The fourth annual Festival of Squash hosted by the GB
Vets was held at the RAC, Woodcote Park, Epsom on Sunday
6th. November. The early start to the day did not seem to
blunt any of the competitive spirit as the forty players
from the RAC, GB Vets, the Army and the Escorts, began
arriving shortly at 9.30 a.m. Each side fielded four
singles and six doubles players.
Andy Normile, Darren Withey, Nick Sheppard and Phil
Ayton represented the GB Vets in the singles; our
representatives in the doubles were Robert Smith and Karen
Hume, Nigel Belle and Roger Sulley with Lance Kinder,
playing with two different partners!
Andy and David won all their three matches each scoring
12 points, while Phil had two wins and scored 10 points..
The results in the doubles were less successful although
all the matches were very close and hard fought. Nigel and
Roger picked up a creditable 5 points with both struggling
with injuries, while Robert and Karen accumulated 8 points
with Karen picking up another 4 points with Lance!
Overall, the Army team did just enough to retain the
trophy for the third year in succession, with a total of
59 points against the GB Vets score of 52 points. A
much-improved performance from the host RAC team saw them
finish in third place with 48 points with The Escorts in
fourth.
Shortly after the final matches finished, beer, wine
and hot canapés were served for both players and guests,
courtesy of the GB Vets. Finally, the GB Vets Chairman,
Tom Hendry, thanked James Dubois and the RAC for their
generosity in making it possible for the event to take
place in such fine surroundings. Tom then thanked Jane
Belle and Jacqui Kinder for their hard work orchestrating
the matches for the four courts throughout the day, and
his wife Di (now our Treasurer) for all her help in
putting together the playing program in the days running
up to the event. He also thanked all the team captains for
assembling their players and congratulated everyone for
both turning out and exemplifying the spirit of the day,
that “ it matters not who won or lost, but how you played
the game”! The 2016 Festival of Squash Trophy was then
presented to the Army’s captain Phil Ashman who thanked
his players, opponents and the organisers.
This splendid event, which was devised in 2013 to
celebrate the GB Vets 50th anniversary, has now become a
firm fixture in the calendar. See you all in 2017!
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