The Veterans Squash Rackets Club of Great Britain


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FESTIVAL of SQUASH 2016


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!