A People's History of Tennis

David Berry

Description

***Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2020***

***Financial Times, Best Sports Books of 2020***

Pristine lawns, tennis whites, strawberries and cream, tennis is synonymous with the upper echelons of society, but scratch beneath the surface and you'll quickly discover a different history, one of untold struggles on and off the courts.

From the birth of modern tennis in Victorian Britain to the present day, we bear witness to struggles around sexuality, gender, race and class that have transformed the nature of tennis and sport itself. A People's History of Tennis is populated by diverse voices, recounting the sport's gay origins, 'Workers' Wimbledon', battles for gender equality and more.

Going beyond centre court, this book reveals the hidden history of the game, providing a rich account of the challenges faced and victories won.

Introduction

1. Mavericks

2. Feminists

3. Members

4. Stars

5. Players

6. Socialists

7. Entrepreneurs

8. Performers

9. Enthusiasts

10. Immigrants

11. Outsiders

12. Trailblazers

13. Professionals

14. Amateurs

Conclusion

Timeline of (Lawn) Tennis

Notes

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Index

Sujets

• Social History
• Racket Sports
• Sports
• HISTORY
• Campeonato de Wimbledon
• Recreation
• Tennis
• Wimbledon

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 mai 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786806321
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

A People’s Hîstory o Tennîs

‘Great news – playîng tennîs îs not înconsîstent wît radîcal polîtîcs. hîs îs just one o te ascînatîng acts în tîs amazîng îstory o our sport.’ – Lord Rîcard Layard, Emerîtus Proessor o Economîcs at te London Scool o Economîcs and co-autor o hrive: he Power of Psycological herapy

‘hîs antîdote to cream teas and prîvîlege celebrates tennîs and îts entusîasts troug te sport’s îterto sîlenced storîes. A great read.’ – Kat Woodward, Proessor o Socîology, Open Unîversîty and autor oSocial Sciences: he Big Issues

‘We mîgt tînk o lawn tennîs as a sport o te prîvîleged, but tîs ascînatîng, beautîully wrîtten book reveals tat în îts -year îstory ît as been played wît passîon by women, lesbîans and gays, etnîc mînorîtîes and socîalîsts alîke.’ – Lucy Bland, Proessor o Socîal and Cultural Hîstory, Anglîa Ruskîn Unîversîty and autor oBritain’s ‘Brown Babies’: he Stories of Cildren Born to Black GIs and Britis Women in te Second World War

‘Davîd Berry’s delîgtully gossîpy book delves înto te personal îstorîes o tennîs players amous and unknown. He lovîngly carts te progress o te game sînce îts begînnîngs în te Vîctorîan perîod and explaîns wy so many people, players and spectators, love ît.’ – Elîzabet Wîlson, autor oLove Game: A History of Tennis, From Victorian Pastime to Global Penomenon

‘A sufragette plot to burn down Wîmbledon, Jewîs quotas at your local tennîs club, All England Marrîed Couples Campîonsîps – you tînk you know tennîs and ten along comes tîs compellîng lîttle gem by Davîd Berry, posîtîng a progressîve socîal îstory o te sport tat surprîses and delîgts. Hugely enjoyable and îgly înormatîve.’ – Davîd Coen, ïnvestîgatîons Edîtor at te LondonEvening Standard

A People’s Hîstory o Tennîs

Davîd Berry

Fîrst publîsed 2020 by Pluto Press 345 Arcway Road, London N6 5AA

www.plutobooks.com

Copyrîgt © Davîd Berry 2020

Te rîgt o Davîd Berry to be îdentîîed as te autor o tîs work as been asserted by îm în accordance wît te Copyrîgt, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988.

Brîtîs Lîbrary Cataloguîng în Publîcatîon Data A catalogue record or tîs book îs avaîlable rom te Brîtîs Lîbrary

ïSBN ïSBN ïSBN ïSBN

978 0 7453 3965 8 978 1 7868 0632 1 978 1 7868 0634 5 978 1 7868 0633 8

PDF eBook Kîndle eBook EPUB eBook

Typeset by Stanord DTP Servîces, Nortampton, England

ïntroductîon  1 Maverîcks  2 Femînîsts  3 Members  4 Stars  5 Players  6 Socîalîsts  7 Entrepreneurs  8 Perormers  9 Entusîasts 10 ïmmîgrants 11 Outsîders 12 Traîlblazers 13 Proessîonals 14 Amateurs Conclusîon

