I played Freespace 2 a while back for a few levels with a mouse and found it pretty darn good. I got round to picking it up the other day and thought it would probably be better with a joystick. I had a quick try with a Saitek ST90 and it took me maybe 10 mins to get even rudimentary control over the game. Now I’m aware that the ST90 isn't exactly top of the range, so my questions is, is my appalling control a result of the joystick being insufficient to the task, or is the fact I haven’t ever really used a joystick before to blame?
If the answer is the former, could you recommend a better one (preferably in the £20 range although I don’t mind spending more if I have to). Cheers.

Playing freespace with a joystick is a lot different than playing it with a mouse. A mouse is generally more precise at long-range, but makes it difficult to fight close-range, where you need to make sharp and sustained turns to keep the enemy in sight. A joystick is just the opposite, so you probably need to change your piloting style a bit : try to use your burners to get closer to your target, and use your secondary weapons if available (you only need to keep the enemy in sight for them to lock-on, which tends to be easier using a joystick).
All in all, you probably just need to get familiar with your new control peripheral. Try to experiment with several control configurations to see what fits your piloting style. And I suggest keeping the mouse within arm's reach, for those situations where precision is vital (like taking down incoming warheads at long-range).

Cheers for the advise, it is slowly getting easier but I probably will end up grabbing a new joystick anyway. If only for more buttons. 3 are not enough! Thanks again.