IT is fair to say that Andy Murray had millions of people off their seats over the past two decades or so as we all suffered along with him during his rise to the peak of the tennis world.
Facing odds that would spook even James Bond, he performed feats of escapology that Harry Houdini would have been proud of as he rose to become World number 1.
Late-night viewing during Wimbledon became almost a staple of summer as Andy battled back from two sets down to a guy you’ve never heard to finally triumph in five under the Centre Court roof long past bedtime.
His journey, of course, saw him become the first British male to win Wimbledon for 77 years when he saw off Novak Djokovic in 2013.
It was a remarkable career that has sadly come to an end after the superstar from Dunblane faced a match point to Old Father Time and came out second best for once – and he confirmed his retirement at the Paris Olympics last month.
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Summers will never quite be the same again.
But now that he’s finally hung up his racquet, questions will inevitably turn to his legacy.
However, that won’t take the shape of a £20 million sports centre near his hometown, which his mother Judy had hoped would be a visible example of her son’s legacy.
The plans to build the site on land near Park of Keir were aimed at growing the sports of tennis, pickleball and padel, but have now been shelved amid furious local opposition.
On the surface, securing a long-lasting tribute to arguably Scotland’s greatest-ever sportsmen should be a no-brainer.
But for over a decade the project has had to contend with local opposition, bureaucratic red tape and spiralling costs. Park of Keir has long been a controversial piece of land – a greenbelt between the towns of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane.
The site has been the subject of various planning applications, spanning 30 years which have included a hotel, a golf course, housing and more.
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Then, in 2013 – the year Sir Andy won Wimbledon for the first time – fresh plans backed by Judy Murray were lodged.
They included a new tennis and golf centre, a museum, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course with a clubhouse, a hotel, a sports pitch, new access roads, car parking and more – all enabling a housing development.
It is fair to say the plans did not delight locals and a very unseemly spat broke out that threatened to tarnish the tennis star’s legacy.
Now, though, the plans have been shelved and peace has broken out with Judy no doubt conscious of tarnishing her sons’ reputations in their hometown with something so divisive.
There is little doubt that Andy and his brother Jamie deserve a lasting legacy given their remarkable careers, but just not one that comes with luxury homes attached.
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Andy’s legacy has already been cemented as his exploits have inspired many youngsters to take up tennis after watching him play.
Surely that is a better legacy than a luxury housing development anyway? It is also hard to gauge exactly what a person’s legacy actually is – and it rarely comes in the form of bricks and mortar.
Andy Murray’s place in the hearts of the nation will continue even now that he’s retired.
That is his legacy and one he and Judy should be very proud of indeed without trying to artificially add to it.
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