This is to be a truly World Class Final
The National Squash League Final 2003/04
The Edgbaston Priory Club Vs Manchester Pontefract
This is to be a truly World Class final with some quality individual encounters. We have 2 World Champions playing (one of which has won a mere 5 times!), a World Junior Champion plus National Champions and players who are being piped to be Champions! Some match!
Over the season there has been excellent, edge of your seat, nerve racking, and sublime Squash, which has seen great performances from the lower ranked player as we’ve only had our number one, David Palmer, play three matches in the season and then twice in the semi’s. Which means Adrian has played at one four times and when Adrian hasn’t been available Del Harris has played at one three times. So you see it’s been a hard season.
Players which have had the best records this season are our big and new names, Sarah Fitz-Gerald 4 out of 4, with her biggest test yet too come in the final as Madeline Perry is showing good form of recent. David Palmer has won 4 out of 5, losing out to Broxbourne’s Gregg Gaultier after having playing John White first in the Carney Wharf and he only just lost. Peter Barker has been outstanding in winning 6 out of 7 matches and he will be going into the final match as the underdog but he will give his all and his pace and strength may play a big part in his match. Olli Touminen (the flying fin!) won 2 out of 2, doesn’t sound like a lot but they were crucial wins against Nick Taylor and Den Jenson.
The players which have had a tough season but have still given more than expected of them are Adrian Grant (having played at number one 4 times) won 2 out of 6 matches, Hadrian Stiff who’s really had some hard matches where most of his opponents have had much higher rankings, but he still went into every match wanting to get that win for this team. Isabelle Stoehr has been a rock, when Sarah’s not been around, let’s not forget she almost beat World Number One Cassie Jackman losing 9-5 in the fifth and playing superbly against Natalie Grinham world number four. Del Harris (captain) is a player that Edgbaston Priory won’t forget for his efforts in the big matches and he’s retired this season from PSA which now earns him the right to be called ‘a squash legend’. He has won 3 out of 9 but he has played at number one 3 times and at 2 twice where his playing position is 3! We will need him on top form for the final, another big match.
Edgbaston have a fifty seater coach aswell as convoy of cars ready to embark up to Sheffield again to hopefully give enough support to the players for them to perform the way we know they can. We only have to look back at last season’s amazing result against Nottingham as proof that they can do it. This is to be one of the closest if not the closest matches I’ve ever encountered and I’m really looking forward to it whatever the out come is. Manchester/Potefract has certainly been the side of the season and are definitely the favorites for the title, but that’s ok as we nearly and I mean nearly, beat them at Edgbaston without David Palmer. I predict a three 3-2 either way (it’s so close), but I’d love to see Edgbaston’s name on the trophy again as it would be some achievement to win National League 3 times out of 4 seasons especially as Edgbaston has never won the title before we were crowned champions in 2000/01 under Dave Clarke.
