Anyone for tennis ?

Its been a long time since I saw a british wimbeldon champion in a singles event. Virginia Wade, 1977. If I had known how long it was going to take before there was a sniff of another winner I would have conentrated a whole lot more.

All the years of not very heroic failure have hardened my heart to all the mealy mouthed excuses trotted out year after year as to why we cannot get anyone into the second round (beyond the odd freak of nature that thrive despite rather than because of the nations efforts to turn them into champions).

Hell some of the "future prospects" we heard about so eagerly have retired since, having achieved not a lot. Even pretending a Canadian was British did not help.

Now though we have "Murray Mania". How the media loves a catchy soundbite to get them from one "ummm" "errrrr" to the next.

Tim Henman try not to wear out your "umms" and "errrs" reach for more novel methods of connecting your banalities. Then again as last year Henman called Murray a "misreable git" the BBC might be hoping for less of that and more of the "umm" and "errr" routine.

We have waited a lifetime for a British mens single champion and the fates have served us up with our best chance yet. A Scotsman whose facial contortions would give Cherie Blair a run for her money in a pie eating competition.

Murray interviews are not quite the dour tedious list of excuses and complaints they used to be but they still teeter on the edge of it.

Anyway like others I will be settling in front of the TV wishing Murray to victory while secretly wishing it was an Englishman with a sunny disposition flying the flag.

I fear though there is not that much lifetime left in me to ever see that day.