World Series Finals 2011: coda

Better late than never :) ...

The recent news that the delayed final of the World Series Squash Finals 2011 will not be played brought a disappointing closure to the showpiece PSA tournament.

Nick Matthew and Amr Shabana were due to contest the trophy match at the beginning of the year. It promised a fitting climax to, arguably, the best squash spectacle ever staged in the capital ...

The final was cancelled back in January after high winds threatened to lift the huge temporary structure from its moorings. The smattering of desperately-needed UK press coverage that followed focussed almost entirely on the cancellation rather than on the ground-breaking presentation of the event itself. Squashblogger was there on semis night, and can vouch for the organisers' predicament; the weather was truly exceptional towards the end of the week, and it really was simply bad luck.

Also a huge shame. The PSA, led by Ziad Al-Turki, had reportedly pumped $1m into the tournament, the men's tour finale, in its second year after moving to Queens' Club from its former home behind Liverpool Street. Walking down Palliser Road last year I was directed beyond the tennis courts to an hangar behind the clubhouse. This time a giant, spotlighted inflatable - like a fat pink slab of marshmellow (see pic) - had parked itself infront of the building, screaming that, for a week at least, Queens was all about squash.

I estimated the venue's capacity at 400, and squeezing into my backwall seat I reckoned it 85% full – and that was just for the first women's exhibition. The logo of the high-end shirt brand Thomas Pink was plastered everywhere (was there a sponsor last year?) - neatly matching the colour of the spotlight gels: an early indication that the design of the event as a holistic spectator experience had been given real thought.

BBC commentator Jake Humphry (the F1 guy) and Sky presenter Vicky Gomersall were our hosts. Their professional objectivity, coupled with the fact that they too were experiencing something new, helped highlight the unique skills and abilities required of the sport: vital for attracting and retaining new spectators outside of the squash community. Both seemed genuinely impressed by the whole thing, not least the fitness, skills and affability of the players. Humphry, an increasingly high-profle figure in BBC Sport, was even tweeting nice things about the tournament over the week. I wouldn't want to speculate on his fee, but with well over a quarter of a million Twitter followers, this was publicity the sport has struggled for so long to buy.

To the squash itself. In the first warm-up a relaxed Jenny Duncalf tossed out enough snippets of quality to remind anyone everyone she's graduated to the big league. I'd only seen her opponent, Camile Serme, on video before, and was taller than expected, relying on her reach to volley kills from the T. Duncalf quickly got wise and by the third  was pushing her around like nobody's business, Serme repeatedly performing the splits in retrieval.

The crowd were also getting stuck in, buoyed by the lights, music and familiar BBC/Sky faces. The whole mise-en-scene seemed calculated to attract a younger crowd, and if this was not really reflected in the punters (a Canary Wharf-esque mix of smartly dressed professionals – including plenty of women – and your squash die-hards), the spirit was certainly rubbing off. The whole thing looked great, from the instant TV replays (still not a given at pro events) to the nut-brown, Battersea-loft-apartment court floor.

A tired tin from Serme gave Duncalf the match 11/8, 11/13/ 11-7. “Great setting!” Jenny gushed afterwards, "love the colour scheme!"

The next thing that the organisers got right: the between-game entertainment. At many events a couple of court cleaners do their thing whilst everyone decamps to the bar. Canary Wharf has been the most inventive in plugging this gap, trying all kinds of stuff to keep people in their seats (I particularly enjoyed the heart monitors linked up to players a couple of years back). It's not a problem unique to squash: half-time dancers/bands at football matches are largely ignored. As are the presentation ceremonies after finals.

Squash is different in that the majority of the audience are much closer to the action; there is also a ready-made 'stage' that offers little stimulus when empty.

Deciding how to fill it is only half the problem. How do you also manage a refreshment break and get people swiftly back in their seats?

Tonight's entertainment was street dance troope Zoonation. Something different, announced as 'the next part of the evening' rather than 'something to watch while you're having a break'. The crowd seemed to genuinely enjoy it, and it provided a subtle but effective way of retaining the momentum of the evening.

Some other 'behind the scenes' touches that gave the event that extra quality: live coverage transmitted direct to the press room, allowing journalists to file copy while keeping up with the action; buzzing and attentive PRs determined to keep everyone happy and ensuring a convivial atmosphere (a welcome change to the glowering security guys of last year)

More banging music heralded the second women's match between Vanessa Atkinson and Laura Massaro. This lacked the quality of Duncalf/Serme, but was a great advert in front of the BBC/Sky bods for free-flowing, fewer-lets PAR squash. Atkinson was always half a step behind in the first, with that scampering run of hers, losing it 7-11. She fared better in the next, lobbing from front-court with a straight backhand to get herself out of trouble.

Massaro's greater fitness was always going to be the deciding factor, however, and she secured the tie after a wonderful match-point rally.

Great, then, to see professional women's squash in London. It's another one of my bugbears that the WISPA tour never descends on the capital for showpiece events (small tournaments like the London Coronation Open, with limited seating and no all-glass showcourts, can't generate public interest). Happily two developments might go some way to remedying this: the administrative headquarters of WISPA is now based at Queen's Club, and this year's World Squash Day had increased female participation as its theme.*

For the men's semi between James Willstrop and Nick Matthew I plugged in the free radio ear-piece to find Barringtons Junior and Senior at the mic. Jonah described the surroundings as "stupendous", and with the forthcoming Olympic bid in mind it does appear that every effort is now being made to benchmark standards of event presentation to a level that would appeal to IOC officials.

Errors from Willstrop kindled early frustration, and it was apparent during the first game it was not going to be his day.

Four or five years ago it seemed that Willstrop would dominate the English game for the foreseeable future, though Matthew's rise to number 1 in the world has been built in part on a phenomenal run of success against his England team mate. This was Matthew's eleventh win in a row, in a run that stretches back to 2007. The final score was 11-4,11-6, 11-8 - rather an anti-climax given the majesty of the surroundings.

"My body just wasn't interested," said a demoralised Willstrop afterwards.

Amr Shabana dispatched a slightly injured Ramy Ashour 4-11, 5-11, 5-11 in just 27 minutes to set up the final against Matthew. Shabana still hasn't won a tournament in England, and the cancellation of the final on the Saturday meant that he wouldn't get the chance to take on the World Champion.

They and the organisers deserved better.

* Though it has just been announced that there will be a parallel WISPA event at the same event in January 2012. Hurray!

