12 May 2007 Peter Kramer Cup Final Results
There was a full crowd at Hallamshire to watch the Peter Kramer Cup Finals. Marion Kramer presented the trophies then everybody retired to the bar to feast on the buffet. Congratulations to the winners, results are as follows.
Open A - Hallamshire 1 beat Fulwood 1 ..3-1
Open B - Doncaster 3 beat Fulwood 2 ..3-1
Ladies - Hallamshire beat Abbeydale ..3-0
Vets - Barnsley beat Worksop ..2-2 (119-112)
18 Apr 2007 Isle of Man Squash Weekend
Hallamshire are organising a squash weekend away to a 'blitz' tournament in the Isle of Man on 27-30 April 2007. Due to injury there are currently two spare places. These places are available at a discounted rate since deposits have already been paid. The cost is £108 which includes minibus to/from the dock, the ferry crossing and two nights accomodation. Note: This trip is more of a boys/lads weekend away than a serious squash tournament. Players of almost any standard are welcome, however county players are discouraged. Last year most players were mid club standard and the sun was shining. Our time was divided between squash, pubs, bars, clubs, the beach, golf and pubs. More details about the event can be found here. If you are interested or want more information please call: Tom Jackson 07815 735 434 or Kevin Dudley 07973 327 836.
16 Apr 2007 Peter Kramer Cup Finals
The Peter Kramer Cup Finals will be held at Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club on 29 April 2007.
Matches will commence at 2pm. The order of play is as follows: Vets and Women will play first, followed by the A and B events. Following the presentation there will be a buffet for all players.
16 Apr 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
10 Apr 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
4 Apr 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
29 Mar 2007 Peter Kramer Cup Update
The final fixtures for the Peter Kramer Cup are now available. Date, time and venue will be announced shortly.
28 Mar 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
17 Mar 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
11 Mar 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
5 Mar 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
23 Feb 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
17 Feb 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
14 Feb 2007 North of England Racketball Championships at Hallamshire
How about a change of sport for the weekend? Hallamshire are hosting the North of England Racketball Championships on the weekend of 24th/25th March 2007. An entry form can be downloaded here.
14 Feb 2007 Lee Beachill and James Willstrop to 'play' at Hallamshire
The band "Lost for Words" formed by ex-Simply Red drummer Sylvan Richardson will play (music) at Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club on Saturday 24th March 2007. They have played at numerous Squash clubs around the country including the English Open at the Crucible Theatre last year and will appear at the National Squash Championships on semi-final night (Saturday) this year in Manchester. Tickets are £12.50 and go on sale this week, they are available from Hallamshire Reception 0114 2662153 or e-mail hallamts@aol.com to order. Everybody welcome.
14 Feb 2007 Advertise your club events here!
If you want the Sheffield and District Squash community to know what's happening at your club then email the webmaster with your news. This could be: notification of a tournament, maybe a match report or even a social event. However, please keep the articles related to squash in some way.
14 Feb 2007 Download Page Added
There is now a download page. This will be the home various league forms, such as the score-card.
14 Feb 2007 Peter Kramer Cup Update
I've chased up the results for the Peter Kramer cup and we now have draws for the Semi-Finals! Arrange your matches NOW and if you are the away team why not give the home team a nudge? This way more matches will get played. Because this update was a little late, I'll allow some extra time for the matches to be completed. However please be prompt.
14 Feb 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
4 Feb 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
28 Jan 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
21 Jan 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
13 Jan 2007 Officals Information Updated
The Officials information page has been updated.
13 Jan 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
10 Jan 2007 Peter Kramer Cup Update
The draws for the Peter Kramer Cup have been updated. Arrange your matches NOW!
3 Jan 2007 Peter Kramer Cup Update
The draws for the Peter Kramer Cup have been updated. Now is a good time to arrange your matches. The Open 'A' and 'B' draws are due to played in the week commencing 22nd January. The Vets and Ladies draws are due to be played in the week commencing 29th January. Club reps have been contacted regarding the missing results. I'm waiting for return calls before making a firm decision, however this decision will be made by the end of the week.
3 Jan 2007 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
3 Jan 2007 British Junior Open in Sheffield
Happy New Year from the Sheffield and District Squash League.
This week Abbeydale and Hallamshire Clubs are hosting the British Junior Open. Why not call in to support our best young talent in the game. More details here.
16 Dec 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
11 Dec 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
19 Nov 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
11 Nov 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
5 Nov 2006 More Peter Kramer Cup Information
One item that was omitted from the rules was the division of costs. Costs for Cup fixtures should be split evenly. The rules have been updated to include this.
5 Nov 2006 Birley Contact Details Updated
Contact details for Birley Squash Club are now up to date. If your contact details are incorrect, please let me know. webmaster@sdsquash.org.uk
4 Nov 2006 Peter Kramer Cup Information
A reminder to all club reps and captains that the first round of matches for the Peter Kramer Cup Fixtures for most draws are approaching. Matches need to be played during the week commencing 20th November for 'A' and 'B' draws, and the week commencing 27th November for the Vets draw. If you have yet to arrange the match, maybe now is a good time to give the other club a call. It would also be useful if club reps could let me know their fixture dates. The rules for the cup are now online here. I have no doubt that they are not entirely watertight, but please bare in mind why this tournament was conceived and that Peter's wish would be fair play at all times. No ringers please!!!
4 Nov 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
Result Correction: Division 4 Oct 17 Brampton Manor 2 v Abbeydale 4 now reads correctly as 3-16 (was 16-3).
28 Oct 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
21 Oct 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
15 Oct 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
7 Oct 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
30 Sep 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
3 Sep 2006 Fixtures Confirmed
The fixtures for the 2006-07 season are now confirmed. In the month that the provisional list has been online there has been no feedback from any clubs. So it is has been assumed that the list is accurate. Please refer to the list online for official dates. For example, please do not assume that your list from the fixtures meeting is accurate. Hard copies will be sent to clubs shortly.
Additionally Bircotes Leisure Centre has entered a team in Division 4. However their fixtures have yet to arrive. A note will be posted here when this happens.
28 Jul 2006 English Open Competition Winner
Congratulation to Graham Burdis from Adwick who was first to answer the question 'Who won the 2005 English Open?' The answer was of course 'Peter Nicol'. Tickets for the qualifying at Hallamshire are on their way.
28 Jul 2006 Provisional Fixtures Available
Provisional Fixtures for the 2006-07 season are now available. Now is the time for Clubs Reps to spot any mistakes or fix any internal clashes and let me know. Alterations will not be allowed once the season starts.
