The Connaught Squash Club

ON THURSDAY MARCH 4^TH RICHARD COLMAN, ENGLAND SQUASH DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE SOUTH EAST REGION PRESENTED THE CONNAUGHT CLUB WITH THE ENGLAND SQUASH GOLD CLUB CHARTER WHICH ENTAILS HAVING MET CERTAIN CRITERIA IN THE RUNNING OF THE CONNAUGHT CLUB, IN PARTICULAR THE JUNIOR SECTION. WE HAVE IN PLACE VARIOUS ENGLAND SQUASH CODES OF CONDUCT INVOLVING, COACHES, PARENTS, VOLUNTEERS AND PLAYERS TO WHICH WE STRICTLY ADHERE.

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THIS AWARD HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE HARD WORK, ENTHUSIASM AND DEDICATION OF A BAND OF PEOPLE TO WHOM THE CLUB OWES A LARGE THANK YOU.

NEIL HARVEY OUR TEAM LEADER WHO COACHES A TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS. HE ALSO RUNS THE JUNIOR SQUASH CAMPS IN THE HOLIDAYS.

DAVE WEBSTER IS OUR ASSISTANT COACH AND HIS EXCELLENT OUTREACH WORK IN LOCAL SCHOOLS HAS MEANT THAT MANY MORE CHILDREN HAVE EXPERIENCED SQUASH.

GARY SHERMAN PRODUCES OUR JUNIOR NEWSLETTER AND WHEN REQUIRED IS ALWAYS ON HAND TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS. HE ALSO IS THE JUNIOR TOURNAMENT ORGANISER AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RE-INTRODUCING THE CONNAUGHT JUNIOR OPEN LAST YEAR, AN ENGLAND SQUASH NATIONAL RANKING TOURNAMENT.

THE SENIOR AND JUNIOR SQUASH COMMITTEES AND THE MANY OTHER VOLUNTEERS AND ALL THIS ADDS UP TO A VERY SUCCESSFUL TEAM.

OUR JUNIOR SECTION IS THE BEST IN ESSEX HAVING SWEPT THE BOARD AT THE ESSEX JUNIOR CLOSED AND THE EASTERN REGION THIS SEASON. A NUMBER OF OUR JUNIORS ARE NATONALLY RANKED

KEELEY PEACOCK IS RANKED 4 AT U17

MYRIAM HARDY IS RANKED 10 AT U17

MYRIAM HARDY IS RANKED 2 AT U15

JOUBEEN HURREN IS RANKED 20 AT U15

SOPHIE LEMOM WON THE U11 WELSH OPEN IN FEBRUARY 2004

OLIVER HORTON WON THE U11 HERTFORDSHIRE OPEN IN MARCH 2004

THE CLUB PRESENTED AVERIL MURPHY WITH A PLAQUE, WHICH WILL BE DISPLAYED IN THE CLUB, IN RECOGNITION OF HER MANY ACHIEVEMENTS.

SHE JOINED THE CONNAUGHT AS A TWELVE YEAR OLD TENNIS PLAYER AND DID NOT START PLAYING SQUASH UNTIL 1972. SHOWING HER TRUE PROWESS WITHIN 6 MONTHS SHE WAS PLAYING FOR ESSEX.

AVERIL HAS BEEN A VERY LOYAL MEMBER OF THE CONNAUGHT CLUB, SERVING ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, SQUASH AND SOCIAL COMMITTEES FOR MANY YEARS. SHE WAS ALSO THE CLUB SQUASH CAPTAIN, PLAYING FOR BOTH THE MENS AND LADIES TEAMS. SHE CAPTAINED THE VERY SUCCESSFUL TEAM THAT WON THE NATIONAL CLUBS TOURNAMENT IN 1976.

HER MANY VICTORIES INCLUDE WINNING THE ESSEX CLOSED IN 1975 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 AND THE ESSEX OPEN IN 1976.

SHE WON THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1978 / 9

AND IN 1979 WON THE HOME INTERNATIONAL

HAMPSHIRE OPEN

EAST OF ENGLAND TIURNAMENT &

THE MUNICH OPEN

SHE WAS AWARDED 11 FULL INTERNATIONAL CAPS BETWEEN 1978 / 9

HER BEST RANKING PLACE WAS 7 IN GB (THERE WERE NO WOLRD RANKINGS IN THOSE DAYS)

EARLY IN 1980 AVERIL TOOK TIME OUT TO START A FAMILY.

SHE STARTED PLAYING SQUASH AGAIN IN 1987, DURING WHICH YEAR SHE RAN THE CONNAUGHT CENTENARY DINNER & DANCE, A VERY PRESTIGIOUS AFFAIR.

SHE WAS THE BRITISH OPEN 040 CHAMPION IN 1897 / 8 / 9 / 92 / 3

NATIONAL 040 CHAMPION 1988 / 92 / 96

045 CHAMPION 1996 / 7 / 8

SHE WAS THE 040 WORLD CHAMPION IN 1989

045 WORLD CHAMPION IN 1989

055 WORLD CHAMPION IN 2003

DURING THIS TIME SHE GAINED 42 MASTERS CAPS FOR ENGLAND

APART FROM HER PLAYING CAREER, AVERIL IS A QUALIFIED LEVEL 4 COACH AND A ‘TOURNAMENT GRADE REFEREE AND WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL WSRA /SRA TUTOR FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THE YOUNGSTERS OF THIS CLUB HAVE A GREAT ROLE MODEL TO FOLLOW.

This year on Sunday 7^th March, a record forty four youngsters, all U15, from Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Kent, Surrey and Essex took part in an England Squash Junior Graded Tournament at the Connaught Club, Chingford. Play began at 9.00am in two sections, a Bronze and Silver, each section was in four groups with everyone playing each other. The organiser was Susan Woodhouse who was very ably assisted by Lyn Briggs, Janet Grogan, Lawrence Rodriques and Paul Grogan. After a very enjoyable and fun day with a high standard of squash seen, Neil Harvey presented the finalists with their medals.

1^st Martin SZWABA Connaught

2^nd Tom MANSELL Canterbury

3^rd Laura JACKSON Lexden

1^st Matt BOATWRIGHT Park Drive

2^nd Ryan BROADBRIDGE Canterbury

3^rd Andrew HIGHMORE Bromley