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World's best to descend on Queen's

The World's top PSA players will once again contest the ATCO PSA World Series Squash Finals 2011 at Queen's Club in January.

Top of the eye-wateringly strong line-up will be newly-crowned World Champion Nick Matthew.

And if that wasn't enough to get you hammering the Seetickets website in anticipation, the tournament's organisers are also billing 'court cleaners doubling as dancers'! ...

The event is taking place early in the new year: 11-15 January 2011, at Queen's Club, London.

The Super Series final was last held at Queen's in 2009 after moving from Broadgate Arena in the City of London. That tournament was billed as the launch of '21st Century Squash', with the promoters employing a marketing/design agency to generate publicity and improve the look and feel of the live event.

January's event looks to be building on this theme, with spectators being treated to an "iconic inflatable structure, specifically created for the show-piece event. Inside the structure the ‘Z-Court’ will contain the very latest in squash viewing enabling uninterrupted 360° views of the action.

"The purple glass court features innovative lighting and natural flooring, and combined with the new coloured ball has been specifically developed to capture the speed of the game on camera and produce the best quality viewing experience."

Squashblog will be there again - see the report in the new year.

Buy tickets

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Media response speaks volumes in aftermath of 2016 failure

Women's boxing and golf grabbed the headlines, with squash hardly warranting a mention. After recent optimism that squash would be put forward for the vote in Copenhagen for inclusion in the 2016 Olympics, the sport will now not even be put through to the final voting stage.

Again squash has failed. Those who have followed the campaign might see a drawn-out investigation into the reasons for failure as rather pointless – it would surely throw up the same reasons squash failed to make London 2012. Yet the media's reaction yesterday – at least in the UK – perhaps provides the best clue to this huge disappointment ...

Squash's mass media profile, as evidenced by the reaction to the victory of golf and rugby sevens, is still woeful. Yesterday, no UK newspaper I read (save the Telegraph) or radio coverage provided any analysis of squash's merits, or those of the players who could quite conceivably win medals for Great Britain. Discussion centred purely on the merits of the two winning sports, with their heavyweight media profiles and marketing power to attract new audiences being cited as the factors that clinched it. Some discussion was given over to whether participants in rugby and golf would see an Olympic gold as the pinnacle of their sport. Journalists mostly agreed that it wouldn't. But they also agreed that it wouldn't matter.

BBC Radio 5 Live spent a good part of its post-evening news programme discussing the vote. When squash was mentioned as one of the losers at the end of the discussion, Matthew Pinsent – briefly an IOC official himself - muttered something about the winners easily being the best two candidates on the list. That – together with the fact that almost all the other sports journalists I have heard/read over the past 24 hours did not even mention squash – tells you all you need to know.

Briefly, where did squash go wrong?

Emails and articles seen by this website from as late as last autumn showed that a centralised campaign had barely begun, when the golf and rugby marketing machines were moving into top gear. What had squash's administrators been doing from the (far closer-run) 2012 vote up until then? The organisational changes at the top of the WSF and PSA may turn out to be for the better in the long term, but all the changes in personnel over the past 18 months surely cannot have been conducive to a co-ordinated campaign. Efforts in the past few months have showed a greater professionalism, but it may all have been too little too late.

Badminton caught the imagination of the UK public in Athens, just as swimming did in Beijing. This was due to performances in Olympic games, of course, but individual successes would not have had such far-reaching implications for those sports if the media had not got onboard to celebrate them.

Maybe squash was always destined to be unable to compete with the money of golf and rugby. If that is the case, then maybe next time there won't be other challengers with such muscle. However it was depressing to see, after a spirit of optimism that pervaded the squash press over the past few months, that during the vote IOC delegates quite obviously never intended to press for squash's case. The vote in the run up to London winning the 2012 Games now looks in hindsight like the best opportunity for a generation.

The squash 'community' is – relative to the other sports mentioned here - a small one, and those who have a stake in it, in may different forms, are - perhaps understandably – hugely protective of it. The long-term consequence of this has been a tendency to look inwards and resist outside help (interference?). There has been lots of behind-the-scenes discussion this year – much of it ill-tempered - about media rights. These differences need to be resolved: simply fighting for one's corner will not deliver squash its long-term objectives. Those agencies quite content with their stake in the sport should realise that they would have more to gain from smaller slice of a bigger pie.

From all the correspondence I have received, those arguing about the best way for the media to serve the sport all seem to have the sport's best interests at heart. There is a wealth of energy to be tapped and some great ideas being suggested.

If certain bodies, organisations and individuals could see fit to work together, maybe the 2020 campaign (if deemed worthy of a bid if the general profile has not improved) will deliver a happier result

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Squash 2016 receives worldwide support on WSD

Squash's bid for Olympic status gained pace last Saturday 23rd May with the Squash 2016 logo being unveiled around famous London landmarks on World Squash Day.

A Routemaster London bus was hired by James Poole to tour the banner around the capital, with publicity opportunities being taken at Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye and the Tower of London ...

Elsewhere around the world World Squash Day achieved its biggest level of participation to date.

The day began with Phil Buscke of The Datsuns performing a bungee jump live on TV from Auckland Harbour Bridge in New Zealand (see bottom).

Leading professionals lent their support to the bid by joining in hundreds of Olympic-themed events, all taking place on the same day, Saturday 23 May.

The biggest event was held in the USA at the Apawamis Club in New York, where squash legends Jonathon Power, David Palmer and John White took part in a 100-a-side 'Battle of the Border' fixture.

World number two Natalie Grainger, a World Squash Federation 2016 Ambassador, who participated in the event, said: "It was fantastic to see so many leading players supporting the event and more than 500 people came through the club's doors on the day. The event raised money for the bid, showcased squash in the most positive way and helped to raise the profile of the sport."

The World Squash Federation reported the rest of the events happening on WSD in its press release:

"From the professionals of North America, through Europe and Asia to the townships of Soweto in South Africa, thousands of children were entertained to free coaching lessons and a vivid introduction to squash on a very special day for the sport which boasts 20 million players across all five continents.

Rio, Chicago and Tokyo - three of the cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympics - held special events throughout the day. As well as open days at every squash club, enthusiasts took to the streets in numbers to be photographed waving their Squash For 2016 banners at prime locations in each city.

The 'Squash For 2016' cry rang out in all 14 States of Malaysia where more than 53 squash venues at squash centres, clubs, colleges, universities and schools - even Armed Forces centres and Police Squash Clubs - joined in this major effort.

