Steele&Stones Lifestyles
5NATIONS SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP
25th to 27th May 2007, PoliSquash, Milan
Pontefract take 5Nations title Malcolm Willstrop reports
Two
sides well matched in ability and social capacity, Edinburgh Sports
Club and Pontefract, fought out the final of the Polisquash 5Nations
Championship.
There was never a doubt that the previous night's celebrations at
the Carlsberg restaurant would have some effect on the final
outcome, but players on both sides were similarly afflicted.
Early advantage went to Pontefract as Rob Briggs, who came to watch
and for a rest, turned out to be Pontefract's outstanding performer
as he won convincingly. Edinburgh's Laura Moss, who was so disgusted
with her team's performance at the restaurant she deserted them,
found the smooth-striking Glen Trevelyn too big and strong as the
Yorkshire side took a considerable early lead.
However things were to turn as Edinburgh's capable middle order of
Colin Stirrup, Dave Shaw and Richard Mellis brought the difference
on points down to three, thus leaving it to the top of the order to
decide matters.
David Siddall, the third member of the Siddall family involved in
the tournament, played splendidly to beat Scott Thompson
convincingly and send Pontefract back into a clear lead.
Much then depended on the second string match between Pontefract's
Simon Gittins and Edinburgh's Richard Snowden. Gittins had been
under social pressure from the outset and faded in both his previous
matches, but although Snowden had early control and won both the
first two games, Gittins played a remarkably strong final game and
eventually won the match on points.
In the professional match Lee Beachill beat Ong Beng Hee 22-18.
This left Edinburgh coach Simon Boughton with much to do against
Pontefract's experienced Alan Norrish, and his 31-26 win was by no
means enough, the final score being 237-221.
The final order was:
1. Pontefract
2. Edinburgh
3. Beindesheim
4. Polisquash Ladies
5. Polisquash Men
6. Queen's Halifax
7. United Nations
8. Chichester
This
wonderful tournament, which combines playing and social activity in
a way reminiscent of a byegone era, no doubt takes much hard work
and organisation.
Duncan, Marcus and the staff at Polisquash deserve much praise for
what they have created and Pontefract will certainly be back to
defend their title.
A word from
the host ...
Organising
the 5Nations Squash Championship is always a challenge ....... but
such a rewarding one. To think that it started just as a two-way
match between Queens and Poli ... then a team got added with a pint
Richard Stones and I drunk at Carlsberg.
My Father for all his hard work building, painting and just
being a great father.
Rockband Caminada, Sylvan Richardson and Sunders for a
perfect evenings music....it just doesn't get better than these
boys.
Carlsberg pub for the easy relax way they dealt with all the
players that eat and drank at their superb restaurant....it is just
such a great place.
Marcus Berrett....for being Marcus Berrett
Lee Beachill, Ong Beng Hee and Pete Genever for the
excellent entertaining squash that they play.
Ferruccio Zucchi and Alberto Traverso for producing a
fantastic promo video.
Poli
Squash Members that help make everybody's visit memorable.
Then all the players....5Nations Squash Championship wouldn't
be what it is without the great group of people that come to play
and socialise......you are a wonderful group of people.
Thanks you all.
Sat 26th, Down to the finals:
An old rivalry in Milan Malcolm Willstrop reports
Polisquash
Ladies, after their heroics against Chichester earlier in the day,
were unable to repeat the dose against the ruthless Edinburgh Sports
Club team led by club coach Simon Boughton. Only Marcus Berrett, the
Polisquash legend playing for the ladies - and some may say not
before time - won for them, beating Ong Beng Hee, whose Scottish
ancestry is being questioned.
So Edinburgh reached their first 5Nations final and there they will
take on Pontefract who had to battle to see off a determined and
intent Beindersheim team from Germany. The final will thus be
England v Scotland, an old rivalry.
Playing for places, Queen's Halifax beat Chichester by a remarkable
207 points to 206.Everything hinged on the last match and James
Lynch, the Halifax number one, needed 9 points to guide his side to
victory. At 10-3 down his prospects looked remote and Betfair would
have had high odds against him. But miraculously he achieved the
necessary nine and Queen's squeezed home by one!
