Let's Talk Squash - SUSPENDED

swiftfoot · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 81

Big news just announced regarding Gawains retirement. Bronstein is to follow up with an analysis of this move.
Will his Deep Throat contact have any juicy gossip as to the timing of this and the politics?

stevecubs · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:51 pm Post subject:

I might as well get in early - we'll have something on the main site about this when we're ready, it's a delicate situation, but in the meantime please refrain from posting anything inflamatory, and unattributed remarks in particular will be frowned upon. Sensible points, yes, juicy gossip, no.

Flash · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:10 pm Post subject:

This is not meant to be inflammatory and I don't really know the controversies surrounding this man, but one observation that I make from the statistics in the squashsite article is that while the number of events has increased almost four-fold (100 events to 371) the total pool of prizemoney has only really doubled ($1.5 mill to $3.2 mill) in the last 10 years. This indicates to me that the top pros have to work a hell of a lot hard and play many more matches to earn their living (particularly as some of the increase in prizemoney would also have been eaten up with inflation). I know its not an exact comparison but if my potential pay was doubled over 10 years it would not seem like such a sweet deal if I had to work four times as many hours to earn it.

nmc8 · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:58 am Post subject:

i know very little about this chap but as with all enforced changes this will give the PSA the opportunity to show the wider squash community just how serious they are at taking this game forward in a time of great competion from other sports and the declinning numbers of courts available etc.

I wish his successor all the luck in the world.

nmc8

Viper · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:05 pm Post subject:

Any idea who might be in the running ?
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swiftfoot · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 81

I would like to see a player coming to the end of his career or who has just finished. How about Peter Nicol? Perfect role model knows his squash like no other. If not him, how about Jonathon Power?

Steve. I appreciate that you may be protecting a potential hot potato but it has been openly written about by Bronstein; and
readers may well already be familiar with the potential reasons as to why this "retirement" has happened. I will not start a discussion here but I do not see why others should not be allowed to.

Squashandy · Heavy Contributor Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 25

Hi there,
Not trying to stir but I genuinely have no idea why his retirement could be "controversial". Could someone shed a bit of light as to why?

Also I think the idea of an ex pro taking over is fantastic, Power or Nicol are great shouts. Or even Jonah Barrington.
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swiftfoot · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 81

I do not want to be barred so I will just advise that its best to get a broad outline by looking at the Global Gallery written by Brontein for the month of March

fionnmacual · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject:

swiftfoot · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 81

Originality has nothing to do with it. The best person maybe. And you do not get better than the two I have just suggested.
The only problem would be their current committments to the the game in other areas

fionnmacual · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:00 pm Post subject:

Just because someone was a top-ranked squash player, like Briars or Nichol or Power were, doesn't mean they are best equipped to lead the line at PSA.com.

An ambassador for the sport is one thing Jahangir or Jonah or Nichol/Power would be suited to, but CEO of PSA? Getting to top 10 in your squash career does not necessarily make you CEO material in later life and that is the job we are talking about, CEO of the business of the PSA. I think Andrew Shelley seems to be a good chief-exec for WISPA without a background in hi-level squash.

To my mind, a world-ranking palmares is neither necesssary nor sufficient qualification for the PSA job.

swiftfoot · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 81

Agreed. The position could be filled by someone from any background. It was a suggestion and I suspect Peter/Jon have too much on their plate anyway. Your argument could be related to virtually any scenario. Just because they were a captain of industry does not mean they could be PSA chief exec etc etc.
Like all jobs there is an uncertainty that the selected candidate can do a good job. My feelings are that with Alex Gough, Beachill on the PSA board Nicol or Power would have a great deal of support and that there is no obvious reason that they would not do a good job. But yes there is never any guarantees.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

NO... the position CANNOT be filled by anyone with any background... Might someone with experience in business and marketing be appropriate? Think it over... maybe YES!! Hire someone with the skills to do what they are supposed to do, not based on popularity or recognition in the sport. Hiring a squash player is pretty silly... it'd be a bonus if they actually did a good job.

swiftfoot · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 81

The candidate could come from Marketing or Business agreed. Not that I ruled out that option anyway. So a former squash player with business experience in running tournaments and many other activities like Peter Nicol is not a serious candidate.
Lets get a very unpopular person instead and throw them into the mix. That will help I am sure.
Its official, all former squash players are unemployable, especially those who reached the very top of their sport. Reason for that : Former squash players are not capable of doing anything else.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

True, so very true.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

Putting a former pro player directly into the top-level position of running and growing a multi-million dollar business like the PSA is about the same as tossing a skilled business man into the qualifying draw of the World Open, even if they have some experience playing squash. The end-result will never be in doubt and will not be positive. Pro players have trained for years and years, a potential candidate should also have years and years of business experience. Running a few tournaments does not provide the necessary experience.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

Isn't Peter Nicol an idiot? Hasn't he proposed an idea for an athletic facilty where members can't get in if the facilty is full! So, if during a typical day people want to go work out, they're turned away because the club has a limit of peopl in it... but there's more people registered! Yeah, you'd have to be completely stupid to sign up for a club like that.
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Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

So, that's an example of the sort of ideas that former pro players like Nicol come up with. Nicol's idea is stupid. And yet, people have him as the ideal candidate.
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Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

But yeah, a pro player can lead the psa...
????????????????????????????????????????????????
Coud any of these "pro player" candidates get jobs running any other million dollar companies?
No?? Hmm, why not?

I wonder? Is it maybe based upon experience... sure former athletes are always good picks to run million dollar comapnies.....(sarcasm)!!!!
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Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

So the brainiacs that post on here think Nicol and Power are suitable candidates to run the PSA. Wow, its surprising that the business world isn't knocking down their door...
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Easynaah · Contributor Joined: 19 Mar 2008 Posts: 12

B.V.D · Newbie Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 7

I totally agree that players should be left out of this job. Putting them on the board is as far as they should go. There they can still advise but not make crucial decisions. You don't need any background in Squash at all. All you need to be able to do is get the sport on tv and increase the amount of prize money.

As for the suggestion of putting Andrew Shelley on, personally as a player, I would not want someone on who cannot increase prize pools. Andrew Shelley is doing the job of WSF by trying to promote Squash in all countries and put it in public. He may be a nice man, But he is a man who will settle for a prize pool of only $30,000 for the sake of having it in a mall. Andrew Shelley needs to do one thing and one thing only, INCREASE PRIZE POOLS IN WOMEN SQUASH!!! If he wants to promote the game I suggest he get a job for the WSF if he hasn't already. there was talk of Ramy Ashour not playing in the British Open with a smaller prize fund of $72,000. Try, as a top 10 woman Squash player, having to settle for a prize pool of $30,000. I know Girls on WISPA who are frustrated at this fact. True, it might not be as entertaining as men's Squash, but they too have to dedicate their lives to the game, they deserve some return on that.

I don't know what Gawain Briars has done wrong, apart from being a terrible commentator lol, but lately I have seen the prize money grow and that is an exciting thing to see as a player with a few years left on the tour. I hope they can find someone good to replace a man who has done a good job. Sure he didn't do a GREAT job, but it was good, and thats more than you can say for Andrew Shelley. I'm truly sorry if i come across as negative but frankly I think we should look for a replacement in the WISPA ranks or give Mr Shelley a good old fashioned rev up.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

What Shelley has done is abosolutley amazing because it is Women's squash. Women's squash can't even be compared to the men's for entertainment value.
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manus · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 202

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230