Today’s papers are full of pictures of Mr A Murray, Wimbledon finalist. The front and early inside pages are full of assessments as to whether he can win.
Spare a thought for two great British sporting success which did happen yesterday, which daily papers fail to place on the front pages at all. The English cricket team completed yet another series win, this time against Australia. It reinforces England’s position as No 1 in the world.
Meanwhile at Wimbledon Mr J Marray became the UK’s first male doubles Wimbledon champion for 76 years. It was a fairy tale end for a wild card late entrant. Presumably his fantastic success does not count because he did not have a spin doctor to talk the media through it all.
When England was busily losing the soccer contest our cricket team was winning in style. The papers went to town on the failure and largely ignored the success. Let’s enjoy our victories more, and put the striving into balance. There’s plenty of space to write up Mr A Murray tomorrow, if he does manage to beat one the world’s all time greatest players in the final.
July 8, 2012
Would you like to re-read your article and perhaps insert the word ‘men’ into the comment about the last British champion?!
July 8, 2012
“…first Wimbledon champion for 76 years…” Does Virginia Wade’s victory in 1977 not count?
Reply: Indeed she does – left out male
July 8, 2012
And Bradley Wiggins is wearing the Yellow jersey in the Tour de France. That must have happened yesterday as well, because the last time I caught any Tour coverage the leader was Cancellara.
July 8, 2012
I so agree with this post.
I made exactly the same comment to my newsagent this morning, and to Mrs J over breakfast.
I hope Murray wins, but it is only hope, which takes up the front, middle and back pages.
Meanwhile huge success has been relegated to the inside pages in small doses.
I feel disgusted with the Media today, and sorry for the winners who certainly deserved better coverage.
July 8, 2012
Mr Wiggins also now yellow jersey holder (leader) in the Tour de France failed to get much of a mention as well…
July 8, 2012
Apparently, speed bumps are being removed from the Olympic routes to allow the passengers of the 4,ooo Olympic BMWs to have a smooth ride.
Some are obviously more equal than others!
July 9, 2012
Is that true?
July 9, 2012
@Single Acts
Speed humps torn out of residential street to give Olympic chiefs a smooth ride.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170367/London-2012-Speed-humps-torn-residential-street-Olympic-chiefs-smooth-ride.html#ixzz2075bwAVF
July 8, 2012
John: Your comment about a spin-doctor is ridiculous. So by extension are you really suggesting that without a spin-doctor we would not know about Andy Murray’s victory. Rather than blame spin-doctors, maybe you should criticise the press.
July 8, 2012
I’m afraid even with the word ‘male’ inserted, the statement remains incorrect: Andy Murray’s brother Jamie won the Mixed Doubles in 2007 (playing with Jelena Jankovic of Serbia).
July 8, 2012
Come to think of it, Jeremy Bates and Jo Durie (both British) also won the Mixed Doubles, in 1987. Britain’s record is not as bad as all that!
July 8, 2012
Also Jamie Murray (Andy’s brother), mixed doubles, 2007
July 8, 2012
Well said Mr Redwood. England now has a well-organised,talented and determined cricket team. The news media should be giving this prominence. Or are they waiting for the team to lose so they can make headlines of the fact?
July 8, 2012
Completely agree (with amended version!).
July 8, 2012
A certain British cyclist also took the coveted Tour de France yellow jersey yesterday.
July 8, 2012
I see the Saltires are out in force! I couldn’t care less whether Murray wins or loses. Too me Scotland is a foreign country just as Switzerland is. Should Murray win then maybe it will encourage Scotland to vote YES in 2014! I hope so.
July 8, 2012
Yes, it shouldn’t surprise you…… Hardly anything about the English successes…just some twittering about you know who….Rest assured, I am at Wimbledon on no 2 coury cheering on Federer, by far the better player…..Come on Roger! Mr Cameron, Murray’s fellow Scot is there to cheer him on…..
Zorro
July 8, 2012
Panem et circenses……….
But well noticed anyway!
July 8, 2012
Murray only winnibg at start because Federer making twice
as many unforced errors…..
Zorro
July 8, 2012
Murray only winning at start because Federer making twice
as many unforced errors…..
Zorro
July 8, 2012
Your unforced error noted!
July 8, 2012
LOL
July 8, 2012
At the time of writing, during breaks in the tennis play, the BBC keeps showing shots of a particularly nauseating individual and his so-called glamourous wife, sitting in the crowd. I really fail to see why such importance is afforded this muppet who can’t even hold a decent conversation.
It is said he is a fantastic ambassador for football, yet he was recently seen fighting opponents in a game for his club side. Some role model! It is also said he did much to bring the Olympic games to London. I’d be interested to know how much hard negotiating he actually did, and I suspect he was there merely for others to rub shoulders with.
These people who are famous merely for being famous make me want to puke. There are far better and more worthy people. Why does the BBC perpetuate this fascination with a person who is lucky more than he is talented?
Tad Davison
Cambridge
July 9, 2012
There’s a lot to be said about the nausiating nature of those that are ‘famous for being famous’.
