A look inside Pendle Padel Club as the sport grows in popularity

Yes, the fastest-growing sport in the world seems to be everywhere these days, and so with that in mind, the Burnley Express told myself and colleague Kelvin Stuttard to pack our padels and head to Pendle Padel Club in Nelson to try our hand.

We were welcomed to the venue on Lindred Road by former professional cricketer Ryan Canning, who has swapped his bat for a padel, and is now managing the club, which has been rapidly growing since opening last August.

South African Ryan, a former pro at Nelson Cricket Club who has settled in East Lancashire, is obviously no stranger to ball sports, but was immediately keen to stress how inclusive and accessible padel is, hence its huge popularity.

“What a whirlwind it’s been since we opened, we’re busy all the time,” Ryan said. “The sport’s been around for about 60 years so it’s not really that new, although in this country it’s only been introduced in the last couple of years.

“What’s so great about it, and what people are realising, is that it’s inclusive for everybody. You can be 16 or 65, it’s fun for everyone. You can see that when people are coming off the courts, and there’s such a positive atmosphere around the club.”

The beauty of the game, and a big factor in its current popularity, is its simplicity. As Ryan said, anyone can play it.

So with that in mind, Ryan handed me my first padel, secured safely around the wrist, and guided me to the court for a spot of coaching.

Now, I would class myself as moderately sporty – I go to the gym and I’ve struggled through the odd game of squash in the past – but I am no means an expert.

However, after just a few minutes, I found myself pinging balls – the yellow tennis variety rather than the black squash version, and certainly not the red cricket incarnation – across the court to Ryan.

Having tried tennis, I seem to have spent most of my energy fetching balls from out of the court, and in squash, collapsing at the intensity of it, but padel was altogether more playable, and dare I say it, enjoyable.

A back wall, as in squash, keeps the ball in action for longer, and therefore more opportunity for rallies. Make no mistake, this is a good workout, without needing supreme levels of skill to generate long patterns of play.

Played primarily in doubles on an enclosed, glass-and-mesh court, padel is also considered highly accessible for beginners due to the small court size, underarm serve, and solid, perforated paddles – think table tennis racket but bigger.

Indeed, the doubles feature of the game is another that lends itself to the social aspect that is proving so popular. A booking app, which allows you to arrange matches with complete strangers, can actually be used around the world. You might be in Pendle or Provence, Burnley or Barcelona, and you can arrange a game.

Back in Pendle, the club holds Coffee and Padel sessions, has a home school group and works with schools and colleges.

Ryan added: “We really set out to make Pendle a community club which is accessible for all ages and levels. Some really great new friendships have been born from playing padel here and we often see people coming early or staying after a game for a coffee at our airstream /cafe.

“We are open every day from 6am to midnight and in Ramadan we opened 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights to accommodate those fasting.”

The owners of Pendle Padel Club are now hoping to replicate that community club vibe by opening a second club, at the former Boohoo site in Burnley.

Try it, you’ll love it.