CHAIRMAN’S NOTES SEPTEMBER 1ST 2006

 

  

Gone  are the days when players have an off season. Well, some still do but not the serious ones. Starting Sept 14th is the British Open with a record 230 entrants despite an entry fee of £30, unbelievable, but true. This fee has nothing to do with England Squash and is down solely to the promoters. Their explanation is that entry to see the proper players at work is value enough together with discounts on various items. But then not everybody wants to see youngsters displaying incredible agility speed fitness power and skill when they can see it in all the Masters events! Coming hot on the heels of the Open is the German Open (or La Rochelle Open) whichever you prefer, and then at the end of the month the East of England at Bury St Edmunds, the ancestral home of Peter Alexander, King of the O50s. Then immediately after that, 60 or 50 ultra fit Britons in varying sizes and colour + creed will attempt to negotiate Heathrow security, British Airways and Dave Clarke, (he looks very dapper sitting at his immigration post) before falling asleep (some in an alcoholic fuelled haze) and waking up in Cape Town, South Africa ready to do battle with another 600+ superfit athletes in the World Masters, October 13th – 21st.

 

If after all that lot there is any energy left, the season starts with the ICC O35/45/55, on various weekends, the West of England, South England, North of England and Midlands together with the second series of age group counties. Plus the GB Vets Championship, ( www.GBVets.com), which concludes in April. After that all the players who have successfully negotiated the points structure will be getting ready to play in the Home Internationals. The Women’s section has now decided to have points on exactly the same footing as Men and we hope that this will mean a vast increase in entries for the Regional and National Tournaments. These will take priority over County Matches as a requisite for points for International selection.

 

On a lighter note, there will be pen-portraits from all international players from the previous year. What makes players tick, how they remain fast and supple when we all ache and pain, a brief little sojourn into individual players lives and hopefully this will show you all how easy/difficult it is to become an International. Hard work and dedication the website master has informed me, whilst Howard Cherlin tells me it is just down to natural ability. The majority of us have to adhere to the former. These will be put on after the Open.