End of the road for Winter League

The last round of winter league for 2010 – another season slips into the history books!

Mick and Billy were first up, and once again an established C grader had to work overtime to hold out one of the young guns, Mick getting there in five; Greg and Craig also went the extreme distance, with Craig taking the honours, Jenni and Carmen just had to do the five-set thing as well, and Jenni lasted just that little bit better.

Jock and Sandy had another fascinating battle of styles, Jock’s the better shotmaker, but Sandy will always run and pick up so many of those shots! In the end Jock kept up the barrage of winners and prevailed; Ed finished an excellent season on a high note, taking out Bill in straight sets, Marie was on her best form when she met Di, and consequently won in three.

Pete took one game off Chris, but one isn’t enough to win a match, Quinton did the same against Bondy, Robbie and Linda had another marathon match, Linda won that one in a long five, while John was too good for Jane.

Pat and Mick met yet again, both filling in for other players, and played their compulsory five-setter – this time it was Pat who came off the court after a massive match wearing a winner’s grin, Kurt had a heap of chances to put Steve away, but kept finding the tin at all the wrong times, and a much-improved Mark made Marie work for her victory.

Warren brought his best game along and had the better of Mark (Holmes that is) all over the court, Stratty used his vast experience to keep Quinton on the defensive for the duration of their three set match, Corey found that Robbie was having a very good week, and couldn’t get near him, and Greg Price continued his own run of fine form, dominating the T and not letting Maria get her game going at all.

Mark and Rebecca had a super battle, Rebecca having to dig deep to stay on top, while Megan made it three five setters against No. 2 players when she took to the court with Mitchell, and this time she went really close, but Mitchell came back from two sets down to clinch a thriller – look out next season though.

A highly competitive match to finish up a highly competitive season, right across the board, with so many players looking to improve their game; combined with our excellent interclub results its all looking good!

Interclub update: our Div 4 team are the champions; In Div 3, Celtic 2 missed winning by the tiniest margin and Celtic 1 was fourth, while Div 2 finished in a fine third place; fantastic results as every division was extremely competitive and hard-fought.

Jordie’s victorious Div 4 team included Chrissie, Di, Kirsty, Kurt, Robbie and Megan.

Sandy’s Div 3 team usually consisted of himself, Jock, Billy and Warren; on occasion they called in Fly, Bondy and Craig to fill in the gaps.

Bill had a few players in his Div 3 team; there was Bruce, Quinton, Eelke, Craig, Bondy, Ed, Fly and maybe a couple of others in there somewhere.

The Div 2 players, who missed out on second by a mere five points, were Paul, Micky, Nathan, Doldie, Stratty, Pat, Glen and Chris.

Congratulations to all our players who took part over the season!

At the prizegiving the winning Div 1 Mackenzie guy said that the Mid Canterbury Squash interclub competition was above and beyond anything he'd played in under the NZ Squash/Midlands umbrella, it's a super competition we're in, and we're pretty good at it! 

Winter League Week  6

Two of the whiz kids fought it out first up this week, with Billy’s better shotmaking being the difference, despite the greyhound on the other side of the court picking up many of his best ones, Craig continues to knock over many of the ‘middle order’ players - this time it was Bill on the wrong side of the score sheet; Carmen didn’t have her best day on court and Marie took all the chances on offer, while Louise lost to Tash in straight games.

Megan had another decent go at one of the number two guys, and this time it was Kurt who had to pull out all the stops to beat her in five; Rebecca also went to five sets, this time getting the better of Jordie, which she enjoyed immensely; and Mark got a lesson from Marie, hopefully he’s taking it all in!

Mark (Holmes that is) didn’t have the answers to Jock’s vastly improved game, while Maria and Biddy fought out a big five setter, with Maria continuing her current habit of winning more than she loses. When Pat and Mick (sounds like an Irish joke) get on court, you just know they are going to be there for a while, and this week was no exception - this time Pat took the honours after an exhaustive marathon; Brendan regained some of his form to knock over Jenni in style, and Robbie beat Louise with the same 3-0 scoreline.

Sandy found that Chris’ really annoying habit of being in exactly the right place at the right time hasn’t gone away, and consequently lost in four; Fly recorded one of his more illustrious victories when beating Bondy in four sets, and Greg, who will never be a number four again, didn’t have too much trouble getting past Jane.

Paul had too many guns for Pete no matter how much he threw himself around the court, Mitchell’s form deserted him against the wily Bruce, and Robbie took the court yet again to give John some tips on the finer points of the game.  

Winter League Week 5

Billy started this week off in style, beating Mark in straight sets, Quinton and Craig fought out a huge battle, with Craig emerging the victor in four, Robbie and Carmen fought out an even huger battle - it must have been getting serious because someone on the other court remarked there was none of the usual raucous banter from Robbie - and Carmen won it in a long, long five, then Maria provided a big upset by knocking over Chrissie in three.

Sandy ran around Doldie, not even letting him get a set, quite a feather in his cap, Marie proved once again that among the ladies, anyone can beat anyone on their day; she beat the reigning ladies champ in straight sets, while Tash was too good for Louise on the night.

Jock brought out his best game, and Chris was on court to witness it; end result Jock moved a fair distance up the ladder, after slipping slipping slipping from the top spot he had mid-season, Ed also brought his best game along, he needed to as Bondy had a superb recent record, but that counted for nought as Ed went on to win in straight games.

Bruce didn’t let Kurt get into his high-speed runaround game at all, cutting him right off at the pass and winning in three, Robbie and Carmen had a rematch only two days after their last marathon, and yes, it was another hour-long epic, with both having their chances, but Robbie coming out on the right side of the ledger, and John couldn’t handle Marie’s power and good shot placement at all.

Pat and Micky produced an epic of their own, they had to score around 90 points to actually find a winner - and every game followed the same pattern. Pat would roar into it and gain a seemingly unassailable lead, but Micky would finally get into gear and chase the lead down, after five massive games Mick took the honours. Shoulda been declared a draw. Megan gave Steve a huge fright (after a slow start), and that one went to five, Brendan beat Rebecca in a highly entertaining four sets, and Robbie was on court again(!!) to do battle with Mark (Shera that is) and that one also went the extreme distance.

Warren went on court determined to give Paul a run for his money, and did so - Paul had to pull out a good one to stay ahead of the game, Fly had the edge on Mitchell and won in four, Robbie stepped on court yet again (a tiger for punishment) but this time the tank was running dry and Marie took full advantage, Greg played Mitchell and showed why he will be moving up the rankings considerably next time around, bowling Mitchell in three.
Greg also put in a ladder challenge recently; as a result his name moved up above Jordie’s. Top stuff!  

