After what I said about no coverage for our triumphant mens world team champs, I was listening to the Chris Evans show on BBC Radio 2 (national radio) this evening and lo and behold, there is an interview with Nick Matthew!  This was also just before his semi final match this evening in the Mamut English Open in Sheffield v John White (he was even able to give a score update for the Willstrop v Barker semi!).  They talked about the World Team win and how great it was for England to actually be world champs in something for a change.  He said it was sweeter for the fact that we beat both the French and Assies in the semis and final respectively, mirroring the Rugby Union World Cup triumph of 4 years ago.

There were also some silly, trivial questions like why is it called squash, but well done BBC Radio 2 for giving squash and this victory some well deserved national coverage.

Jimbob

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jim - I was not going to get sucked into this post, as it goes off as a broken record in my mind, but I cannot help myself of course.!!

While the public (the greater majority of which do not participate in sport) keep wanting to sit in front of TV and watch sports that are in the main quite violent, and that seems to make them popular, hence attract media coverage, squash does not stand a chance.

Another analogy I guess is. the rating scale for squash is about as screwed up as the rating scale for food that is advertised on TV - all back the front, yeah.

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This should be excellent news for squash in the UK, but unless you read squash websites, you are unlikely to be aware of this sporting triumph over here.  There has been next to zero news coverage in the UK mainstream media, except for a short article on the BBC website in the sports section, which is buried in the 'other sport' pages.  Perhaps some of the daily newspapers have also reported it (I don't read them so cannot say), but if so, I bet it was a tiny article you would need a magnifying glass to spot.

We actually win a major sporting event and yet there is next to no recognition outside of squash circles, especially after all the sporting disappointments we have had to endure of late.  To cap it all, we beat our old rivals the Aussies (sorry Rita, Ray and all Australian squash fans!). 

This should represent an opportunity to inspire more people to take up squash but without media support, this is never going to happen.  Is it the fault of the squash authorities or are the media just blinkered into thinking that they only need to report on the more fahionable sports?  If this had been Davis Cup tennis, there would have been an open top bus parade through London and they would have won the team of the year accolade at the BBC Sports Personality Awards, with Andy Murray probably winning the main award.  Now I'm not saying that squash deserves the same sort of coverage as tennis, but surely some form of recognition at a national level is not asking too much? 

Cheers

Jimbob

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How did the final game between Stewart and James end at 10-11?
I thought the winner had to be two clear points ahead with this scoring system?

Second place isn't too bad. At least we bettered France and Egypt

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