duffield squash &
racket club
FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/SPORT_IP
Duffield
SQUASH & Racket CLUB
Article provided by Bob Allen, Club Secretary
D
uffield Squash and Racket Club, which
is centred in the rural village of Duffield,
Derbyshire has come a long way in the 78
years since it was formed in 1937. Located
ten miles north of Derby and within
easy reach of the M1, major rail links and East
Midlands airport, it is a small village members
only club with a far wider appeal.
50 Issue 07
k
From a single court with a wooden
pavilion housing a changing room
and a boiler with single shower we
now have on offer a large brick
built clubhouse with five courts,
up-to-date changing rooms for
ladies and gents, saunas, and
a modern gym.
We’ve not neglected the
important
time
when
players have finished
their game of squash
or
racketball
either.
Members
can
relax
upstairs in the lounge,
which has a well-stocked
bar and two TV’s to
watch main stream, or
BT Sports channels if they
so wish and a kitchen for
the preparing and serving
of light meals. This large
lounge area is also used for
social functions and can be
hired out for private parties.
The club has not survived and
thrived for so long by pure chance.
It has built up a reputation over the
years; together with the even older
tennis club with which it shares the site,
as a centre of excellence in racket sports.
We are one of only 13 clubs in the country
to have been awarded the coveted Gold
Standard status by the ESRA.
To meet their exacting standards we not
only have to have good facilities but also
offer coaching programmes to suit all
ability levels in both squash and racketball,
a youth development programme and
competitive leagues, both internal and
external, which can stretch even the most
able of players.
s courtesy o
Image
f Pr
oS
qu
as
h.
co
.u
On
the
competitive
side we have for
many years been prominent in the
Derbyshire Leagues, with anything up
to eight men’s teams competing in both
winter and summer Squash Leagues.
We have also competed in the national
Premier Squash League (PSL) since
its
inception,
winning the trophy
on two occasions and being
in the final, including this year, on five
others.
One of the other key points in the
Clubs success is the administration
arrangement. We have no full time
staff running the Club, but a mixture