Quantcast
nodot nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase
June 26, 2011

Subscribe to Match Reports

Pro Tennis Showcase Archive

Player Profile Index (Men)
Player Profile Index (Women)

Contact Tennis Server

Tennis Server
HOME PAGE

Do You Want To Be A Better Tennis Player?

Then Sign Up For A Free Subscription to the Tennis Server INTERACTIVE
E-mail Newsletter!

Tom Veneziano You will join 13,000 other subscribers in receiving news of updates to the Tennis Server along with monthly tennis tips from tennis pro Tom Veneziano.
 
Best of all, it is free!

Tennis Features Icon TENNIS FEATURES:

TENNIS ANYONE? - USPTA Pro John Mills' quick player tip.
 
TENNIS WARRIOR - Tom Veneziano's Tennis Warrior archive.
 
TURBO TENNIS - Ron Waite turbocharges your tennis game with tennis tips, strategic considerations, training and practice regimens, and mental mindsets and exercises.
 
WILD CARDS - Each month a guest column by a new writer.
 
BETWEEN THE LINES - Ray Bowers takes an analytical and sometimes controversial look at the ATP/WTA professional tour.
 
PRO TENNIS SHOWCASE - Tennis match reports and photography from around the world.
 
TENNIS SET - Jani Macari Pallis, Ph.D. looks at tennis science, engineering and technology.
 
MORTAL TENNIS - Greg Moran's tennis archive on how regular humans can play better tennis.
 
HARDSCRABBLE SCRAMBLE - USPTA pro Mike Whittington's player tip archive.
 
TENNIS EQUIPMENT TIPS.

Tennis Community Icon TENNIS COMMUNITY:


Tennis Book, DVD, and Video Index
 
Tennis Server Match Reports
 
Editor's Letter
 
Become a Tennis Server Sponsor

Explore The Tennis Net Icon EXPLORE THE TENNIS NET:

Tennis News and Live Tennis Scores
 
Tennis Links on the Web
 
nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase Banner
 
Green Dot
 
Tennis Warehouse Logo
 
Green Dot

 
nodot
Wimbledon 2011, London, England, UK
June 26, 2011
Editorial by Jane Voigt.


 

Jane Voigt Photo
Jane Voigt

The Queue
 
June 26, 2011 -- The English queue up for everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. Their civility is admirable. When a Tube train comes to a stop, those on the platform stand aside as riders disembark. Everything seems so orderly to those of us more accustomed to a me-first attitude.
 
Order is the name of the game, too, as tennis fans join The Queue along Church Road and wind their way toward the Gate 3 turnstiles to eventually buy an entry ticket to the grounds of Wimbledon. You should note that there is one and only one queue, and it's called "The Queue."
 
Thousands wait, some having camped out for two or three days at Wimbledon Park. They bring tents, food, flashlights ... you know, camping gear. Those that join The Queue the day of tote folding chairs, picnics, and books for those occasional periods when the line slows and feet get weary.
 
On Friday The Queue was completely shut down for forty-five minutes by security police as a small band of Spaniards from a little known group, Democracy Campaigners 15M London, attempted a demonstration on the grounds. As the area went on lockdown, helicopters hovered above The Queue.
 
Since then, security at The All England Club (AEC) has been increased. "We have service stewards from the armed forces," Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the AEC said to reporters from The London Evening Standard.
 
Honorary Stewards, not military service stewards, are an essential part of The Queue. They work in conjunction with local police to ensure an orderly environment, as excited fans await their chance for a ticket. The Honorary Stewards have authored a Code of Conduct for The Queue, too, which seems natural if people must act respectfully.
 
As with any line, there is a front and a back. As you join the end of The Queue, Wimbledon's stewards present you with a Queue Card. The card is numbered and dated, showing your spot in The Queue. At 7:30 AM, the stewards are at the front of the line. They give those desiring tickets for the show courts a wristband. The number of wristbands issued exactly matches the number of tickets available that day for the three show courts.
 
The Honorary Stewards are also the ones that awaken campers at 6:30 AM, politely asking them to pack up their gear, fold up their tents, toss their trash in the marked receptacles, and make their way to The Queue.
 
The Queue first became a part of The Championships in 1927 when some 27,000 appeared for entry to the grounds. The system has become such a time-honored experience that the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum established a special exhibition to trace the history of The Queue.
 