The Japan Squash Association hosted a press conference in Tokyo attended by more than 20 members of the National media.

Other open-air events took place in India (with photographs outside the Taj Mahal and the Gateway to India) and South Africa (Table Mountain).

In Cape Town, South Africa, Villager Squash Club hosted a "Last Man Standing" tournament. It turned out that the tournament should have been titled "Last Person Standing" since a woman, Siyoli Lusaseni, was crowned the Champion, after five hours of squash and 24 games with different squash enthusiasts!

Another huge event in terms of participation was in Mumbai, where Indian ace Ritwik Bhattacharya was the star turn in a programme of State League fixtures with 128 players from Maharashtra between the ages of eight and 65.

Illustrating Squash's cultural diversity, Iran and Nepal held massive press conferences, arranged national TV coverage and invited prominent IOC guests.

Women's world No1 Nicol David, also a WSF Olympic Ambassador, hosted an open day at her training base in Amsterdam, while back home in Penang, Malaysia, she raised $10,000 towards the Olympic Bid by auctioning off her collection of clothing and rackets which she had worn and used to win major tournaments during her illustrious career.

Without doubt the most exhausted supporters of the event were at the Leñadura Country Club at the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas, and at Thurles Squash Club, County Tipperary, Ireland, where club players held 24-hour squash marathons.

Mexico's world No16 Samantha Teran, another Olympic Ambassador, headed the celebrations in her homeland which featured activities at many of Mexico's most important clubs, and concluding with a gathering at the Angel of Independence in the centre of the capital.

A special tournament to celebrate Squash 2016 Day in Sao Paulo, Brazil, attracted not only hosts of squash enthusiasts to the Clube Paineiras do Morumby, but also the famous Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury.

At the end of an exhausting, but hugely successful weekend, World Squash Day founder Alan Thatcher said: "The event was massively supported by national federations, and some extraordinary individuals came to the fore to organise amazing events in so many different countries.

"The energy and commitment from so many sources was almost overwhelming, and clearly illustrated the passion we all have to see Squash gain its rightful place in the Olympic Games."

World Squash Day

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World Squash Day to descend on world capitals

With just two days to go until World Squash Day 2009, squash fans around the world are preparing for events to publicise squash's bid for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Promotional bus tours and 24-hour squash marathons are just some of the events planned as far afield as London, Chicago, Madrid, Rio, and Tokyo ...

Including: meeting times and route for Saturday's 'Big Day Out' in London

WSD has been branded 'Squash 2016 Day' this year in support of the Olympic bid.

In London, a bus tour of major sites dubbed the 'Big Day Out' will hoist a 'Squash For 2016 banner' at various locations, starting at the Royal Greenwich Observatory at 11am, before heading on to various venues, such as the O2 Dome and Canary Wharf, after which stops will be made at the following locations:

1pm: Tower of London and Tower Bridge
1.45pm: St Paul's Cathedral
2.30pm: Covent Garden
3.15pm: Houses of Parliament
4pm: Buckingham Palace

All squash fans are welcome to attend. At the end of the day the plan is for everyone to adjourn to Hyde Park for refreshments.

The organisers are asking groups around the world participating in WSD to send in photos so that they can 'show the IOC that squash is a truly global sport' ahead of the crucial Olympic vote later this year.

The Squash for 2016 banner will also be unveiled in front of many of the world's most iconic buildings in cities such as Chicago, Madrid, Rio, and Tokyo.

Squash's hard working pros are also supporting WSD: Nicol David is holding an auction of her prized tournament memorabilia in her home city of Penang, while Nick Matthew will be heading to Milan for the Five Nations Tournament with his Hallamshire, Sheffield, team taking Squash 2016 banners, flags and T-shirts to the Polisquash Sports Club.

The day will start with Phil Buscke, guitarist with Kiwi band The Datsuns, bungee jumping from Auckland Harbour Bridge in Squash 2016 t-shirt live on TV.

World Squash Day 2009

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Canary Wharf Classic 2009

When Peter Nicol asked me what I thought about the "interactive exhibition" I had just seen, I garbled something incoherent about "crowds getting involved" and "innovation".

Five seconds later our promoter, VIP and resident Squash Legend was delivering a flawless live link-up for a regional news broadcast. I removed my fist from my mouth and pondered some more.

Behind the court the sun set before the final of this year's Canary Wharf Classic. High above a last ray of light refracted through the huge glass arch of the East Wintergarden before receding into the dusk.

Had I just glimpsed squash's future ? ...

I had jumped off the tube just in time to catch the technologically-enhanced warm-up for the sixth final of this tournament. I'm glad I did.

Squash and technology

In the last tournament I wrote up I bemoaned the lack of crowd-pleasing interval entertainment. I've also written here before about the sport not taking enough risks with the technology that might be available to enhance it as a spectator sport.

Tonight we had South African pro Stephen Coppinger and England's Peter Barker playing a short game wearing head mics, commenting on their game as they played. This was not the first time I had seen this done - see this great footage of cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds commentating on a match during play.

We can't expect squash players to comment on their games during competitive matches - but what other possibilities are there?

They were also wired up to heart monitors which gave readouts on the large screen above the court and smaller ones facing sections of the crowd. Again, it probably wouldn't be wise to have this kind of information displayed at every match - but what other possibilities are there?

The speed of each ball hit was displayed it in the front wall via a radar gun positioned somewhere around the court. The speed of squash is one if its main draws, and this kind of thing could (like in tennis) become a fixture. But what other possibilities are there?

This technofest was accompanied by music played over the PA system throughout, with compere Alan Thatcher and official Linda Davie interacting with the players during play.

They had lots of fun and so did the crowd. This 'interactive exhibition' was an experiment set up by the organisers, and it worked. But it suggested lots more than that. It showed how with a bit of innovation squash can broaden its appeal and reach new audiences.

Each of these toys were portable; ideal for a game that has never marketed itself enough on one of its prime assets - its inherent portability. What will purists make of such bells and whistles (purists please comment below!)?

To some extent the the argument in favour of modernising the sport by altering its format has been partly won. The change to PAR scoring in pro tournaments appears to have been vindicated (the men appear to have welcomed it, though too early to tell with WISPA events), even if the transition was handled in an all-too-familiar-to-squash administrative fog. The exhibition tonight suggested that modernisation of format could be (relatively cheaply) augmented with props designed to enhance spectators' experience. Though it was only an exhibition we were watching, possibilities for competitive play abounded.

Let's hope we see some more of these experiments with technology at other venues soon - ideally with an IOC offical in the front row.