It has been a feature of the tournament so far how close and
well-matched the teams have been, but a one point difference still
takes some believing. In the other play-off match Polisquash men
gained another narrow victory over the United Nations.
So Sunday's final lineup will be:
Final: Edinburgh Sports Club v Pontefract
3/4: Polisquash Ladies v Beindersheim
5/6: Polisquash men v Queen's Halifax
7/8: United Nations v Chichester
Before that, a night to be enjoyed at the excellent Carlsberg
restaurant. No doubt the revelry will have its say in determining
the outcome - neither Pontefract or Edinburgh are renowned for
abstinence so the battle may well start on an equal footing.
One thing's for sure - thanks to Duncan and his staff everyone's
enjoying themselves.
Saturday night at the delightful Carlsberg restaurant was a
great success. Over 150 people from the event, free beer and
excellent music provided by Massimo and his band Caminada
with guest appearances from Sylvan Richardson and Martin Sunderland.
It is like the old days, when sportsmen
had a night out before the final as eight teams prepare to do battle
on Sunday. It is generally agreed that the two finalist will start
on even terms after last night's fun, though if Colin Stirrup
represents the general state of the Scottish team they will be in
trouble.
Sadly Gordon,
Duncan's father, had had a good day on the golf course - a rare
occurrence - and he seems intent on recounting his exploits to
anyone who will listen, which certainly does not include me.
Anyone who has seen Marcus and
Duncan's video will be worried about both of them. Certainly
Marcus's performance was beyond belief and causes me to worry what
goes on behind the closed doors of his home.
Two squash
experiences which were new to me: in the Polisquash men's final the
two players went into a drive and angle routine in the knockup.
Then in between games a Beindeshelm player, who needs to remain
nameless, went on court to perform a series of racket skills, none
of which worked, a la Tommy Cooper but by no means as funny. Lee
Beachill could not bear to watch this poor man's Wael El Hindi.
Gary Siddall, former rugby
league player, Mick Todd, Pontefract club owner and Gary
Trevelyn would certainly outweigh any three players from any
other team, and probably the whole of the Polisquash women's team.
Despite their bulk they have put up some sterling performances.
The whole
Polisquash experience is quite special and the staff at the club
play a major part in its success. Clearly well chosen they are
always smiling and friendly.
Sat 26th May, 5Nations round one: Poli Ladies stun The Chi Malcolm Willstrop reports
To celebrate the 20th year of Polisquash's existence, the eight
'man' team tournament with eight teams from various parts ofg Europe
is being held for the third year.
Chichester, Edinburgh, Queen's Halifax and Pontefract represent
British interests - Pontefract for the first time - and both Queen's
and Pontefract travelled with large armies of social supporters.
The host club field a men's and women's team, Beindersheim represent
Germany and the eighth team goes under the nane United Nations.
Lee Beachill, Ong Beng Hee and Peter Genever with Polisquash coach
Marcus Berrett represent the higher strata of the game, the
Malaysian making his debut.
Friday evening opened proceedings with the club finals, won by Marco
Cerutti and Chica Ferrari, followed by a doubles exhibition which
featured Lee Beachill and Lauren Siddall against Ong Beng Hee and
Marcus Berrett. The Pontefract mixed pair prevailed 2/1, narrowly.
The team action began at 9am on Saturday morning and Friday's
barbecue looked as if it had already taken its toll on some players,
notably Pontefract's Simon Gittins.
However his team eased to a comfortable victory over the United
Nations, while Edinburgh and Queen's went down to the wire with
Edinburgh edging home.
Their reward in Saturday afternoon's semi-final is to take on
Polisquash ladies' team. Everything hinged on the outcome of the top
match between Lauren Siddall, the Norwegian Open champion, and Ryan
Dewar. Siddall, guesting for Polisquash, won 3-0 and her win was
greeted rapturously by her team-mates.
Polisquash men could not match their ladies and went down in a
well-contested match wih Beindersheim, who will face Pontefract in
the other semi-final.
The professionals will move into action for the semi-finals:
Beachill, appropriately representing Pontefract, Ong leads
Edinburgh, Genever joins the German team and even more appropriately
Berrett will head the Polisquash ladies team.
The semis will be followed by an evening at the Carlsberg
restaurant, where top musician Massimo will provide the
entertainment.
