The 07/08 season will sadly be remembered for the tragic death of Peter Biggerstaff from West Herts squash club. Peter was a very active member of the league playing in both mens and vets league. The club was shocked to the core and several West Herts fixtures were cancelled, hence the gaps in the league tables. Aside from this terrible tragedy the league has run smoothly and there have been numerous comments from both players and secretaries commenting on the high levels of enjoyment, hospitality and squash over the last 7 months.

An impressive Hazelwood line-up ran away with Division 1 only being beaten once, impressive considering the strength of the division. A somewhat disappointing 4th for Charing Cross particularly as they had the number 1 and 2 ranked players in the league! Ealing make a welcomed return to Div 1 after comprehensively winning Div 2 while Southgate II will remain in Div 2. Oakleigh Park I continue their push up the divisions winning Div 3 with clear water between themselves and 2nd place Monument. Controversy at the bottom of Div 3 saw BA docked points for fielding an ineligible player allowing Finchley Manor to avoid the drop. Northwood II won Div 4, Coolhurst IV won Div 5 while league stalwarts Old Actonians finished top of Div 6. The ladies league was a close throughout the season but Monument Ladies eventually took the crown edging the Ealing Ladies into second.

Besides a catastrophic laptop crash in January, the only minor issues that arose over the season have been as always, the rules. I have always managed to find a solution for those with a problem who approach me before a match, but have less sympathy for those who ask after the event. The difference in asking beforehand shows that you understand and appreciate the rules, whereas those who ask for flexibility afterwards appear to do so due to of lack of organisation, forethought or just trying to get away with it. The rules have been meticulously re-written in simple English and are available on the website as a PDF or plain text. I also plan to introduce an FAQ (frequently asked questions) section where there will be numerous working examples. If you think that another team has taken a liberty then it may well be that they have asked in advance for special dispensation, so dont be afraid if you are unsure about any situation, just ask. Not knowing the rules or not agreeing with them is not an excuse!

The e-card system has been working very efficiently and helped me to quickly collate the hospitality scores which are presented in a separate article, click HERE to view. Special mention must go to newbies Brentford Fountain and old-hats Coolhurst who scored extremely well. The social aspect of the league is taken extremely seriously by all those throughout the league and I am happy to say that there were very few cases of poor hospitality reported and only a couple of gripes about dodgy marking.

There are many people I have to thank for their tireless efforts over the course of the season: Jack Harris is always ready to help out with advice, Nick Derbyshire and his results team Shyam and Rajjo Pankhania always keep the scores updated. Max Millar updates the inner workings of the website and has many improvements planned and Robin Mace runs the Summer League with expert precision. Special thanks to Carwyn Jones who has sadly left for a new job in Oxford and cannot continue as fixtures secretary. Big love to the Welshman who has been fundamental in getting and keeping the fixtures in order. Others more than worthy of mention are Gordon Ross the county chair and Gordon Kerr (Southgate) who both act as sounding boards for ideas, advice and direction. Above all, I would also like to thank the all the team secretaries who are the unsung heroes, making sure that the teams are well organised and run smoothly.

Looking to the future, the AGM is set for Wednesday 23rd July 730pm at Glaxo Leisure Centre Greenford, click HERE for a map. There is a world of organisation to do and your input is vital at this stage. We must know if you are NOT planning to re-enter a team again as the league structure must be finalised or of course if you want to enter another team, this too must be factored in. As always we welcome your feedback, whether it be favourable or otherwise, please fill out the feedback form by clicking this link HERE.

I wish you all the best for a good summer and look forward to catching up with some of you at the AGM & Trophy Presentation and the ever-loved fixtures meeting.

Al Robertson
General Secretary, Middlesex Squash League