This season also sees the inaugral Peter Kramer Cup. The cup is, of course, in memory of Peter Kramer and recognises the huge amount of work that he did for the Sheffield and District Squash League. There will actually be several cups, fought for at the various levels within our League. The draws for the cup are also available on the fixtures page. Rules will follow.
20 Jul 2006 English Open Competition
Tickets for the English Open Qualifying at Hallamshire are available from Hallamshire Reception (0114 266 2153). Reserved seating is a fiver, standing is three quid. For a chance to win tickets for the qualifying rounds at Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club answer the following question...
Who won the 2005 English Open?
Send you answer to: webmaster@sdsquash.org.uk
20 Jul 2006 English Open
The 2006 English Open Squash Championship is almost upon us. Qualifying is at Hallamshire and Abbeydale Clubs on Sunday 13th and Monday 14th August 2006. The main draw is at the Crucible Theatre from Tuesday 15th August - Saturday 19th August 2006. Tickets for qualifying are available at the respective clubs. For play at the Crucible you need their ticket hotline; which is: 0114 2496000.
19 Jul 2006 2006-07 Season Update
Fixtures for next season are nearly ready...did you notice it was warm today?
31 May 2006 AGM Reminder
A reminder to all Clup Reps regarding the letter sent 9th May 2006.
To confirm entry, addition and withdrawal of teams to Marting Roberts by TODAY.
The Annual General Meeting is to be held at FULWOOD SQUASH CLUB on Wednesday 14 June 2006 at 7:30pm.
It is intended to ressurect the Fixtures Meeting. Subject to approval at the AGM, a fixtures meeting has been penciled in for Wednesday 28 June 2006 at 7:30pm
Clubs expressing an interest in entering teams in a Racketball League should contact Martin Roberts ASAP for more information.
The club would like to track down any trophies, plesae return any trophies to Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club:
Hedley Matthew
Hallam Sports
Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club
Hunters Bar
SHEFFIELD
S11 8TA
Apologies for the lack of updates over the last few weeks. With no result cards coming in, it kind of slipped my mind.
22 Apr 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date. These are provisionally the final tables. I state provisionally because there are a few outstanding results and cards do keep trickling in. For the sake of completeness please can club reps chase up any outstanding cards for me. Congratulations to the following teams for winning their respective divisions.
As is normal practice promotions and relegations will be confirmed at the AGM. The date for the AGM will be set in the next couple of weeks when the committee meets informally. I will post up any news to report after the meeting.
9 Apr 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
2 Apr 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
25 Mar 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
Result Correction: Vets Mar 12 Hallamshire v Barnsley 1 now reads correctly as 5-13 (was 13-5). Two people spotted this, thanks to Martin at Barnsley and whoever sent the anonymous text message.
I've found a (crude) workaround for the problem where Barnsley Metro results were included on the Barnsley results by club report.
20 Mar 2006 Two new ways to view Results and Tables
There are two new ways to view Results and Tables. Its now possible to view results by Club. This is useful for checking and printing your own clubs results. The formatting is not quite perfect, for example if your club does not have a team in a division, that division is still displayed. Also because of a software limitation, the Barnsley Club Results also include those of Barnsley Metro, apologies for this. I'll try to implement a workaround. But for now you can use the second way of viewing results which is to download the results as a spreadsheet. This allows editing/reformating before printing...also useful to reduce the number of pages. Look out for the [xls] links on the main menu and the fixtures and results menu
20 Mar 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date. Apologies for the delay this time, i've been away.
4 Mar 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
Result Correction: Division 1 Jan 23 Phoenix 1 v Barnsley 1 now reads correctly as 1-16 (was 16-1), thanks to Ian...a very honest Phoenix first team captain!.
I do endeavour to keep accruate results. But mistakes can easily be made when trudging through a large pile of cards, especially on Saturday mornings! It's a great help if captains and club reps can check their own results and let me know.
25 Feb 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
18 Feb 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
Result Correction: Division 1 Jan 9 Brampton Manor v Doncaster now reads correctly as 5-13 (was 13-5), thanks Martin.
13 Feb 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date. The league tables now have all the information that they used to. The home date for Doncaster 2 (Division 2) was incorrect at the beginning of the season. Fixtures have now been altered to reflect this. Worksop start times updated on their club page, thanks George.
I've had a few reports that the link to the new URL does not work properly. It should now. Tested in Internet Explorer and Firefox. Try it here.http://www.sdsquash.org.uk
4 Feb 2006 Design a Logo Competition
Not really a competition (maybe i could rustle up a small prize) If any budding artists out there fancy a crack at designing a logo for the website. Send 'em in to webmaster@sdsquash.org.uk
4 Feb 2006 Bargain Jolly to the Nationals
Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club are running a coach trip to the National Squash Championships in Manchester.
The blurb goes: Fantastic Offer, Saturday 11th February 2006, National Championships Semi-Finals Day. Watch the Mens and Ladies Semi-Finals at the National Squash Centre, Manchester. Plus a night of Live Music within the Arena. A coach will leave Hallamshire at 10:30am and return from Manchester at 10:30pm (ish)...and all that for only a TENNER! If you are intersted send your money to Hedley Matthew at Hallamshire by Wednesday 8th February at the latest.
Hedley Matthew
Hallam Sports
Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club
Hunters Bar
SHEFFIELD
S11 8TA
Phone: 07768 088 157
4 Feb 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are up to date.
I've resolved one of the mysteries (see News 30 Jan 2006) Apologies to Phoenix 4 for leaving them out of Divsion 4 League Table, thanks Jamie for pointing that out. There was an error Vets Division, 25 November Maltings v Adwick should read 6-11 (not 11-6). The card has been checked and the score altered, thanks Dennis.
30 Jan 2006 Results and League Tables Updated
Results and League Tables are now up to date. There are however, a few issues...
Around 50% of results cards were filled in incorrectly. This really does slow down input. The biggest problem being the ommision of division (top right of card) Captains, please be careful when filling out the cards.
It seemed important that the results and tables were updated as soon as possible, therfore:
Results Cards have not been checked for integrity. That is, the result has been entered as it reads. No checking of arithmetic or play order has been performed yet. If you think that a result is incorrect, contact me.
Currently I only have results cards for fixtures after the website update on 1 December 2005. Prior to that the results are copied from that update. Consequently there are a few mysteries (detailed below). I will be able to obtain the cards eventually. For now, it would useful if club reps would fill in the gaps.
