WHERE THEY PLAN TO EXPAND
Fresh moves are being made by the All england Club to swallow up the 73-acre golf course across the road in what will be the biggest expansion in Wimbledon history.
The speed of the huge development hinges on the complex rules of Wimbledon Park Golf Club — and the votes of members including journalist Piers Morgan and entertainers Ant and Dec.
The All england Club are desperate to expand their 42-acre site and a new offer to buy out the lease — said to be almost double the £25million bid made three years ago — is causing a shift in attitudes at the golf club.
The acquisition now looks inevitable and serious efforts are being made for it to happen within the next few years. The implications for the tennis championships are massive.
First, legal experts employed by the All england Club have to pore over the golf club’s rulebook to find a way to entice its 750 members into an early sale.
A letter to them from Wimbledon Park chairman Jenny Gaskin four weeks ago admitted that ‘this issue is causing unrest’, with potential payouts to some members of over £100,000 each.
With the Court No 1 roof project due for completion next year, Wimbledon wants to be able to stage its qualifying tournament on site and allow the whole event to expand significantly.
Currently, preliminary rounds are held three miles away at the quaint Bank of england sports Ground in roehampton.
The extra land means enough grass courts would be available to bring all this in-house — and allow other facilities for an event that can accommodate only just over 40,000 spectators per day.