| One of the most
controversial squash matches of recent times is to be replayed in a bid to
put an end to bitter recriminations between English and French squash
officials and fans. The semi-final
of the World Team Championships in Vienna last October witnessed a match
which caused lasting damage to Anglo-French relations as Gregory
Gaultier staged a remarkable comeback against Lee Beachill to
earn the French team a place in the final against eventual champions
Australia.
The delight of the French team was
tempered by some stinging comments in the English press about the manner
of the French victory, and led to a long saga of complaints and
recriminations between those present and those who wished they had been.
Video evidence of the match failed to
prove conclusively who was in the right and who ‘should’ have won, so in a
bid to repair relationships the match is set to be replayed at a neutral
venue with independent referee and marker, and the whole world invited
along to witness.
Coming just before an anticipated England
v France showdown in the European Team Championship final in Rennes
on 1st May, the showpiece event is aimed at defusing a potentially
explosive clash by bringing the cordiale back into the Anglo-French
entente.
The match will be staged on an all-glass
court specially installed at London’s Waterloo station, where
EuroStar trains bring thousands of French tourists to the English capital.
Promoter and compere for the evening
Martin Brainstorm commented: "With the European Team Championships
coming up we thought this was an ideal time to patch up differences with
our French friends. We’ve brought in the best court money can buy and
situated it in a prime location so that all those French SOB’s can come
across for the day to support their boy and maybe catch a bit of culture
in the West End.
"We realise there may be a bit of needle
in the match" he continued, "so we’ve also brought in an officiating team
that no-one can argue with."
Referee for the match will be Ian
McKestrel, a popular and respected ref in the English National League,
assisted by marker Jacques Xavier. Xavier, former president of the
French Squash Federation has had his run-ins with referees before, but
promises to be on his best behaviour: "Zees time there will be no
arguments," he said, "and ze best Frenchman will win. Again."
McKestrel, a part-time journalist whose
reports from the original match were universally praised for their
fairness and objectivity, is seen as the ideal candidate to control a
potentially-explosive encounter. "As a New Zealander both English and
French fans will see that we have a appointed a truly independent
official," said Brainstorm. "Ian’s never been known to upset anyone."
For those unable to make it to Waterloo
live streaming will be provided on the internet, powered by Horizontal
Software. Horizontal’s Adrian Hatterslike is confident of a
record audience. "After initial teething troubles we’re confident that
every third person on the planet will be watching this one," he said,
"although we do need to find a little more bandwidth to allow for the
five-second delay in case of trouble on court."
Tickets for the match are
on sale now
so book early to avoid disappointment. |
