To think that Wimbledon needs to up its game?

[CoffeeCantata]

I love watching Wimbledon and so much about it is excellent but...

The poor Linesmen/women! Those horrible outfits suit absolutely no-one and are totally inappropriate for the job. Whatever their physique, this gear just doesn't seem to fit any of them. Shirts with contrasting collars, ties (for goodness' sake!) and badly-cut trousers. How about a smart polo shirt and either shorts or culottes?

Why do the ball-girls have to wear skirts? Why not shorts like the boys? Seems a bit outmoded.

The umpires' chairs are magnificent structures, affording excellent views and with multiple shelves and all kinds of devices attached - they want for nothing. But the players!! Two miserable plastic chairs?? Why can't they have a specially designed unit featuring a cushioned seat, an integrated, lidded cool-box and shelves for all their stuff? It seems they just have to dump all their stuff around them - very untidy and a bit 'school sports day'.

Like I say, not interest in it at all. Just thought they have all year, a shed load of money and the best groundsman and the best they can manage is like the bit under the swing in the garden.

It’s a tennis match for gods sake…not London fashion week (or fortnight!).

Its a very upper class atmosphere with most people probably having their own tennis courts. I think I'm middle class but I've never felt such a pleb. I don't get it.

Well I've been there and didn't feel like a pleb at all and I'm very much not upper class. Your feeling of inferiority is a you issue.

I hope Wimbledon never changes too much. I've also been to the US Open too, and these events are all about enjoying the tennis, not measuring yourself against other fans.

😂😂
What can I say. Keep the players off, keep it pristine. Oh and don't get me started about kids in the park. Get rid of the swings.

Well you don't need to say anything. But you clearly feel you must.

Arts & Crafts was earlier than 1920.

No, it's a discussion thread. We're sharing thoughts and opinions. No "must" about it 😂

I agree. Just leave it alone. It’s great as it is.

I agree. It's a special tournament, we know how all the players value it.

I went yesterday - agree about the linesmen/women's outfits being awful (sorry Ralph) - very badly tailored trousers (no pleating), terrible fit on all of them esp the more curvy, all looked slightly disheveled rather than smart.

Ball boy/girls on the other hand looked great! Sporty, practical outfits.

Actually think most spectators stayed till the end of both men's semi-final matches yesterday (to address another point about people leaving early) except for lots the celebs/actors who barely watched half an hr of tennis in total (looking at you Hugh, Rami and Stanley 👀). The older royals on the other hand stayed in their seats the whole time!

Ffs have you not seen the amount of rain interruptions they had this year?! Moving cool boxes, wooden seats, cushions etc would take too long. The umpires chair has wheels on so it is easy to move when they need to put the covers on and take down the net.

The linesmen and women are proud to wear the uniform, women can opt for skirts if they wish. The blazers I think are rather stylish and I would love one. They even have flat caps.

As all lines men and women and ball boys and girls are volunteers I'm sure they are really honoured to work at such an event, regardless of what someone watching on telly thinks of their uniform or how well they play tennis.

Players also treat Wimbledon with the upmost respect, it's not every day you get royalty presenting you with a trophy or watching you play. Everything even down to their towels is classic (I have one from when I went), although they no longer throw the branded Wimbledon towels as they only get one I believe.

As all lines men and women and ball boys and girls are volunteers I'm sure they are really honoured to work at such an event

Don't know about the linesmen/women but the ball boys and girls are paid.

Either way they're still volunteers.

Think it comes down to taste. A polo shirt and culottes sounds hideous to me even if the RL trousers aren’t ideally cut for curvier figures! I had not heard they were removing the line judges, that is sad as they are the last slam to have them.
my only gripes with Wimbledon are the recent aggressive drive on social media pushing the celebs and fashion aspect. It was much nicer when this was done discreetly but I guess the debenture prices have rocketed in recent years so they feel they need to keep at the forefront of the summer events somehow!
the other is the aggressive approach to the local redevelopment, getting Djokovic to advocate for it in media interviews etc. He won’t have skip trucks thundering past for a decade and local parkland concreted over, so I DGAF what he thinks frankly.

I think, like other slams, all lines will be automatically called next year, doing away with lines people.

So you won’t need to worry about their outfits.

• *and local parkland concreted over

It's a golf course that we locals haven't been allowed on

I really hope they don't get rid of the line judges - everything is so soulless nowadays

Well you do have some interest in it….cos you taken a great deal of interest in the grass🙄

The kids get 200 quid each and are allowed to keep their RL …..which many of them put on eBay and make a good few ( hundred) quid

😂

I was finally lucky in the ballot this year. As you can see from the photo there was a huge range of clothing on show. Just like any other summer event. It could have been school sports day or the village dog show. I'm both 'common' and gasp 'northern' and didn't feel at all that I didn't belong. The famous strawberries cost a very reasonable £2.50 and we noticed fish and chips and pizza on sale - hardly the preserve of the upper classes.

You might enjoy this sketch by Flanders and Swann on the tedium of being an umpire at Wimbledon.

I agree with this.

I've been a few times. Never felt like a pleb. Loved it all in fact. Yes some do get very dressed up. But plenty don't. Going for comfort for the long day rather than glamour.

The white trousers make me nervous, if I was mid peri-menopausal period I couldn’t do the hands on knees thing without some serious carnage.

I'm a gardener by trade. There my interest ends.