Club History

In 2023 the Veterans Squash Rackets Club of Great Britain celebrated their Diamond Anniversary. Many events took place throughout the year – squash tours, multi-player matches, a Tournament open to all comers, a ‘Festival of Squash’ at the RAC and a final weekend of a fancy-dress evening with food, drink and a 60’s themed disco.

Back in1963 the Club was started with just 35 members, founded by 8 enthusiastic veterans at the RAF Club in Piccadilly, and although there is now much competition for players activities - Racketball, Padel, Pickleball to name but 3, we now have around 450 members.

With squash at last being an Olympic sport from 2028 in Los Angeles, the future and continued success of our sport looks assured.

However, to all intents and purposes it was in 1964 when the first committee meeting took place, Club rules were drawn up, a Club tie was designed and the first of many ‘friendly’ matches arranged. 1964 was the year of Mary Quant, Beatlemania, the Great Train Robbery and the deaths of Nehru, Ian Fleming and Harpo Marx. Nelson Mandela was jailed for life for treason.

In 1964 veterans’ squash had only recently emerged, and it was a year of change nationally and globally. It was also, in many ways, the take-off point for a revolution in squash with the rapid rise to prominence of Jonah Barrington and the transformation of the image and impact of the sport throughout the world with the explosion of the number of clubs and courts through the 1970’s. In 1964, the game was still largely an amateur sport dominated by the public schools, Oxbridge and the Services, with only a few dedicated, impoverished professionals.

In the last 60 years or so the sport has transformed itself and despite falling back from the boom of the 1980’s is still played by millions across over 100 countries worldwide. During these years the GB Veterans Club has continued to expand from its early beginnings and today flourishes with around 450 members, many of whom are still very active into their 70’s and 80’s!

In 2013 the eligible age for membership, to mirror other ‘Masters’ sports, changed from 45 for men, 40 for women to 40 for men and 35 for women.

The Cub now boasts some 150 members, past and present, who have represented their countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Our Club Championships were introduced in 1981with just Men’s O45 and O55 singles. Gradually over the years the number of categories has expanded to 17 events including ladies, doubles (men’s and ladies) and mixed doubles. In addition, tournaments for ‘non-county and national’ players were introduced in 2016.

Trophies are awarded to winners of each category and a special trophy for ‘the member considered to have served the Club well and enhanced its reputation in the wide world of squash’ (Burrell introduced in 1999) and ‘a member considered to have made a special contribution to the spirit of the tournament’. (Norman Hunt introduced in 2014)

The advance of social media and the introduction of our very user-friendly website has enabled us to communicate with our membership instantly, keeping them up-to-date with the latest news and forthcoming activities.

The Club has sent Vets teams on tours across the world and hosted other Vets teams from throughout the world.

The Veterans Squash Rackets Club of Great Britain has become the watchword for the continuance of friendly, competitive squash into the ‘mature’ years.

60 years on we certainly owe much to those few, those ‘gallant’ few, who met at the Royal Air Force Club on that cold December night in 1963.