 Winter League Week 4

Chris showed that he’s fully recovered from the injury that kept him out of the club champs when he pushed Billy right to the limit this week, the 3-2 scoreline could very nearly have gone the other way; Bondy simply cannot get away from playing five setters (it’s not compulsory you know) - this time Craig was on the other side of the court, and this time Craig was the victor; Linda brought out her best game to bowl Carmen in straight sets, and Jane couldn’t match Chrissie around the court.

Nathan was in pretty good form after the Mid Canterbury champs, but that wasn’t enough to get more than one game off Micky; Stratty had way too much experience to get beaten by Greg (Walls that is), Jenni showed she is still the best of the ladies by beating Rebecca in four and Louise took one game off Mark (Shera that is!).

Sandy and Mark thrashed around the court for a very long time before Sandy ran out the winner (literally; he ran and ran and ran); Quinton and Bill also had a massive battle, but Bill kept his focus in the right place and won in four, while Robbie was very happy to take one game off Marie, but will have to concentrate on the basics if he’s gonna actually beat her.

Pat had too many guns for Pete, Bruce showed few signs of his recent time away from squash when beating Steve 3-1, and Robbie had another go, this time having a good hit around with Mark. Fly found Kurt on one of his best days; Kurt’s backhand drop shots were all working a treat, leaving Fly with nowhere to go; and Jordie was too good on the night for Corey (it WAS after 8, so Corey wasn’t at his best at all).

Jock came out all guns blazing against Paul, and had his chances in a super game, but Paul demonstrated that he isn’t a C grader for nothing and pulled out some super shots of his own to keep Jock at bay; Mitchell was the latest to find that Big Ed is actually playing some pretty good squash, that one was over in three, and saving the best till last, the battle of the sisters-in-law - Di won the first two games and looked to have things under control, but Megan came to light with some top power shots combined with good length in the third, and the match duly went the distance, with Megan taking the honours.

  Interclub 2010

If I’ve done my sums proper, then our Div 4 team’s narrow loss on a countback at Pleasant Point on Tuesday means they have enough points in the bank to take the trophy - fantastic! Jordie was the skipper of a team that included Kirsty, Robbie, Megan, Kurt, Di, and I’m sure there’s someone else in there who contributed as well - that's Chrissie of course! - congratulations to the lot of you, a superb effort in a tough competition.


Winter league week 3 

Jock had a good go at the club’s best player on Monday night, but couldn’t make a dent in John’s armour, Ed continued a fine run of form, this time managing to curb the high energy of Kurt, Di moved up the ladder a bit by beating Jordie in four, and Biddy and Tash had a good battle at the bottom of the order, with Tash taking it out in four.

Sandy and Chris went toe to toe for five exhausting sets, Chris had the edge in the important one, Bondy’s huge run of big wins in consecutive five-set matches came to an end, but it took an equally huge effort on Bill’s part to make it happen, Nathan carried on some good form from the tournament to only allow Pete one game, Rebecca proved once again that she has the wood on Robbie well and truly, knocking him over in straight sets again, while Mark Shera took a game off Chrissie, but found that experience counts for quite a bit on the court.

Mick took on his little boy, and actually gave up one game, which I’m sure he will never hear the end of, Quinton and Eelke went the long way about it and produced a mammoth five setter, with Quinton getting the chocolates, Jenni was out for revenge after capitulating to Robbie last week, but found that when he’s on his game he’s actually quite good - it went to five, and Robbie was the one making the celebration noises afterwards, and Maria has improved enough to give Louise no chance in their match.

Pat decided to bring out his A game for the night, and despite Sandy the Whippet tearing up the court with a huge mileage, Pat’s better shotmaking proved too good on the night. Fly had no less than six match points, in the third game, but couldn’t convert and let Steve back in to the match, which then went the distance, and in a season where many players have improved out of sight, Greg showed he’s not to be outdone, bowling Brendan in a stylish straight sets victory.

Billy proved that he’s one of those aforementioned improvers, taking on Paul and coming away with the honours in four sets, Mitchell found that Craig’s run of form isn’t a fluke, and was unable to get a single game off him, while Carmen came back in the third set but not in time to stop Megan wrapping up the win.

  Ray McBeth Memorial Tournament 2010 July 30 31

Another successful running of the club’s annual tournament, and a new name goes on the trophy.

Right from kick-off on Friday night there were big games all over the place, and apart from the Ladies A grade where Nicki-Lee Francis had a cruisy ride the whole way through without dropping a set, every winner had to work very hard to get their results.

Di was top seed in that ladies grade, and after beating Carmen in a tough four-setter, she cleaned up Kelsi Carrick to get to the final, but was just outclassed in that match. Carmen went on to take the plate, having to hold off a strong challenge from Maria, who beat Kelly McCullum in four to get to that final.

The men’s A grade saw some brilliant squash, with John beating Chris first up, then having to withstand a huge challenge from Paul on Saturday morning, when John didn’t quite look his best for some reason. Luckily a pre-match ciggy calmed the nerves enough to get through that one, and in the final he was always just half a step ahead of Dean Harrison, who still put up a magnificent fight.

Dean knocked out Pat and Micky on his way to the final; Pat finished up on the losing side of a big five with Chris, while Micky went on to contest third and fourth with Paul, producing one of the matches of the tournament (which is now par for the course for those two).

The men’s B was a very even affair from the start, with second seed Billy getting past Greg Walls to book a semi with Nathan. If the Micky-Paul match was the best, then this one must have been a close second, both players holding match point in the fifth set, with Billy finally taking it 10-8. He met top seed Garry Mayne in the final, and somehow had enough left in the tank to keep running and chasing down some shots that looked to be winners all the way, and returning them with interest, scoring a well-deserved victory. Kurt took out the plate after two very good wins over Wayne Vessey and Greg Walls, Jock and Nathan battled for third spot with Nathan getting there in four, and Steve beat Wayne in the special plate.

Gary was a late replacement in the mixed C grade, and went through to meet unseeded Andrea Grover in the final; Andrea threw everything at Gary with some excellent length and power shots, but Gary was up to the task and his immense experience meant he could counter anything Andrea could produce; a highly entertaining final that one. Jordie was taken out by Andrea in the semis and played Todd Cameron for third, but couldn’t get his best game together and missed out there.

Robbie, whose form is up and down like a yoyo at the moment, had his chance at glory when he played Ashburton’s super-veteran Terry, but after five big sets it was Terry who went forward to the semis, where he met Lachie Boleyn. Now Lachie is lots younger, fitter, stronger, faster around the court – but none of that takes into account Terry’s ability to talk his opponent out of a match, and Lachie was left scratching his head, wondering just how exactly he’d lost 0-3 to the elder gentleman. Terry lost in the final to Rob Coyle. Robbie won a five-setter to get to the plate final, where he met Mitchell, who cleaned up Logan Brown to get there. Robbie gave it his all in the final, but Mitchell dragged out some pretty good shots of his own and won a match where more than 80 points were scored.