Mysteries
Ladies, October 11, Killamarsh v Hallamshire 1....Missing Card
Div 4, November 7, Phoenix 4 v Birley 4......Unusual Score (3/1)
Div 4, November 13, Hallamshire 4 v Birley 5.......Missing Card
Ladies, November 15, Killamarsh v Maltings.....Missing Card
Vets, November 19, Worksop Crt v Maltings.....Missing Card
Ladies, December, Killamarsh v Doncaster.......Missing Card
Vets, January 16, Birley 1 v Worksop Crt.....Date does not match fixture on card
You will notice that the league tables do not contain the same information as they used to. Namely Wins and Losses are not displayed. I hope to rectify this soon.
I know that many of the club details are out of date. Please let me know. Hallamshire details have been updated.
This website will soon have a new home: http://www.sdsquash.org.uk If you use this URL now, it automatically redirects to this site. So if you update your favourites/bookmarks now, the transition will be transparent...at least that's the theory ;o)
Follow the link to contact me webmaster@sdsquash.org.uk
Kevin Dudley
24 Jan 2006 Results and League Tables Update
Results and League Tables will be be updated within the next two weeks.Results Cards should now be sent to:
Hedley Matthew
Hallam Sports
Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club
Hunters Bar
SHEFFIELD
S11 8TA
Your patience would be appreciated. Initially there is a huge backlog of result cards to process. Once this backlog is managable there's a good chance the website will be updated frequently...
15th Aug Winners
Answers to the English Open quiz...2003 John White....2004 Lee Beechill.
Winners are..Anitan Dixon,Steve Firth and Mark Towers. They all recieve free tickets. Well Done!
29th July Draw for the English Open at the Crucible
Click on to Squash Site for the draw for the English Open that starts with qualifing matches at both Abbeydale and Hallamshire 15th-16th August, then it moves on to the Crucible for the later rounds.
30th June Win tickets for the English Open in August
Free tickets can be won for the English Open at Hallamshire and Abbeydale. Qualifing starts on Mon/Tues 15th and 16th August. To win tickets name the last 2 winners of the English Open. Email your answer to sdsquash@pk7905.free-online.co.uk.
2nd June English Open at the Crucible.
The promoters of this summer's Mamut English Open admit a hint of "May madness" in the price of tickets for the squash extravaganza at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Tickets are now available for the opening event of next season's men's international squash circuit, which will be held at the traditional home of the World Snooker Championships from 17-21 August 2005.
Eventis Sports Marketing, headed by world number one Peter Nicol, are offering a significant discount to those who book early for the Mamut English Open, hosted by Sheffield City Council. All tickets bought before May 31st will have a discount of £5.00 on the full face value!
Following the exit of the 2005 World Snooker Championships, preparations for the third year of the English Open at the Crucible are already underway. With Mamut Business Software back on board as title sponsor, Eventis are keen to build on the success of previous years that has seen the trophy picked up by Scotland's John White and Yorkshireman Lee Beachill - both of whom reached world number one shortly after their Crucible triumphs.
"We wanted to reward squash fans who book early and show a commitment to attend our event, and decided that this would work well after the success of the golden tickets promotion we used in the first year," explained Eventis director Peter Nicol.
The management of the Crucible were delighted with last year's event: "After the success of the last two years' events, we are delighted to welcome the Mamut English Open Squash Championships back to Sheffield," said Chief executive Angela Galvin. "The tournament is a demonstration of the Crucible's ability to stage great drama, whatever the event, and we are sure that it will be another resounding success."
Qualifying for 4 places in the main draw at the Crucible will take place at Hallamshire & Abbeydale clubs on 15th/16th August.There will be 4 matches at each club on Monday 15th starting at 5.30 pm,then two matches at each club starting at 7pm on the Tuesday.Tickets are £6 seats, £3 standing and can be booked at club receptions.....Hallamshire 0114 2662153 or mail hallamts@aol.com Abbeydale 0114 2361354
18th April Win tickets.
2 free tickets can be won for the 'World series'at Hallamshire on 21st May. Name the Nationalality of the current World No 1. Answer was Thierry Lincou, winner was Trevor Heath from Adwick, Well Done!!
13th April World Series comes to town.
Some of the Worlds top players will feature in a one day competition at the Hallamshire club on Saturday 21st May.
Players confirmed subject to injury are Lee Beachill,Anthony Ricketts ,James Willstrop, Nick Matthew,Adrian Grant,Peter Barker,Philip Barker,Chris Gordon.Tickets £6 seat,£3 standing available from Hallamshire reception 0114 2662153 or e-mail hallamts@aol.com.
Two pools of 4 players best of one game to 15 ,2 clear points at 14 all.Play -offs 1st v 1st ,2nd v 2nd etc.Matches to start 12 noon ,final about 7pm.
31st March Team Statistics.
Do you want to know your individual team stats for the season? Then Email me.
23rd March Night with the Stars
Line up for the Tsunami Appeal night is Bradley Ball World No28 v Pete Barker World 29..Nick Mathew World 8 v Ong Beng Hee World 16...
The winner of the 2 free tickets goes to Nick Scott. The correct answers were Nicks world ranking is No 8 and Lee Beachill won the English Open at the Crucible last year. Well Done Nick!!
14th March Top Class Squash comes to Hallamshire
To celebrate World Squash Day there will be an evening of top class squash at the Hallamshire club. Starting at 7.30 on Thursday 24th March, Players such as Nick Mathew, John White, Anthony Ricketts, Bradley Ball and Pete Barker have all shown interest in playing.(Not yet confirmed)
Tickets are £5 and £3 all proceeds to the Tsunami Appeal. Contact the club on 0114 2662153..
There will be a couple of free tickets to anyone who can email me with the correct answers to the following questions.(if there are more than 1 winner it will be drawn out of the hat)....
What is Nick Mathews' present World Ranking and who won last years English Open at the Crucible.
Email me sheffsquash@pk7905.free-online.co.uk
21st Feb Tournament Cancelled The S & D competition has had to be cancelled due to a lack of entries.
The league decided to try and run the competition again, but due to a lack of interest it has been decided to cancel.
The league made a free week in the season (28th Feb/5th Mar)to run it. There has been posters and entry forms at all clubs, plus on the web site so there is no excuse!
Many thanks go to Hedley Mathew at Hallamshire for putting a valid effort into trying to get it up and running.
Thanks to the very few that did enter.....PK
27th Jan Wall wins his first Yorkshire Tournament
Nick Wall from Abbeydale won the Yorkshire Closed at Pontefract on Monday night. At the age of 32, Nick took 63 mins to take the title beating Mark Francis(Huddersfield).
