Common Sense Guide to League Manners!

Middlesex Squash League Common Sense Guide to Match Manners & Etiquette:

Home Team:

Ensure that you have courts booked from the correct times.

Be on time: There is nothing worse than busting a gut to get across London to get somewhere on time just to find their stand-in number 5 sitting there with no idea what is going on.

Make sure your guests are looked after from the moment they arrive till they leave, drinks, towels, directions to changing rooms, courts, bar, viewing gallery etc.

Home team should provide markers, they should mark fairly! More to follow about marking?..

Provide NEW balls (New Grampians can you hear me!)

Home Supporters/Players:

Cheer both players, not just your own.

Drinks and food: Hot food is widely accepted as the staple winter squash fare.

Lateness: some teams will not be able to make it on time, try to be understanding where you can!

Away Team:

Make sure the home team knows you are coming, call/email confirmation is essential. During which the following details are confirmed, team numbers, special dietary concerns, start time, location, miscellaneous details. Furthermore, it should be made clear if any of your team members will NOT be staying for dinner so that arrangements for this may be made.

Make sure your players know where they are going and do your best to turn up on time! We all know how hard it can be, so make sure you have the mobile number of the team secretary (if not more) so you can ring and advise them of your whereabouts. Get at least 2 players there for the advertised start time, particularly if others will be late, and try to let the team know which ones this will be so they can co-ordinate their players.

Do not expect your guests or supporters to be fed and watered, some teams are happy to take a sub in lieu of supporters having some beers and food, but always ask them first!

Do not sit at the bar all night and drink at your opponents expense, particularly if squash is still being played, go and watch that NOT the football!

Both Teams:

Be polite throughout the evening.

Where possible, make allowances for people who need to leave early but not at your own detriment or inconvenience.

Use common sense, behave in a manner that you would expect your opponents to behave.

Fill the match card out together over dinner, this avoids mistakes.

Players/supporters:

Do not argue with the markers (this includes me). Marking is not an easy job, so leave them to it. Matches at league level are rarely decided by dodgy marking decisions, its usually one player's mental breakdown after them.

Serious incidents of biased marking can be reported to me and constant offenders will be dealt with accordingly.

Swearing/petulance/shouting/barging etc. These are NOT accepted: complaints against teams/players are noted and persistent offenders will receive a warning and then a ban/points/fine where applicable.