Viper - things will come back differently, and not as we know it here. Who knows when!
It will be squash in amongst other recreational activities like you see in Canada - but it will be a little more exclusive too, and readily available to members only.
Australia has had so many junior players in the past as they could just walk in after school and play with no affiliation or club fees payable, making it a "sport for all" - the club senario make it a sport for well off families.  That in turn limits the numbers.
An example, Holland Pk Squash and Tennis Centre was virtually knocked down, tennis courts turned into a carpark, residence demolished, two squash courts taken out, a new you beaut  air conditioned fitness centre put on the front. 
By the way the squash courts are not air conditioned, but have been spruced up.
Tennis is having the same problem.

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Stats, stats, those dam stats..... as they say. easily manipulated as you know.

What can not be denied is empty/demolished squash centers all over the major cities.

A squash center I played at recently is made up of 3 surrounding clubs, 2 of which had to close and are now apartments, and still they are just ticking over.

Fiddling the numbers perhaps, but dozens more businesses did not trade on thin air.

Quote:

"so we just press on and no doubt it will all turn around in good time"

Have to say, on current trends I think it is far more likely that numbers will fade even further.

Current numbers are maintained through those old folk hanging on from the boom time in Masters, as each year goes by the numbers of Masters grades are shrinking and the trouble is young sprouts are not pushing up from behind.

Sorry but I think you are seriously kidding yourself if you think squash is going to gather pace with a head of steam again.

It is more about holding on to numbers with a vice grip, to no avail I believe.

Look for continued closures of venues in a town near you soon.

Pessimestic you say, ?

No way, just a  realist

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Viper Australia did have an explosion in squash in the 1980's.
Because some players played comp 2/3 times a week (relaxation in the competition rules) the establishment received twice/thrice the affiliation fees making it look as though 2/3 times the number played.  That meant more teams as well competing.  Greater demand for courts, etc.
More importantly twice the income to play with.
The false stats were created by players being able to play for two clubs, on two different nights (double registration), then women being allowed into the mens fixtures (at the expense of women's teams).
There was no central point of data collection (and there probably still is not) so it was difficult to track.

Other countries at this time were far behind as lots of the clubs with paid memberships, also did not have junior development, only maybe club member's family able to utilise the facilities  - especially not being to just drop in and have a hit at any time and just pay your money like the kids could do here in Aussie.

Viper - lots of things - so we just press on and no doubt it will all turn around in good time, and overseas is enjoying the feast.

.

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that was referring to the world wide situation - rita's original post might not have made that clear

squash is actually growing world wide

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Quote :

"This growth underscores the health of the sport"

Oh pleeeese...........

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This is a news item I recieved from Squash Australia which in turn came from howard harding of the World Squash Federation....

Quote

"WORLD SQUASH NEWS
Australia & Malaysia Seeded To Win Squash Singles Gold In Melbourne Australia's David Palmer and Nicol David of Malaysia are seeded to win gold for the first time in the squash singles events in next week's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, according to the draws announced today (Wednesday) by the World Squash Federation (WSF).

The sport's Commonwealth Games action will be staged on a new purpose-built all-glass show court at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) where players will challenge for five gold medals in both singles (men and women) and doubles (men, women and mixed) events across 11 days of competition. The singles events get underway on Thursday 16 March, leading to the two finals on Monday 20th, followed by the doubles events which reach their climax on Sunday 26 March.

"Squash will be represented by an all-time record of 28 nations and 91 athletes in Melbourne 2006," commented WSF Chief Executive Christian Leighton. "This includes our two newest members: Mauritius and the British Virgin Islands. This growth underscores the health of the sport as well as our commitment to the Commonwealth Games and the values and endeavours of the Commonwealth Games Federation." Mauritius and British Virgin Islands join a number of new nations making their Games debuts this year – including Malawi, Malta, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Fiji and Norfolk Island.

David Palmer, a bronze medallist in the 2002 Games in Manchester, returned to the top of the world rankings last month after a four–year gap. The 29-year-old from Lithgow in New South Wales, a former World Open champion and three-times British Open champion, is expected to meet England's No2 seed James Willstrop in the men's final. Willstrop, the 22-year-old England No1 from Pontefract in Yorkshire making his debut in the event, led England to success in last year's World Team Championships in Pakistan after reaching No2 in the world in December.

Peter Nicol, the former world No1 who won singles gold for Scotland in Malaysia in 1998, and doubles gold for England four years later, is seeded four in Melbourne behind Australia's third seed Anthony Ricketts. Nicol, the only man to win two medals in both previous Commonwealth Games, is expected to meet Willstrop in an all-English semi-final, while Palmer and Ricketts are due to face each other in the other all-Australian battle.

A new champion is assured in the women's event in which Nicol David, a mixed doubles silver medallist in Manchester, is expected to face Australian rival Rachael Grinham, who won silver in the 2002 women's doubles and bronze in the singles, in the final. Nicol David has become one of her country's most successful sports stars of all-time after following her maiden triumph in last year's World Open by becoming world number one. The 22-year-old from Penang is expected to meet Rachael's younger sister Natalie Grinham, the third seed, in the semi-finals.

