Garvey still reigns supreme on court

The 70-year-old racketball ace has just added another national title to his sizeable list of achievements – nearly 50 years after being advised not to play sport!

A serious knee injury curtailed Garvey’s footballing days when he was in his mid-20s and, according to a doctor, should have meant an end to any strenuous physical activity.

But Garvey, from Stourbridge, had other ideas and decided to take to the squash courts for his sporting fix.

A series of operations over the years on his knees, hip and shoulder, have failed to slow the Norton resident down with racketball taking over from squash as his number one sport.

And the sprightly septuagenarian shows no signs of calling it a day on the courts just yet, having been crowned champion in the over-70s category at the National Squash 57, the new term for racketball, Championships at the Edgbaston Priory Club.

The victory was all the more remarkable as Garvey had not participated in the nationals since 2008, and underwent major hip surgery in 2009 and a full shoulder reconstruction in 2012.

And Garvey, who has now won 19 national racketball titles, believes this is his greatest victory to date.

“I think this is my best achievement yet, having not figured in the nationals for a long time,” he said.

“I had said I was going to call it a day because I have had operations on my hip and shoulder, and my knees are feeling the strain a bit.

“But I’m going to carry on playing. My wife, Carol, is a bit worried about me playing at my age but I still enjoy it and it keeps me fit and active.”

Garvey enjoyed 3-0 victories over John Shingler (Priory) and John Hopkins (Solihull) in the quarter and semi-finals respectively to earn a shootout for silverware with the number one seed, Leicester’s Hans Bilson.

The final was a very tight 50-minute encounter with Garvey battling through to win 3-1 (9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-5).

“I won the over-70s competition at my club, Stourbridge Lawn Tennis & Squash Club, earlier in the year and I think that helped prepare me for the nationals,” added Garvey.

Garvey has been a member at the Stourbridge club for over 40 years and played county squash before turning to racketball in the late eighties.

He plays a couple times a week in the afternoon leagues which are open age affairs and see him pitted against younger opponents.

“I played squash until I was about 35 and have been playing racketball since then,” said the semi-retired asset finance broker.

“I play in the afternoon league at the club each week. I have managed to win that for the last four years so I am there to be shot at now, I suppose!

“It’s open age so I can be up against players who are a bit younger than me. But that doesn’t bother me, I don’t think about the age and the experience I have helps.”

The latest trophy will take pride of place in a huge collection. Since taking up the sport he has also claimed national glory twice in the over-40s category, four times at over-45, once at over-50, and a double success at over-55.

In addition to his single successes, he has also bagged one men’s open doubles title and four over-45s doubles wins. And he has been a national finalist on another eight occasions in various singles and doubles events.

“I have won a few titles and I suppose it’s not too bad considering I was advised not play sport again in my mid-20s,” he said.

“I smashed my knee up playing football, I damaged my cruciate ligament, and I was told not to play sport.

“But I started to play squash in my late 20s. I have had a few operations on my knees but they have held up over the years.

“I played in the Birmingham League when I lived in Halesowen and then joined Stourbridge when we moved to Norton in the late 70s.”

Not surprisingly, Garvey was also a hit on the squash court where he helped Stourbridge win 11 Worcestershire League titles and five cups while he went through one season with a perfect record of 16 wins from 16 games.

He then turned his attentions to racketball and captained the club to nine West Midlands League Division One successes between 1993 and 2002, doubling five of those wins up with the cup for good measure. Amazingly he lost just one game in those 10 seasons.

And with Garvey showing no sign of easing up, he is delighted to see a boom in the sport he loves.

“There are quite a lot of people playing the sport now,” he said.

“The racket and ball are bigger than those you use in squash and it’s probably a bit easier to play.

“At our club, we have winter and summer leagues and there are about 15 divisions in each, so the sport is becoming really popular.”

Sport is very much a part of the Garvey family make-up.

“My dad, Geoff, played alongside the great Wolves player and manager Stan Cullis in various war-time matches in the 40s,” said Garvey.

“I have got programmes from games he played at Craven Cottage and Stamford Bridge and he played with numerous professionals.

“My son Mark was a goalkeeper and he played for Stourbridge and Halesowen. And my grandson Ryan is also a goalkeeper and is just starting out with Cookley.

“Sport runs in the family and hopefully I will carrying playing for a few more years yet.”