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TALKING SPORT WITH JAMES SHIELD: Pimms set with no thirst for encouraging talent
I COULD have been a contender.
In tennis terms at least.
I could have spent this morning preparing for a match on Centre Court.
Basking in sycophantic platitudes from former pros turned journalists (supposedly) in the television studio.
Comparing trench coats with Roger Federer in the locker room.
Retiring every evening to a palatial South-west London mansion - leased for a fortnight - but not before giving a group of Pimms-quaffing luvvies a cheery wave.
Ridiculous?
Well, you'll never know.
And that, dear reader, is why Brits will seldom achieve anything other than first-round defeats at Wimbledon.
Why Andy Murray, as painful as it might be to admit at times, is a rare gem.
The exception to the rule.
I played plenty of football during my schooldays.
Not every day, but enough to convince me that, some brief moments of success apart, that if opportunity every arose I'd be better off writing about it.
Rugby too.
But my experience of tennis was limited to whacking a ball as hard as I could against a brick wall and sneaking into my local club on dark evenings.
Not armed with a trusty Dunlop Maxply I'm afraid.
But usually a couple of pence pocketed from a bet with pals who reckoned it was impossible to evade the grumpy caretaker's clutches.
Most of you, I'd be prepared to wager, will say exactly the same.
The LTA cops its fair share of flak for failing to produce a steady stream of champions.
And not all of it undeserved because, primarily, it needs to change its frame of reference.
It shouldn't be its job to produce champions, or, mis-guidedly, attempt to take credit for doing so.
It should be to facilitate the sport and then ensure that those who do excel have the best possible opportunity to hone their talents.
There are probably a couple of thousand youngsters out there with the potential to become the next Murray.
Trouble is, most of them will never pick up a racket.
Or, to be perfectly blunt, even give a stuff about tennis for 50 weeks of the year.
n Peter de Villiers, the Springboks coach, insists that Schalk Burger's eye gouge on British Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald, was "sport",
If so then may Talking Sport politely suggest that Rugby Union's governing body tells the South African: "Not ours it ain't.'"
And then ban him for eight weeks too.
Got a view? Add your comment below.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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