Who We are

Goode Sport recently celebrated its 40th anniversary distributing Ashaway Racket Strings.

Founded by Nick and Andy Goode in 1984, Goode Sport has grown steadily over the last 40 years. Here is how the story goes… as remembered by co-founder, Nick Goode. 

40 Years!

Andy, whilst playing in Australia started using Ashaway XT 21… in the year 1984. I graduated in the same year and together we embarked on a convincing Pam Crandall to give us the opportunity to represent Ashaway in UK/Ireland.  Our competition at this time was primarily Gosen Hy-o-Sheep.  So, the introduction of Multifilament strings was received by the market with great enthusiasm.   

After two years we moved from our father’s house to a warehouse, enabling us to employ more staff.   

In the 90’s we were fortunate to supply the Racket brands of the day – Slazenger, Carlton, Browning, ISI, and Yamaha with Rally 21 for their frames.  This gave us a jump forward in the market accepting Ashaway Multifilament strings as the new standard.   

It seems incredible now to think during the 90’s we had the world No. 1 Badminton and Squash players using Ashaway Strings. 

In more modern times, rackets, luggage, apparel, grips and accessories have been developed for the Ashaway brand, and we stand as one of the largest badminton and squash brands in the world. 

Product development is key to our success, and we will continue to strive to produce premium racket strings and equipment for many years to come. 

In 1976, a group of racket sports enthusiasts started Black Knight to develop better rackets, strings and accessories for squash and badminton players of all levels. They drove across North America, promoting racket sports from coast to coast by hosting exhibition matches, sponsoring club championships and giving free lessons, showcasing their superior gear along the way.

Through this slow and steady approach, Black Knight became a household name in squash, building a loyal community of professionals and casual players alike. Following the belief that there is no win too small - from reaching a world #1 ranking all the way down to grabbing drinks together after a friendly match – Black Knight is on a mission to inspire competition and camaraderie. With a unique combination of durable, consistent performance products and stylish apparel and accessories, Black Knight is making racket sports a bigger part of people’s lives, both on and off the court.