"Inspirational but humbling"

So what might have been kept back for keeping people in their seats after an interval trip to the bar was put before the packed crowd from the off. During the twenty minutes or so before the final I had a scout round, taking in for the first time the great facilities and view from the VIP bar (see top photo).

Down below Alan Thatcher bigged-up the 2016 vote, and the WSF will be pleased to note that the 2016 T-shirts seemed to be doing a decent trade at the stall.

Those sitting the interval out courtside were watching the 2016 promo video on the big screens. I wasn't sure about this after seeing it online, but it worked well in the hall tonight with the soundtrack banging out combined with the atmosphere this venue seems to generate. A huge step up from previous efforts put together by governing bodies; if I were to point out one area for criticism it would be the graphics overlaying the footage, which appear something of an afterthought.

So to the final. Sitting back down I overheard a couple of newbies describe the Barker v Coppinger exhibition as "inspirational but humbling". It's a shame I didn't ask their opinion an hour later, after another final of the highest quality, albeit not a five-gamer as in each of the previous years.

I've written here before about the strength of competition at the top of the men's game. The sport itself may still be lurking in the shadow of it 1980s heyday, but the past decade may be looked back on fondly in years to come as something of a golden age. After years of dominance by a handful of players, literally anyone on world top ten ladder was in with a decent shout at tour events.

At the end of this match David Palmer would talk about deferring retirement for as long as his body would stand up to it. If he could be given a bye straight to the final of a PSA tounrnament, he'd still be the odds-on favourite when he's 50.

Few are more feared once a trophy is waiting on the baize than Palmer. Whatever the players might feel about their own form during a tournament, or however many five game matches either finalist has played, few are so demonstrably up for it than Palmer when the silverware's in reach.

Like when a terrified Frank Bruno crumbled after making the mistake of eyeballing Iron Mike, Palmer's opponents in all those finals were half-beaten during the knock-up. Though the temper that sprung out earlier in his career is now tamed with the natural self-assurance that comes with being in your early thirties, that extra steel is never far from hand. Few can enjoy playing him.

That is why 2 World crowns and 4 British Opens (count 'em) are locked in the cabinet. To coin Shane Warne's phrase, he 'backs himself'. And then some.

It would be interesting to look up the percentage of times he has won when in a final. When he gets there, the outcome is rarely in doubt. If I were to pick a defining moment to illustrate this it would be the 2002 World Open final against John White in Antwerp.

Match point down in the fourth, Palmer was moments away from losing the first World championship to be held for three years (there was no World Open for the men in 2000 and 2001 due to lack of sponsorship).

White had match ball at 14-13, which Palmer saved. At 14 all White called 'set one', but tinned to allow his opponent back in and take the game. Palmer took the first of his World titles 13-15, 12-15, 15-6, 15-14, 15-11.

Much has been written about that final. In hindsight (that handy tool for crafting a a good story while sanding off inconvenient burrs of reality) - and with White retired - it is easy to borrow the sportswriter's cliché about triumph of the cold professional over the nice guy.

But there is some truth in it. White will always have more fans, but Palmer has the trophies.

So seeing Palmer clearly deep in the 'zone', stretching in the foyer 15 minutes prior to coming on court tonight indicated that James Willstrop was not going to catch the Aussie on an off day.

Right: A compilation of first round action from the tournament.

Willstrop had come in to the final after two hard fought five-game matches, including a recovery from two games down to the rapidly improving Spaniard Borja Golan in the quarters. Coupled with the illness and injury that had troubled him this year it was testament to his competitive instincts and commitment to this tournament (he had won it three times previous) that he managed to question Palmer's nerve after coming back from 2-0 down to take the third.

The Australian dominated the first two games, throwing textbook shapes with his metallic orange 'bling racket' (as described on the BBC 606 website) down the backhand wall, to dictate rallies through an imperious length.

The 11/9, 12/10 scoreline half way through the match on paper doesn't do justice to Palmer's command of the court, with Willstrop rarely picking up points by design. A number of balls were hit out of court, while a few more appeared to die prematurely in the front-right court - both players appeared to be miffed slightly by the behaviour of the ball on the court tonight.

At 6-1 down in the third, Palmer had more than one hand on his opponent's title. As he had done all week, Willstrop dug in for a final heave. The crucial moment was at 3-6, when Willstrop hit a loose ball off the wall into mid court. Palmer double-pumped his bling-laden right hand to kill the soft ball, only to fire it straight back at Willstrop on his shoulder.

After finding himself out of position all night, and with split-second instinct, Willstrop stuck his hand out and intercepted. The ball was dead at the backwall before Palmer had time to turn round.

Now the crowd really got behind 'Jimbo' who, given his efforts this week, would have been mortified if he were to have not taken a game here. Willstrop started to take more risks and his deceptive game started to reap some reward. As Palmer appeared to be wilting, Willstrop seized the initiative to take the game 10-8.

Both men were clearly exhausted by the fourth. A near mid court kill took Willstrop 2-1 up, but his renewed intention quickly waned as Palmer snuffed out his attacks with the superior efficiency of movement that he had exhibited all evening.

At 6-6 Willstrop served out, clearly almost spent. Palmer took hold of the ball and the Canary Wharf title 11/9, 12/10, 8/11, 11/7.

When asked about his performance after the game, Willstrop said that he was "pretty unhappy with it", which his body language suggested was a massive understatement. He gets great support here as he does in Manchester, and his success in this event over the years demonstrates that the venue brings out the best in his game. Those who were lucky enough to appreciate all of his efforts throughout the week would surely not agree with his self-criticism.

This was evidently a big win for Palmer - "right up there with (his) best victories". He joked that he never gets to play in front of his home crowd, and that he played a mind game with himself where "every time he heard support for James he convinced himself that it was really support for him".

Like Nicol plotting to take Commonwealth gold in 2006, or Power coming back one last time to occupy the world number one spot just before retiring, Palmer seemed bent on proving something to himself. He finished by telling Alan Thatcher that playing over the age of 30 was about "making adjustments with daily training ... trying to keep up".

There are some young (and other not so young) players on the tour who'll hope he doesn't carry on till 50.

ISS Canary Wharf Classic 2009
Squash 2016

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'21st Century Squash' to be unveiled at Super Series

The marketing engine for this weekend's start of the ATCO Super Series Finals 2009 is in top gear, with effectively a new era for the men's tour being launched.

