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6:42 pm
March 10, 2013
Offline
With a new season approaching for many of us I thought it would be a bit of fun for everybody to share their experiences of the best and worst venues that they have played in.I'll kick off.
The best has to be the new arena at Worcester University.This state of the art sports and arts centre is superb.Only opened in April this year and it boasts 10 badminton courts divided by a basketball court.The floor and the lighting are a delight and it's fully air conditioned so LCW will be ok if it's turned on.
The worst was a good time ago for an away match in January. It was and old church hall that was heated via a coke boiler.
The boiler had broken down and we were all perished.The team asked us if we still wanted to play and we said no problem,you did in those days.We had to knock up in our coats and play in our tracksuits,one guy even kept his gloves on.The away team kept a big urn of tea going and even asked us if we wanted a”wee dram in it” to keep out the cold. I can't remember the score but I'll never forget the place and the great people.
8:17 pm
April 15, 2010
Offline This is a great thread, I could go on for years but I've got a couple of highlights.
The worst one for me is the complete opposite to you Roger, Southport Hospital. The hall is used for rehab so its heated…. a lot! It the hottest place I've played outside of summer and really drains you in every way. The YMCA in St Helens is interesting too as it has a really low ceiling and there are gym mats literally inches from the court. You have to play a really flat game, anything more than a drive clear and you're straying towards the ceiling, good fun, good challenge!
There are a few good halls near me, my home games in Southport are played in a hall with gark green walls, really good for picking the shuttle out of. I love a good church hall too, pinging clears through the beams 
. Only problem is that generally they're only one court, which means a 4 hour match 
11:26 pm
February 15, 2011
Offline
I like this topic.
I've played in so many dives. Here's a couple.
A building in Ramsbottom that had a low ceiling, so home advantage played a massive part. The court was not full size will the back line part way up the wall — aah those were the days.
Another was a church hall where the central heating pipes were virtually on the back line. It was a lovely high ceiling but the walls virtually marked out the sidelines so you had to be inch perfect not to break your racket.
Overall the worst halls are those where the floor is so slippery that it's impossible to move. I saw one player in a leisure slip after hitting a smash and he banged his head on the floor – totally rediculous.
The best I've ever played in was centre court at All Englands purely for the privilege of paying on the hallowed ground. It was incredibly hot as the TV lights had been turned on.
Paul
9:32 am
VIP Coaching Program Members
August 10, 2010
Offline I like this topic.
I played in a hall in donegal, a small church hall where everything about the court and hall were decent except the far side of the court where the backline was an inch from the back wall!! It was funny how we hit so many out that back like that didnt seem to hit the wall 1st!! (suspected cheating!!! I assumed)
Theres a local church hall I play in for away matches and its a very low ceiling with wooden seats 4/5 inches away from the side lines so if you sit there, you have to sit side on not to have your knees of court! Or sit with 1 leg either side of the seat so your seating at a right angle compared to normal lol. Its funny. Also when they heating goes on in this place, the shuttle flies!!!
There is another local church hall I play away against where the ceiling height is good and lines good but the floor is very slippy! Its hard to move fast or change direction in it.
The best hall I have played in was in Leinster, DUBLIN, they have 2 massive badminton halls with 6 – 8 courts and some have the official green mats layed out which are a joy to play on. No slide at all. Love it!!
4:26 pm
VIP Coaching Program Members
December 4, 2010
Offline The oddest was a court within a swimming pool. And of course the old village hall with a stage within 6″ of the court. The courts at Lilleshall aren’t to shabby, but as long as the floor is sprung I’m happy.
8:58 pm
April 5, 2011
Offline Worst – Near Market Drayton in Shropshire is an old aircraft hanger that has been turned into a sports centre called the 'Maurice Chandler'. It's freezing cold, is huge so very difficult to time the shuttle and has a carpet floor! Despite this Shropshire have held tournaments here because it has 8 or more courts.
Best – Played a university game against Loughborough and they has a purpose built badminton hall. Small, dark hall with green walls and low lighting down the side of the courts. Very similar to the National Badminton Centre in MK where I also played some years ago in the junior nationals (unsuccessfully).
1:44 pm
VIP Coaching Program Members
August 12, 2010
Offline I love our club courts at Eltham Green school. Excellent floor (not “too” sticky, and not even a hint of slipperiness) and good lighting. Blue walls, which is fine.
The worst court ever, was when I used to play at a club in coventry. On one away match, we played in a rubbish hall (that everyone hated, even the “home” team) where the backline was close to the wall, and they had a problem with a leaky ceiling on this one occassion. It was a great match though. I made two players break their rackets as they tried to play clears off the back line (my punch clear was uncannily accurate on this one night!!!) and one of the courts actually had puddles in the deep forehand corner! When we stepped onto the court, my friend and I noticed the puddle and said – this isn't safe. We were told that we had to play because of time constraints.
So we played.
We played an aamzing tactical game, and never had to play a shot from anywhere near the puddles – we utilised my speed and my partners height to ensure that we took the shuttle so early it never reached that corner.
When it came time to change ends, our opponents asked us if we wanted to wait for a safer court to play on. I couldn't believe it – we have just won from the dangerous end, and now THEY had to play that end, there was enough time to wait for a court. Disgraceful. We told them we were happy to play, and both our opponents left with wet shoes because we pinned them in that corner.
Can anyone top that? Puddles on court? Go on… I dare you!
6:23 pm
December 28, 2011
Offline I have played in various country, in the uk I went to a small club with a friend and I hit the ceiling liftting the shuttle to the back is so low that is ridiculous, is called new Malden badminton club or something, I have played around china and majority of the court is really good. I am currently in Malaysia and I’m playing in a school and it is so warm in that court. No air conditioning at around 33 degree. I am a player with good stamina in the uk but compare to those player here I’m nothing. They also use a lot faster shuttle than I do and also the hot temperature, the shuttle fly so fast. I spend at least a week getting used to it before I can play and my smash are a lot more useful here as it is so fast.
12:04 pm
March 10, 2013
Offline Great replies guys. Shows we love our sport so much we'll play virtually anywhere.
Another memorable venue for me boasted a bitumen/asphalt floor. For those of you too young to have come across this challenge to health and safety it's akin to playing on a tarmac road. The main problem was that when you stopped you stopped, DEAD.
The home team were obviously used to this and moved appropriately. We, on the other hand, were used to a more giving surface and ended the evening with assorted sprains and strains not to mention grazes from falling over. I don't know how the opposition afforded to play there as they said they got through a pair of shoes about every three months.
It's good to hear about the good places but I have to say that the horror stories have been the most entertaining.
Keep 'em coming.
10:46 pm
February 15, 2011
Offline Roger
I agree that the horror venues are a lot more entertaining. Health and Safety rules do not apply in certain venues and I'm sure many of these venues have been responsible for a number of broken rackets over the years.
The danger is always those venues that you at risk of injury. However, without wishing to move onto another subject, most players create this situation every week by failing to warm up or cool down. But, let's not go there for now!
Paul
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