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Shhh · Challenger level

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Salmon · Tennis legend

It's refreshing that there are still occasions when a newspaper does something good instead of merely trying to sell itself. Not that this will change the world, but it's a step for sure.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

OK, I'm happy to sign, but when I go to the website I don't get a form to fill in. There is a part in ordinary print that asks for name and email address, but clicking on it does nothing.

Anybody help?

Shhh · Challenger level

I had that at first but then it worked after another attempt?

john · Top national player

Signed, but I'm a little confused. What exactly is meant by the term "public parks"? For example the two nearest tennis courts near me are Corby Indoor Tennis centre and a couple of tarmac courts at the back of a local sports centre (I think it is council run). So are the money from both of these going to the council? What about the running costs of the indoor tennis centre, surely most of the money from them courts goes to them first?

WallaceEMann · Lower Club Player

By "public park" we (Tennis For Free/Stop Taxing Tennis) mean public areas where it's free to play on the swings, kick a football about, walk the dog etc.

A lot of our research has shown that while it's free to do all of those things in the public park, you have to pay to use the tennis courts in there. We've only found 106 local councils (out of 472) that offer all of their public parks courts free of charge.

Another example of our work can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7486553.stm as well as www.tennisforfree.com

-- Edited by WallaceEMann at 17:26, 2008-07-13

john · Top national player

Hmm, I don't think we even have any of them in Corby yet you have Corby Borough Council down as a council who charges. Pretty sure the only courts in this town are at tennis centre and leisure centres and as thus are owned by the centre.

WallaceEMann · Lower Club Player

You're right. Our research has shown that Corby doesn't have any parks courts. That's something that will probably need to be altered in the stoptaxingtennis site.

Just need to work out the best way to do it as they don't charge because there's nothing to charge for!

john · Top national player

Still though, the sports centre by my house is council owned and the tennis courts out the back are barely ever used. Wouldn't really hurt them to open them up and let people use them for free considering they probably make next to no money from them anyway. Some of the kids who play on the football astroturf right beside it might decide to have a game of tennis maybe?

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Another good read on this subject in Times online

But it was a shock for me to find this! -
"Max Clifford has recently been hired to keep good news stories about British tennis in the newspapers. Nobody from the LTA or Tennis Foundation will tell me what he is being paid, but press speculation puts the figure at as much as £250,000 for a year-long campaign"

What a joke! When the LTA cant even keep updated their newly revamped website and it shuts down between midday Friday and midday Monday. Take a look at the "This weeks Map" to see what I mean - then look in these forums to see what is really happening with British players. The LTA have the facility there and dont use, even at minimal cost.
I bet Clifford soon turns into nothing more than a Murray PR man!
Despite their announced good intentions it's hard to see where they are heading, it seems to me that they are plowing £millions into the 'elite few' - but will it pay off?

Like politicians they seem out of touch with the 'real world' for example very few kids could afford to travel to Roehampton frequently to gain from the alleged free facilities there, some can't even afford to pay the local court fees which seem to be designed to keep the right class of people there.

steven · Tennis legend

*speechless*

seagull · Hall of fame

Really annoying - Put more money into grass roots

Last week I had to pay £30 for my son to attend a 5 day mini training camp this week
£84 to pay for his 12 week group lessons once a week, and a tenner for half an hour private lesson with his coach.

Thats before you consider hiring a court at the local park and if I want to enter him for any of the Mini Red events it's £6 or £7 a time

I shall be broke before he gets to his 6th Birthday!!

Bladetiger · Pro player

mjd wrote:

for example very few kids could afford to travel to Roehampton frequently to gain from the alleged free facilities there, some can't even afford to pay the local court fees which seem to be designed to keep the right class of people there.

Careful Mike, you're sounding like a socialist!! smile

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Further to my earlier comment - it's Tuesday pm and the LTA map on their revamped website now shows Brits and tournaments this week - most information that could have been found here a week ago!
I still cannot believe that they would pay so much for a press agent, it seems like admitting failure if someone has to be paid to tell the press what has/is happening, after all - 'actions speak louder than words'!

steven · Tennis legend

Like politicians, lots of heads of big organisations tend to feel better about themselves when they spend lots of money on consultants, I imagine this is no different.

The best way to get good long-term PR would, of course, be to make tennis more accessible so that more people get to play and enjoy it. As Tony Hawks says in his article, by taking that approach you could achieve a lot more for a lot less.