Monday 8 September 2008

Do your research Mrs Baker...

I guess there's nothing wrong with the subject of this motion - other than the blatant politicisation of sporting success which has received a bit of a kicking on here before. But there's more to this than meets the eye.

Short Title: Good Luck to Andy Murray

S3M-02509 Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): That the Parliament congratulates Andy Murray on his victory in the US Open semi-final, over Rafael Nadal, to reach his first grand slam final; notes that he is the first Scottish, and only the second British, tennis player to reach a grand slam final in modern day tennis; wishes him all the best in the final against Roger Federer, and hopes that he becomes the first British tennis player to win a grand slam for 72 years, since Fred Perry won the 1936 US Open.

Erm... almost. Except

1) He's not the second British player to reach a Grand Slam final in modern tennis - he's the second male. Virginia Wade won one in 1977, as well as in 1968 and 1972. Kinda difficult to win a Grand Slam without making it to a final - how did she do that?

2) He wouldn't be the first British player to win a grand slam for 72 years: Virginia Wade, Sue Barker both won singles titles, while his brother Jamie won a Grand Slam (doubles title) last year.

Plus, your grasp of punctuation is pretty appalling. Other than that though, great stuff...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well you know the new Scottish Labour adage never put another Baker (or Bremmer-Baker) in a not likely win to win list position.

Every time things go wrong we elect a Baker by mistake.

Anonymous said...

Greg Rusedski(canadian)decided to adopt British citizenship and play for Britain in 1995 - was in the final of the US Open in 1997