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11th August:
It was a dramatic week in Vienna in October
2003, with Australia finally retaining their world team title, but all the
talk was of one particular match in the semi-final, England v France, Lee
Beachill v Gregory Gaultier ... |
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Malcolm WILLSTROP
THE ECCENTRIC GENIUS
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THE BEGINNING
How did it start?
Greg, I’ve known for a long time, because he’s played James many times
through the years as a junior. He has travelled in cars with me, I’ve
always talked to him, I know André Delhoste [Gregory's and the French
team's coach] very well. The
word was, when he first went pro round the scene was that the senior
players didn’t like him because he was arrogant, not treating them with
any respect at all.
So, what did you do?
When I went to Aix en Provence, I said to André “look, the word’s round,
and I don’t think this is good, because it can be the loneliest life if
nobody is talking to you. Would you like me to talk with him about it?”
And I did go and sit down with him, and I said “you can’t do this. You can
compete against them, but you must treat them with some form of respect”
and I talked to him at length about it.
And then?
The next time I watched him was against White in Qatar, he handled that
well, and he was competing, lost 3/1, but he was fine. Then against Power
in New York, TOC, he didn’t really get to grips with winning the match,
but played hard, did everything right, Power was too good. All that was
quite soon after we had that conversation and I thought “good, that’s had
an effect, and it will help him.”
THE MATCH
So, let’s get to it…
I can honestly say that the behaviour that he showed in that event is the
worst behaviour that I can recall ever in squash. The only thing I can
compare it with is an Australian boy called Ricky Hill, and that was 25 or
30 years ago. And I still think that Gaultier was worse. I thought, for a
show piece, on a big occasion, that his demeanour was absolutely
scandalous.
I have a problem in believing that Gregory is the only player who
behaves badly, Malcolm.
Listen, when Jonathan Power has had moments (in the recent years, he
hasn’t been a problem at all), it’s never personally directed at the other
player. It’s about the ref, or generalised things, and the players are
aware of that. When Gaultier does it, it’s very personal. He mimicked
Lee’s shots, and he is very personal against the other player, and that’s
what players dislike most. To be honest, I thought he was outrageously
bad, and I stand by that, and I’ve no apology for what I wrote because in
the end, the game of squash is more important than Gaultier or James
Willstrop or Lee Beachill or any of them.
Did the circumstances (the event, what was at stake…) play a role in
your passionate reaction?
That didn’t matter. Nothing to do with it. Let me assure you that because
it was Lee Beachill was nothing to do with it, because it was England was
nothing to do with it; because it was the game of squash at World level
that was a lot to do with it, or was everything to do with it. And I
thought, and I still say calmly and dispassionately, he was outrageous, he
was a disgrace to the game, and he saddened me a great deal.
BLOCKING OR NOT BLOCKING…
The video seems to show that Gregory wasn’t actually obstructing Lee’s
shots…
That’s not right. The video lies. Because it’s not true. But I wasn’t
talking really about the blocking either.
Well, most people who reported on the match said that the biggest
problem was preventing Lee getting to the ball.
I don’t think that that was the biggest problem, I think that was part of
it.
Basically, did you feel, like a few journalists, that Gregory was
cheating by blocking?
I never used the word cheating. I think that he was in the way, but I
don’t think he was cheating. I think that’s the way he plays. Both
Gaultier and Lincou play square on. I was watching Lincou playing last
night, every shot he plays is from a square position, and Gaultier plays
exactly the same. And that’s why they are the hardest to get round. And
that’s why the blocking occurs, but it’s not intentional, it’s his style.
I never mentioned the word cheating, I’m not saying he cheated, I was only
talking about his gross behaviour on court. I never called him a cheat, I
just think his style leads to that. I don’t think he is a terrible problem
in that respect generally.
THE END
Do people in England generally share your views
in the matter?
The opinion of most high powered people, maybe they were just giving it to
me because they knew I was not happy with it, was they thought his
behaviour was as a disgrace as I thought it was. They are not likely to
write about it because they don’t do writing, but I did write about it
because I thought very passionately and strongly about it.
But I was still
quite rational about everything I wrote. If you’re talking to me now, it
angers me the same way that it did then what he did. I have no time for
him, I think he disgraced the sport, and he disgraced France, because the
other players, Lincou, Lavigne, Arcucci, they are decent guys, I always
got on very well with them.
I have the feeling you took it rather personally.
He is a French player, it’s nothing really to do with me, and I made a big
effort there to help him, out of the goodness of my heart. So yes, I feel
a slightly personal let down by him, and I thought he did squash no good.
I have always got on with him, James always got on with him and James lost
a lot of respect for him that day. I remember giving him lifts, at the
British Junior Open, always being with him, we invited him to Pontefract,
he played in a match there, he was very well received, very well treated…
Weren’t you just disappointed that France
beat England?
I’m not upset about France beating England, I couldn’t give a monkeys,
because I’m about the whole game. I love John White, I like Jonathan
Power, I get on with a lot of people no matter what nationality they are,
I’m not interested in that, I’m a universal person, and I want England to
do well, because I get on with the people, but so what. That’s not the
first thing.
If Gaultier had been English, I would have written the same
article; except I would have done my best to stop him. And if anybody
thinks I acted from that motive, because it was Lee Beachill, think again.
It’s about squash, and I stand by everything I wrote and I think he was a
disgrace.
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Malcolm in 3 words
James Willstrop |
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"I never used
the word cheating. I think that he was in the way, but I don’t think
he was cheating. I think that’s the way he plays." |
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Lauren
Siddall |
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And to conclude Malcolm Willstrop Week
and Finally ...
Malcolm talks about how he provides mental support to his players,
Framboise puts the final questions, plus ...
Malcolm as you've never seen him before ... |
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from August 2004 |
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