Wimbledon crowds are essentially twats: Discuss

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Did she, fair enough. I knew she'd vaguely achieved something, unlike most British players.

I presume it was the French Open. Mainly because her face still appears to be tinted with Roland Garros clay...

boom boom. It was as it happens. Plus she is a good presenter isn't she ? And she really does love the game.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

boom boom. It was as it happens. Plus she is a good presenter isn't she ? And she really does love the game.

I don't doubt she loves tennis, and if it comes down to her or Virginia Wade to do the BBC coverage, she wins every time.

Personally I'm not a fan, I find her irritatingly giggly and completely obsessed with the chances of certain British players to the extent where she patronises or utterly disregards their opponents no matter how good they are. And she does my head in on a Question of Sport, on the rare occasions I can bear to watch it.

But that's entirely a personality thing, she's inoffensive I suppose, and considerably less wooden than Gary Lineker, so can't complain too much.

 

[clapham_gull]

The only people I know that go to Wimbledon are players. Simply because the clubs distribute a lot of the tickets.

I don't disagree with getting rid of the free-loaders. Including the Royal Box.

I presume the women quoted knows exactly what she's talking about though.

 

[vegster]

Well done Edna !.. you are on your way to 10 pages !

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Well done Edna !.. you are on your way to 10 pages !

I did say "discuss"

I feel like Mrs Merton: let's have a HEATED DEBATE!

 

[Brovion]

Did she, fair enough. I knew she'd vaguely achieved something, unlike most British players.

I presume it was the French Open. Mainly because her face still appears to be tinted with Roland Garros clay...

Yes, that's right, a British player did once win a Major. And not just Sue; Virgina Wade won Wimbledon itself when it was the Queen's Jubilee! Hurrah! More Pimms please!

I miss the late Brian Redhead on 'Today' on Radio 4. He used to link to the sports report by saying something like "And now over to John Inverdale for news of today's sport ......... and tennis."

To be serious for a bit. Easy 10's got it spot-on, and until the LTA 'do something' to destroy the snobbery surrounding lawn tennis in the UK I shall cointinue to mock Wimbledon for the poncey wankfest it so clearly is.

 

[vegster]

The first 5Live binfest of the next 2 weeks " Why do the LTA get so much money from Wimbledon and yet we can't produce more than one decent player at a time ? "


This is just the first.. lord help us !

Edna could crack 50 pages on this before the fortnight is out

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Yes indeed: expect more rants as the rounds progress, as we're bombarded with Wimbledon staples along the lines of comedy pigeons, line judges making slightly-too-loud calls and random camera shots of the stadium reflected in puddles while two posh ladies eat strawberries underneath an umbrella.

Plus all the latest from Hoorays Hillock.

 

[SurreySeagulls]

May I also add that Tennis Clubs are all full of snobish tossers who care more about the size of their car engine and estate than they do about little Tarquin being groomed as a future Wimbledon Champion. A Tennis Club is just an excuse to mix with each other and not mix with the lower classes.

 

[Muzzman]

I remember Viz wrote a funny article ages ago when Tim Henman was still playing.

The headline:

"Viz - Supporting Tim all the way to the quarter finals"

 

[Barrel of Fun]

miserable fuckers.

Cos like - only footy fans know how to show support.

Good to see people enjoying themselves.

Amen to that, Champers.

Maybe it is the 'class issue' raising it's ugly head again?

 

[Pavilionaire]

I couldn't give a f*** about which class they - Prince Charles or Wayne Rooney -just as long as we get a British champion sometime soon.

 

[clapham_gull]

Amen to that, Champers.

Maybe it is the 'class issue' raising it's ugly head again?

Unfortunately, from my experience it's very much the issue with this sport, or at least was.

I once had the misfortune to visit a particularly well known club when I working a runner on a sports programmes.

The whole thing had been arranged, taking kids to play with a British star at the time. Let's just say the day was arranged with the "new guard".

Unfortunately those in the club (the old guard) were unhappy and sent some old duffer out in a blazer to complain. When it became clear to him that we were there legitimately, in fact invited - they send out a court vacuum cleaner (really) which completely ruined the shoot.