In the over 35 competition Burntwood player Alan Norrish won the trophy, beating a former Barnsley player Ian Cawthorne. Ian beat Burntwoods captain Richard Briggs in the semi-final.
Nick Wall will be travelling to Edinburgh this weekend to play in the BSPA tournament. Nick Mathew (Hallamshire) is seeded 1.
25th Jan No League tables.
On visiting a few clubs I have noticed that there seems to be no S & D league tables up on the notice boards.
Why does someone take responsability and download the league tables and put them up. The tables are up dated every other day.Thank You!
16th January Doncaster 2nd team withdrawn. Doncaster 2nd team have withdrawn from Division 2. This is very disappointing as there is only now 6 teams left. It's a pity they could not play out the season.
14th January 2005 S & D Tournament re-appears. After an absence of 3 years the S & D tournament will take place at Hallamshire squash club between 27th Feb and 5th March. There will be an 'A' 'B' Vets and Junior competition.The main sponsor will be 'Oliver Sports' Entry Form
7th Nov Barnsley hold Inter County weekend.
Barnsley squash club are to hold the mens senior over 35 Inter County weekend 13-14 November.
This is the first time this event has been held in Barnsley.Admission is free, start on Saturday is 1pm, 11am on Sunday.
1st October
Pictures from last night at Abbeydale.(L to R)Nick Mathew(World No5),Referee Pete Kramer,David Palmer(World No4).
......Graham Thomson(Phoenix) who won the 'Head' racket in the free prize draw..
17 Sept 2004
David Palmer at Abbeydale.
Latest News: DAVID PALMER EXHIBITION SERIES COMES TO ABBEYDALE -
David Palmer will play local star and world No 5 Nick Matthew in an Exhibition at Abbeydale on Thursday 30th September.
Chris Simpson top U19 ranked Junior will also be in action against a selected oppponent.
Tickets are available from APR&FC Reception £6 adults, £3 Juniors-Tel 0114-236-1354 for availablility.
30 June 2004
New Division decided at the AGM.
There will be a new division formed within the league for this coming season. It will be named 'Masters Over 50'.
As in recent years we have had 2 Vets over 45 divisions. This year it was decided to make an over 50's league.
23 June 2004
Top world squash coming to Sheffield.
Friday 9th July at Hallamshire sees John White(world 2) take on Hallamsires (World 9) Nick Mathew. This will be an evening of fabulous entertainment starting with Peter Hughes playing Tim Garner. This will be followed by John and Nick then there will be an invitation 'Doubles' match. Tickets are £5 seated and £3 standing.
21st April 2004
Junior Competiton.
The Sheffield & District league will be hosting a Junior competition at Abbeydale on 14/15 May. Age groups will be U17,U15,U13 and U11 Boys and Girls. Entries have been sent out to all
clubs. Entries close on 7th May.
15th April 2004
Abbeydale to stage the National League Final
Abbeydale be host the National League Final on Sunday 9th May at 2pm. Edgebaston Priory will play Manchester/Pontefract. Both teams will be at full strength. The 'Worlds' top players will be on show, Lee Beechill, James Willstrop, David Palmer,Adrian Grant. Tickets will be snapped up quickly, so get yours now.
Email me if you have any problems.
6th April 2004
Nominate a player of the season.
A new trophy will be given at the 'Presentation Night'on June 23rd At Abbeydale. This will be a 'Young Player of the season award' Please email me with your nominee.
sheffsquash@pk7905.free-online.co.uk
7 January 2004
Opening of the new Abbeydale show court
"The new Prospec all glass court at Abbeydale was duly opened by Jonah Barrington on Friday the 2nd of January to co incide with the opening day of the British Junior Open. The new court replaces the historic championship court which was home to numerous international and national championships since it's installation in 1971.
Malcolm Willstrop was MC for the evening and two hundred and fifty squash enthusiasts heard him recount the rich history of the old court with players and members who had enjoyed it's unique atmosphere. Fran Marshall, British Open Champion in 1961 the last player to beat Heather Mackay, and an Abbeydale stalwart for over 20 years was in this country on a rare visit from Spain and she received a warm and heartfelt reception from all those present.
Others present included Peter Nicol and Tim Garner of Eventis who were instrumental in bringing the English Open to the Crucible theatre in Sheffield and who sealed the opportunity for Abbeydale to fulfil it's dream of having the first club based all glass court in the UK. Jon Pearson of Prospec (formerly Ellis Pearson), the world leader in glass back courts explained their historical involvement in developing the first glass back walls, moving on to perspec courts and now to all glass courts.
Also recalled were the Abbeydale professionals from the past; particularly Jack Giles, Khan Din and the existing coach Mark Hornby. Special mention was made of Ahmed Safwat, club professional during the 1970's who sadly died in 2003. He would continue to be remembered for his racket skills, his sportsmanship, his charm and his warmth of personality.
The main cheer was reserved for Jonah Barrington who has a particularly affectionate association with the club going back to 1969 when the club hosted the first of it's 4 British opens. The match that he was asked by Malcolm to recall however was his titanic struggle with Geoff Hunt in the final of the 1972 British Open on the old Championship court. A match he eventually won after 2 hours 13 minutes and one in which he took 30 minutes to gain his first point. Other significant matches recalled were Jonah's winning of the British Closed in 1980 when he beat Gawain Briars, and Jahangir Khans 27/0 demolition of Maqsood Ahmed in an ISPA final.
Before officially opening the court Jonah praised the initiative and vision of past and present Abbeydale committees. In particular he made special mention of Thomson family who had been at the heart of Abbeydales development for over 30 years. Geoff Thomson was the driving force behind the development of the first glass backed championship court in 1971 and his son Ian followed his fathers vision in fulfilling his dream of having the first club based all glass court in the UK. It was entirely fitting that the new court be named the 'Thomson' court and Jonah invited Geoffs wife Patricia, and his son Ian to jointly unveil the plaque marking the occasion.
Then followed a match, played in exhibition spirit, by James Willstrop and Nick Matthew, two players who had enjoyed significant rises in the January PSA rankings and who represented the future of squash. They were then joined by Ian Robinson, a player who had enjoyed many battles on the old Championship court, and Mark Hornby the Abbeydale club professional, for a doubles match that entertained the crowd in a way that only doubles can.
Altogether a treat of squash and memories for the appreciative packed crowd. Thanks go to Malcolm for his fund of stories and recollections which demonstrated his wealth of knowledge, to Jonah for recalling with such passion his affection for Abbeydale and it's contribution to squash over the years.and to the players for an entertaining session of squash.
24 July
Fulwood 2 have withdrawn from Division 1.