The tournament was generously sponsored by RX Plastics, Twelve Wine Bar, Pat Summerfield Electrical, Paper Plus, Blacklows Tradezone, Harvey Norman and Robbies Bar & Bistro.

Results:
Men’s A – Winner John McDonnell, runner-up Dean Harrison, third Micky Hooper, plate Linton Muir, special plate Chris O’Reilly.
Ladies A – Winner Nicki-Lee Francis, runner-up Di Ness, third Marliesje Carrick (beating daughter Kelsi in five), plate Carmen Thompson, special plate Kelly McCullum.
Men’s B – Winner Billy Nolan, runner-up Garry Mayne, third Nathan Wall, plate Kurt Jemmett, special plate Steve Devereux.
Mixed C – Winner Gary Stratford, runner-up Andrea Grover, third Todd Cameron, plate Tom Wing, special plate John Hetrick.
Men’s D – Winner Rob Coyle, runner-up Terry Hutchinson, third Logan Ford, plate Mitchell McLauchlan, special plate Logan Brown.

  Winter League 2010 Week 2, second round

It was Billy’s turn this week to chase John around the court, and he did as good as anyone has, but still didn’t get the result he wanted, Kurt and Craig obviously both like big five-setters, on this occasion Craig was the victor, Carmen made some big steps up the ladder when she held out Jordie’s late charge to knock him over in five, and Marie was too good for Tash.

Mick and Pete battled away for hours, with neither giving an inch, but Mick prevailed in the final washup, Eelke caught Fly on a bad day and won in straight sets; in the result of the week Robbie put his best game ever together and took out the new ladies club champ, in three sets no less (there’s one happy boy!), and Louise scored a victory, moving up the ladder a few spots at John’s expense.

Mark is back on court, and fought out a (victorious) five-setter with another recent traveller in Pat, Bondy just loves those marathon fives - he’s won a few in a row, and this time it was Quinton on the receiving end; and Robbie instantly blotted his copybook when he forgot his moves and couldn’t handle Linda’s dinky little shots.

Jock gave it his best shot against Glen, and took one game, but under increasing pressure kept finding that tin, Steve took the first two against Ed easily, and fell into that most foolish of traps - never take your foot off the throat!!!! (lost in five), and Brendan and Biddy had a (friendly) family battle on the court.

Nathan warmed up for the tournament with a straight-sets win over Warren, Fly came back for more punishment and this time took Gary to five, a fine effort, Robbie must have fired all his guns on Monday night because he suffered another loss, this time Rebecca got him in four, and Paul had enough in reserve to hold out a whippet called Sandy, despite having to do a fair bit of running himself.

Timing is everything in sport, and on Wednesday night at Celtic the handicappers had it spot on; as the applause from a full gallery for a new ladies champ was ringing out, on the adjacent court the winning shot was just being played in the men’s A grade final.

John McDonnell was on court to defend his title, and after knocking out two previous champs Paul and Wayne on the way, stepped out to face the challenge of Glen Ralston, who had to get past Doldie, Micky and Billy to secure his spot in the final.

John took out a close first game, but Glen’s brilliant shot-making came to the fore in the second, repeatedly finding the nick and leaving John stranded.

Some of the shots being played, and the following retrieval of those shots, left mere mortals in the gallery shaking their heads in wonder.

In the third game John somehow stepped up the pace, and while Glen kept up with it for a while his best shots started finding the tin, and that trend continued as John took the fourth game and sealed consecutive championship titles, to go with the one he took way back in 1995 (I think!!!).

Paul and Micky fought out a monstrous five-setter in one of the plates, with Micky winning a battle that nobody deserved to lose with a weird off-the-wood shot that wasn’t in keeping with what had been a superb battle.

There was something of an upset in the ladies A, as Jenni, who had just scraped past Carmen and then won a huge battle with Kirsty to make the final, faced Megan, who had looked to be the favourite after victories over Rebecca and Marie.

Jenni’s trademark lobs and difficult serves won her the first game, but Megan imposed her own style in the second, playing straight with power and good length.

Jenni took the third after getting back to her own best game, although it looked as if she may have blown it after letting Megan come charging back from 1-8 and pushing it to a long game, but then worked hard to keep control in the fourth and took out the match, meaning there will be a new name on the ladies honours board after 13 years of dominance from Kaylene and Pam.

Marie and Kirsty came out to do battle for third spot, and right in keeping with the rest of the night went to five sets. It was a tough one for the umpires as both players not only wore similar colours, but also had exactly the same hair colours, obviously a ploy on Kirsty’s part. Both had their chances late in the fifth, but it was Kirsty who eventually persevered in a fine match.

Di took the plate from Rebecca after what had become a regular (for finals night) five-set match; both players found themselves caught up in up-the-front drop shot battles where any let calls would have produced strokes, but no, they decided to keep on battling it out, and Di proved just a bit better at it in the end.

Chrissie, somewhat nervous after newspaper reports had her title aspirations under threat, repelled a strong challenge from Maria to win the ladies B grade, but she had to call on all her experience to do so, Biddy beat Louise into third spot and Tash came out firing to knock over Jane in the plate.

In the men’s B grade, Jock  met Pete, who had somewhat of a charmed run through to the final with injuries to opponents and defaults, there was some (unconfirmed as yet) mention of bribery in getting to a final so easily.

Jock started like a rocket and took the first 9-zip, but well aware of Pete’s ability to come back in any game he kept up a high-intensity game to shut Pete right out of the match, ensuring his name will be engraved on the B grade cup.

Unseeded Bondy came through several tough five-setters, against Craig and Eelke in which he had to come back from two down both times, to meet Steve in the C grade final, and after yet another marathon match took out the grade, which will go very nicely with the D grade title he won last year, and obviously means he will be looking to get his name on the B grade cup next time around.

Eelke beat Mitchell, who has picked a bad time to have a bit of a form slump, in four sets in the battle for third, while Craig and Kurt fought out the zillionth five set marathon of the night, with Craig coming out the winner of a thriller in one of the plate sections. Craig has been on the wrong end a few big five-setters in recent times and will be well pleased to pick up that one, especially against a tearaway like Kurt.

In the men’s D grade Fly made it past Robbie and then had a titanic clash with Quinton to meet Jordie in that final.

After winning the first two games comfortably he let Jordie back into the match, never a good idea, and had to work overtime in the fifth set to claim the title.

Brendan beat Robbie in four in the consolation plate; Robbie was determined to put in his best work and did so for the most part, playing some excellent down-the-wall shots; Brendan had to pull out all stops to keep him out.

