Murray's website deluged with anti-Scots gibes

Blackleaf

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Scottish tennis player Murray continues his match against Benneteau today at Wimbledon.

The Times June 30, 2006


Murray's website deluged with anti-Scots gibes
By Will Pavia



ANDY MURRAY, Britain’s last hope at Wimbledon, has found himself at the centre of a row over national identity and the delicate matter of England’s hopes in the World Cup.

What began with an off-hand comment during a press interview this month — that the Scottish teenager would be supporting “anyone but England” in the World Cup — occupied the Commons, the Scottish Parliament and senior government ministers yesterday.

By the afternoon Murray’s website, where he keeps a blog, had attracted more than 1,000 comments: criticism, abuse and support about his remark. One writer referred to the massacre that took place at the primary school in Dunblane, when the player was a 9-year-old pupil.

In the Commons Peter Wishart, of the Scottish National Party, called for an end to the “sickening hate mail”. Jack Straw, Leader of the House, said: “Everybody needs to have a sense of proportion in this.”

In the Scottish Parliament Nicola Sturgeon called on members to “condemn the disgraceful anti-Scottish abuse that’s been directed at Andy Murray”.

The player’s comments have revived the debate started by Jack McConnell, Scotland’s First Minister, when he said that he would not be supporting the England team.

Murray has tried to calm matters through his blog.

“Want to say that I’m not anti-English,” he has written. “I have supported Tim [Henman] the last ten years and he is English. Ricky Hatton is one of my favourite boxers and he is English. I said I think England will beat Portugal in my press conference! I made a joke I don’t mind whether England win or lose! Press blew it out of all proportion.”

Donna Nieghorn, landlady of the Crooked Billet, in Wimbledon village, said: “He made a few comments that haven’t given him the sort of support Tim had. However, we are so desperate to win that even a Scot who doesn’t like England will do.”

thetimesonline.co.uk
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In the Scottish Parliament Nicola Sturgeon called on members to “condemn the disgraceful anti-Scottish abuse that’s been directed at Andy Murray”.
Yeah, never mind the anti-Englishness that Murray caused in the first place. And at least Murray has not physically been beaten by an Englishman - unlike that 7 year old lad who was punched by a grown Scotsman for wearing an England shirt.
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Come on, Benneteau!
 

Blackleaf

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Friday June 30, 2006
The Guardian


Murray: The Scotsman has yet to become popular in middle England


Englishman Tim Henman still rules the roost.

Andy Murray probably has absolutely no desire to do so, but it seems he will struggle to conquer middle England. For all the "Murraymania" of last year, the past 12 months appear to have eroded the affection Wimbledon then had for the 19-year-old Scot.

As Murray prepared to go on to Centre Court last night there was none of the buzz of anticipation that traditionally accompanies Tim Henman's appearances in SW19. Tina Freed, a marketing executive from Kent, believes the escarpment known as Henman Hill will forever be a redoubt for the Oxford-born British No3.

"It is still Henman Hill and it will remain that way, as I think it should," said Mrs Freed, whose young son Charlie wore a dozen "I've queued at Wimbledon 2006" badges like medals from a military campaign. These were the reward of 3½ patient hours spent in line.

"It would be lovely to have a British champion but whatever happens it will always be Henman Hill. It will not be Murray Mount, or whatever, next."

The Freeds are keen tennis players at the local David Lloyd club and Tina's husband Mark did suggest that her opinion might change if their son has success at the sport. "Maybe it will be known as Freed Fold," he said - but then young Charlie is English.

The more opinions were offered yesterday, the more it became apparent that Henman Hill is as English as the jugs of Pimm's and strawberries and cream on which so much sterling was spent yesterday. One girl sported a sweater bearing the legend "Tits McGhee" on the back. It might have been a clan reference, but she explained it was merely a nickname. Alex Theaker, a student at Nottingham Trent University, was most certainly English. "Last year I thought Murray was awesome," she said. "But a few things have turned me off him, some articles I've read and his attitude."

Most specifically: Murray's frivolous claim that he wants "anyone but England" to win the World Cup. Yesterday there was a committed debate about Scottish independence on the Dunblane-born teenager's weblog.

Even if Murray fails to address the 70-year-old failure of British men to win Wimbledon he must surely go down in history as the first ATP Tour player to host a website discussion about whether or not North Sea oil money makes Scotland a net contributor to the UK's economy.

"It's just jealousy," said a 26-year-old scientist, Paul Parham, of Murray's comments, having arrived on Henman Hill proudly sporting an England football shirt.

Yet though he may have alienated upwards of 50m people, Murray's own countrymen have a greater sense of affinity and the 19-year-old did have his admirers from back home yesterday.

Graeme Shaw, a 34-year-old firefighter from Glasgow, was wearing a Scotland shirt after finishing his shift as a Wimbledon steward. "I could have watched Andy on Centre Court but I chose to come here and watch it with the rest of the working classes," he said.

"I'd like to see the wee man do well. I'm right behind him and so is Scotland. There have been a few anti-English comments that have not endeared him with some people and I've read what's on his website. But, then, what does he expect? He's a young boy of 19 and he'll learn.

"If he was Welsh people would be 100% behind him. If he was Irish they'd be 100% behind him too, but because he's outspoken and he wears his Scotland armband everyone outside Scotland thinks differently."

Shaw's was one of just two saltires on show yesterday. The other belonged to two 16-year-olds, Victoria Proud and Rebecca Gillen, and their 17-year-old friend Jennifer Wylie, who play their tennis at Glasgow's Bearsden club. It was the trio's second day of supporting their compatriot.

