When the world’s best young squash players arrive in Birmingham for January’s Alpha Bravo Construction British Junior Open, they’ll be able to look back on a whole century of players who came before them.
The 2026 BJO marks 100 years of this iconic competition, which is now a multicultural launchpad for future champions, bringing together hundreds of ambitious boys and girls who compete across five age groups.
But 100 years ago, squash looked very different. When the event began in 1926, it was called the Drysdale Cup and was played by British public schoolboys at the very exclusive Royal Automobile Club on London’s Pall Mall.
Venues
The Pall Mall clubhouse of the Royal Automobile Club, built in 1911, was a hangout for top aristocrats and businessmen of the time. Its Great Gallery, the Brooklands Room and the famous Long Bar were all lavish spaces used by the elite — and no women were allowed.
The squash courts there could be pretty intimidating for the juniors who played in those early Drysdale Cup events, even though most of them came from leading public schools.
Fast forward to today and it’s a whole different scene. The modern British Junior Open venue at the University of Birmingham features two cutting-edge all-glass showcourts in the main hall of the Sport and Fitness Centre — the same venue that hosted squash at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Clothing
For decades, the Drysdale Cup kept its upper-class vibe. There’s even a photo of 1936 champion CM Butler next to the trophy on what looks like a croquet lawn, dressed like a young aristocrat in a formal beige suit and spats.
Approved on-court outfits were strict: Wimbledon-style all-white tennis shorts and polo shirts, sometimes paired with cable-knit cricket sweaters and long socks pulled right up.
This look barely changed until the 1980s. A photo of 1972 champion Peter Verow holding the trophy and a wooden racket shows the classic uniform perfectly.
Speaking of kits, Jayne Ashton — who won a joint-record four BJO titles from 1973–76 — almost had her first win ruined when a flask of tomato soup leaked all over her all-white gear during her train ride from Birmingham to the South Kensington Squash Club!
She won her first match but was “absolutely devastated” at the thought of having to play again with nothing clean to wear. Luckily, a family friend who worked for Fred Perry saved the day by rushing a new kit to the venue.
Scoring
The first Drysdale Cup champion in 1926 was CJ Wilson from Repton School, who beat AS Fordham of Eton by the unusual score of 15–5, 15–1.
Back then, squash rules were adapted from the old sport of rackets, which used point-per-rally scoring to 15 and best-of-three games.
That same year, squash updated its scoring system, but the Drysdale Cup result stayed the same: CJ Wilson defended his title by beating MW Fisher of Wellington 9–3, 9–6, 9–1.
International flavour
For years, the boys’ and girls’ tournaments were very local, with only British winners — until 1961. That year both titles were won by overseas players: Peter Gerlow of Denmark and Jan Shearer from Australia.
Then in 1973, another big moment arrived: for the first time, the Drysdale Cup was won by someone who hadn’t come through the public school system — Barry O’Connor from Peckham in South-East London.
Today, the British Junior Open is wonderfully diverse, packed with players from all around the globe.
In 2024, Birmingham saw history made when, for the first time ever, all 10 winners were from Egypt. Over the years, gold-medal winners have come from 14 different countries, proving just how far-reaching and important the event is in the squash world.
As we head into January 2026 in Birmingham, the stiff all-white outfits of the past will be swapped for colourful national team kits, and the Royal Automobile Club’s grand surroundings have been replaced by the University of Birmingham’s impressive all-glass showcourts and vibrant spectator seating, alongside four other high-quality venues.
From every corner of the globe, the brightest young talents gather to celebrate a century of squash and launch the sport into its next era.
Watch the 2026 Alpha Bravo Construction British Junior Open live and for free here on the official website. You can also catch the action on SQUASHTV, Worldsquash.tv and esfsquash.tv.
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