It's a big decision - Watt

SQUASH has been warned not to get ahead of itself. Those behind the Guernsey Tennis Centre stress that it is by no means certain they will agree to catering for the sport, even if the GSRA membership want it.

On the day it was unveiled that the Guernsey Squash Rackets Association are canvassing their members to seek support for a potential new four or five-court venture at the GTC's Longs Camps headquarters, centre manager Mike Watt said they were wary of the idea of giving up one of their indoor courts to accommodate squash.

Dropping from four to three would be considered, though, confirmed Watt.

'It's going to be a big decision for us and one we won't take lightly.'

While it seems the GTC like the idea of tennis and squash under the same roof, nothing was certain.

'We're only a short distance down the road to doing this,' said Watt, who said squash was just one of several sports which had enquired about sharing the indoor facility.

Ideally, he said, tennis did not wish to give up any of its indoor facilities.

'The courts sit empty probably half the day.

'We need four tennis courts for five hours a day, perhaps a bit more in winter.

'But the rest of the day, we don't need four - we may not need three.

'If the courts were busy all the time, there wouldn't be an argument.

'Tennis is not a declining sport but there are so many things for children to do.

'Less is being played than say 20 years ago.'

Watt said the GTC discounted any talk of the centre being in any sort of financial trouble.

'We're ticking over. We're putting investment into it.

'It would be nice to have another racket sport there.'

A list of the GTC's facilities - they include a steam room, sauna, attractive bar area and indoor and outdoor tennis courts - were included in a letter the GSRA sent to their members outlining the opportunity for squash to set up headquarters at Longs Camps and become self-sufficient.

There is talk of squash being offered a 20-year lease on the area currently being taken up by one of the four indoor tennis courts.

Before any potential move, though, the GSRA need to be sure enough members would be prepared to pay an annual subscription fee at the GTC.

Peter Bridgeman, director of island squash, says the sport is being hemmed in by a shortage of courts provided by the two existing venues, King's and Beau Sejour.