"On Wednesday we came and we seemed to be supporting him on our own, we were the only ones clapping," said Rebecca. She and the other girls understand Murray's entrenchment: they are not supporting England in Germany, either. "I don't see why we should," added Rebecca. Scotland and England are separate nations."

And never the twain shall meet. Certainly not on Henman Hill, at any rate.

guardian.co.uk
 

EastSideScotian

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RE: Murray's website delu

Iam a Murray...Our Clan is the shit.

Black Leaf you need to get a life, I dont know what your problem is with Scots, and non englishmen.
 

Champloo

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RE: Murray's website delu

I don't even know why the Welsh, Scottish, Irish, and English still consider themselves separate groups of people. It's a relatively small group of islands.
 

Blackleaf

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Re: RE: Murray's website delu

EastSideScotian said:
Iam a Murray...Our Clan is the shit.

Black Leaf you need to get a life, I dont know what your problem is with Scots, and non englishmen.


So you're saying that Scots (including Andy Murray) can purposefully support England's opponents in whatever games they play due to their inferiority complex they have with the English, but if I support Murray's opponents at Wimbledon then I need to "Get a life"? Hmmmmmmmm.

Come on, Baghdatis!
 

Blackleaf

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Re: RE: Murray's website delu

Champloo said:
I don't even know why the Welsh, Scottish, Irish, and English still consider themselves separate groups of people. It's a relatively small group of islands.

Well, Britain is the largest island in Europe and the 8th largest in the world, so it isn't a small island.

And to Americans and Canadians, Britain might be small but the British don't actually see it that way. To us in Lancashire, London is far away. It's certainly not a place you'd go for a day trip in the car. To people in Devon, Edinburgh is light years away. Living in a large country, the Americans and Canadians think everything in Britain is close together, but to us here, they are far away. I live near Manchester, and even Liverpool is quite far, but to North Americans, it's a distance you'd travel just to get a taco. But I never think of all our towns and cities and counties being close together. To me, Hampshire, London, Devon are far away.
 

Blackleaf

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WORLD CUP'S MADE US A DISUNITED KINGDOM

The Mirror
3 July 2006


WIMBLEDON joy? Why's that, then? That pockmarked goon Andrew Murray is just Cristiano Ronaldo in a kilt.

I know it feels like we have been here before, but here's what is different about this World Cup: for the first time in my life it feels like being British doesn't matter a damn.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a Union Jack?

If you believe what you read in the papers, then Germany 2006 has made us a Disunited Kingdom. As England were courageously going down to the Lisbon wing of RADA, they were said to be celebrating in Scotland.

Can it be true? The Scots may have cheered Big Phil's writhing, diving strolling players in the pubs, but did they truly feel that way in their hearts?

The Anybody But England movement has to be more wind-up than genuine feeling, doesn't it? Aren't we all still British? Or not any more?

TV ratings reveal that the Scots have tuned into the World Cup just as much as the English, but that they cheered for Anybody But The English (the Welsh are more ambivalent - but then they were with us as far back as Agincourt).

I can't quite believe any thinking Scotsman can truly detest England, just as I can never understand how any thinking Englishman can express a hatred of Scotland.

How can you dislike the country that gave the world Robert Louis Stevenson, Denis Law, Annie Lennox, porridge, Billy Bremner, Irvine Welsh, that fat bloke in Cracker, Bill Shankly, Matt Busby, Richard Jobson, North Sea oil and the most ruggedly gorgeous landscape on the planet?

Scottish soldiers have distinguished themselves in every conflict this country has ever seen (the "British" Empire should actually be called the Scottish Empire). The British empire would have been impossible without the sons of Scotland. In their hearts, most of the English have nothing but love and respect for Scotland. But the World Cup posed the question: do they honestly hate our Sassenach guts?

The football certainly increased tensions. Was Gordon Brown a jock Judas for saying that he would be supporting England? Is the acne-ravaged Andrew Murray a chippy sourpuss for saying he would not? Or merely a stout Braveheart, a Scottish patriot with a Saltire sweatband - Mel Gibson with lousy skin?

Murray later desperately backtracked on his anti-English remarks, but it felt like craven hypocrisy during Wimbledon. Yes, I bet he was weeping all over his sporran when Rooney got sent off.

Newsnight conducted an interesting experiment that suggested things are not as bad as pus-chops Murray would have us believe.

For the price of about two-and-a-half licence fees, a brave Newsnight reporter bought a car, decked it out with English flags, painted the cross of St George on the bonnet and drove it around Scotland.

MOST Scots gave a friendly wave and wished the English lads well in their doomed World Cup adventure.

For a Sassenach who loves Scotland, it was all quite moving.

A man in a kilt, who looked about as genuinely jock as a packet of porridge oats, said he hoped they beat Portugal - although his wee lad, also in full jock kit, laughingly said he hoped the English lost.

But the banter was good-natured, until the brave little English van went all the way to Glasgow's Parkhead, where hooded vandals kicked in the windows.

But mostly the Newsnight experiment revealed a Scotland that was proud, confident and enlightened enough to be well above crass Sassenach-bashing. And you wonder where that leaves the most successful Scottish sportsman of the day.

If mouthy Andrew Murray hates the English as much as he seems to, then he should take up a sport that is a little less middle-class, a little less poncy, a little less cucumber-sandwiches-with-the-crusts-cutoff. Something a little less English. Try croquet, Jimmy.

mirror.co.uk