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MATT SUCKLING:
NOT A GOOD DAY AT THE PRIORY…
 Poor
Matt. The o-so charming and helpful team manager didn’t have an easy
night… It’s always awful when your team is just decimated. First, the
British Open Champion David Palmer, ridden by a shoulder injury,
had an MRI scan a few days ago and was advise to rest for four weeks. And
then Adrian Grant who was in the semi-final of the CNS tournament
in Pakistan. And to add insult to injury, Peter Barker who was also
in Pakistan…
“You know, David Palmer is such a professional. He proved it during the
Canary Wharf tournament, when he came back between two matches to play for
us. So believe me, when David says “I can’t play”, he means “I CAN’T
PLAY”…
As their team was not going to win the tie, Matt decided to play two of
his young student players in the team.
 “Steve
Coppinger and Phil Nightingale are two upcoming students from
Birmingham University. Steve is from South Africa, and has been at
Birmingham University for two years. He is such an attacker. He is afraid
of nobody, he is up for the challenge. Whoever he plays, he will try to
win! Tonight, we’ll make him play against Simon Parke on the exhibition
court. Phil is also a very keen player, who has been playing all over the
country, and in particular in Surrey (where I’ve met him, FG…)”
I’m pretty sure that Matt wished I had chosen another night to visit his
club. When after the match, Howard Harding, Mr Press, texted him
“Are you ever going to talk to me?”, Matt texted back: “No, go away…”
But Matt, it was lovely to meet you, and I can’t wait to see you again,
this time with your full squad…. |
MATT SAVES ISABELLE
Isabelle Stoehr arrived today with a “Kneipp”
nightmare, as in with her three racquets with broken strings (for the one
of you who didn’t follow the Super Series Finals Final between Joe Kneipp
and Thierry Lincou, Joe broke the strings of his 3 racquets during the
final, and actually finished the match borrowing racquets from the
crowd…).
So Super Stringer Matt Suckling saved the day, and while doing our
little “before match” interview, strung the racquet for a very grateful
French player…
And when Isabelle asked him how much she owed him, he wouldn’t have any of
it…
Men are just wonderful…. |
NOT A GREAT NIGHT FOR THE HYNES…
 Nick
Hynes, who is managing the squash section along with Matt Suckling, is
the lucky husband of the charming Vicky Hynes, who tonight was
playing against Vicky Botwright for Duffield in Manchester.
To know all the details, just refer to Brian Hargrave’s report, but
suffice to say that Vicky was up two love before accepting defeat 3/2.
Bad night all around in Birmingham ... |
BOB MALDEN:
A REAL SQUASH LOVER
Mr Bob Malden, Priory Press Officer, and Director of Leisure Care
Promotion, has been involved in the Birmingham Sports community for a long
time. He is proud to say that the three Birmingham papers are covering
squash on a regular basis.
Also very heavily involved in Tennis, he loves talking about what he calls
“The French Connection” that Edgbaston Priory entertains with Squash and
Tennis Players, like Isabelle Stoehr, of course, French number one
squash player, or Nathalie Tauziat, former French number one tennis
player, for example.
Nathalie comes here often to look after young players, and a close link
between her Tennis Academy in Cap Breton and Priory has been established
for years, and has made a lot of young tennis players very happy…
But Bob is also very proud of the special relationship that Priory keeps
with Birmingham University. Some years back, he was approached by Joey
Barrington, who was a student in Birmingham, to see if he would sponsor
some of the Student Teams. Now, more and more students are playing in the
Club, and some even for the Teams (like tonight for example).
“A few weeks ago, we organised a social Tennis and Squash Students players
and Club Members, and the evening was a great success. It even gave the
opportunity for some of the students to meet each other, as they are not
all on the same courses. Everybody had a hell of a time…”
Yes, Bob is a sport lover, squash and tennis, and he knows a few people or
two, let me tell you… Like I said, I met some very interesting people in
Birmingham… |
BAD NEWS FOR
NOTTINGHAM…
Ria, Assistant Manager from the Park, Nottingham Squash Club, has
decided to abandon us to live other adventures, as she will be taking a
new job as North West Leicestershire District Council Sports Development
Manager. Nick Clifford will replace her in Nottingham
She insists that she will still be around,
and that she will still play squash at the Park, but it’s not going to be
the same without her, let me tell you…
What am I going to do????
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PHIL TEMPLAR:
A HAPPY MAN…
Phil has been Priory’s club manager for four years now. Tall, charismatic
and fluent in French, he knows squash very well, and is very proud of his
club.
“It’s maybe a cliché, but Edgbaston Priory is a special place I feel, and
I think we can go somewhere with it. We are normally very good at squash,
and our tennis section is extremely strong. Each year, we organise the DFS
Tennis Tournament, with prestigious winners like Maria Sharapova or
Nathalie Tauziat”.
Phil is a happy bunny here, and his whole family (he has two daughters, 20
and 15) comes to the club to enjoy the facilities. His wife doesn’t really
play squash, but practices Triathlon. A very sporting family indeed!
When I asked him to describe his club in three words, he replied:
“Vibrant, Dynamic, and yet Traditional”.
Need I say more…
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PAM’S SWEET TOOTH…
The first time I wrote about the beautiful Scottish woman, I told you that
she can stuff herself with take away day in day out, and still look
gorgeous.
Well, chocolate cake was also on the menu last night… And as she
felt that it lacked a bit of cream, Parkie (Sir Simon Parke for the rest
of the world), as the gentleman he is, went and fetched the pot for her…
Aren’t men adorable???
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