The Finals this year are taking place at Queen's Club, Chelsea, in London, having moved from their Broadgate home. But what do the respondents to our poll think about the upcoming event (14-17 March)?

We asked visitors to the site whether they thought that the move to Queen's Club would be a good thing for the tournament. Results (below) show a positive, but guarded, welcome for the move, with the conclusion to be drawn that we'll have to "wait and see".

Of course, it's not just about the change of venue. Much has been made in the squash press of the changes at the top of the PSA and the involvement of ATCO President Ziad Al-Turki in the re-organisation of the Super Series and the future of the men's tour.

The press release that this week claims that we are entering the era of '21st Century Squash'. Sounds like good news as elements of tournament organisation are in need of modernisation, and there are great opportunities for creative minds to update the spectator experience of professional squash. The press release goes on to explain:

"It will also be the first major event since the appointment of branding agency Greenspace to make the sport even more appealing to a younger, wider audience. The agency has promised to overhaul almost every aspect of the sport, including court design and player uniforms."

It is also great to see that the event is "poised to set new records for ticket sales" - an indication that ticket sales for the event have been pushed harder than ever before (we look forward to seeing the size of the crowd).

The organisers are making big claims - it will be a step forward for the game as a spectator sport in the UK if they can live up to the hype. Can the Super Series challenge Canary Wharf as the best live squash experience in this country?

We'll find out next week ...

ATCO Super Series Finals 2009 - buy tickets

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Foxy rebrand for English Squash (& Racketball)

More fruits of England Squash's decision to invest in marketing its product are beginning to emerge, with the rebranding of the organisation and the unveiling of a new logo ...

ES have commissioned professional help from an agency, Fudge Studios, as part of the process. With squash historically pretty dire at marketing itself, this seems like a worthwhile investment.

The decision to market squash together with racketball is explained by ES in their unveiling to the press:

"Our vision is to increase the popularity and profile of both sports, continue to raise levels of success at international level and to run the sports according to the highest standards of governance, management and ethics. In order to achieve this we felt that the organisation needed a new identity, one that truly represented our aspirations to be modern, vibrant, and professional."

First impressions are always strong when an organisation revels a new logo (remember this?). The WSF has also had a go in recent times.

ES also explain the thinking behind the design of their badge (and forthcoming website):

"Both the logo and website have been designed to convey the sports of squash and racketball as vibrant, dynamic, modern and professional, and to persuade more people to get on court to try our great sports."

Interesting to see that a governing body has taken the step of removing a recognisable squash ball from their branding (though now that racketball comes as part of the package this may have been a deciding factor). The squash ball naturally lends itself to becoming a logo for the sport, and most websites (we hold our hands up!) incorporate it. It seems a small point, but moving away from this is a step in the right direction.

We can't help see a certain well-known web browser in those reddy-brown swirls, but I doubt that will be the first thought of many. It certainly carries the hallmark of being thought about in detail - rather than some we could mention.

It is somewhat unfair to judge logos decontextualised - we'll have to wait to see England Squash & Racketball (do we now have to write that every time .. seems a bit of a mouthful)'s new website and other marketing materials to see how it beds down into the wider campaign. Signs and their meaning change over time, don't cha know?

The real success behind the rebrand, of course, will be a greater interest in squash and racketball in England. I want to see ES (or ES&R) on the walls of my leisure centre. So let's leave the final words to them as they describe how they'll do this:

"Over the coming months and years we will be working closely with clubs, leisure centres, universities and workplaces to help introduce thousands of new players, coaches, and volunteers to the sports, and key to this is creating a vibrant club scene.

Squash will continue to be at the heart of our activity but we feel strongly that racketball will help bring new people to squash courts. Squash facilities that have embraced both sports are going from strength to strength, with busy courts and increased membership numbers. Our aim is to help all clubs achieve this success."

England Squash and Racketball

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squashblog is 2

It only seems like yesterday that squashblog popped into the world, kicking and screaming at the low profile of the sport.

It's aims were lofty. Much was expected as it toddled around tournaments, griped at governing bodies and wailed for (media) attention.

But how have things changed in those two years? ...

Great players have retired, young prodigies have emerged, initiatives have been announced, courts have open and (mostly) closed.

You can read about all that here and at greater length elsewhere.

But squashblog was created with a different perspective: to look behind the headlines and give independent, objective comment about the wider state of the game - and provide a platform for you to respond.

It seems a good time then to look back and see how the sport has changed over the past two years. A useful way of doing this is to use the categories that I have used since the creation of the site (at the top of the page). Let me know if I'm off the ball!:

The pros
Actually this first one isn't a category I refer to in this site at all, but it is right that they are mentioned first. Many of the improvements noted below wouldn't have happened without the positive attitudes, professionalism, hard work and commitment of the majority of the top pros.

Squash is blessed with, on the whole, a decent, commited crop of professional sportsmen and women who appear to take genuine interest in the development of the wider game as a whole. The rewards for professionals are relatively modest compared with others sports. To the credit of most of those on the professional circuit, they don't appear to bemoan this fact, and get on with representing squash with a dignity and respect for each other that puts other sports to shame.

Media coverage
Very little has changed in the mass media in the UK: squash rarely merits a story in any of the British national dailies (there has however been some excellent coverage in local press) and I can't remember the last time it was on terrestrial TV. Web streaming has advanced, but is not yet ubiquitously accessible. Websites have come and gone: the emergence of Squash 360 appeared to invigorate the landscape, but ceased all too quickly. Squash Site, which provides the only reliable day-to-day news service for all professional events, has struggled due to the ongoing politics that sadly seem to dog squash.

Elsewhere in the world media coverage appears to be on the increase: the success over the past couple of years of Egyptian players has raised the profile even higher in the country, and coverage in India and Pakistan and the far-east (such as Malaysia) is stronger than in Europe. The US - the market that promoters would really like to crack - has had strong regional coverage but little national attention.

Men's game
Anyone who has watched professional squash for more than a few years will have witnessed the change in speed of the game - more attacking play has been great for spectators can only help the game where it's image is concerned. But the velocity of the men's game over the past 24 months has increased such that some feel the soul of the game is being lost (the debate here seems to be heading the same way as 20/20 v test match cricket). PAR scoring has obviously been a factor, but it is difficult to argue that the squash has become less exciting because of it.

Who would have predicted the dominance of the Egyptian trio of Shabana, Ashour and now Darwish two years ago? The fact that the top ten players have been representative of so many different countries is great for the global appeal of the sport, but it would be great to see a rivalry emerge a la Nicol/Power. I thought Ashour/Willstrop would fill this gap ... perhaps this year.