These were just the final night matches; this year with the standards improving across the board there have been massive contests from the very first round, so those who have made it to get their names on the trophies are deserving winners one and all.

Special mention of a few who didn’t make it to the tournament for various reasons; Paul, Chris, Bill, Mark, Bruce, Brendon, Nigel, Kaylene and Pam, maybe a couple of others even, roll on next year and they will add all extra spice to what has been an outstanding competition.

Winter Week 4

  A week where the ladder got one hell of a shake-up – suddenly everyone wants to move on up, and the biggest casualty was right at the very top.
The Likely Lads – Billy, Warren, Jock and Sandy – have been pushing the big guys hard in recent times, and this week the inevitable happened, and Jock’s name now resides comfortably right at the top of the pile.
  Billy started the week off the right way by knocking over Doldie, a huge scalp for him, Bondy had his hands full with Craig but managed to get there in five, Carmen was just one of the big movers on the board, beating Linda in straight sets, while Chrissie always had Jane covered.
Mick had enough in the tank to keep Nathan at bay, Elke was the latest to find that there’s plenty of bite in the old dog yet, not getting a game off Stratty, Jenni and Rebecca produced another big five with Jenni coming out the victor, and Louise took one game off Mark but he was too strong in the end.
  Mark Holmes discovered he was playing a greyhound called ‘Lightning’, and its really hard to chase one of those round the court all night, Quinton fancied his chances against Bill, but the experience showed in the end and Bill scraped in, in another five-setter, Robbie continued his new-found winning ways, he’s always chuffed when he beats Kirsty, especially when it’s a marathon five.
  Glen gave Pete no quarter (although Pete was still seeing headlights coming toward him after a long drive to get to the game), Bruce dropped one game against Steve, Brendan had to work overtime to subdue Robbie, who bounced back to beat John in four just to show he hadn’t really lost it.
  The big one – Jock took on the current numero uno Paul and after a blistering game of squash came home with the chocolates. A spectacular match, which neither player deserved to lose, but a superb breakthrough victory which showed the Likely Lads have arrived in the top echelon, and they aren’t going away anytime soon.
  Mitchell had a superb victory of his own, beating Jordie in four and being another to make a big shift up the ladder, Linda wasn’t having a good week, filling in for Megan (who’s wearing the shiner of the year, courtesy of a wayward racket), and found Di just too good, while Paul Rounthwaite is still on the improve, but just an inch behind his rivals, which Biddy took full advantage of.
  Sandy lost to John McDonnell in three, but the result was truly no indication of the match; John was on occasion stretched to the limit and had to produce some good stuff to overcome some amazing retrieving from the one they justifiably call Lightning.
  On a night when great games were standard offering, Fly had the spectators fearing for the safety of the walls as he hurled himself about to keep up with Kurt, who was more than happy to wrap it up in four, because a five-setter could easily have gone the other way; Corey took his chances when Jordie wasn’t quite at his peak and made his own leap up the ladder, and Greg had obviously been taking notes from the John-Sandy encounter, he came out all guns blazing in the battle of the number-fours-who-should-be-threes, and took the honours in a determined four-set win.

A week where the interclub teams all did the business, great stuff!

First up, Warren’s glory days of last week were a bit short-lived; somebody had written the result down wrong and he didn’t beat Micky after all, so his visit to the rarified air at the top end of the ladder was a little premature (perhaps by the end of the season?). 
 Jock started off this week by taking a hard-earned game of John McDonnell, Ed must have found some fitness somewhere, he managed to not only keep up with the tireless Kurt, he put in enough good shots to take the match 3-1, Di added her name to the list of people who can beat Jordie, although it took a big five-setter to do so, and Biddy took one game off Marie, who is busting to get back into it properly if anyone needs a number 3 reserve. 

 Sandy put in one of his best ones to knock over Chris, making a big jump up the ladder in the process, Bill had his hands full with Bondy but just managed to come up trumps in yet another five-setter, and Tash was too good for Jane on the night. 

 Nathan had a return shot at Pete after last week’s big upset, and wasn’t having any of the same, making every shot a winner, Gary and Bruce fought out a torrid encounter, Gary’s enormous stack of experience getting him through in five, Rebecca beat Robbie in straight sets, but Robbie was obviously just saving himself, and Mark and John put together a long five-setter with John emerging the victor.

 Mick wasn’t taking any nonsense from the up-and-comers and after a close first game put Sandy away in three, Elke showed Quinton that a bit of concentration needs to be added to raw power, in a straight sets win, and Jenni found that on his day Robbie can play some pretty handy squash; he took all of her best shots and returned them with interest. ‘No more Mr Nice Guy’ appears to be his new mantra, and with a couple of good victories in the last two weeks it appears to be working a treat! Maria was working hard in every game but Louise just has that edge at the moment. 

 Warren took a game off Glen, but was another to find that when he’s good, he’s really good, Fly’s big reach and occasional accuracy down the wall should have seen him beat Steve in four, but somehow he let that one slip, Corey started off well, but put in a few swishy shots and let Brendan right back into it – Brendan needed no second invitation and took the match in four, and Greg had Paul safely covered all over the court, although that may change as the season goes on too. 

 A couple of superb five-setters in the final round; Billy once again gave Paul a huge round-up, Paul had to pull out his best work to take that one, while Megan appeared to have Jordie under control, getting to match point in the third, and another match point, and another – but just couldn’t nail it, and Jordie came charging back to win in five, displaying some of his best stuff on the way, while Chrissie was just too experienced for Paul, but it was noted by several spectators that he’s just a few steps away from putting a few wins on the board.

 

Round 9

Final round for summer, winter’s on the way! There’s always something to look forward to . . .

First-up and amendment from last week; after praising Billy’s heroics in holding Paul to a more-than-honourable draw, I find that Billy didn’t even make it to the court; it was ‘Lightning’ Richardson who was dashing all over the shop and making life difficult for Paul, so the kudos can now go to the right person!

Jock and Chris kicked off this week in a battle royal, Chris managing to fend off the ever-charging Jock 2-1, Pete is proving to be quite good at this game, knocking over Bruce this week to finish off a very successful summer (possibly unbeaten??), while Jane and Louise battled it out at the bottom of the order, Louise proving too strong on the night.

Micky was good enough to keep Doldie in check, Laurence and Nigel had a ding-dong go at it, with Nigel claiming the victory, Paul had to work overtime to knock over Warren in a high-scoring match, Bill put three unanswered games on Jordie, and Corey would be pleased to take a game off Olive, even though she put three on the scoreboard.

Billy would also be happy with his improving game, taking a game off the Old Master, Quinton tested himself against Sandy and there was only two games completed – unfortunately for Quinton, Sandy had both of them beside his name, Rebecca bounced back from last week’s defeat to beat Jenni, and Paul is still feeling his way round this competition squash, this time Greg proved too good for him, but his time will come.

