ANDY Murray's popularity is helping tennis shed its elitist image, but the game still has a long way to go if it is to become a sport for all Scots, reports Paul Forsyth
TWO DAYS after Colin Fleming had played his last part in this year's Wimbledon, he returned home to discover that there was no escaping it. The 24-year-old from West Lothian thought he was winding down last Monday night, when he nipped out with
his mates, first to the cinema, and then to the pub, only to find a crowd of punters watching Andy Murray's five-set thriller against Stanislas Wawrinka. "They were right into it, cheering and clapping, and it wasn't the kind of folk who are normally interested in tennis. I must admit I was a bit surprised. It's not like it's the premier sport in Britain, never mind Scotland."
Fleming, who is among the UK's top ten professionals, and competed in both the men's and mixed doubles last week, concedes that he only plays tennis because he grew up close to a club in Linlithgow where his father was a coach. Had it not been for that, he would probably have applied his athletic ability to something else. "In Scotland, every boy tries football at one stage or another, but not tennis. You only take that up if your family play it, or if you have a club nearby. If they are going to increase the number of people participating, they will have to address that issue."
Murray, it seems, could be the answer. Although his dream of winning Wimbledon was ended by Andy Roddick in Friday's semi-final, the hype surrounding him these last couple of years has been priceless. With Tennis Scotland, the sport's governing body in this country, reporting a marked increase in participation – and not just during Wimbledon fortnight – there isn't much doubt as to the reason. "Andy inspires youngsters throughout Britain, but with him being Scottish, people north of the Border are getting involved like they never have before," says Fleming. "They now have someone they can relate to." More children are playing the game, and perhaps more importantly, different children. Scottish tennis has working-class roots, established by mill teams in the early 20th century, but it has taken Murray to engage a sector of society long since alienated by the lawns of SW19. His attitude, dress sense and apparent disregard for the establishment appeal to those turned off by the game's elitist image. Alex Harkins, tennis development officer with Edinburgh City Council, first played the sport after seeing a poster at his school in Pilton. When he turned up for the lessons at a club in town, he wasn't made to feel at home. "We had to sit round a table and say what school we were at. They were all saying Heriot's or George Watson's, and it almost felt as though they were talking down to me. The game has changed since then. It still has a bit to go, but it's not just for the elite any more."
And Harkins has the programme to prove it. The Meadows, sprawled across the heart of Scotland's capital, could never be mistaken for the ghetto, and there are no Williams sisters striving to escape it, but it's definitely inner-city. A crane pierces the skyline, buskers amble along a path adjoining the tennis courts, and a pair of worthies share a can of Special Brew. Harkins, who does most of his coaching here, is proud of his little empire.
Not only is it cheap, safe and accessible, there is a structured coaching programme from which 530 children emerged last summer, up 70 per cent on the previous year. Another heavy increase is expected this season. Harkins describes it as the biggest set-up of its kind in Scotland. The gates are never locked, it is free in winter and the only problem is finding an alternative venue for those they have to turn away. Although there are 16 courts, there was a queue of frustrated players the other night, some of whom were redirected to Craiglockhart.
Fluttering on the fence is an advertisement for their Tots Tennis club, which includes a photocopied snapshot of one Andrew Murray. They're not daft these tennis coaches. "He's been great for us," says Harkins. "There have been other factors, like the weather, but when Murray is on TV, the children ask their parents if they can play tennis. People can identify with him. There are coaches around here who know him. He's not like David Beckham. He is from this country. He is real."
Harkins is lucky, though. The central location of his workplace is perfect for taking tennis to the people, and its condition is maintained by the local authority. While the Meadows courts were resurfaced only two years ago, their equivalents across the country have not enjoyed the same care and attention. In 2006, an audit of Scotland's playing fields found that half of its tennis courts required either replacement or significant upgrading. Tennis Scotland says that a third of councils make no provision for the sport.
Glasgow has a healthy club scene, but its public courts are in urgent need of rehabilitation. Paisley's are at death's door. The municipal facilities in Barshaw Park have already been closed down, while those in Brodie Park have fallen into disrepair. Ferguslie Tennis Club no longer exists, thanks mainly to competition from the David Lloyd club in Renfrew, and Paisley Tennis Club, in its centenary year, has been reduced to playing its league matches in the local high school. "I get a bit cross when I hear the council talking about obesity and whatnot," says its secretary, Sandra Cochrane. "They say they want kids to play sport, but they don't provide the facilities to make it happen."
Not everyone can afford to play at David Lloyd, which admits only members and their guests. While the influence on tennis of the blazerati is exaggerated – the average community club charges only £2.50 a week for membership – many would rather pay as they play. The old chestnut about junior members having to make way for adults is a problem that will not go away.
David Marshall, chief executive of Tennis Scotland, wants to attract more players, from new areas, without relying on the silver spoon that fed Tim Henman and, yes, Andy Murray, but he needs the help of local authorities. "We are rolling it out in the schools, targeting the kids coming through, trying to make it easier for them to get a taste of tennis, but there is no point in that if there is nowhere for them to go on and play. Some public courts are not in great condition. A lot of councils don't have courts at all. We have to work on that.
"Andy has given us the thrust we need. With the profile we are getting just now, we will be missing a huge opportunity if there are no facilities there. We don't want to build expectations, and then let people down.
"In Scotland, the traditional route has been through the club, and we are well served by those, but the club is not a solution to everything. We should be encouraging kids from inner-city areas, making sure that everybody has access to some kind of facility. The local authorities have a big part to play in that. It should be free. A lot of the better tennis players have come from sports families, tennis families, and they have only reached the top because they could afford it. We are trying to support players, regardless of where they come from. We want to show that, if you have the talent, there is a pathway for you."
The Murray effect will not be measured now, or in the next few weeks, when the afterglow of Wimbledon warms the summer holidays. It will be when the schools go back, the weather deteriorates, and the lack of indoor facilities tests the country's loyalty. It will be in years to come, when we find out whether Scots still view it only as a leisure pursuit. Will they see in it a potential career? Will Judy Murray's proposed academy be up and running in Stirling? "In countries like France and Australia, it is seen as a serious national sport," says Fleming. "In Britain, it is not. Hopefully Andy's success will change all that."
In many ways, Fleming is more of a role model than Murray. He is a lad from the local leagues, still based in Scotland, but good enough to represent Britain in the Davis Cup, as he did at Braehead Arena in March. Although ranked 493 in the world, he is the second best player in Scotland, the British No.10. While Murray is a unique phenomenon, whose success may never be repeated, he has the power to inspire a lot more Colin Flemings. "Andy is an exception," says Fleming. "He is not the benchmark. World No.3s don't come along very often. But if we get a boom off the back of what he has done, and get more people playing, that will be the main thing. Even if they're not like Murray, that will be good enough for me."