24 July
Doncaster squash club is 30 years this weekend. To celebrate this landmark in the clubs history, the club are holding a reunion party on Saturday night
7.30. Anyone associated with the club over the last 30 years will be made very welcome.
Live music and food will be available.
19th Sept
Abbeydale to install new court
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Abbeydale Park Rackets & Fitness Club in Sheffield have announced that they will be installing a new all glass squash court immediately after the Prince English Open Squash Tournament being held in August. This will be the first club based all glass court in the UK; the only other is located at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. The court is being developed and installed by Rotherham based Prospec Court Systems who have been in the forefront of glass squash court development for 30 years.
The launch of the prince English Open at the Crucible in Sheffield using the new court provided the impetus that Abbeydale have been looking for. The project fulfils a dream of the existing Chairman, Ian Thomson, whose father Geoff was the inspiration for the existing championship court at Abbeydale which was the first glass backed court in the world and was used for many international tournaments including the British Open from the early 1970’s to the present day. The existing championship court will be demolished in August immediately after the Prince English Open and will be replaced by the new all glass court being used at the Crucible. It is planned the project will be completed by early October.
Ian said “This is an exciting time for Abbeydale and Sheffield Squash. The prince English Open debut and the foresight shown by Peter Nicol and Eventis in bringing the event to the Crucible theatre, along with the world renowned expertise of Prospec provided the partnership opportunity that we have been hoping for. I am confident that this new court will stimulate squash in South Yorkshire and will do much to encourage youngsters to the game. We will be sorry to see the old championship court go, as it has provided so many memories of great matches from the past, but we are optimistic that this new court will soon mark its place in the history of the game.”
The court will be an all glass court, the front wall will be clear glass with green ‘contra vision’ applied and the side walls will be pro-vision glass, double dotted in blue. There will be an extended traditional wood floor with channels at the singles and doubles widths which will enable relatively easy conversion from singles to doubles and vice versa. The court is being designed such that it can be dismantled in one day and re-installed in one day. This will make it potentially transportable to other events as with the English Open., and the Club is happy to discuss hire of the Court with Events organisers. The existing seating capacity of 120 will be retained, as will other standing areas behind the back wall. There are also plans for 2 or 3 rows of temporary seating at each side walls in stage 2 of the project. There will be space for photographers behind the front wall.
Abbeydale will be looking to work with England Squash, Events Organisers, Squash Associations and other interested parties to take maximum advantage of the facilities that are on offer. The club has a long history of hosting local, national and international events and they will be looking to maintain and increase this aspect. The Club also hopes to attract some top or up and coming players to train at the Club, where it can compliment their training program. Abbeydale and Sheffield have once again shown their commitment to developing world class facilities with this development.
21st July
No National League this year at Hallamshire.
There will be No National League team playing out of Hallamshire this coming season. Hedley Mathew (The team Manager) has unfortunately
been unsuccessful in getting the required sponsorship to run the team.It is a great shame that
there has been no one come foward to offer any cash. Whats happened to all the 'Business Men 'at the club? Surely Abbeydale and Hallamshire could have pulled together at the last minute!!
8th June
Prince English Open Upgraded.
The Prince English Open, the first new major international squash tournament
to be staged in England for more than fifteen years, has been upgraded to a
4-star PSA world ranking event, boasting a prize-fund of $45,000.
The event will be staged at the prestigious Crucible Theatre in Sheffield,
Yorkshire - renowned home of the World Snooker Championships - from 13-17
August.
"Although we always anticipated raising the level, we did not want to set
expectations too high, so initially registered the event as a 3-star," said
world No1 Peter Nicol, whose new company Eventis Sports Marketing is staging
the new championship. "However, we always felt that a national title in a
country such as England, with such a strong squash tradition, should really be
at 4-star level or above."
The English Open expects to attract a world-class field to Sheffield: "The
players have all been very supportive of our efforts and many have informed us
that they will be playing," explained fellow Eventis director Tim
Garner. "However, as past and present players ourselves, we felt that it was
important that they should be playing in an event that truly demands their
presence. Obviously Peter Nicol, as co-promoter, was always going to play,
but now even as World No1 he can solidify his top ranking by winning our event.
"Although in reality a producing theatre, The Crucible is a world-renowned
sporting venue and we felt that it deserved to have the world's best players
on show - and we are now confident that that will be the case," added Garner.
"Despite only just starting our publicity and promotion campaign, ticket sales
have gone well and we anticipate selling out the later rounds, hence enabling
us to put more money back into the event."
It has also been revealed that the inaugural English Open will be staged on a
brand new all-glass court.
The spectacular court, from Yorkshire-based glass wall inventor Prospec, will
enable spectators all around the Crucible auditorium to have an unimpeded view
into the court, while the coloured surface treatment on the glass will ensure
the very best playing conditions.
"This combination of coloured walls with a coloured floor will make watching
top-level squash a thrilling experience," said a spokesman from Prospec, which
developed and installed the world's first squash court glass wall at
Sheffield's Abbeydale Club.
Abbeydale Squash Club Hallamshire Squash Club
Fri 9 May
GOLDEN PRIZE
FOR CRUCIBLE
SQUASH FANS
A 'Golden Ticket' is the incentive for squash fans to buy their Prince English Open tickets early …
Ten 'Golden' tickets out of the first hundred bookings at the Crucible ticket office will be drawn to signify a special prize, ranging from top of the range Prince squash equipment to a chance of playing against one of the world's best players.
The tickets for the Prince English Open, which will be staged at the Crucible in August, go on sale today (Friday May 9).
All matches will be played on a state-of-the-art glass court, which allows spectators to view the action from all four sides. The Crucible, with its unique thrust stage, is a natural 'theatre' for top-class squash.
The tournament, which is the first English Open ever staged, and boasts a prize fund of $30,000, has been brought to Sheffield by the world's number one squash player, Peter Nicol and his Eventis Sports Marketing company.
Peter said: "The announcement of ticket prices for an event is usually quite a dry affair. We thought we'd have a bit of fun and make the offer of the golden ticket as a bit of added value to those who buy them early.
"After watching some of the snooker action at the Crucible last week I am now even more excited at the prospect of playing in an environment with such a terrific atmosphere."
Ticket hotline
0114 249 6000
Day tickets from £15 - £25
Fri/Sat/Sun package:£80
Full week ticket: £110
3 April
National League Final
The 2002/2003 National League Final will be staged at the Abbeydale club on Tuesday 15th April at 7pm. The teams that will contest the Final will be NOTTINGHAM and EDGEBASTON PRIORY.
