A job in
sport. Martin Bronstein talks to Andy Bunting about the job many people would like to
have.
If you were to be asked the question "Who is one of
the most popular and knowledgeable men in squash?" chances are you wouldnt be
saying Andy Bunting, but this quiet unassuming man fits the bill very well. His popularity
(at least among professional squash players) comes from his job: International Squash and
Badminton Sponsorship Manager for Prince. Bunting is the man who decides which players
wear Prince clothing, use Prince rackets and get paid to do so. Naturally, when Bunting
turns up at a major tournament - and he turns up quite a lot - he tends to get a warm
smile from any player who knows him. And once they get to know him, they like him even
more. He has a ready smile, a quiet wit and a straightforward, no nonsense attitude to his
job. He has to tell players that their contracts are not to be renewed, which means his
plain talking approach helps to retain respect.
While he loves the game of squash and still plays
(Knees are beginning to give me signals) Bunting doesnt allow his love
of the game to get in the way of his real job - business. He has a good pedigree in that
area, gained by working his way up to marketing manager of Berger Paints. "I got to
the usual crux; spending too much time working, I wasnt seeing the kids grow up and
was probably heading for a divorce. So in 1982 I packed it in and bought a squash club in
Cambridge," he recalls. The club was a good challenge for his marketing skills: it
was losing £1,200 a month and it had one junior member. In less than six years, he built
up the membership and started making a profit. It was during this period that he laid the
foundation - without knowing it - for his present position. "I got involved with the
SRA looking at development with the late Clare Chapman and at my club I used to do a lot
of clinics and exhibition evenings, so many of the top players used to come to the club
and I got to know them. When Prince came along with an offer to help them with their
marketing in 1988 - about the time of the launch of the Extender line, I thought it was a
good time to move on," Bunting says.
Two years after joining Prince UK, the parent company in
the USA said: "Why dont you come and work for us?" which is how the word
International got tagged to his title.
Bunting scouts the players, negotiates contracts, manages
them, makes sure they get paid, and that they get their equipment. He also organises
clinics and exhibitions, and links overseas players with the local Prince distributors in
foreign countries. He has seen things change drastically in the last seven years; at one
time Prince had 70 squash players on their books. "We wanted as many people as
possible to have a Prince racket in their hand. Now we are looking for quality." The
roster is now down to 34 players, 20 men and 14 women. Five of the top nine men, and nine
of the top 12 women. Before the recession players were paid a retainer with small bonuses.
(At the height one player was picking up around $150,000 a year.) But the recession of the
early 90s hit hard. Tennis racket sales dropped by 50% in the US, and squash racket
sales dropped 20% worldwide.
The players had to bite the bullet and, Bunting says, were
very understanding. Now contracted players get almost no retainer - instead, all earnings
are based on performance. Once they reach the quarter-finals of major tournaments they get
bonuses based on the prize money. "For example, if a player wins a tournament and the
top prize of $20,000, he could get about $10,000 from Prince," Bunting explains.
Players also get a one year bonus based on their PSA ranking. Another big change has been
the appearance of agents. "When I started there were no agents and now all the top
players have one," Bunting says. The top players will have 2-3 year contracts; others
are on a one year contract so that there is always room for new players.
When a player approaches Prince for sponsorship, Bunting
goes through a checklist: Are they the right sort of player? Are they the right sort of
person? Do they have the potential? And do we have the money? "Peter Nicol was a good
example of the right way of going about getting sponsorship. He sat down and worked out
what he wanted to do, and decided that he needed help. He outlined very clear objectives
for himself and then found ways to meet them. He went to Neil Harvey for training and
worked hard for his sponsor," Bunting claims.
Bunting doesnt confine himself to the elite. He is
constantly looking for the next generation of Khans, Eyles and Nicols. Although he
doesnt sign them himself, he makes sure the local Prince agents help out until the
player progresses up the rankings. Adrian Grant is a good example. A member of
Englands junior team that won the world title in Cairo last year, he moved to Dubai
to work with Abbas Khan for a year. "I got in contact with the Prince agent in Dubai
and told him Grant had great potential and that he should look after him. He signed a
contract in August. Hell get equipment and rackets and perhaps a few hundred dollars
to help with travel. Now, if and when Grant progresses up through the rankings, then
Ill take him internationally," promises Bunting.
Young players are the future of the sport Bunting believes:
"You must get more people coming into the sport. The major companies in the racket
industry have to invest in grass roots level. Theyve got to get out to the various
countries and get the local distributors in each country to bring new young people in to
the sport," he emphasises.