It was funny watching these kids play in the place, surrounded I'm afraid by the very wealthy middle class members of the club. This was one of the top establishments in the country, but all the courts were taken by the ageing wealthy middle class.

It was very very apparent that these kids were totally out of place, and if it wasn't for us wouldn't be there.

The next time we went there, to make another programme we did it on the indoor courts because of the hassle of the last time.

I remember having a conversation with a teenager there, who was supposedly one the rising stars. I know little about tennis, but he was some under 18 squad or something.

He didn't come from a particularly middle class background and told me all I need to know about the game in this country.

Back then, you could become UK number one, but on a world level very insignificant. Still become very very rich. Basically he was suggesting all you needed to do was get to top 10 in the UK, and then take it easy.

This was obviously well before Henman, but I got the point.

The basis of the conversation was because I met many many UK sports "stars" during that time from a variety of sports. Many were amoung the best in the world, but didn't have two pennies to rub together.

I had no preconceptions of the tennis establishment before that, but spending four days with them completely clouded by view of the sport.

 

[Collar Feeler]

I find the mixed doubles comedy tennis routine all rather twee and kitsch. Appeals to Womens Institute members called Gloria and bored middle class X5 driving housewives. I mean its not a real competition is it the mixed doubles? Guaranteed to have the slightly over the hill ex champion lying prone on the floor puffing his/her cheeks out in mock exhaustion after a particularly long rally - another wimbledon standard like the pigeons! the creme de la creme of cringeworthiness was of course Cliff seranading centre court that year - Gawd help us!

 

[Tooting Gull]

I couldn't give a f*** about which class they - Prince Charles or Wayne Rooney -.

Could do a job as a doubles pairing.

 

[pasty]

Back then, you could become UK number one, but on a world level very insignificant. Still become very very rich. Basically he was suggesting all you needed to do was get to top 10 in the UK, and then take it easy.

There was a bit on the tellybox earlier, Sue Barker talking to Tim Henman about that sort of thing, Apparently the wildcard system allows British players that hardly even register on the World ratings into Wimbledon. Even a first round loser gets about 10K.

I wasn't really listening intently, but I think the upshot was that the LTA are going to withdraw these automatic wildcards for those type of players,and make them qualify on merit. That should help sort out some of those that live by what you said.

 

[Gazwag]

He was put on the Earth to scrath Chrissy Evetts Itch and open squash clubs and that.

Only half right

 

[clapham_gull]

There was a bit on the tellybox earlier, Sue Barker talking to Tim Henman about that sort of thing, Apparently the wildcard system allows British players that hardly even register on the World ratings into Wimbledon. Even a first round loser gets about 10K.

I wasn't really listening intently, but I think the upshot was that the LTA are going to withdraw these automatic wildcards for those type of players,and make them qualify on merit. That should help sort out some of those that live by what you said.

I've no idea whether it's the case now, just what was expressed to me at the time. To be honest there are a lot more mediocre footballers on a lot more money.

I know nothing about tennis to be honest. I do remember at the time that the LTA was supposed to be cutting through the reality and opinion that the game was simply a social event on the summer circuit.

As this was almost 20 years ago, it looks like they failed.

 

[Easy 10]

Its like going to the US Open, and not ONE American golfer making the cut.
Its like staging a British Grand Prix, and not a single British driver even qualifying.
Its like hosting a World Cup, and crashing out at the group stage after losing every game.

Wimbledon is INTENSELY embarrassing because year in, year out, it brutally exposes the utter ineptitude and total dearth of British talent in this country. It is one of the tennis majors, yet no other country in the world has such a humiliating lack of even semi-competent players to make even so much as a few rounds into the tournament.

Britain, England, is the tennis laughing stock of the entire World, and has been for decades. Still, as long as the old duffers get their two weeks in the sun with their green blazers, straw boaters, strawberries and cream and lots of lovely rules to keep out the oiks, all is well in British tennis eh. Oh, and what a lovely roof. Could have invested in an LTA youth academy, but bollocks to that eh Jeeves. Lets give the Royal Box a bit of shade for a couple of days a year instead old boy.

Good-oh.

 

[Vegita]

You should know better than to oppose Vegeta.