Dunblane: The tennis club that shaped Andy Murray

In a quiet corner of the peaceful town of Dunblane in central Scotland stands the unassuming tennis club that put Andy Murray on the road to Wimbledon glory.

Photographs of the British star preparing for his final appearance at the All England Club are displayed in a corner of the modest clubhouse of Dunblane Sports Club and his name is engraved on various trophies.

Andy’s brother Jamie, a doubles specialist, is also there and his mother Judy is on the roll of honour along with his grandparents Roy and Shirley Erskine.

The Murray memorials in the city itself are unremarkable: there is a golden mailbox commemorating his 2012 Olympic singles victory next to a wooden bench commemorating his first Wimbledon title the following year.

It corresponds to the unobtrusive character of a man who fought on equal terms with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in what was arguably the greatest era of men’s tennis and won three Grand Slams.

But as he prepares for his final Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion, people at the club cannot say enough good things about their most famous export.

“He’s just a movie star here, everyone loves him,” head coach Mark Walker told AFP. “Whenever he comes here, it’s so crowded. And all the seats are full and they follow him everywhere.”

“One time, for example, he came to our summer camp – obviously he was visiting his grandmother up the street.

“And he just came down and went down and then he came on the court and just said, ‘I’m here to play with all the kids.’ And he made sure he played with all the kids.”

– Dunblane Links –

Murray, 37, left Dunblane, a town of about 9,000 people, as a teenager to pursue his career in Spain but has never severed ties with his hometown, about 40 miles from Edinburgh.

He was married in Dunblane Cathedral and owns a hotel just up the road. His grandparents still live a stone’s throw from the tennis club.

“The family has been involved for 50 years – there is a connection to this club that is really nice,” said Sandy Fleming, one of the club’s coaches.

The club, which has four artificial sand courts and two mini-courts, has around 500 members, half of whom are young people.

One of the newer players from the production line is Ali Collins, who played doubles at Wimbledon last year.

“When you go up here, you don’t think this is a place for champions,” admits Fleming.

Membership secretary Emma Morson said Murray’s success changed the history of Dunblane. The town made global headlines in 1996 when a gunman killed 16 children and a teacher at the school Murray and his brother attended.

“Dunblane used to be known for one thing and it wasn’t positive, so it’s great to be able to represent something so positive,” she said.

Morson’s 12-year-old son Alex, who has the same initials as Murray, wants to follow in the footsteps of his “icon”.

“They (Andy and Jamie) come over pretty regularly,” he said. “They come over and play with all the kids and everyone stands around Andy, everyone knows him, even the little ones.”

Alex says he will miss Murray when he hangs up his racquet, with the Scotsman’s final act set to be the Paris Olympics – and a third singles gold medal.

“When you watch a Grand Slam tournament, you won’t feel the excitement that comes from watching someone who grew up and played where you play now,” he said.

“That’s probably going to be the worst part of it.”

– Murray’s legacy –

Fleming agrees that the departure of the former world number one will leave a big gap.

“After he won the (2012) Olympics, he toured Dunblane,” he said. “It was pouring with rain but thousands of people turned up. It must have taken him about five hours to walk up the main street in Dunblane and then come here.”

“We’re really, really proud of him. He left a legacy. If you talk to the kids here, they know when he plays, who he played against and when he won.”

“He’s someone who’s nearing the end of his career but is still very relevant. I’m absolutely disappointed because it seems like he’s always been there.”

Murray, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, underwent surgery on a spinal cyst last week, putting his participation in Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, in serious doubt.

But he is in the starting field – he will face Czech Tomas Machac in the first round – and will compete in doubles with his brother Jamie, a two-time Grand Slam winner in men’s doubles.

The members of his former club in Dunblane will be watching closely, hoping and praying that he can make them proud one last time.

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