"Wimbledon of Squash" to be demolished

Lambs squash club in Moorgate was described by Jahangir Khan, the six-times World Open champion, as the best he had ever played in. It is one of the most well-loved and prestigious squash clubs in the world, the largest in the UK, and home to the British Open.

This year the nine-court facility, known as the Wimbledon of squash, will be closed down, to make way for a block of flats.

This sounds like the story of a sport in the doldrums. It is hard to imagine Wimbledon or Wembley being unceremoniously sold to property developers. Squash has not captured British hearts and minds, it seems. You certainly have to sit up pretty late if you want to catch a match on TV. . .

And yet when you consider just how well Britain does at the sport, this coolness seems rather extraordinary.

From the BBC. The article discusses the association with social class and its effect on squash's popularity, leaving open the question why tennis managed to break through to a mass audience and squash hasn't. My take: glass courts help, but squash watchers still don't get to see enough of the players' faces -- not such a big deal for hockey or American football, but vital for individual sports. And even if this could be addressed, the problem of speed remains. Some sports are too fast for comfortable watchability, and there isn't much to be done about it.

Posted by David on January 15, 2007 10:36 AM