Contents

Timeline of (Lawn) Tennis Notes Bibliograpy Acknowledgements Index

1 9 24 39 49 64 78 92 105 121 132 149 160 177 192 206

212 220 232 237 238

Introduction

ït was Joe Parsons, te nîgt watcman, wo spotted tem. On te nîgt o 26 February 1913, tree women travelled to Wîmbledon by traîn and gatered outsîde te All England Club’s Centre Court în Worple Road at 10.00 pm. Tey carrîed îve tîns o paraîn, îve candles wrapped în cotton wool, wood cîps, îre- lîgters, an electrîc torc and a seet o paper wît te words ‘no peace untîl women ave votes’. Teîr întentîon was to destroy te court and set îre to te new stand, but wen tey were callenged by Parsons tey ran away. ‘One o tem wît Joe în ot pursuît ell over în te dark’, club secretary, George Hîllyard, recalled, ‘and Joe, a ety young ellow just retîred rom te artîllery, ell on top o er and took er în trîump to te pavîlîon were se was secured pendîng te arrîval o te polîce. ï gave îm a sovereîgn or îs 1 smart work.’ Te woman, tougt to be between 30 and 35 years old, declîned to gîve any explanatîon.Te press called er te ‘sîlent suragette’. A week later at Wîmbledon’s polîce court, se was ound guîlty o an attempted elony and sentenced to two monts împrîsonment. Tat seemed to be te end o te matter, except tere were one or two detaîls tat remaîned puzzlîng. Parsons ad been appoînted just te prevîous day. Tere ad been no need or a nîgt watcman beore. ït all seemed a lîttle ortuîtous. Was Hîllyard tîpped o about an attack? Dîd e ave înormatîon e cose not to sare wît te polîce? And wy dîd te woman not say anytîng în court? Suragettes generally used teîr moments beore te magîstrates to speak out or teîr cause. Se remaîned sîlent. Was se protectîng someone, someone wît însîde knowledge? George Hîllyard, te son o a polîce oîcer, swerved round tese îrrîtatîng nîggles. Te All England Club Commîttee was so relîeved Wîmbledon escaped damage tey consîdered te

1

A People’s History of Tennis

matter closed. Wen Hîllyard retîred a decade later, owever, e stîll elt e ad some explaînîng to do. ïnForty Years of First-Class Tennis, publîsed în 1924, e poînted out tat e ‘never dîd te suragettes any arm. For all tey knew ï mîgt ave been a male 2 suragette.’ ït was true îs wîe Blance, sîx tîmes Wîmbledon Women’s campîon, was sympatetîc to teîr cause, but Hîllyard tougt ît extremely unlîkely se would do anytîng to urt te sport se loved, altoug wît Blance you could never be abso- lutely sure. Te attack on Wîmbledon tat February nîgt în 1913 was one o te îrst actîons o te suragettes’ new îrebombîng campaîgn to try and orce parlîament to grant women te vote. Sport was sîngled out as a target and crîcket pavîlîons, boatouses, gol clubs and ootball stands across te country were set alîgt. On June 8, Emîly Davîson dîed în ospîtal our days ater se ad trîed to trow a robe în suragette colours over te kîng’s orse as ît galloped past er în te Derby. Horse racîng, gol, ootball and crîcket were seen by te suragettes’ organîsatîon, te Women’s Socîal and Polîtîcal Unîon, as legîtîmate targets because tey were publîc actîvîtîes run by and or men. Lawn tennîs was more complîcated. Te sport was certaînlycontrolledTere would be noby men. women on te rulîng commîttees o te All England Club or te Lawn Tennîs Assocîatîon untîl te 1950s. But sînce tennîs ad been întroduced as a garden party pastîme înto te country ouses o late Vîctorîan Brîtaîn, ît ad been played as avîdly by women as men. ï te suragettes contînued to înclude tennîs among teîr sportîng targets, tey rîsked alîenatîng many o teîr supporters. Margaret Marsall, te wîe o Wîllîam Marsall, te runner-up at te îrst Wîmbledon Campîonsîps în 1877, was an ardent suragette and served as secretary o te Surage 3 Socîety în Haslemere în 1909. Frederîck Petîck-Lawrence, one o te keenest o te early tennîs players, spent nîne monts în prîson în 1912 or îs actîve support o te suragette cause. Hîs wîe, Emmelîne, ad been treasurer o te Women’s Socîal and Polîtîcal Unîon a ew years beore. Peraps ater te Wîmbledon

2

Introduction

raîd, someone lîke Emmelîne, Frederîck or Margaret ad poînted out te connectîons between tennîs and surage. Peraps ît was Blance Hîllyard ersel. Tere îs no record o te surag- ette leadersîp ever dîscussîng tennîs but Wîmbledon was never 4 troubled agaîn. Te twarted raîd în 1913 îs one îndîcatîon tat te common perceptîon o lawn tennîs as a sport o te establîsment îs too sîmplîstîc. Te domînant vîew o te game today, în Brîtaîn and abroad, îs tat tennîs as always ad a blue tînt, a respect- able conservatîsm tat îs most on dîsplay durîng te Wîmbledon Campîonsîps every summer, wen te pavîlîons and lawns exude te leay carms o te prosperous sîres and wealty Englîs suburbs. Wîle ît îs true tat lawn tennîs îs a game wît roots în te suburb rater tan te înner cîty, not everytîng tat as emerged rom suburbîa as been antagonîstîc to progressîve polîtîcs and not all te people wo ave come rom tere ave been opposed to socîal cange. Blance Hîllyard, a tall, severe-lookîng woman wo rarely gave muc away, grew up în suburban Ealîng în te 1870s, te daugter o a wealty îndustrîalîst. Se ad a prîvîleged exîstence all er lîe but tîs dîd not stop er campaîgnîng or women’s tennîs wen ît was under attack rom men. Se stood up not just or er game but or women’s sport. Blance was no radîcal, but ît îs not too wîde o te mark to descrîbe er as one o Brîtaîn’s îrst sportîng emînîsts. Tîs book îs about Blance and oter tennîs campîons lîke Lottîe Dod, Leî Rovsîng, Alîce Marble, Artur Ase, Bîllîe Jean Kîng and Venus Wîllîams wo ave seen lawn tennîs not just as an enjoyable sport but as a sîte o struggle or reedom, aîrness and equalîty. ït îs also about people wo never won any cups or tropîes. Some are publîc îgures lîke Frederîck Petîck-Lawrence, wo would go on to serve în two Labour governments but always ound tîme or tennîs. Most o te people eatured ere, toug, are not well known but enjoyed tennîs as an absorbîng recreatîon or ollowed te game as ans. Some o tem loved playîng te game so muc tey would turn up on court every week o te year

3