Pat and Nathan gave nothing away to each other and produced a draw for their troubles, Pete had another go and this time Mitchell was his victim, Brendan’s form has taken an upward swing in the last few weeks and he put four games on Linda – nobody has done that in recent times, while Robbie, new racket and all, couldn’t beat Chrissie this time round.

A complete summary of the team standings will be produced just as soon as the man doing the counting sends it along!

Round 8:

Jock finally took a big scalp this week, under huge pressure Doldy’s weird shots weren’t quite coming off and Jock managed to finish the job after winning a series of super rallies, Bruce couldn’t get a winning break on Laurence who just kept coming back, a draw was the fitting end result there, Carmen brought her A game along to play the in-form Rebecca and duly took the honours 3-1, Robbie is showing the benefits of coaching and lots of on-court time, comprehensively shutting down Tash, no mean feat because she’s been on the improve as well, and they produced an excellent match.

Chris can’t be called a giant-killer any more, he’s joined the giants’ ranks, this time knocking over Pat in a high-scoring match, Pete once again showed how deep he can dig, Elke is playing a good game but couldn’t get near Pete, Kirsty found that Brendan is coming back from a form slump and is nearing his best form, even arriving an hour early for her game didn’t seem to help, while Jane took one game, but Louise was better on the day and took three.

Billy held Paul to a draw, now that’s a huge result, Bill and Kaylene battled it out with Bill edging to a 2-1 victory, Corey and Rebecca produced another draw for the round, and Jane and Paul must have thought it was the thing to do, when the buzzer went they were also locked at two games each.

Nathan reversed the trend of upsets, keeping Warren at bay 3-1, Mitchell somehow let Jordy beat him, what were you thinking Mitchell?? Olive was too strong all over the court for Linda, while newcomer Craig did well to beat Chrissie 2-1.

Wayne got back on the winning horse, holding out Mick narrowly, Sandy ran and ran and ran (again) to keep the rallies going and Nigel couldn’t quite match the pace, while Maria is another rapid improver, taking one game off Tash, who lifted her game and put three on the board, and Sandy had another go this time with Jenni, who couldn’t get her lobs and serves going well enough with ‘Lightning’ tracking down every single ball and returning it with interest.
 

Round 7

Warren found that Chris’ current form isn’t all talk, not getting a look in at all, Sandy did all his usual running everywhere around the court but like many before him found that Pete can dig very deep when he has to, especially when there's a revenge motive in there, and Olive had way too many guns for Kirsty.

Doldie’s back on court, and had a huge battle with Pat with nobody ahead when the bell rang for time, Elke showed that he’s another well in form, holding out Laurence 3-1, Brendan caused a bit of an upset when Rebecca couldn’t even get one game, while Tash and Jane were also locked at 2-2 when their time was up.

Paul turned giant-killer for the night, ending a super run of wins that Wayne had fashioned, Bill made Sandy work hard in a close 2-1 battle, Corey has yet to learn how to handle Jenni’s horrible serves and lobs (but he’s getting closer), while Robbie’s improving record went on hold for a bit when Greg dished up a 4-zip hiding.

Billy would be well pleased to record a hard-earned win over Nathan, Corey was back on court but didn’t have the answers to Mitchell’s strong game, while Linda and Marie produced an absorbing struggle – when the scoreline reads 1-1 at the end you know there’s been some awfully long rallies in there somewhere.

Jock continues to pound away at the top guys but can’t quite knock them over (yet), this time Micky had the job of keeping him under control and did so 3-1, Nigel and Bruce also went the 1-1 way in an intense clash, Robbie took a game off Carmen, but she had 3 in the bank at the end, but he finally scored a win for the week when he got past Maria 2-1.
 

Round 5

Chris didn’t want to upset his formline so he sent Nick in to bat against Wayne, but the result stayed the same, Pete threw everything he had at Sandy, but it wasn’t enough to stop ‘Lightning’ haring around the court and picking up a 2-1 win, when Kirsty and Jenni came off the court you’d think they had gone ten rounds, but it was actually the result of many a long rally, with Jenni doing best – just.

Billy got his revenge after losing to Steve a few weeks ago (but it wasn’t easy), Laurence played a much-improved game this week but still couldn’t match Sandy’s court speed, while Rebecca had her chances but Marie’s shot selection was too good on the night. Pat was in top form, knocking over Mick in straight sets, Sandy’s run of wins came to an end at Elke’s hands, and Jane and Maria battled it out with Jane emerging the victor.

Jock and Warren had their own high-powered battle, and Jock still can’t quite take that one, despite being a couple of points higher on the grading list, after an early setback Bruce came roaring back and swamped Jordie 4-1, Carmen and Olive and three close games which all went Olive’s way before she ran away with it at the end, and Robbie’s on-going attempts to beat Chrissie had another chapter, and he’s definitely getting closer to his goal.

Nathan and Paul hit the ball to each other a lot in the first game, but it was Paul who tightened up his game first and went on to take the spoils, Corey tried everything he knew, but Linda knew a lot more and consequently won 4-0, and Chrissie and Robbie had another round, with the same old result.  

Round 4

First-up: who's got Robbie's rackets?? They were left in the changing room on Monday night, and 'disappeared' sometime Tuesday. Whoever kindly picked them up as a security-conscious favour could perhaps pop them in to Robbie at Robbie's Undercar Specialists, or just leave them at the courts next time they are out.

In this week's action, Warren had another shot at Wayne but like most other folks can’t get past that consistent accuracy, Sandy was always just a couple of steps in front of Laurence, winning 3-0, Jenni had to be at the top of her game to beat Rebecca in a thriller, while Greg proved he is still a bit too strong for Tash, on the court at least.

Chris’ winning streak came to a sudden halt when Paul found his own form and dished up a 4-0 lesson, Pete was also in no-mercy mood, as Bill found out, Kirsty and Corey fought to the end and were locked at 2-2 when the buzzer went, then Kirsty had another go, running all over the court to put Robbie away 3-1.

Mick was another to find that Wayne has still got it, going down 0-3, Nigel had to work overtime to knock over new dad Mitchell 2-1, Robbie found that Linda had a truckload of experience to call on when she had him covered in every aspect, and Chrissie was too strong for Maria, winning in straight sets.

Billy and Jock went toe to toe in a high-energy battle, Billy edging Jock 2-1, Steve couldn’t find a way to get a game off Bruce, Carmen started brilliantly but faded to let Marie finish strongly and force a draw, Paul lost to Robbie, but is already showing big signs of improvement.

Warren and Pat wore identical shirts to try and confuse the umpires, Jordie didn’t have a clue how to handle Elke, Olive took a long time to get into her match with Brendon, apparently trying to put a dent in Big Ed’s Sebco signage, but came back to salvage a draw, and Steve had to run a lot more than he wanted to, to beat Jane 2-0.