Marcus set to lead the ladies
The preparations
begin ... posters, player goodie bags and stocking the bar!
Some children from
St Louis School and Leonardo da Vinci Milan created posters to show
how they imagine Squash. The most popular earn their designers some
fantastic squash prizes ...
Back to Milan for the 5 Nations Duncan Steele
reports from Milan
The 5 Nations Squash Championship is a one of a kind tournament,
each team is made up of 9 players, the No1s being World class to the
No9s being newcomers to this great sport.
Each team will play 3 matches, each match being 3 games American
scoring to 15 points with the total number of points going towards
the teams total. The professionals will play 2 games to 11 American
scoring so as not to affect too much the total score.
Last year Geneva Squash Club, with Chris Simpson, took the
coveted trophy "The Moka Coffee Pot" home with them after beating
Chichester, lead by Pete Genever in a hard but fun final.
This year's teams have been preparing for the tournament in fine
detail. Pete Genever’s The Chi being put through a tough
training program on Sunday mornings after a Saturday evening of
beer…….” No stone has been left unturned,” Pete Genever has been
heard to say!
Whilst Poli Squash will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary,
a home victory will be a good way to honour its clubs birthday……
Marcus Berrett has ALL the Poli Squash players on a strict Lob &
Drop diet.
Geneva will be, as always, up for the challenge but are training
behind closed doors with no clue given to their flawless training
techniques.
Beindersheim Germany are young and don’t suffer the affects
of Saturday nights drinking.
Edinburgh have never stopped training……they arrive
drinking….play fun good squash…..and leave drinking…Respect!
Pontefract are the new boys in the line up…..maybe will need
a year to get use to the surroundings before showing their full
talents…….but I’ve been assured by Malcolm that they are second to
none in the Bar area.
Fax-Massive Queens will be out in force……they know the ropes
of the tournament better than anybody…..the 5 Nations wouldn’t be
complete without them.
Last but not least…is the Poli Ladies team…they are in great
shape, hitting the ball straight and all looking GREAT……distraction
is their tactic to take the 5 Nations Squash Championships title
into the Ladies changing rooms for the 1st time!
On Friday 25th May the Poli Squash Club Championship finals will be
held. Marco Cerutti trying for his 6th consecutive title and Italian
team member, Chicca Ferrari for her 7th Ladies title. An exhibition
is programmed for the evening with a welcome buffet and BBQ for the
arriving teams.
The Saturday Evening dinner and live entertainment is shaping up to
be an absolute corker, held as usual at the fantastic CARLSBERG.
Rockstar Massimo, will be playing with his band CAMINADA (Francesco
Bianconi on Drums and Mauro Caminada on guitar), they are in the
middle of recording their 1st SINGLE, so exciting times for them.
They will be having guests up on stage with them. Apart from the
ever welcome Martin Sunderland, there will be the ex-rock bass
player from Vision Divine, Andrea Torricini, The great Sylvan
Richardson from Simply Red, the incredible italian drummer and film
director Alberto Traverso........and of course on the decks, busting
some moves and doing his stuff will be Dj Fez Marcus Berrett ......
Lets hope that the squash will be as good as the music!
The Bar Hill Squash Club team in
1977...... from Left to Right. Willy Boone (World Rackets Champion)
Duncan Colqhuon( Cambridgshire County Champion) Gordon Steele
(Duncan's Father) Mike Batt (Suffolk County Squash & Tennis
Champion) and John Short. The reserve for the team was a certain
Peter Hirst!
Two
sides well matched in ability and social capacity, Edinburgh Sports
Club and Pontefract, fought out the final of the Polisquash 5Nations
Championship.
This
wonderful tournament, which combines playing and social activity in
a way reminiscent of a byegone era, no doubt takes much hard work
and organisation.
Organising
the 5Nations Squash Championship is always a challenge ....... but
such a rewarding one. To think that it started just as a two-way
match between Queens and Poli ... then a team got added with a pint
Richard Stones and I drunk at Carlsberg. 
Poli
Squash Members that help make everybody's visit memorable.
To celebrate the 20th year of Polisquash's existence, the eight
'man' team tournament with eight teams from various parts ofg Europe
is being held for the third year.
