murray_2k9 wrote:

---

I just cant imagine a parent cutting a child off because they made a decision in the best interest of their career. I understand Broady senior feels let down by the LTA, but surely letting them destroy his relationship with his son is madness. This is Liams career and I would hope his father would support him in making the decisions that he feels are best for him.

 

-- Edited by murray_2k9 on Saturday 15th of November 2014 06:00:18 PM

---

 Couldn't agree more - don't cut off your nose to spite your face and all that jazz. If you feel so strongly anti LTA don't let it ruin your relationship with your child...

-- Edited by freerider on Sunday 16th of November 2014 01:03:10 AM

In truth CD, Liam has always had vastly better technique than his sister and I don't think receiving LTA support or otherwise has greatly influenced that.

Like everyone else on here I think it so sad that the sport the whole Broady family have devoted themselves to has become the cause of a split between father and son.  But in a way I can also see where Mr B snr is coming from.  He leaves his 15yo daughter, a minor, in the care of the LTA.  Her careless use of social media did not portray her in a good light but it was a minor case of thoughtless youthful behaviour.  Surely the LTA should have been speaking to the kids in its charge about public image, professional behaviour and providing enough supervision of the children they looked after to ensure dubious behaviour did not occur.  No parent would have expected less.  When the press picked up on the social media postings, from Naomi and others, instead of supporting those in their care, they fed the media frenzy and quite literally threw a 15yo child to the wolves.  I think Mr B feels that the LTA had a duty of care to his daughter and they failed in it and, as far as I am aware, have never apologised for the shocking lack of care and supervision shown.  Mr B, I believe, subsequently devoted every spare minute to ensuring his children could progress with their chosen sport despite the LTA.  For Liam to then take the LTA money must seem to his father to belittle all that effort and to be disrespectful to his daughter who was treated so badly by them.

I do hope that in time there will be some sort of rapprochement.

From everything I know Optimist, and while that is clearly very far from everything but basically includes the Naomi situation you describe, I have to agree with the others here. And I have said much the same before.

The social media incident was really relatively minor and does seem to have been very poorly handled by the LTA. But however much it stuck in throats, the "punishment" could have been taken and folk, including the media, would have long ago moved on and the incident consigned to the past.

Instead we have Naomi in a time of triumph at Wimbledon more talking about the fall out with the LTA, how she is never allowed to forget the social media incident ( so is badly thought of by some when it was pretty minor teenage jinks ) so many years later and describing how she has really suffered without LTA support. Whose fault is that very largely ( mainly ? ). You may be sharing a Christmas dinner with him, Naomi ( if so, be good if Liam is there ). And that certainly isn't anyone, past or present from the LTA.

No doubt Mr Broady snr has done a heck of a lot for his kids, including their tennis. But since that incident ( and that is now many many years ago ) he appears to have often acted foolishly and let them down ( I realise that is a very harsh thing to suggest ). If he is waiting for an apology, more fool him. I do so hope that things can turn for that family.

As for Liam, his tennis in itself makes a case for British male tennis player of the year. Add in the background and it is to me unanswerable.

I understand what you say, CD and Stephen, about the LTA being a corporate body which has an almost continual change of personnel.  However, the distress caused to a father at seeing his daughter all over the newspapers with, in some cases, a storyline hinting at all sorts of moral laxity does not easily go away and I understand his feelings towards the organisation.  And I quite understand a father in that position not wanting to deal again with that organisation unless they were the ones to come forward and say they handled things wrongly.  I also perfectly understand Liam's pragmatism in taking the LTA money to continue to pursue his career when his father could no longer support it.  I also understand Naomi putting her father first and remembering the embarrassment and distress of the social media incident and shunning future LTA support.  I can also see the current staff at the LTA thinking it is historical and needs no attention.

I don't really think anyone's behaviour is at fault here (apart from the LTA at the time) and am certainly not criticising anyone, nor would I describe anyone's position as foolish.  For there to be a split between father and son there are clearly strong and deep emotions in play for all parties.  I think all parties to this incident have good and understandable reasons for the positions they have taken but it is so sad that this has led to a family split.  They wouldn't be the first family to find themselves split, entrenched in opposing but deeply held convictions but I do hope they find a way through it.

I do hope that Simon Broady eventually does reconcile with Liam, life is way too short !! Speaking to Liam about this you really understand how tough it is. Not able to visit the family home ( Christmas not with the family must be very tough ). If I remember correctly as well, Liam wasn't able to attend a DC match which he had invited to join the squad for, because his dad said no.

Liam has acted very maturely, when linking up with the LTA, knowing that to maximise his career especially at a critical time of his development, was the right decision for him. I can certainly understand why Naomi has chosen not to take the help from the LTA, but Liam wasn't involved, so this was the right move, just a heartbreaking shame his dad still hasn't forgiven him for his decision. What's that expression about some things in life, only make you tougher, well Liam certainly has shown that to be the case.

The change in head at the LTA provides scope for this unhappy situation to be resolved. Someone ought to pick up the 'phone and talk to Mr Broady senior.