Round Three

Rebecca and Corey started off this round with a battle that went down to the wire, with the bell beating both of them with the score at 2-2, Bill just had enough in the skills department to keep Laurence at bay, Robbie had one of his better games to get the better of Tash, while Doldie and Paul produced the second draw of the night.

Chris continues to find the summer format to his liking, keeping Nathan right off the scoreboard, Bruce also dished up a 4-0 scoreline, over Mitchell, Linda’s experience was the key to holding a 2-1 advantage over Kirsty at the end of proceedings, while Louise did better than the scoreline suggests in her loss to Chrissie.

Billy formed a relationship with the tin in his battle with Pat that cost him dearly, Pat going on to win 3-1, Steve came back from 0-2 down to snatch a draw with Elke, Brendan is finally showing a return to form and it was at Marie’s expense, and new boy Paul found that if you hit the ball back to Tash she will always make you pay.

Micky came back from a weekend of running over mountains and things to hold out Warren 2-1, Nigel forced Sandy into a whole bunch of errors and took out their match 2-1, Robbie had no answer to Olive’s all-round game, and Chrissie had her work cut out chasing Kaylene’s shots all around the court.

Jock ran and ran and ran but it wasn’t enough to counter Wayne’s pinpoint accuracy, Sandy came back from his earlier defeat and showed some pinpoint accuracy of his own with some superb down-the-wall play to knock over Bruce in straight games, Carmen took one game off Jenni but gave up three, while Greg had Robbie well covered and the 3-0 scoreline could have been higher.
 

Round 2

Round two of the post-Christmas competition kicked off with Chris continuing his fine run of form, this time it was Warren on the receiving end; Pete Blacklow keeps on keeping on, to Nigel’s detriment, Robbie usually has an even game with Kirsty but couldn’t get near her this time round, while Maria was too strong for Louise.

Nathan was on his best form to put four games on Doldie, Rebecca also had her A game on show, comprehensively putting Linda away, and Tash had one of her better games as well, beating Chrissie in a big five-setter.

Wayne wasn’t giving anything away to Pat, winning 4-1, Sandy and Elke had a huge battle, with Sandy leading when the bell rang, Greg and Jane had an even game with plenty of rallies, Greg winning 2-0.

Jock caused probably the upset of the week, taking out Paul 2-1, Bruce didn’t let Bill anywhere near the scoreboard in five games, Carmen and Corey fought out a game of about six halves, and in the end both had to settle for a draw, and Chrissie had her work cut out as Jenni was in fine form, Jennie winning in straight sets.

Billy found that old people can still play a bit, losing to Steve 1-2, Mick took Jordie a little lightly and very nearly paid the price, salvaging a draw, Marie took on Jordie and they also produced a draw, while new boy Paul Rounthwaite learnt some good lessons from having a bout with Sandy.  

Round one, February 2010

Christmas has come and gone; even January seems to have disappeared and NOBODY can tell me where that's gone, so its no surprise that squash is back up and running for the year. The first week would probably have brought on some aches and pains for those who haven't been frequenting the courts, but I'm sure that will all change, and supreme fitness will once again be in evidence all over the courts (yeah, right).

In matches from the first round of the year, Wayne showed that he's not slowing down at all, putting four games on Warren, Sandy had no intention of being beaten by Jordie and duly kept a clean sheet, Jenny and Olive fought to the end but neither could gain the advantage, first draw of the night, while Greg showed he has improved to beat Chrissy 3-0.

Doldie couldn't muster up enough weird shots to keep out Chris, who won 3-1 in the end, Rebecca took advantage of the fact that Kirsty's sporting focus is on bicycling to take out their match, Micky and Billy played like fitness fanatics to produce lots of long rallies, with Mick prevailing 2-0, Nigel tried and tried but Kaylene's experience showed through at the end, Robbie talked and talked but couldn't talk Marie out of winning, and Maria and Paul had a fine battle at the bottom of the order, Maria edging a 3-2 victory.

Jock tried everything he knew, but it wasn't enough to knock over Nathan, Bruce overpowered Mitchell 4-0, Carmen and Linda went right down to the wire, a 2-2 result a fair indication of their equal skills, and Chrissie just managed to keep Robbie out.

Paul caught Pat on a bad day and dished up a 5-0 beating, Bill must still be in recovery mode after last year's on-court mishap, letting Elke get right away on him, Corey had too many guns for Brendan, while in the surprise result of the night Robbie's game deserted him as Jane took him on and took the match 3-zip.
 

Round 9

Micky had his hands full when he took on Warren in the first game of the round this week; Warren threw everything into it, but found Micky just a little bit too tough, Olive always had Jordie’s number, a good victory for her, while it was the opposite for Robbie, who was chasing Kirsty all over the court all night but couldn’t quite catch her.

Paul and Wayne had a huge, and high-scoring, battle, Wayne beating the buzzer to score a 3-2 win, Sandy had it all over Brendan, who is overdue to get back to his best form, Rebecca is already back to hers, giving Di no chances in a 4-zip beating. Nathan had to be on his best behaviour to keep out Billy, Mitchell and Quinton usually go right down to the wire but on this occasion Quinton brought his A game along and won 3-0, Linda and Marie battled away at each other until full-time, with Marie on the right side of the ledger at the end. Wayne found Pat on one of his off days and took full advantage, putting 5 games on him, Greg found that Kaylene’s barrowload of experience was too much to overcome, while Tash found all her shots were winners when beating Jane.

Chris O’Reilly filled in for Nick and came away with the chocolates, beating Doldie in a remarkable 1-0 result, must have been some serious rallies going on there! Elke and Laurence engaged in battle for half an hour but neither could beat down the other’s defences, all square at full time, and Maria was getting some good shots in but not enough to get near Chrissie, who was too good on the night.

Chris climbed in the ring for another round, this time having to counter Jock’s high-energy game, which he did – just. Jordie met Bruce again, but ended up with the same result as a few weeks ago (4-zip).



Round seven

Sandy had Greg covered all over the court in the first match of this week’s round, while Micky was well aware of all of Doldie’s tricks, and had the speed to pick up even the weirdest of shots; Laurence put four games on Olive despite her best efforts, and Chrissie wasn’t going to let Robbie score an upset no matter how much he talked it up on court.

Nick again had the edge on Chris in the battle of the bobbies, Pete again had to dig deep but found enough to keep out an energetic display from Eelke, and Carmen had way too many guns for Maria.

On Wednesday night Wayne led the way for his team by keeping Warren scoreless, Brendan couldn’t emulate most people and give Jordie a hiding, going down 1-3, and Jenni and Carmen fought out three very long games with Jenni taking the honours 15-14, 13-15, 15-13.

