Sir Andy Murray-backed company to rip up tennis courts for padel
A company backed by Sir Andy Murray is to rip up tennis courts on the site of the 'Wimbledon of the south' and replace them with padel courts.
BBC commentators Andrew Castle and Annabel Croft are also investors and ambassadors in Game4Padel, which is behind a conversion that has sparked the second tennis-versus-padel row in less than a week.
The plans to remove Withdean Sports Complex's two indoor tennis courts were announced on Friday by Brighton & Hove City Council, three days after it emerged courts built for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London faced a similar fate.
News of G4P's involvement in the latest venture also came two days after Murray was promoting a Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Government initiative that has led to more than 3,000 dilapidated park tennis courts being brought back to life in three years.
Withdean Sports Complex is on the site of Withdean Stadium, which the LTA developed as a tennis venue in 1936, the year Fred Perry won Britain's last Wimbledon men's singles title prior to Murray ending what was a 77-year drought in 2013.
The stadium became known as the 'Wimbledon of the south' before being converted into an athletics arena in 1955.
Said to be 'the only' location in Brighton with indoor tennis courts, the sports complex underwent a £2.7 million facelift the year Murray first won Wimbledon.
Murray invested in G4P in 2019, since when the company's value has reportedly surged to £27 million. Castle and Croft are also among the high-profile backers, along with current and former Premier League footballers Virgil van Dijk, Jamie Vardy, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tammy Abraham and Callum Wilson.
Telegraph Sport revealed on Tuesday that a row had broken out over plans to rip up all four indoor tennis courts at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and replace them with padel courts.
The move was branded an 'absolute betrayal' of the London 2012 legacy and that of Murray's Wimbledon success and it was publicly denounced by the LTA. A change.org petition was also launched which had attracted more than 1,250 signatures by 2pm on Saturday.
Among those to sign it was Olympic Park resident Sinjon Vedi, 48, who told Telegraph Sport he was 'shocked' a company Murray had invested in was behind the Brighton scheme, calling it a 'betrayal of his Wimbledon, Olympic and tennis legacy'.
A similar petition was created on Friday in a bid to save the Withdean courts, which had attracted more than 400 signatures by the same time on Saturday.
Begun by Robin Coleman it read: 'If this plan goes ahead, it will eliminate the ONLY indoor tennis facilities in Brighton & Hove, significantly impacting our community.
'Withdean's indoor courts are essential for year-round tennis, especially during winter and bad weather. Moving lessons outdoors will drastically reduce availability for everyone, as outdoor courts are already shared with other sports like netball.
'Tennis has a rich 150-year history in the UK. Padel, while growing, is a relatively new sport and may prove to be a passing trend. Converting permanent, well-utilised facilities without long-term evidence of padel's sustained demand is a risky move that could lead to poor returns for our council and community. There are already plans to build new padel courts in the car park, which would meet demand without sacrificing our valuable indoor tennis courts.
'We urge the Brighton & Hove City Council to immediately pause these plans and initiate a full and transparent public consultation process. Our community deserves to have its voice heard on the future of Withdean Sports Complex and its cherished indoor tennis courts.
Sign this petition to tell Brighton & Hove City Council to save Withdean's indoor tennis courts and consult with the community!'
Upon announcing the move on Friday, the council said in a statement that its decision had been made in partnership with venue operator Freedom Leisure, that the conversion work would be funded by G4P, and that it would begin in August with the aim of being completed the following month.
It said an extra tennis court was currently being added to three existing outdoor courts.
It added: 'We're keen to encourage more residents to be active on a regular basis and the hope is that by adding more padel courts, even more people will be able to enjoy the physical and mental wellbeing benefits of playing regular sport.'
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries, said: 'We know there will be people who are disappointed we are having to reduce the number of tennis courts at Withdean, but unfortunately the indoor courts there are only in use for around a third of the time they're available, and with such high demand for padel courts, we have to take fair and rational decisions on the best use of our facilities.
'We're continuing to invest in our leisure facilities and we're determined to improve the accessibility, availability and variety of sports on offer. These new padel courts will help us do just that.'
Murray, Castle and Croft, have all been approached for comment.
In a statement, the LTA said: 'We want to preserve well used indoor tennis courts wherever we can whilst growing opportunities for padel. We were only made aware of this decision on Friday and now want to engage further with the Council and Freedom Leisure to understand their rationale.'
The chief executive of G4P, Michael Gradon, was unwilling or unable to say whether any of them had backed the scheme or had been consulted over it.
He added: 'It's not for me to comment on Brighton council's decision about Withdean. We were the padel provider there anyway and, obviously, we accept their judgment that the occupancy of the indoor tennis was very disappointing and it'll bring far more people into a healthy sport.'
He also said G4P was operating 'six brand new, state-of-the-art tennis courts on Hove beachfront'.
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