However, the Beckhams have afforded their fame of their own right: the wife being a member of the most successful UK female band and the husband a mulitple title and cup winner in England playing for England’s best team for the period in which he played, a Real Madrid captain, has over 100 caps for England, including 50 as Captain.
They may annoy you, but they have ‘earned’ their fame.
July 9, 2012
Wow! Forgive me if I don’t join you in swooning over them. I measure achievement in a different way. Singing in a manufactured band, or booting a pig’s bladder about and getting paid a fortune for it hardly ranks as a gift to humanity.
July 8, 2012
RF outplayed him in the end…….Bad luck Mr Murray, always next year, or the year after…..
Zorro
July 8, 2012
Mr A Murray didn’t manage beat the world champion …Oh dear …how sad…never mind.
July 8, 2012
Mr Andy Murray the Scot from Scotland became the first Scot from Scotland to lose a Wimbledon men’s final. Scotlands Scottish loser Murray lost to a Swiss man who isn’t Scottish.
Meanwhile Mr J Marray with his partner (A Dane) became the first Englishman to win a Wimbledon title for 76 years and was immediately reported by all the media as being British.
Even Mr John Redwood reported him as being from the UK……………………
July 8, 2012
Right we need to clear this up once and for all – Today Mr Murray was the first British born citizen to have reached the Wimbledon Mens Singles final since 1938 (Henry Austin lost) so that’s quite good…… and would also have been the first one to win that title since 1936 (Fred Perry)….except that he was comprehensively outplayed and outclassed by Roger Federer…..Is that OK?
zorro
July 8, 2012
Rather like say the presenters on newsnight what they say and the odd words they use show their view point very clearly – even when only asking a simple question.
Only people who have little interest in football, (usually public school boys) and with some interest (or history) in the hugely inferior and rather artificial & contrived game of Rugby Union ever calls football “soccer”.
They hardly even use their feet for the game. I think its main advantage at schools is they can get 30 on one pitch and lack coordination or large girth is not a problem at school level anyway.
July 9, 2012
http://news.sky.com/story/957699/brave-fight-praise-pours-in-for-murray
This is what is wrong with this country……
Zorro
July 9, 2012
You may like the Guardian editorial today “In praise of Jonny Marray”:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/08/in-praise-of-jonny-marray
as well as the letter in the D Tel about his sportsmanship:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/9385113/Primary-school-grammar-wars-metalinguistics-vs-the-naming-of-parts.html
SIR – In the final of the men’s doubles at Wimbledon, at 4-0 in the fourth set tie break, Jonny Marray and his partner won the point that would have made it 5-0. However Jonny admitted that his racket had touched the net, although neither the umpire nor other players had noticed this. The score was adjusted to 4-1, and in fact the British player and his partner went on to lose that tie break.
Justice was done as Marray and Nielsen went on to win the fifth set and the Wimbledon title.
The single act of unusual and outstanding sportsmanship is an example to all sports people.
John Newth
Eastbourne, East Sussex
July 9, 2012
This IS what is wrong with this country The winner and the best tennis player in the world had to stand there looking like a plank while the loser blubbed for (it seemed like)…… well quite a while!
July 9, 2012
We know of your passion for cricket, Mr Redwood.
It’s just unfortunate that football and singles tennis offer such big titles that other sports are eclipsed when there is a great hope on the scene as we had in Murray.
Scots please note, the willingness of the English to get right behind you when you’re winning and we’ve already lost.
July 9, 2012
John,
Spin has been used in RU for years. I remember complaining to you about it, especially about BBC Wales doing surveys outside the Millennium Stadium, after matches. A good place to Test for Independence or Devolution sentiment!
WRU (and MD) was blatantly used throughout the Law Making Powers vote!
As far as I am concerned; it’s just another tool for the élites to get their own way, especially those doing a deal in Cardiff with those within the East London Club, at the moment.
The best defence; a clear, and broadly supported, vision for the future, etc … !
The Party (Conservatives, that’s us!) doesn’t seem unitied?
I can’t see how the HoL, for example, as constituted, can be part of it? It has failed in it’s Strategic/Legal Oversight (Function). And it’s not Representitive (Form)?
Regards,
RDM.
July 9, 2012
Talent – or the lack of it – will out. Spain, Portugal, Italy and perhaps Germany are superior to England’s soccer team. My heart goes out to Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker, two central midfielders the wrong side of thirty, who were knackered 20 minutes before the end of every game, because we kept having to recover possession of the ball. They gave of their best.
There are 3 players better than Mr A Murray. Federer’s career is approaching its end, Nadal is always vulnerable on grass. That leaves Novak Djokavic, who has an off day about once every two years.
July 10, 2012
Thank God the annual Murrayfest, formerly known as Wimbledon is over for another year. The BBC coverage is appalling – every player and his dog were asked about Murray, “was this his year” etc., all responded dutifully and said he would, blah, blah. Dear God it was a nightmare and the BBC should be ashamed of its coverage. I watched the French Open on channel 4 because they are so much poorer than the BBC their coverage was of the matches, not the celebs, their mates or the misery guts Andy Murray. Even the adverts had more relevance that Sue Barker and her host of freeloading BBC employees