Ian Robinson rounds up the 2003/04 UniS Guildfors season ...
UniSport Guildford End of Season
Report
As the National League Final
saw Manchester/Pontefract crowned champions for 2003/4,
UniSport Guildford are left to reflect on a difficult season. No
suitable number 1 player has successfully replaced Paul Johnson at his
best. Steve Meads has fought valiantly but is the first to admit
that his efforts these days are going largely unrewarded. We
have not unearthed a genuinely talented junior which is a pre-requisite
of the league as the rules stood.
When looked at in the cold light of day, a
playing record of played 8, won 3 and lost 5 is not a good strike
rate. We finished a good 19 points further up the division than
SWSA Bicester but a clear 7 points behind Lee on Solent just above us
giving us 4th position out of 5. There were 20 points separating
us from TVS Broxbourne who won the group so we were the stragglers in a
tight 4 battling for the play off places. However the three
matches won were somewhat flattering, with newcomers SWSA Bicester
being our victims home and away. The most satisfying result of
the season was a 3 - 2 win against Chichester. Local rivals
Chichester had taught us a big 0 - 5 squash lesson when we visited the
south coast, but for them complacency set in for their return visit to
Guildford and excellent performances from Meads, Ross and Frankland
earned us our success.
The weakness was not overturning Lee on Solent
who had managed to strengthen their squad wisely in the summer and we
just found them too strong both home and away. A losing 2 - 3
margin is not a happy story. In the first leg we were both
missing players, but whereas in past years we have risen to that
challenge and made a habit of cashing in with winning points we were
not able to do so this time. Sadly when both teams were at full
strength for the second leg, we were still unable to turn the
tables.
TVS Broxbourne were league champions in our
division and we made no impression on their impressive squad.
Sarah Kippax won the only tie for us in a 9 - 1 aggregate losing
margin. To finish the last match of the season losing 5 - 0
has left a bitter taste for the summer recess and will strengthen
resolve for next season.
There were notable individual
performances. Stephen Meads, Stacey Ross, Fiona Geaves
and Paul Allen both won half of their matches, but Neil Frankland
was the player of the season as far as results were concerned
winning 5 of his 8 matches. There was not enough consistency and
when the opposition weighed in with a heavy weight number 1 from the
upper echelons of the world rankings we were always struggling.
Stephen Meads and Fiona Geaves have been
terrific servants to the Guildford cause but we can not continue to
expect such high standards and therefore results from them both.
They are reaching the autumn of their respective illustrious
careers. Knowing them, they won't fade out quietly and will make
a habit of overturning the form book, but we have to look to our
development policy to provide us with new talent that will be as
reliable.
Paul Allen joined from Lexden and was a
reliable reserve, Sarah Kippax did all that could be expected of
her. Chris Hall was young and inexperienced, but will gain from
this season's experience. He had notable lessons from the ageing
Danny Meddings (TVS Broxbourne) in his matches but to be on court at
the tender age of 17 with a former world top 20 player is a mighty
lesson for one so young.
The gamble of introducing another former world
top 20 player, Tony Hands, was not particularly successful. Tony
found himself with a thigh injury which niggled and would not go away,
so any benefit from his skill and experience was immediately lost.
Neil Frankland continues to be reliable in
terms of availability and as seasons go this was a good one. Neil
is in his element at number 4 in the team which means that a strong
number 3 is essential to preserve the team order and give us maximum
chance of winning points. Another way of looking at this is a
strong number 1 would also solve the problem, but then again
availability is always going to be an issue with overseas events
and commitment to the world circuit. When the obvious
candidate is available, it will hopefully come from within the
UniSport ranks, but at the moment that is taking longer to
happen than expected.
The summer preparations are going well.
There is much training going on down at the Varsity Centre. It
seems likely that there will be an adjustment to the league rules,
which the backroom team must deal with and re-structure the squad
accordingly. The development work is continuous and the
fixtures eagerly awaited. Perhaps this is the season when there
is a major breakthrough by one of the players already known to all the
Varsity supporters - it would be a treat if Mick Biggs made it
from University of Surrey graduate to fully fledged member of the
UniSport Guildford professional squash team.
Enjoy the sunshine the squash season is not far
away.