Jock scored a notable victory over Nathan, a good scalp for him, Mitchell couldn’t handle the experience Bruce brought to the court, while Linda and Kelly had a good battle, with Linda winning 3-1, Quinton had his work cut out to hold off Corey, who was charging at the end and was only beaten by the buzzer, and Marie dominated the court in her match with Jane.  

Chris O’Reilly kicked off the round with a hard-fought victory over Billy, while Sandy also had to pull out all the stops to keep Kurt out (also in five), but Quinton had no such issues, proving much too strong for Marie.

Warren didn’t have too much trouble either when he met Brendon, but Di clashed with Kirsty, who last week frittered away a 2-0 lead and wasn’t going to do the same this time round, and won in a long five.

Cory continued his ongoing battle with Chrissie, this time coming out on the right side of the ledger, and of course they went to five, Pete Blacklow found that Sandy had been playing enough to get into some form, while Wayne found some form of his own to beat Pat 3-1.

Glen and the newly-shorn Ginga went at it for hours, with both looking somewhat exhausted at 2-2, but Phil carrying that little bit less weight must have been enough to tip the balance in his favour, Jenny and Linda also went the long long way home, also both looking a little the worse for wear at 2-2, but it was Jenny who found some extra reserves to take out the fifth.

Pete Leonard started like a rocket in his clash with Nick, but Nick won the fifth game 9-0, Pam couldn’t handle Doldie’s weird shots, and David took one game off a rusty Steve.

Paul hasn’t been in the flashest form recently, but brought along his A game on Wednesday and gave John McDonnell the biggest fright of the season, only going down after a massive five-set challenge.

Mitchell and Quinton are another duo to have established an ongoing rivalry, and while Quinton looks stronger Mitch keeps producing the better shots, and produced enough of them to win on the night.

He almost blew it in the next match when he filled in and played Biddy, who won the first two games 10-8 10-8 and made it to 6 points in the third before he woke up and realised he was on the verge of the biggest upset of the year, and took the last three games.

Round 1 (again)

 After the dramas of the club champs have all settled down, its back for another round of winter league, before Christmas rushes up on us again. Some folks were ready for action again, and some maybe weren’t quite so ready. Billy was ready, knocking over Warren in straight sets, while Nigel had to work very hard to subdue Kurt’s energetic game, and Marie had too many shots for Di, winning in four.

 Pistol Pete Leonard maintained his spot in the top five with a hard-fought five-set win over Nathan, Kirsty was in full control and had a two-set advantage over David – but blew it and lost in five, while Wayne, who had been slipping down the ladder, has charged back with a four-set win over Mick. Bill Bullock and Pete Blacklow battled for five sets with Bill edging home, and Jordie was the big mover on the ladder, coming out the winner of a big five with Jon Bond. Bondy! What were you thinking!!

 It was another round of five setters, with Pat and Glen going the distance as well, Nigel navigated his way successfully around Big Ed, but Robbie couldn’t handle Jenny’s big lobs and serves and crashed in three.

 Kurt and Mitchell also took the long way home, with Kurt running out the victor, in a repeat of the club champs final John still had the wood on Phil, in a battle of the Irish O’Reilly beat O’Grady, Quinton has moved up to number three but was still too strong, beating Linda in straight sets, while Biddy was too strong for Jane in the final match of the round.

Club Championships 2009

Winter league 2009

Week 5

Tournament form proved to be good form for the winter league this week, with Nick Marshall easily accounting for Roger Lassen, Jock O'Connor having too much power for Ed Harrison, Phil Hurley beating Mick Hooper in three, Greta Jemmett scoring in four sets over Marie Kennedy, and Chris O'Reilly topping them all with a big win over Pat Summerfield, which gave him a big nudge up the ladder.
Kirsty Graham and Carmen Thompson had an even tussle with Kirsty winning 3-1, Brendon Sheehan was too strong for Jesse, but Jesse is improving and that result could be reversed before too long, Jenny Ryk's lobs and serves were too hot to handle for Di Ness, and Bill Bullock would be very happy to beat Kaylene Donaldson in straight sets.
Kurt Jemmett was too fast around the court for Linda Bullock, Billy Nolan gave of his best but was hopelessly outclassed by John McDonnell, Mark O'Grady dished up a 3-0 hiding for Jordie, and Bruce Moore was another coming off tournament play to score a good win, over 'Lightning' Sandy Richardson.
Game of the round was Jon Bond and Lawrence McCormick, with both players producing excellent shots and some superb running, but Bondy came out the winner in a marathon five-setter.

Week 4

Billy Nolan has been thrown in the deep end playing No. 1 this year, but is visibly improving, this week giving Nick Marshall a good game, Jordie would have been rapt to get a game off Stratty, while Marie Kennedy was in good form to beat Carmen Thompson and Chrissie provided the upset of the round, sneaking up (unfairly) on Steve Devereux and nailing the big points.
Ed Harrison won the battle of the big guys with Mark O'Grady, Tarsh McKenzie and Biddy Sheehan had a good battle with Biddy finishing stronger in the fifth set, Nathan Wall hard to work hard to keep Chris O'Reilly out in five, and Paul Cousins only gave up one game against Wayne, which would keep him happy!
Bondy brought out all his best drop shots to deny an enthusiastic Quinton a game, Glen Ralston and Pistol Pete fought out a long five, Jock was too strong all over the court for Pam, and Karina McKenzie scored a win over Brenda Kerr.
The best came last with three five-setters out of four matches as Bruce Moore's team narrowly downed Micky's outfit 10-8. Pat had match point in the third set but just couldn't finish it, and Micky came back to win in five, in a huge family affair Kurt and Greta Jemmett battled and battled each other to a long five, with Kurt more than happy to emerge the victor, while David McCormick ran out of petrol against Brendon Sheehan after playing one match already, and that one finished in a long five too. 

Week 3

Another round in which a volatile ladder again saw many changes, a good thing!
Sandy Richardson moved up several places with a good win over Bill Bullock, Warren McKenzie did the same when he beat Kaylene Donaldson in four sets. Quinton Parish scored a big win over LeeAnn Hart in a desperately-even five-setter, while Phil Hurley finally managed to beat Wayne Robertson in three, a rare event indeed.
Carmen Thompson had two tough games and lasted well to win both, and Marie Kennedy also made a big ladder move when she beat Kirsty Graham in straight sets.
Jon Bond had to bring out his best game to overcome Linda Bullock in five, Greta Jemmett just managed to hold out a late charge from the rapidly-improving David McCormick, while the best game of the round would have been the battle between Pam Feutz and Mark O'Grady, both players having their turns at dominating the court but neither being quite able to break away. Pam finally scored the winning points in a thriller of a five-setter. 