The PSA tour is expanding, with events in new locations and more money coming in. However, the trajectory and stability which seemed to have been established at the top of the organisation before Christmas will need re-assessment after the shock departure of Richard Graham.

Women's game
Though seemingly the better ran of the professional tours, I can't help but think there is an element of resting on laurels. It would be great to see some bigger events in the UK and US, but is there demand?

WISPA has a 'great product'; Nicol David is a great ambassador for the sport, and a great role model for younger players. Like the PSA tour, the plurality of nations represented at the top of the game should be a great draw for promoters.

Almost two years ago to the day I wrote an article that suggested that the level of competition at the top of the women's game might not have been what it was. Have things moved on?

The Malaysian star has indeed become the dominant force, and the Grinham sisters (while swapping places in the world rankings) are now considered beatable by lesser-ranked players. There are flashes of resurgence (Grainger, Atkinson) or hints that new heights are about to be scaled (Duncalf, Abdel Kawy), but no-one looks like challenging David early in 2009.

Again, a good old rivalry in the top five would shake things up.

Governing bodies
Where to start. Apparent lack of direction at the WSF, a resignation at the top, the Olympic campaign seeming to be without co-ordination and professionalism. Progress towards getting its house in order appears to have been made around the time of the October's World Open, but the organisation will be primarily be judged over the next year by what happens at the Copenhagen vote.

The election of Richard Graham by the PSA looked to have given a clear signal that marketing, promotion and media coverage - all things that squash has been historically not done well - were to be addressed. How will his departure have a bearing on the way these key areas?

New initiatives and events have been announced or planned, many at the instigation of new Chairman Ziad Al-Turki. The investment and enthusiasm that Al-Turki is bringing is being welcomed by all in the game, but it will take two years before we will be able to judge whether this investment has endowed professional men's squash with a stronger footing to grow in the medium and long term.

Most of the money flowing into the men's game is coming from the Middle East, which (along with Egypt) has pulled the epicentre of squash away from Europe over the time this site has been up and running. The development of professional squash in regions or countries that display a greater enthusiasm for the sport is welcomed and should help to bring different perspectives and ideas to the game.

But the money coming in from the 'top' has to be matched by increased participation, whether in playing or spectating. Photos from some big-money events in the Middle East, for instance, often show rather empty stands. Also, it would be sad if money only made squash inaccessible to women in certain countries, again whether playing (as an amateur or professional) or watching.

Squashblog hasn't fired many words at national bodies since it started, and it is perhaps a little unfair to suggest that the WSF, PSA and WISPA can do everything alone - especially with their budgets. We hope to look at the performance of these in 2009.

Provision
I've tried to keep a regular eye on court closures - and the occasional opening! - where they make the local press. Great to see local activists fighting to retain squash courts in their area, but all too often they lose out to the gym developers.

The proposed facility at the University of Sussex is probably the most positive story in this area to come out of the UK recently - let's hope the facility sees the light of day. The closure of the historic Lambs club in London brought an end to an era; if the loss of the Lambs had any positive knock-on effect locally, it was in bringing home to many the fact that the capital is losing courts at demoralising rate - and motivating them into saving the courts that are left (Sobell, Finsbury).

Some countries are going in a different direction. Egypt - on the back of the success of its pros - is building more and more courts to satisfy demand.

Participation
This is a difficult one to judge without accurate statistics from national governing bodies. There have been a number of great initiatives aimed particularly at young people over the past couple of years, with the Mini-Squash programme for kids in the UK, and multiple schemes in the US - often allied to social programmes aimed at keeping teenagers off the streets.

Olympics
So much has been said on this site and elsewhere. Some people had better be working very hard behind the scenes!

Click on the Olympics link at the top of the page ...

Technology
Trials and tests have continued, with radar guns, instant replays, electronic scoring and other bits and pieces making an appearance. Great to see promoters and organisers getting innovative, and it would be nice to see some of these become benchmarks for future tournaments - there were no instant replays on the big screens at the Worlds, for instance.

It's time to get serious. Developments in filming squash for TV have certainly brought better coverage, but the advances have been incremental. There simply are not enough media players out there, competing to provide the best coverage, which in turn will drive up quality.

We'll be following closely the degree to which the 'TV issue' is a factor in the latter stages of the Olympic campaign later this year. Here's hoping it's not the deal-breaker: let's not kid ourselves - televising squash has not been cracked.

Marketing
Announcements by England Squash and the PSA that they are to employ professional consultancies to help with their marketing and public relations is a step in the right direction. This hitherto neglected area is key to competing in sports marketplace, and we look forward to seeing the results.

Perhaps less visible advances with the WISPA tour. As I keep reading in the squash press, they have a 'great product' - let's see some bolder initiatives marketing that product in 2009.

Image
The PSA in particular has done a lot in this area over the past couple of years, one example being a nice promo from Pro-Active TV suggesting the urban possibilities of settings, clothing and music. There is a lot of mileage in this, and it would be interesting to see this take on squash's image perhaps coupled with an initiative for youngsters.

Squash clubs - at least in the UK - still set the tone where image is concerned. Though not the yuppie playgrounds they might have been in the 1980s, a perception, at least, still exists that squash is cocooned in bubble of exclusivity - at least in the south of England. This image is even stronger in the US, where the ghost of Gordon Gekko still haunts city club courts.

Real or not, this idea of squash has to be dispelled if participation is to increase and more courts are not to be refurbished to make way for subscription-based 'health clubs'.

Prize money
Money from the Middle East now out-muscles anything that can be offered in Europe or the US. $3 million is reputedly on offer across the men's tour this year, a large increase on where things were five years ago.

The women's tour prize fund has grown hugely in the past 5-6 years, and it is a strong reflection on the running of the organisation that the sponsors keep stumping up bigger purses.

What looms over all this, of course - and with Bear Sterns going to the wall there has already been one big squash event casualty - is the impact the credit crunch/recession might have on sponsor's marketing budgets.

Partnerships and sponsorship
Some initiatives have already been mentioned above under marketing, image etc. Also worth considering that players have their own individual sponsors, but I would hazard a guess that the figures do not remotely approach tennis player sums, and I would doubt that these would be affected by the financial situation unless a player was sponsored by a small manufacturer that went bust.

As I've written on this site at length in the past, squash has rather a flirtatious relationship with the finance industry when it comes to sponsorship. In the US JP Morgan can find the money for the current Tournament of Champions, but I cannot remember the last time an City of London company put a penny up for an event.