Possible line ups will be
Nottingham names first.......
John White (W5) v Stewart Boswell (W4)
Simon Parke (W17) v Del Harris (W40)
Renan Lavigne (W25) v Adrian Grant (W27)
Jason Nicolle v Paul Lord
Tanya Bailey (W4) v Sarah Fitzgerald (Past W1)
Its sure to be a big crowd so book your seat NOW.
31 Mar
U23 comes to Hallamshire in April
The Hallamshire club will be the venue for a new U23 Tournament on the Easter weekend 18/19/20 April 2003. This competiton will feature all the Countries finest U23 players Nick Mathew, Adrian Grant, James Willstrop, Adam Stevenson, Peter and Philip Barker and many many more. The competition gets under way on Good Friday at 6pm. On the Saturday there will be 2 sessions, 12noon and 6pm. The Finals will be on Sunday at 2pm.
Tickets will be £5. S&D players will be able to obtain free tickets by emailing me Pete Kramer
14 Mar
World No 1 and World Junior Champion at Abbeydale.
World squash number one Peter Nicol went on court last night for a special challenge match against James Willstrop, world junior champion, who is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents in squash, to promote the forthcoming English Open to be staged at the Crucible Theatre in August.
The event is being organised by Nicol's Eventis Sports Marketing company. Willstrop, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, won the World Junior Championships in December and has already developed into a force to be reckoned with on the senior tour.
He played Nicol recently in the semi finals of the British Championship in Manchester with Nicol winning the game and then taking the tournament. Nicol then came out on top at the Tournament of Champions in New York in February and again went on to pick up the title.
Nicol will warm up for his match with Willstrop by giving a couple of Abbeydale Junior members a chance to put him through his paces. One of them was Chris Mills who is a regular 2nd team player at Abbeydale. Chris who was brought onto court with the 'Steptoe and Son ' theme tune, gave the World No1 something to think about when
playing the best of 3 games , Chris took the 2nd game 9/6. The climax of the evening was the match Nicol v Willstrop, and what entertainment it was.They produced some of the most exciting squash to have been seen at the club. The packed club gave them both a standing ovation at the end. This was followed by a question and answer forum. The MC for the evening was Malcolm Willstrop. Congratulations must go to Ian Thomson, Graham Dixon, Bob Michcell and the rest of the Abbeydale committee.
Who is the World No 1 ????????????........Answers on a postcard.
22 Jan
Fantastic news comes out of an excellent 'Night with Peter Nicol the World No 1'......
Peter Nicol and Tim Garner came to Hallamshire to anounce that the 'Crucible' theatre are to host the final stages of an £30000 prize money tournament.
The Hallamshire and Abbeydale clubs will be used for the qualifying rounds. An all glass court will be built on the famous stage that has seen used for the World Snooker for many years.
The Sky Sports TV will be covering the event. The event has also secured sponsorship backing from 'Prince'
and the 'Hilton Hotel'. The event will run from August 13-17.
(The picture above shows Pete Kramer(referee)and Peter Nicol before the exhibition with Hallamshires' Nick Mathew)
1st July
AGM.
At the Annual General Meeting it was decided to include an Over 50's league, 3 in a team.
The Ladies teams will also be 3 in a team. The Veterans Over 45 will remain the same. League fees will be unchanged, at £30 per team if
paid before 1st October(£40 thereafter). The Over 50's and Ladies will be £25 per team if paid
before 1st October (£35 thereafter). A week in January will be set aside for the Annual Competition.
12th May
Proposed changes.
Suggested changes for next season are................
Increase the Vets age to Over 50 with a 3 man team.
An Over 40 league with 3 in a team.
Ladies team to be 3 in a team.
All the above would be played on 1 court.
There would be no change to the current Open league.
17th April
The Junior competition kicks off this Saturday at Hallamshire U11,U13,U15 and U17.The Individual tournament
starts at Abbeydale on Monday 28th Jan.There will be 'A' and 'B' categories but no Veterans and no Ladies due to a lack of entries.
13th Jan
20 a side happens on World Squash Day
Both Abbeydale and Hallamshire opened their clubs free to anyone all day. Both clubs held a 10 a side match at both venues. Resulting in a resounding victory for Abbeydale 15-5.Results as follows....
Hallamshire names first.
S Jones lost to M Scott 1-3
D Coffey lost to A Mills 2-3
C Wall lost to M Hessey 2-3
M James lost to R Coggin 2-3
J Fearn beat C Mills 3-1
C Crawshaw lost to S Blacksall 0-3
N King beat I Thomson 3-2
P Kramer lost to M Shepherd 1-3
B Petty beat D Bradbury 3-1
N King beat T Shepherd 3-0
K Dudley lost to M Hornby 0-3
J Pickering lost to P Wood 0-3
O Marcroft lost to M Lee 0-3
T Burton lost to P Robinson 1-3
C Warwick beat D Lindsay 3-1
S Luton lost to B Mitchell 0-3
K Lynham lost to M Kipling 0-3
T Jackson lost to Delroy 0-3
G Elliott lost to M Kipling Jnr 2-3
R Tidy lost to S Haig 0-3
19th Dec
Individual and Junior Comps.
Entry forms are at your clubs now for the Individual competition. Matches start on 26th January and will run all week finishing with
the Finals on Friday night 1st February at Hallamshire.
The S & D Junior competition takes place at Hallamshire on 26th and 27th January.
Closing date for both competitions is 16th January.
16th Dec
'World Squash Day' at Hallamshire and Abbeydale.
On 12th Jan Hallamshire and Abbeydale are staging a 20 a side match with
fixtures split between the clubs.This will start at 4.00pm.Before that each
club is holding an Open Day when beginners or people returning to the game
are welcome to use either clubs facilities.Coaches will be on hand to provide expert help,rackets and balls will be provided,the only thing needed is a clean pair of indoor shoes!!Sessions can be pre -booked by phoning either club............Abbeydale 01142361354 or Hallamshire 01142662153
23rd Nov
'World Squash Day' on Saturday 12th January 2002.
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
We want to raise the profile of the sport, attract new players to the game, and tell the world of the health and social benefits of playing squash - especially as World Squash Day
falls so soon after the seasonal holiday when some of us might put on a few pounds in weight!
WSD is an opportunity for squash lovers all over the area to encourage friends and family to pick up a racket and try out the sport.
It is designed to be a fun day, where clubs can concentrate their efforts on recruiting new members or on rejuvenating people's appetite for the game,
perhaps lost after Christmas over-indulgence!
Squash is fast. Squash is fun. Squash is for YOU!
