Fred Perry, Andy Murray, How 77 years fly by when you are having fun! – By:Sigrid Draper

Written by: Staff on 10th July 2015

Fred Perry, Andy Murray, How 77 years fly by when you are having fun! - By:Sigrid Draper |

Editors Note (July 5, 2015): We had to pull this out of the vault. SIGRID was an insider. She knows a lot about the USTA and what it’s like to be a VIP as an Ex USTA Presidents guest. How many ex presidents do we have? All I know is she has a great memory and a keen sense of humour. Please enjoy.

Editors Note : We had to pull this out of the archives and dust it off. So please enjoy this insiders story. It’s really special. Some of the team here @10sballs.com knew Judge Robert J.Kelleher . He was a true gentleman and Guardian Of The Game. The Judge changed the sport as the “Father of open tennis” in 1968. He tried to open up the game in 1962 but the pro tour promoters fought him. Poor Gussy and both Pancho’s could have enjoyed re births.

Fred Perry was born in 1909 and died in 1995. He won 10 majors for Britain, which included three straight single titles between 1934 and 1936. It took 77 years before Britain could once again relish in victory at Wimbledon!

This was all before my time. I wasn’t there as, like Andy Murray I was only a gleam in my Father’s eye. I hear it only cost 25 cents (U.S. Currency) to obtain a front row seat to watch this magnificent game and a “Tout” was yet to be heard of.

Fast forward 77 years and Britain once again rose to their feet in that “deja vu” moment of years gone by! Again, I was not there. However, in between those two victories, I attended Wimbledon each year for 20 years with a great man of Tennis by the name of Judge Robert J. Kelleher. I sat in the common seats and I sat in the Royal Seats. I saw the “greats” of my time, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Martina and Chrissy, etc. play some unbelievable matches, hold up that coveted trophy, curtsy to the Royal Box and kiss the hallowed ground. However, my greatest thrill was not only to get to meet Fred Perry but to be able to call him and his wife Bobbi my friends.

So, when I read that Andy Murray told a packed room of Reporters that he did not know what he would ask Fred Perry if he were able to bring him back for a conversation, or what Fred Perry might say to him, I recalled a conversation I had with Fred regarding his Bronze Statue which was dedicated in 1984.

I share this with you not only because of what was said but it might give you and Andy an insight to Fred’s humility and sense of humor.

The Judge and I were privileged to be invited to sit at Fred’s table, in Member’s Enclosure where he was celebrating his 80th Birthday. As we sat talking, my eyes focused on his Three Quarter Life-Sized Bronze Statue which is sited just inside Gate 5 and in plain view from the Old Member’s Enclosure. Unlike, Andy, I didn’t have to bring him back to ask questions and I had plenty of questions. I started out by complimenting him on the Statue. Fred, I said, the likeness is incredible! He agreed. I then thought, okay, here is where I get to score a few points so I Aced him with “How much his fans, in fact, all of England loved him”. There has never been another Statue of anyone on the hallowed grounds of the Old All England Club and probably never will be! I declared with all the enthusiasm I could muster up! I waited for his response. He was quiet. I figured that I gave him pause for thought. He was still quiet. Now, I figured that what I had said was the “ultimate” compliment because it appeared that I had rendered him speechless!

Then, he took my hand, patted it gently and SPOKE! He said, “My dear, dear, girl, it is true, they have honored me greatly. I am very appreciative of their kind gesture. HOWEVER, IF THEY TRULY LOVED ME, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERATE ENOUGH TO COVER MY HEAD WITH AN UMBRELLA, do you have any idea how many birds dump on my head on a daily basis?

That is when my admiration of him grew ten fold! I adored him!

What he would say to Andy Murray, I am sure would be “Jolly good”, let’s keep the Trophy in Britain for the next 77 years and, if they place a Statue of you in the Hallowed Grounds of the Old All England Club, let’s hope your well deserved honor includes an Umbrella! And, if by chance the location of your Statue is next to mine, please make the Umbrella BIG enough to cover both of us!

Somewhere down the line, in the future, if someone is asked “what would Andy Murray say”, Andy Murray would answer, been there, done that and how do you like my hat?

By: Sigrid Draper

Topics: All England Club, Andy Murray, British tennis news, Chrissy, Fred Perry, Jimmy Connors, John Mcenroe, Martina, Sigrid Draper, Sports, Tennis News, Wimbledon Championships

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10sBalls_com says:

July 16, 2013 at 3:01 pm

Fred Perry, Andy Murray, How 77 years fly by when you are having fun! – By:Sigrid Draper – http://t.co/lmBBn8LSAp #tennis @andy_murray
10sBalls_com says:

June 24, 2014 at 4:57 pm

Fred Perry, Andy Murray, How 77 years fly by when you are having fun! – By:Sigrid Draper – http://t.co/ZUUnifoYzW #tennis @andy_murray
mamarod715 says:

June 24, 2014 at 5:00 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: Fred Perry, Andy Murray, How 77 years fly by when you are having fun! – By:Sigrid Draper – http://t.co/ZUUnifoYzW #tennis…
10sBalls_com says:

July 5, 2015 at 8:10 pm

Fred Perry, Andy Murray, How 77 years fly by when you are having fun! – By:Sigrid Draper – http://t.co/AE5pNE4jht #tennis
10sBalls_com says:

July 10, 2015 at 7:08 pm

Fred Perry, Andy Murray, How 77 years fly by when you are having fun! – By:Sigrid Draper – http://t.co/AE5pNE4jht @andy_murray #tennis