A Short History of Tennis...

Less than a week to go now...and as we start 'build week' at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), and things start to get busy in and around the grounds, we've included a few more short videos clips for you.

In an interview for Croatian TV, Cameron Brown (author of Wimbledon: A Short History of Tennis, the Club, the Championships, the Village) gives some interesting history and insights about Wimbledon.

A couple of things I would say in response to Mr. Brown...people can still get into the grounds of an evening when other people leave; using some pretty straightforward I.T., the AELTC adopts a one-out, one-in policy and tickets can be re-used if the original ticket holder leaves before the end of play for the day. All money from the re-sale then goes to charity.

Also, when asked who was the last British player to win Wimbledon, Mr. Brown said it was Fred Perry. Now, Mr. Perry might have been the last Brit to win the Mens' Singles title...but what about the Ladies' title? Feel free to use the comment option below and reassure me I'm not going mad.

Oh and croquet isn't only played on the lawns of grand, old English houses. Just 98% of the time.

France -v- Egypt

Just in case you are beginning to worry that this behind the scenes blog is starting to look a little 'corporate-heavy'...please don't fret. The videos posted here so far are just little warm-ups (from last year) for the main event. We haven't included any quirky or unusual stories or photos so far because, frankly, they haven't happened yet (this is a blog after all - not a TARDIS and/or crystal ball).

But for those of you after a couple of snippets of tennis info...

Some say that the word ‘tennis’ comes from Old French ‘tenes’ (modern ‘tenez’, imperative of ‘tenir’), meaning ‘to hold’. Also, there is an Egyptian town on the Nile called Tinnis (in Arabic) and some believe the game may have its roots here.

Now you just need to find the right trivia quiz....

Getting closer...

In addition to being the most prestigious tennis event in the world, giving the crowds the information that brings them closer to the players (see "The Passion of Fans") and the whole sporting event, is key to the enduring success and popularity of Wimbledon.

But so much of the information dissemination is tacit and unseen - the fans don't necessarily make the connection between being an avid Nadal or Murray follower simply because they follow them on blogs, tweets, track their performances (in real-time) and (somewhat akin to proto-stalkers) track them around the grounds on their smartphones.

As seen in this short video clip from last year, when asked what they liked most about the 2011 Championships, fans talk of their favourite players and the whole Wimbledon experience (including, for one, fond memories of a streaker from a previous year) - but because they have had access to such a wealth of information, they feel as if they really know their favourites before the Championships even begin.

[If you're having trouble viewing the video on this page, you may want to watch the video here.]

The Passion of Fans

"The closer a fan gets to a player, the more passion they feel about that player and that passion drives them to want to get more information."

As the experience of following tennis - and other sports - continues to evolve over the coming years, fans will come to expect deeper engagement with all aspects of the sport. Fans are more engaged than they have ever been before and they want to consume more information. Higher engagement means smarter fans and smarter fans means more passion.

This short video clip from last year shows some of how technology can be used to give the fans what they crave.

[If you're having trouble viewing the video on this page, you may want to watch the video here.]

• A variety of more videos will appear on this blog as part of the build up to this year's Championships - follow the blog and come back soon.

While you are waiting...

As the countdown continues to tick (32 days and counting), here is a short video clip from last year that shows something of what some people call a perfect doubles match.
[If you're having trouble viewing the video on this page, you may want to watch the video here.]

More video clips from previous years will appear on this blog as part of the build up to this year's event.

• Come back soon and watch some more...

The countdown begins

Plans are in place and we are returning to give you the behind the scenes look all that goes on at this year's championships.

Bookmark this page, grab the RSS feed, add it to your Facebook account and Tweet about it - because before you know it, it will be June 25th and this year's championships will have begun.