The Code of Conduct for The Queue details everything from what is The Queue to the 10 PM cutoff time for music and game playing at the campsite, plus the maximum number of people allowed in a tent -- 2. Alcohol is limited to one bottle of wine. People are allowed to bring it onto the grounds, too. Perhaps this is akin to letting the French smoke cigarettes in the stands of Roland Garros.
 
But be prepared for conflict if you jump in line. It's totally unacceptable and could result in the loss of your Queue Card. If it's confiscated, you won't be allowed to enter the tournament grounds.
 
You aren't allowed start up a barbecue, either. And if you're planning to indulge in pizza while you camp for one, two, or three nights, your 'take-away' order can only be delivered to the Wimbledon Park Road gate.
 
Aside from all the guidelines and the seemingly regimented atmosphere, some fans make The Queue an annual celebration. They like camping with relatives who live in Wimbledon or nearby. They like the party atmosphere of the campsite, which can draw musicians, jugglers, and hacky-sack players.
 
The Queue is just one method to obtain tickets for The Championships. If you would like to invest in the All England Club and its plans for maintaining an outstanding environment for the matches, then you could buy Wimbledon Debentures.
 
They were initialed issued in 1920 to finance expansion. Today, Wimbledon Debentures are issued in 5-year increments, something like a certificate of deposit. Buyers receive interest on their investment, plus one ticket for each of the first ten days of the tournament. If you've purchased a debenture for Court One, let's say, your ticket allows entry into that stadium only.
 
Buying Wimbledon Debentures confers on owners the ultimate sense of collective heritage that is The Championships Wimbledon. These investors probably wouldn't like to camp and queue up for tickets. But their financial commitments provides them another avenue to witness the one Grand Slam that ultimately presides over the other three as the crown jewel of tennis.
 

 

Earlier Columns from this Event:
 
June 25, 2011 Wimbledon: Wimbledon So Far
June 24, 2011 Wimbledon: Raining Seeds at Wimbledon
June 23, 2011 Wimbledon: Coming Back
June 22, 2011 Wimbledon: Behind The Scenes
June 21, 2011 Wimbledon: Touched
June 20, 2011 Wimbledon: Tradition
 

Green DotGreen DotGreen Dot

Player Profile Index (Men) | Pro Tennis Showcase Archive | Player Profile Index (Women)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TENNIS SERVER PHOTO FEED

join our mailing list
* indicates required

All Tennis Server photography is copyrighted by the photographer and/or the Tennis Server, and all rights are reserved. You may not copy these images without permission. While you are welcome to create hyperlinks to Tennis Server web pages, you may not embed these images into other web pages or blogs without permission. To request permission, please use this contact form. Please be sure to clearly indicate exactly which photograph(s) you are requesting permission to use, as terms and conditions will vary depending on the photographer and the photograph.


 

nodot
nodot
Google
Web tennisserver.com
nodot nodot
The Tennis Server
Ticket Exchange

Your Source for tickets to professional tennis & golf events.
 
SAI Team Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
Dallas Open Tickets
 
Delray Beach Open Tickets
 
ATX Open Tickets
 
BNP Paribas Open Tickets
 
Miami Open Tickets
 
Credit One Charleston Open Tickets
 
US Men's Clay Court Championships Tickets
 
Wimbledon Tickets
 
Infosys Hall of Fame Open Tickets
 
Atlanta Open Tickets
 
Mubadala Citi Open Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
National Bank Open Women's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
National Bank Open Men's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
Western & Southern Open Tickets
 
Winston-Salem Open Tickets
 
US Open Tennis Championship Tickets
 

 

Popular Tennis books:
 
Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
 
The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance by Jeff Greenwald
 
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
 
Most Recent Articles:
 
October 2022 Tennis Anyone: Patterns in Doubles by John Mills.
 
September 2022 Tennis Anyone: Short Court by John Mills.
 

 

 

 

"Tennis Server" is a registered trademark and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" is a trademark of Tennis Server. All original material and graphics on the Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994 - by Tennis Server and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

The Tennis Server receives a commission on all items sold through links to Amazon.com.

 

Tennis Server
Cliff Kurtzman
Editor-in-chief
791 Price Street #144
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone: (281) 480-6300
Online Contact Form
How to support Tennis Server as a Sponsor/Advertiser
Tennis Server Privacy Policy