Harrogate Squash Club is planning a special homecoming for their former player Simon Parke who left to pursue a successful career on the world stage.

It's more than a decade since Parke, who lived in Knaresborough and then Harrogate, left the town to base himself at Nottingham along with a raft of other professionals.

But this season he will be making his debut in the Yorkshire Premiership when Harrogate face Hallamshire in their opening home clash of the season on Wednesday, September 24.

Parke, now 30 and world ranked 18, played for Harrogate in the Yorkshire League when the top flight was Division One.

At the peak of his career Parke reached the world No 2 spot.

But he has never appeared in the Premiership for the side he regards as his hometown club.

He took up the sport at Pontefract, but spent most of his schooldays living in Knaresborough and Harrogate where he was a student at Ashville College.

In a bid to boost their title chances this season Harrogate coaching professional Paul Hornsby said: "This will be only our second season in the Premiership. We finished fourth last year but want to try and improve on that and Simon will certainly help us."

Harrogate have also signed Adam Stevenson, the former England junior international, whose career progress was thwarted by a troublesome wrist problem. He joins them from Bradford-based Heaton.

Stevenson is expected to play for Harrogate in the clash against Hallamshire where Parke is set to line up against Nick Matthew, who is rapidly moving up the world rankings.

Meanwhile lacking both Parke and Stevenson Harrogate made a wretched start to their season losing 4-1 to Pontefract second team in what Hornsby described as "simply horrendous."

Meanwhile current champions Wigginton from York have made a winning start to the season, beating Abbeydale 3-2 away without any of their big guns.

The victory means Wiggington have now gone 29 matches undefeated.

Match scores Abbeydale 2 Wigginton 3 (Wigginton names first): John Rooney lost to Andy Whipp 15-12 15-13 15-17 9-15 6-15; Duncan Walsh beat George Bannister 15-12 15-11 15-11; Jamie Hopwood lost to Nick Wall 15-13 13-15 15-12 12-15 8-15; Matt Lowery beat Murray Scott 15-19 15-14 15-3; Ian Tooms beat Chris Mills 15-13 15-12 6-15 15-10.

Pontefract II 4 Harrogate 1 (Pontefract names first): Shaun Le Roux lost to Peter Barker 6-15 6-12 10-15; Craig Smith beat Chris Gordon 17-16 15-13 15-11; Alan Norrish beat Paul Hornsby 15-13 14-15 15-5 15-11; Simon Gittins beat Simon Myring 15-7 15-12 15-11; Peter Lonsdale beat Adam Nowakowski 15-11 8-15 13-15 15-9 15-10.