EVENTS: WHAT YOU CAN DO
24-hour squash marathons
Play-A-Pro
Adults v Juniors
Doubles Tournaments
Handicap tournaments
Battle of the Sexes
Social "friendly" matches.
Free courts for kids: Open up YOUR club to let youngsters try out the game for free.
Free coaching sessions for players of all ages and abilities.
Pete Dixon husband of Anita has died at the age of 42 having suffered for a number of years from Muscular Dystrophy.
Peter was well known in the squash world whilst he accompanied his wife Anita in her role as a fully qualified referee and when she played squash for Hallamshire in the Yorkshire league and the Sheffield and District.
He will be sadly missed. Our sincere condolences go to Anita and family. The funeral takes place at Abbey Lane cementry on Friday 9th at 10.30am.
20th Oct
Veteran squash player and coach dies.
Squash veteran Janet Mallen from Rotherham has died at the age of 89. Miss Mallen was president of Yorkshire Womens SRA for more than 40 years. She was a founder member of the now closed Rotherham squash club, and a member of both Abbeydale and Hallamshire.
Janet was a respected referee and a stickler for good behaviour and dress code.
She has won the Yorkshire Championships more than six times and picked for the National side.
30th Sept
Sarah too hot for Cassie
Sarah Fitzerald (new World No 1) winds up for a powerful backhand against Campion last night at Hallamshire. Cassie Campion was outplayed for most of the match. 9/2 9/0 9/5 in 29 mins.
26th Sept
Win tickets for the National League opener.
2 tickets must be won for the match against last seasons National League Champions Edgebaston Priory on Tuesday 23rd October 7pm.
Enter
18th Sept
Abbeydale Vets 2 pull out.
Abbeydale veterans 2nd team have been forced out of the Vets 2nd division owing to a player
shortage in their 1st and 2nd teams.
14th Sept
National League fixtures and team.
Hallamshire(sponsored by Hartley Linfoot and Whitlam Solicitors) entertain last seasons National League champions Edgebaston Priory in their first match of the new season.
Due to a lack of funds Hallamshire will be without 2 of their top players, Mark Cairns and Alex Gough.
The squad is Nick Mathew, Dan Jenson, Hadrian Stiff, Michael Hopkins, Greg La Mude, Nick Wall,
Neil Guirey, Peter Billson, Jenny Tranfield, Jenny Duncalf, Laura Jane Lengthorne.
Tues 23rd October...................Edgebaston Priory
Tues 11th December.................Manchester
Tues 12th February..................Wolverhampton
Tues 5th March......................Duffield
Reserve your seat by buying a season ticket. All matches start at 7pm.
11th Sept
New Season gets off to a bad start.
Burntwood found themselves penalised 16 points without hitting a ball.It all happened last night (10th Sept), when they should have been entertaining Hallamshire 1 in Division 1.
The only problem was, Richard Briggs(Burntwood's captain) had thought that 10/9/01 was 10th October, hense there were no courts booked.
If Hallamshire's captain Charlie Wall had telephoned to confirm, it would have saved this problem from happening, and would have saved his side from having a wasted journey.
3rd September
The new 'Handbooks' are out now.
23rd August
Mixed fortunes for our local pro's.
It was a day of mixed emotions for 3 of our local professionals playing in the 'Hong Kong Open'.
Nick Mathew managed to get through his 2 qualifiers,1st one only took 26 mins.
His next match was against his old room mate Adrian Grant. This took a little longer 73mins. Now he was into the 1st rd.This was another marathon. Taking 74 mins to dispose of Amr Shabana (Eygpt). His next opponent was the
British Open Champion and possible World No1, David Palmer (Australia).Nick took the 1st game 15/12 but then the 2 previous games started to have their effect, he lost the next 3
2/15 14/15 6/15 in 49 mins.
Jenny Tranfield, who plays for Abbeydale, came up against World Champion Carol Owens (Australia).Jenny lost in 3 9/4 10/8 9/1 44 mins.
Suzanne Horner (Barnsley) beat Shelly Kitchen (NZ) 9/6 9/2 6/9 9/3 39 mins, she now plays another New Zealander, World No1 Leilani Joyce, in Fridays quarter final.
13th August
Ex World Champions on show at Hallamshire
British Open Champion and 3 times World Champion Sarah Fitzerald (Australia) will take on England's
former 1999 World Champion Cassie Campion in a 'World Champion Challenge'.Make a note of the date Friday 28th September 7.00pm.
7th August
New fixtures and match times are available. Check on the fixtures page.
20th July
Club captains.
Club captains need to be known so they can be included in the new 'Handbook', also nominations for the teams must be notified to the league
secretary before any match takes place.(10th September)
16th June
Rest of the World win the 'Test'.
JONATHON POWER was forced to withdraw from last nights Test match between England and the Rest Of The World at the Hallamshire club.
Power had treatment yesterday for a damaged a tendon in his wrist and was advised by the club physiotherapist not to play against England. Ong Beng Hee (Asian champion) took Power's place in the Rest Of The World side and lost
3-1 to Yorkshire's world No.16 Lee Beachill from nearby Pontefract.
Earlier, young Egyptian Karim Darwish had beaten Hallamshire's NICK MATTHEW 3-1, and Australia's British Open champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald clinched victory for the visitors by beating England captain Linda Charman-Smith in straight games.
The sell out crowd were entertained by some exciting squash.
28th May
Rachel gets one over the men.
Rachel Haigh who plays for Worksop Cricket 2nd team became the first lady player to win a major trophy in the leagues history.
She beat the No 1 seed Jonathan Good (St James)3-2 in the final of the 'B'category. Neil Guirey (Barnsley)beat Mick Evans (Doncaster)
3-2 in the 'A' group and Rob Welton (Hallamshire) beat John Surgey (Barnsley) 3-2 in the Veterans.
Full results are on the competition page.
Tournaments 2001/Results
11th May
England v Rest of the World.
An England side will play a Rest of the World side in three 'Test Matches' in England. One of the 'Test matches' will be played atHallamshire on Friday
June 15th 7pm. The line up is
Simon Parke (world 7) v Jonathan Power (world 1)
Linda Charman-Smith (world 5) v Sarah Fitzerald (world 3)
Nick Mathew (England 15) v Kareem Darwish (world 31)
Tickets are on sale now at the club, they are limited, so get in fast.
4th May
Barnsley Vets take the team trophy
Barnsley Veterans won all 5 rubbers last night against Doncaster at Hallamshire to take the team trophy.
This making a 'double' celebration as they won the Vets division 1 title for a 3rd year in succession.