Why can't squash court :) those big earners who regularly play the game?

I asked these questions nearly two years ago; with changing economic times, look out for an update here on this topic soon ...

Popularity
Like judging participation, this is a very hard one to call. In those developing countries (see below) and those countries that have had particular success at a professional level (such as Egypt), squash seems to be growing in popularity.

It is in the 'traditional' squash-playing countries that there appears to be a decline: England (or the UK as a whole - you can't play if there aren't any courts!), Australia (doubts about the commitment to the game from top-level sports administrators), and Pakistan (fewer youngsters coming through).

France, a country not previously renowned for its squash prowess, has had significant success in the professional game (Lincou and Gaultier) and this seems to have filtered through to swell grass-roots participation. Whether these two things are related is difficult to tell, but the French pros do receive more media coverage in their country than, say, the English players do in the UK.

Developing countries
By developing countries I mean countries that are developing where squash is concerned - into this category I have written articles mainly about the US and India.

Does Malaysia qualify as a developing squash nation? They've got the best women in the world, and the strength in depth of the professional men has really come on over the pas year or so. Having recently visited the country it appears to be another racket sport that has taken hold amongst the population - following on from badminton which is extremely popular.

Juniors
We've not followed the junior scene with a huge amount of scrutiny over the past two years. What we have observed can be summarised thus: Egypt rose as England weakened.

Officiation
Some interesting initiatives/experiments, often using technology as described above. There is surely scope for improving or expanding the tools that the officials have at their disposal - where other sports are taking the lead, squash may be able to learn lessons.

What appears to have changed over the past couple of years or so - and the move to PAR scoring has something to do with this - is the number of contested points or player-official conflicts. This was noted by IOC officials as something that squash must improve on, and progress seems to have ben made.

Credit must also go to what appears to be a very small group of officials who travel the world refereeing/marking professional squash events. I would guess that the remuneration is small, but most games I have seem have been officiated to a very high standard.

Disagree? How will things have moved on in another two years?

Have your say below ...

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"Squash makes a better world"? Hmm ...

The December 2008 edition of International Squash Magazine dropped through my letter box last week. With great photos but little beyond a narrative view of what's happened recently in the squash world, I rarely give it much more than a cursory glance.

But an article featured on the front cover - 'Saudi Arabia - Wbere Squash Makes a Better World' - had me turning straight to page 9.

I could see the point of the piece, but some of it sat rather uncomfortably ...

The article, written by Richard Eaton, concerns the current development of the game in Saudi, and focuses in particular on the Saudi International, which Eaton writes was:

"... created with the twin aim of transforming the lot of the professional player and of altering perceptions of Saudi Arabia".

The article goes on:

"The tournament began to have a long-term public relations effect for Saudi Arabia. Players and people who came to Saudi told family and friends about it. Players were taken to museums to understand something about the country's history. The tournament hosted a traditional night. And last year some players stayed on after the tournament enjoying the nearby resort, the great weather and the lovely hospitality".

No doubt all this is true, but there is something uncomfortable about reading of "great weather" and "lovely hospitality" (which journalists and others have very much enjoyed), when the country is frequently cited as having an appaling human rights record.

Describing the fact that squash players were "paying to play" in Saudi as "horrific" is a particularly poor choice of words - there are plenty of other, very real, horrors happening every day in the country.

The ethical questions hanging over all this are similar to those that occupied many column inches in the run-up and during the Beijing Olympics: large and tricky issues, which it would be interesting to know the governing bodies' positions on.

Eaton's heart is clearly in the right place, but on this topic I think it pays to choose words very carefully: it's not only squash that seems to be getting a good deal.

December 2008 edition of International Squash Magazine
Human rights in Saudi Arabia

PS - When was the last women's professional squash tournament in Saudi Arabia?

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squashblog poll: a little bit of everything?

A poll that has been on squashblog since the end of the Beijing Olympics asked readers to identify the one key factor in getting squash into the Olympics.

The results were mixed - an indication in itself that there is still lots of work to do before the IOC vote in Copenhagen a year from now ...

The recent presentation in Lausanne concentrated on emphasising the sport's best virtues, suggesting an admirable lack of cynicism in the voting process.

It appears that the WSF have therefore taken the more conservative route that I suggested after the resignation of Christian Leighton in August, and voters in my little poll seem to agree that this is more important than making a big impression on the cocktail party circuit.

But is this enough, especially in comparison to the efforts of squash's rivals in the Olympic vote?

'Improved marketing of the game' also garnered almost a quarter of the vote in the poll. When compared to the huge budgets of rivals such as rugby sevens and golf, squash can clearly only do so much.

So when it was time for squash to present itself to the IOC in Lausanne, I was interested to see how things had moved on from the previous - unsuccessful - vote, when squash missed out on being included for London 2012.

Effective sports marketing in today's world is inextricably linked with the media. During that presentation a rather amateur-looking PowerPoint presentation was accompanied by a short film that appeared to have been made in the 1970s (this can be seen left).

The pitch simply came across as far too amateur in approach, and hugely out of touch with modern techniques of marketing and media presentation. I remember reading similar criticism on a leading squash message board (which mysteriously was removed soon after). I doubt whether this was the main factor why squash did not make it into 2012, but the efforts were clearly to be marked "could do better".

So I awaited the Lausanne pitch with interest, to see what progress had been made.

Speeches were again accompanied by simple PowerPoint presentation designed to impress IOC delegates (this can be viewed here). I am sorry to say that this does not suggest that the intervening years since the last vote have been spent learning from the way that others sports sell themselves as exciting and dynamic pursuits.

The words are admirable and present a persuasive argument. But communication is also about presentation. Is this the work of a professional organisation? How is this slideshow different from the one that was produced during the last vote?

The Lausanne presentation was also meant to feature a very hastily-commissioned 'high-level DVD' (this had not even been commissioned at the beginning of September, as discovered and reported by Squash 360) that would showcase squash at its best. This was apparently show at the WSF AGM in Manchester during the World Open, and I have yet to hear whether this DVD was used in the Lausanne pitch (I have made an enquiry to the WSF but have received no reply - updates here when I receive them).

An 'Olympic pledge' poster and a few PowerPoint slides are therefore all the props to show since the vote for 2012 inclusion. Those who ticked the 'marketing' box in my poll look like they might have a point.

