Parke Looks Forward To Walking To European Success Having spent the last 14 years travelling to all corners of the globe to compete on the international squash circuit, England's former world No3 Simon Parke will now have less than a two-minute walk from his home to the venue where the 2003 European Team Championships will take place this week. England, hosts of the event for the first time in 25 years, are seeded to retain both titles in the European Championships at Nottingham Squash Club from 01-04 May. The Championships - featuring 37 teams from 23 countries - represent the biggest team event in the sport ever to be staged in England. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the championships which were first held in Edinburgh in 1973. Parke, having overcome both testicular cancer and ankle surgery in his illustrious career, will celebrate his tenth England appearance in the European Championships since making his debut as a 17-year-old in 1990. Raised in Harrogate in Yorkshire, he moved to Nottingham eight years ago to train with his good friend Peter Marshall, the then world No2. "It'll be fantastic for the laziness in me to have the event at my home club in Nottingham. Even though I live in the same road as the club, I am often tempted to drive - and I get a lot of stick when my car is seen in the club car park," quipped the 30-year-old who is one of a number of leading international players who have used the club as their base over the past decade. "It's great to have the event back in England, of course, after such a long time - but to have it here in Nottingham will mean so much for the sport in the area," Parke added. "Hopefully everybody remotely interested in squash in the region will know it's on and want to come along and cheer us on. I hope the club will benefit too - as I know they'll do a great job." Two other members of the England team hail from nearby Lincolnshire - men's captain Mark Chaloner, now based in Hertford, from Lincoln, and world No4 Tania Bailey from Stamford. The Nottingham club will also provide partial 'home' advantage for France and Scotland: French No3 Renan Lavigne is a regular in the club's English National League squad and Scotland's world No5 John White is also based at the impressive 10-court establishment, as are compatriots Pamela Nimmo, Wendy Maitland and Lisa McKenna, three quarters of Scotland's women's team! Wales No1 Alex Gough will also return to the club where he was based for many years. Parke remembers with fondness his European debut in Zurich in 1990 when England beat Germany to lift the title. "I was the rookie, but I won all my matches and it was a great experience. There is always a fantastic atmosphere at the Europeans, with matches always played in a great spirit with strong nations mixing with those that are not so strong - and everything rounded off with a big party!" His third appearance in 1992 in Aix-en-Provence in France was also memorable - England lost to Scotland in the semi-finals, thereby failing to make the finals for the only time in 30 years! Ironically it was Parke's team-mate Peter Nicol, the world No1 making his England debut this year after 'defecting' from Scotland two years ago, who won the deciding match which caused England's demise. "It was an unbelievably close contest, with all matches finishing 3/2, but what I remember most vividly was how everybody was cheering for Scotland - led by the Welsh! My now good friend Alex Gough was the ring leader, I seem to remember, but I thought we handled it with a great deal of dignity - especially as it was 'the old enemy'!" Paradoxically, England face Scotland in the first men's match at 2.00pm on Thursday. The top seeds are expected to face No2 seeds France in Sunday's final for the fourth successive year. The full England men's squad is Peter Nicol (Yorkshire), Lee Beachill (Yorkshire), Mark Chaloner (Lincolnshire), Simon Parke (Yorkshire) and, making his senior debut, 19-year-old World Junior Champion James Willstrop (Yorkshire). The women's squad will feature captain Cassie Jackman (Norfolk) and Linda Charman (Sussex), Tania Bailey (Lincolnshire), and Rebecca Macree (Essex).