Victory by Queenslander Rachael Grinham would keep the women's title in Australian hands after triumphs by Michelle Martin in 1998 and Sarah Fitz-Gerald in 2002. The 29-year-old from Toowoomba is expected to meet England's fourth seed Vicky Botwright, a Games debutante, in the other women's semi-final.

Men's 1st round draw:
 [1] David Palmer (AUS) bye
David Evans (WAL) v Hardeep Reel (KEN)
[14] Shahier Razik (CAN) v Yasir Issadeen (SRI)
Chris Simpson (GUE) v Navin Samarasinghe (SRI)
[6] John White (SCO) bye
Nicholas Kyme (BER) v Chikumbutso Mkutumula (MAW)
[16] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) v Joseph Chapman (BVI)
Joseph Desira (MLT) v Shawn Badrinath (GUY)
[3] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bye
Maxim Weithers (GUY) v Colin Ramasra (TRI)
[10] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bye
Steve Richardson (IRL) v Joshua Pinard (TRI)
[5] Lee Beachill (ENG) bye
Craig van der Wath (RSA) v Nadeem Hosenbux (MRI)
[13] Alex Gough (WAL) v Colin Alexander (SVG)
James Stout (BER) v Joseph Karigithe (KEN)
Clinton Leeuw (RSA) v Jeffery Broderick (CAY)
[12] Graham Ryding (CAN) v Karl Nassief (DMN)
Christopher Binnie (JAM) v Leonard Bedneau (DMN)
[8] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bye
Matthew Giuffre (CAN) v Andrew McGoon (FIJ)
[11] Shahid Zaman (PAK) bye
Rodney Durbach (RSA) v Chirag Shah (KEN)
[4] Peter Nicol (ENG) bye
Shawn Delierre (CAN) v Sonalmeet Nagra (FIJ)
[9] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bye
Lazarus Chilufya (RSA) v Aubrey Taulo (MAW)
[7] Nick Matthew (ENG) bye
Hartaj Bains (KEN) v O'Neil Chilambwe (ZAM)
[15] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) v Gavin Jones (WAL)
Harry Leitch (SCO) v James Bentick (SVG)
[2] James Willstrop (ENG) bye

Women's 1st round draw:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bye
[13] Runa Reta (CAN) v Eli Webb (PNG)
[8] Tania Bailey (ENG) v Diana Argyle (RSA)
[12] Amelia Pittock (AUS) v Marlene West (JAM)
 [3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) v Chantelle Day (CAY)
[16] Tricia Chuah (MAS) v Vanessa Florens (MRI)
[7] Madeline Perry (NIR) v Tehani Guruge (SRI)
[10] Sharon Wee (MAS) v Nicolette Fernandes (GUY)
[9] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) v Naluge Guy (PNG)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v Louise Philip (SCO)
[14] Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) v Tenille Swartz (RSA)
[4] Vicky Botwright (ENG) v Sharon Chimfwembe (ZAM)
[11] Tegwen Malik (WAL) v Nirasha Guruge (SRI)
[6] Linda Elriani (ENG) v Karen Anderson (JAM)
[15] Kasey Brown (AUS) v Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO)
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bye -

ENDS –
Issued on behalf of: WSF
For further information:
Howard Harding Tel: (44) 1737-243333 or
(mobile) (44) 7773-325130 WSQ 3220
Email: HowHard@aol.com
8 March 2006"

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Seems to be a spectacular lack of interest in the Com games squash, I have been following the sports news in all the papers and little or nothing is mentioned regarding the game.

Looking at the tickets for the squash, apart from the finals you can pretty much get walk up starts to all the rest of the matches.

I do not see the profile of squash gaining anything at all out of this tournament, much the same as the recent Australian Open and World doubles held in Melb. The best hope is we medal in both mens and women so we gain a scrap of media interest.

It was ironic, last week there was a big photo and spread about badminton, a game even more obscure than squash ?

Featured was a very attractive women player, it seems the media may not find these types of sports sexy but as a last resort they will bother to put a story together if they can at least find a female participant with a good set of teeth

In there lies the whole problem with squash, to the wider market the game is boring, dull and very unsexy.

It seems the game needs to find a Camplin ( from aerial skiing fame), ie a good looking girl that can hot the sport up a bit, trouble is like all good looks they fade and where does that leave the game then ? where we are right now is the obvious answer.

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Morning Viper - I had lunch with Liz Irving this week (she is on holidays from Amsterdam), and she is going down enroute home to see her charge Nicol David playing.
We spoke about the Games, accommodation very difficult, and squashgame have spoken about it too and it would be great but maybe next time.
We really would like some photos too for the site.
Oh well ... that is life.
Viper, please go, you are closer in Sydney,  and then tell us about it, and take some pics too

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