A look back at my articles on Olympic inclusion show that it is almost exactly a year since Amr Shabana complained in the Gulf Times about the lack of effort that was being made on the players' behalf in trying to get squash into the Olympic Games. In mitigation, it would be unfair to demand that squash can compete with the marketing juggernauts that the likes of golf and rugby (see bottom of page) can fund. There simply is not the money in the game.

But with years to prepare for the vote, can we really say that the world's best player - on the evidence presented here - has been answered with the level of effort that befits his talent and own dedication to the sport?

On a wider, political level, what efforts have been made by the other squash governing bodies to hold those organising the Olympic bid to account?

There are 11 months left to make amends.


More on the Olympic vote

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World Open 2008: The Verdict

The first World Squash Championships held in England for over twenty years were an opportunity for the sport to showcase its finest talent and provide a spectacle that would indisputably warrant Olympic inclusion.

But how did the event measure up ? ...

The National Squash Centre is a great purpose-built venue, and - being out-of-town - usually attracts what might be described as the 'squash community'. Unlike the adjacent Manchester City football stadium (any Premiership game is potentially a big draw) and the cycling velodrome (after the successes of Chris Hoy et al in Beijing), the status of squash is not (yet!) such that many first-time punters are likely to make the trip out to Sportscity to see squash for the first time.

So it's a real challenge for the sport to attract newcomers to come and watch professional events. Would the promise of the sport's top tournament be a big enough draw?

I'm happy to report that I did speak to one or two who were watching pro squash for the first time (all were impressed), even if the taxi driver who dropped me off outside was oblivious to the event happening in his own city (more on promotion and media coverage later).

The Manchester crowd know their squash, and every game I saw was at near-capacity. It would have been nice to see the crowd getting a bit more involved, but maybe the size of the prize at stake mitigated against spectators getting too over-excited. Still, given that the players were competing for the biggest prize in the game, I wish the audience would not be so reticent in showing their emotions!

The National Squash Centre doesn't have the natural sense of drama engendered by a glamour venue such as Canary Wharf, for example, and given the cavernous dimensions of the place would perhaps take double the spectators to really generate a cauldron.

That said, there was a definitely greater sense of anticipation than at other events held here - especially when the home favourite Vicky Botwright was on court - that was worthy of a World Championships.

The squash itself was of the highest quality. I almost feel that this is a redundant sentence nowadays, such is the level of competition at the top of the men's and women's games.

Left: Ashour v Darwish in the men's final (full match on YouTube)

I once read an argument put forward in a newspaper article around 10 years ago about what was considered the 'golden era' of snooker. Many feel that the glory days for that sport were in the 1970s and 1980s, when snooker enjoyed a much higher profile.

The same parallel could be drawn with squash.

Yet the counter argument that was put forward in the article suggested that - on the contrary - the present era (this was the late 1990s, early 2000s remember) was the greatest, even though media and public profile was lower: the standard of players had never been higher, there had never been a greater number of players competing for the top prizes, and the outcomes of tournaments (unlike earlier years) could not easily be predicted. It could be claimed that snooker is still in that 'greatest era'.

The same could be claimed about squash today. There have never been so many top players who compete consistently at such a high standard (especially in the men's game), and the winner of tournaments is never a foregone conclusion.

The irony for the sport is that, in a crucial year for raising its profile in the run up to the vote on Olympic vote, the oblivious majority of the public are missing out on a sport in its purest, most professional and competitive form.

I digress ...

This was a World Open of upsets - in both the men's and women's draws - and this served up two finals that few would have predicted at the start of the tournament. The success of Botwright in what was her last professional appearance gave the home crowd someone to root for right until the end, even though the fairytale ending to her career was not to be.

Many predicated that Ramy Ashour would have won his first World crown at such a young age, but the outcome of the men's final was by no means certain right until the end. In a rare visit to the UK he (and, to be fair, Darwish) gave the crowd a demonstration of 'Egyptian squash' that was full of flair and guile.

The attitude of the players was mostly excellent, with the matches that I saw containing very few contested points. The scoring changes and more attacking games that those changes seem to have been a catalyst for appear to have played a large part in this positive move.

This was especially important given the attendance during the week of Sir Craig Reedie, a serving representative on the International Olympic Committee. The sport was under scrutiny during the week as it had to underline its credentials for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games, with a vote on this being taken next year. A criticism levelled at squash in the past was that there were too many stoppages and that the players liked to argue with the officials too much.

Whether scoring changes, attitude of the players or better officiating resulted in there being fewer disruptions, the event as a spectacle game across as a great advert for the game, and hopefully went someway to dispelling some of the myths about watching live squash. Sir Craig gave a media briefing toward the end of the week that I missed, but I hope he was suitably impressed.

Local media coverage and promotion of the Championships appeared to be strong, and it was great to see banners hung around Manchester city centre marketing the event. What was disappointing was - again - the lack of coverage that the event attracted in the national press. Some of the broadsheets failed to even carry an article - even after the Finals - and results were relegated to the sports results listings.

Well done to the Telegraph though, who had regular reports throughout the week online, its rejuvenated squash coverage arriving just before the biggest event of the year.

Online coverage was patchy due to some of the journalists from the more popular squash websites being either unavailable or unwilling to cover the tournament. Squashblog, although only there for the semis and finals, enjoyed its highest visitor numbers to date, with most visitors (many from overseas) looking specifically for updates on what was happening in Manchester - so a squash media-hungry audience is out there!

The role of the 'squash media' (specifically internet coverage) in the development of the sport was one of a number of things that was getting political 'behind the scenes' during the week: the move to universal PAR scoring and the Olympic vote being the other big themes.

From an objective point of view, I'm happy to report that none of these things appeared to effect the running of the tournament, and the paying public was treated to a professionally-run, unpredictable and exciting week.

If I was to identify the one thing that has to be improved if the Worlds are to be held in the UK again I would suggest a change of venue. The National Squash Centre is a great facility for the players and probably the administrators, but holding the event in the middle of a large city would have attracted a greater buzz, afforded better facilities for the spectator, and crucially made the event more visible.

If you can't attract newcomers to come and watch squash then take it to them. On the train back I wondered how things would have been different if the event (or maybe the latter stages of it) have been held in Exchange Square in Manchester, or maybe at Salford Quays.

The portability of squash is often overlooked as one of its great selling points as a spectator sport, and promoters shouldn't shy from experimenting with this features in order to attract new audiences - even when staging the biggest tournament in the calendar.

Hi-Tec World Squash Championships Manchester 2008

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