Week 2

Newbie No. 1 Billy Nolan very nearly scored an upset victory this week, Chris O'Reilly had to dig deep to keep him out in a marathon five; Alex Ferguson had the legs on Marie Kennedy, winning in four sets, while Chrissie Stratford beat Quinton Parrish in three, despite Quinton's somewhat 'athletic' efforts.
Di Ness and Kirsty Graham produced an excellent and very even battle, with Di prevailing in four, Tash McKenzie lifted her game immensely to score a good win over Jesse Sheehan, and Warren McKenzie registered a win and a loss, beating Roger Lassen 3-1 but not being able to match Nathan Wall's skills, going down in straight sets in that one.
Good to see Nigel Tew back on court, though he still can't manage to beat his nemesis Bruce Moore, Jon Bond had to work hard to counter the speed around the court of Kurt Jemmett, while Cory Ashworth did well to get a game off Brendan Sheehan.
Nick Marshall and Pistol Pete Leonard played out an odd match, Nick winning the first at a canter, then Pete had a turn doing exactly the same in the second, one more game each and then the serious business in the fifth, with Nick coming out the victor. Pete suggested that a huge roast meal before a match wasn't really the best idea, while Stratty pointed out that playing with a double yellow makes a huge difference to how people play the game! All the double yellows have now been suitably hidden away. Stratty had his own problems, with Pam Feutz getting two games off him, while Carmen Thompson beat a very rusty David McCormick in three, and Karina McKenzie will find herself not at all where she might expect to be on the ladder after beating Chrissie in three sets (all due to a rogue result at the end of last season).
Glen Ralston and Pat Summerfield had a topsy-turvy five-setter, Glen looked to have it all over Pat early, but anybody who has played Pat is aware he's not in the habit of giving it away and Glen had to pull out all the stops to win in the fifth. Jock O'Connor generously let Steve Devereux win one game, Jenny Ryk had a huge opportunity to pull off a major upset over Bill Bullock but couldn't quite get there in the fifth, and Brenda Kerr beat Jane McCormick in the battle of the newcomers.
Paul Cousins was knocked off the top perch by John McDonnell in four, Mark O'Grady showed he was right back into it by beating Laurence McCormick in four, Mitchell McLauchlan very nearly gained another big scalp by taking Greta Jemmett to five, while Biddy Sheehan was too good for Emily O'Connell.

Week 1

Kicked off this week (April 27), with some new faces (and some old ones returning) showing up to do battle on the courts.
John McDonnell, famous for interrupting Stratty's incredible run of club championships some years back, showed he will be right up in the top five when he beat Phil Hurley in a super five-setter, while Jordy found out that moving up a spot means getting a beating occasionally (this time from Sandy), although no doubt Jordy is talking up a moral victory in there somewhere.
Roger Lassen and Pam Feutz both return to the court, with Roger proving far stronger on the night, while Robbie Kok also found its tough to move up, with Jenny Ryk showing him the art of really nasty serves and lobs. Linda Bullock showed that experience can counter the enthusiasm and speed of youth, beating Kurt Jemmett 3-1, and Dave McCormick showed he's definitely not a number four!
Paul Cousins had the wood on Warren McKenzie, another to move up a spot, but it won't be long before Warren is giving some of the number one's a bit of a nudge, while Glen Ralston and Pat Summerfield fought out a huge five-setter, Glen taking the decider. Current club champ Wayne Robertson and Mick Hooper produced yet another five-set marathon, and if all the top guys remain off the injured list and in form through the season, the club champs are going to be a bookies' nightmare. Great stuff!

Club Background

The Celtic Squash Club was formed in 1978, after a progressive group from within the rugby club decided that a squash court would enhance fitness in the rugby players ranks. The single court notion was quickly upgraded to two courts after support for the idea gained momentum, and a meeting at the clubrooms on May 8 1978, chaired by Mr Don Summerfield, saw the first club committee voted in.

John Davidson was the inaugural club president, with Alan Davidson the first secretary/treasurer, with the committee consisting of Cyril Cousins, Stephen Devereux, Ian Dolden, Barrie Gilligan, Barry Hansen, Barry McCloy, Heather McLaren, Gerald Small, Lyn Small, Jim Small, Kay Walsh and Bruce Whelan.

Mr Cousins explained the proposed arrangements for the club, which would see the courts opening on Queens Birthday weekend. Subscriptions would be $15 until the first Annual General Meeting. The first club championship tournament saw Murray Arnst emerge as men's champion, Lyn Small was ladies champ, Jane Stratford junior girls and Shayne Jones junior boys champs.

It was apparent early on that the changing room facilities, built to support one court, had to go, and subsequently a major revamp of the downstairs layout took place, and it must have been a good job because that's how it looks today. When the courts first opened, the upstairs area was completely bare, and various building committees over the years added the bar, the seating gallery and furniture, carpets and drapes, with various fundraising activities helping the cause, such as the 50c raffle with a squash racket as the prize, which raised a mammoth $80.

The entry fee for the first tournament was $1.00.

After years of being known in local squash circles as 'the dungeon', the club finally splashed out and in 2003 installed an air-conditioning system, which heats the courts and the upstairs area in winter, and keeps the place cool for those who want to sweat it out in the summer months.

There is only one annual tournament held at the club now, a far cry from the years when at least three would be conducted, and entries would have to be balloted despite every court in town being utilised. The honours board has seen some interesting developments over the years, with Gary Stratford winning the men's championship in 1981, and holding the title for a staggering 21 years, except for 1995 when young John McDonnell produced the game of his life to take the honours that year.

Jane Stratford, after holding the junior girls title for five years, moved up to have her name in the ladies column for six years, while in recent times Kaylene Donaldson has won the ladies title eight out of the last ten years.

Ian Dolden held the post of secretary for eleven consecutive years, an admirable contribution to the club. The current honours board reads: President Steve Devereux, Secretary Kaylene Donaldson, Treasurer Mick Hooper.

2010 Honours:

Men's Champion:

John McDonnell

Ladies Champion:

Jenni Ryk

Junior Boys Champion:

Kurt Jemmett.

Squash Results

The weekly Ashburton Celtic squash results are displayed on AshburtonOnline.co.nz.  

Location

The Celtic Squash Club is situated on Keenans Road, Ashburton.

New Players and Members

We welcome any inquiries from anyone considering playing or wishing for their children to play squash. Call Kaylene Donaldson on 302-3091 or Mick Hooper on 308-8528. 

Sponsors

We are very lucky to have very loyal and supportive sponsors, including Pat Summerfield Electrical, Blacklows Tradezone, RX Plastics, Twelve Wine Bar and Tapas, Harvey Norman, Benchmark Homes, and Robbies, whom without their help we couldn't continue.