ANYONE FOR TENNIS………..
Another week, another abject British failure in the sporting world. Great Britain’s loss in the Davis Cup to the mighty Lithuania could mean a descent from the third tier of this competition. Matches against the likes of Ireland, Turkey and Monaco, would be replaced with games against Moldova, Andorra and San Marino.
How can a team with an annual budget of approx £900,000 (Lithuania) beat a team like Great Britain, when the Lawn Tennis Association has an annual budget of approximately £50 million.
The thing is that Tennis is still a middle class sport. Terry and June playing mixed doubles down at the local club, followed by a round of Gin and Tonics. A lot has been said about funding grass roots Tennis, but the Lawn Tennis Association are more interested in putting a roof over their flagship tournament.
Wimbledon is still the number one Grand Slam, the one that all the professionals value the most, but the chances of a British player winning it are as slim as a Green packet Rizla.
Cast your minds back to June 30th 1991. This was the year the rain forced the organisers to play on the middle Sunday in order to clear a backlog of matches. As no games were officially scheduled for that day, tickets went on sale to the general public (shock horror) the hoi polloi in the all England club.
This day quickly became known as “People’s Sunday”. Polite applause and “Oh, good shot old boy,” were replaced with Mexican Waves and, “Kick his arse Jimmy”. Jimmy Connors later said it was one of his greatest ever experiences on a Tennis court.
Here lies the inherent flaw in the LTA and The All England Tennis and Croquet Club. If they invest their money in players at the grass roots they may end up with one of the peasants playing on Centre Court in the final.
And that just wouldn’t be Cricket….
{ 6 comments }
hahaha.. a friend of mine wanted to join the local club.he is quite a good player. a requirement of membership was telling THEM how much money he earned.he told them to mind their own business…….
reminded me of the tennis club in ‘school for scoundrels’…….
toodle pip!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_for_Scoundrels_%281960_film%29
It’s been time for the Bufton-Tuftons of this world to disappear for many a long year.
I used to accompany a diplomat to the Shepherd’s Bush venue (can’t remember it’s name) for many months. I was always struck that no one would ever speak to him…but then he was a Wog!….Having said that, he was a bloody nice bloke to everyone who looked after and who worked for him. The LTA should hang its head in shame.
Wimbledon
The House of Lords
The BBC
need I say more?
Out!
(and that’s what I’d say to those timely-law-passers in the House of Lords who have managed to tweak the second home rulings so as to make it impossible for them to be prosecuted. Visit once a month, ergo claims are valid. Neat.)
Double Fault!
“the chances of a British player winning it are as slim as a Green packet Rizla”
Andy Murray is world number three, so your Rizla must be thinner than mine…
Er, I think you’ll find that’s £90, ooo per annum, not £900,000 in the Lithuanian tennis budget. Merely proving your point all the more the strongly.
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