TRAINING CORPS - - - - AIRDRIE AND MONKLAND ASC WAM X SWES AIRDRIE&MONK AIREBOROUGH S.C. AIR E YORK AIREBOROUGH AIREDALE & WHARFEDALE S.C A&W E YORK AIREDALE & W ALBATROSS D.C ALH S BKSH ALBATROSS DC ALBYNS S.C ABN S ESSX ALBYNS ALDERSHOT ADULT S.C. ADU S HANT ALDERSHOT AD ALDERSHOT SERVICES S&WPC ALD S SERV ALDERSHOT ALDERSHOT YOUTH S C AYS S HANT ALERSHOT YOU ALFRETON & DISTRICT S.C. ALF M DERB ALFRETON ALLOA ASC WAA X SWES ALLOA ALNWICK DOLPHINS S.C. ALN E NDUR ALNWICK DOL ALSAGER BRIDGESTONE S.C. ALS N CHES ALSAGER ALTON & DISTRICT S.C. ALT S HANT ALTON ALTRINCHAM S C ALT N CHES ALTRINCHAM AMERlCAN COhVHCTNITY SCHOOL ACS S MIDX AMERICAN COM AMERICAN SCHOOL IN LONDON ASL S MIDX AMERICAN SCH AMERSHAM S.C. AME S BKSB AMERSHAM AMMAN VALLEY AMM Y WALE AMMAN VALLEY AMPLEFORTH COLLEGE S.C. AMP E YORK AMPLEFORTH ANACONDA S C ANA S MIDX ANACONDA ANDOVER MARLINS DC ASC S HANT ANDOVER MARL ANDOVER S.C. AND S HANT ANDOVER APOLLO S.C. APO W SOMS APOLLO APPLEBY APP N CUMH APPLEBY APPLEBY FRODINGHAM S.C. APP M LINC APPLEBYFROD AQUA SWIM SQUAD ASS S HERT AQUASWIMSQD AQUABATICS D C AQD S MIDX AQUABATICSDC AQUABATS D.C. ABD S HKSB AQUABATS D C AQUADIS S.C. AQU N - AQUADIS AQUALINA SYNCHRO S.C AQU S HERT AQUALINA SYN AQUANAUTS LIVINGSTON ASC EAN X SEAS AQUANAUTS LI AQUARlANS SC AQU W GLOU AQUARIANS AQUARIlIS NATURISTS S C AQN S SURR AQUARIUS ARDINGLY S.C. ARD S SUSX ARDINGLEY ARFON MASTERS ARF Y WALE ARFON MAST ARMADALE BARRACUDAS ASC EAB X SEAS ARMADALE BAR ARMTHORPE & DISTRICT S.C ARM E YORK ARMTHORPE D ARMY CADET FORCE ASSOCIATION - - - - ARMY SWIMMING UNION ASU S HANT ARMY SWIM.