The Draw for the Tournament has been made. Have you got your free tickets for the Finals and Presentation night...St 12th May at Hallamshire
6th April
Vets team Competition.
The veterans team competition is to start on Thursday 19th April. 6 teams
will compete. The draw is Barnsley v Bye. Adwick v Abbeydale (at Doncaster). Birley v Hallamshire (at Birley).
Doncaster v Bye.The semi-finals are at Doncaster on 26th April, the Final is at
Hallamshire on 3rd May.
4th April
Check out the League Champions team statistics page.
25th March
No Fixture Meeting this year.
There will NOT be a fixture meeting this year. All fixtures will be done automatically by the league.
The presentations of trophies and individual plaques for the league champions will be held at Hallamshire squash club on the Finals night of the leagues'
Individual championships on Saturday night 12th May.
24th March
Forthcoming Competitions.
League Individual competition will take place from 8th-12th May. The Finals will be played at Hallamshire squash club, this will also be league presentation night.
More details are on the Tournament page. Email me for an entry form : Pete Kramertolerated, and I urge anyone seeing this will they please contact a member of the
committee.
Have you filled in the answers to the quiz yet?(Handbook)
Amendments to question Men 11. Please add letters lL,O and to question Ladies 2. Little ‘JACKS’ Sister.
The promoters of this summer's Mamut English Open admit a hint of "May madness" in the price of tickets for the squash extravaganza at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Tickets are now available for the opening event of next season's men's international squash circuit, which will be held at the traditional home of the World Snooker Championships from 17-21 August 2005.
Eventis Sports Marketing, headed by world number one Peter Nicol, are offering a significant discount to those who book early for the Mamut English Open, hosted by Sheffield City Council. All tickets bought before May 31st will have a discount of £5.00 on the full face value!
Following the exit of the 2005 World Snooker Championships, preparations for the third year of the English Open at the Crucible are already underway. With Mamut Business Software back on board as title sponsor, Eventis are keen to build on the success of previous years that has seen the trophy picked up by Scotland's John White and Yorkshireman Lee Beachill - both of whom reached world number one shortly after their Crucible triumphs.
"We wanted to reward squash fans who book early and show a commitment to attend our event, and decided that this would work well after the success of the golden tickets promotion we used in the first year," explained Eventis director Peter Nicol.
The management of the Crucible were delighted with last year's event: "After the success of the last two years' events, we are delighted to welcome the Mamut English Open Squash Championships back to Sheffield," said Chief executive Angela Galvin. "The tournament is a demonstration of the Crucible's ability to stage great drama, whatever the event, and we are sure that it will be another resounding success."
Qualifying for 4 places in the main draw at the Crucible will take place at Hallamshire & Abbeydale clubs on 15th/16th August.There will be 4 matches at each club on Monday 15th starting at 5.30 pm,then two matches at each club starting at 7pm on the Tuesday.Tickets are £6 seats, £3 standing and can be booked at club receptions.....Hallamshire 0114 2662153 or mail hallamts@aol.com Abbeydale 0114 2361354
Latest News: DAVID PALMER EXHIBITION SERIES COMES TO ABBEYDALE -
David Palmer will play local star and world No 5 Nick Matthew in an Exhibition at Abbeydale on Thursday 30th September.
Chris Simpson top U19 ranked Junior will also be in action against a selected oppponent.
Tickets are available from APR&FC Reception £6 adults, £3 Juniors-Tel 0114-236-1354 for availablility.
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Abbeydale Park Rackets & Fitness Club in Sheffield have announced that they will be installing a new all glass squash court immediately after the Prince English Open Squash Tournament being held in August. This will be the first club based all glass court in the UK; the only other is located at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. The court is being developed and installed by Rotherham based Prospec Court Systems who have been in the forefront of glass squash court development for 30 years.
The launch of the prince English Open at the Crucible in Sheffield using the new court provided the impetus that Abbeydale have been looking for. The project fulfils a dream of the existing Chairman, Ian Thomson, whose father Geoff was the inspiration for the existing championship court at Abbeydale which was the first glass backed court in the world and was used for many international tournaments including the British Open from the early 1970’s to the present day. The existing championship court will be demolished in August immediately after the Prince English Open and will be replaced by the new all glass court being used at the Crucible. It is planned the project will be completed by early October.
Ian said “This is an exciting time for Abbeydale and Sheffield Squash. The prince English Open debut and the foresight shown by Peter Nicol and Eventis in bringing the event to the Crucible theatre, along with the world renowned expertise of Prospec provided the partnership opportunity that we have been hoping for. I am confident that this new court will stimulate squash in South Yorkshire and will do much to encourage youngsters to the game. We will be sorry to see the old championship court go, as it has provided so many memories of great matches from the past, but we are optimistic that this new court will soon mark its place in the history of the game.”
The court will be an all glass court, the front wall will be clear glass with green ‘contra vision’ applied and the side walls will be pro-vision glass, double dotted in blue. There will be an extended traditional wood floor with channels at the singles and doubles widths which will enable relatively easy conversion from singles to doubles and vice versa. The court is being designed such that it can be dismantled in one day and re-installed in one day. This will make it potentially transportable to other events as with the English Open., and the Club is happy to discuss hire of the Court with Events organisers. The existing seating capacity of 120 will be retained, as will other standing areas behind the back wall. There are also plans for 2 or 3 rows of temporary seating at each side walls in stage 2 of the project. There will be space for photographers behind the front wall.
Abbeydale will be looking to work with England Squash, Events Organisers, Squash Associations and other interested parties to take maximum advantage of the facilities that are on offer. The club has a long history of hosting local, national and international events and they will be looking to maintain and increase this aspect. The Club also hopes to attract some top or up and coming players to train at the Club, where it can compliment their training program. Abbeydale and Sheffield have once again shown their commitment to developing world class facilities with this development.
Who is the World No 1 ????????????........Answers on a postcard.
Fantastic news comes out of an excellent 'Night with Peter Nicol the World No 1'......
Peter Nicol and Tim Garner came to Hallamshire to anounce that the 'Crucible' theatre are to host the final stages of an £30000 prize money tournament.
The Hallamshire and Abbeydale clubs will be used for the qualifying rounds. An all glass court will be built on the famous stage that has seen used for the World Snooker for many years.
The Sky Sports TV will be covering the event. The event has also secured sponsorship backing from 'Prince'
and the 'Hilton Hotel'. The event will run from August 13-17.
(The picture above shows Pete Kramer(referee)and Peter Nicol before the exhibition with Hallamshires' Nick Mathew)
