Wimbledon: London's football-free zone

Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of World Cup action while enjoying the lush setting of SW19 can think again, writes William Johnson.

England fans watched the World Cup action in 2006 at Wimbledon, but no screens were showing the football yesterday during the third day of action.

Rowdy behaviour is a rarity at Wimbledon, especially on Centre Court where tickets tend to find their way to the more respectable members of society. The deployment of personnel from the armed forces on the vast majority of access and exit points is an obvious deterrent to those thinking of going beyond the customary "C'mon Andy" rallying call from behind the baselines.

Allow football to sneak into the All England Club garden party atmosphere, however, and standards of behaviour are put at risk. That is why those who annually organise the world's oldest tennis tournament stubbornly insist on keeping their smoothly-run operation a football-free zone. The clash of interest for fans of tennis and football first became an issue at the 1998 World Cup which took place in France shortly after the construction of Wimbledon's very own "Spion Kop" adjacent to the re-situated No 1 Court.

"Henman Hill", as it was originally tagged in recognition of the efforts of Tim Henman to provide a home men's singles champion, would have been a perfect viewing arena for those wanting to remain in front of the gigantic television screen on a balmy summer's evening that year to watch England's second round against Argentina. The authorities said "no" then; they continued that policy in 2002 when England were again eliminated at the quarter-final stage, this time by Brazil in Japan.

It was the same story four years ago for the last rites of England's previous World Cup campaign; another penalty shoot-out defeat by Portugal. It therefore came as no surprise that England's encounter with Slovenia - a match which started at 3pm local time during baking afternoon sunshine - was kept secret from yesterday's estimated crowd of 43,000. Andy Buckley, who had travelled from the north west of England proudly wearing an Everton shirt, was not impressed. "I thought we could have at least gone somewhere to watch the match," he says.

"I like my tennis but I like my football more. I got my tickets for today in the ballot after missing out for the last three years, so I had to come, but at the moment I would rather watch England than Venus [Williams, who was due to play on Centre Court .]" In the main, however, England football supporters seemed to have got the Wimbledon message. Jonathan Lockeretz, originally from London but now living in the United States in Atlanta, was bedecked in England colours.

"I know how it works here and I knew that it wouldn't be on TV," he says. "If the team had been playing well in South Africa I might have been tempted to leave the grounds for a couple of hours but on the evidence of last Friday [the dismal draw against Algeria ], I decided not to bother." England shirts were not exactly plentiful on the hill, now known as "Murray Mound" in honour of Andy Murray, the latest home hope.

Russell Cole, from Essex, a supporter of West Ham United, was one of the few wearing one. "It would have been nice to see the game," he says. "But I couldn't find anywhere to watch it." A spokesman for the All England Club said it was a policy they had followed to avoid the distraction of a deafening roar from the hill while the main attractions [on this occasion the former champion Lleyton Hewitt was dealing with his Kazakhstani opponent, Evgeny Korolev, who retired after losing the first two sets] were in action on Court One.

That view was supported by Elaine Jordan, who has made an average of four journeys a year since 2001 from her home about 40 miles away to gain entry to the grounds at a cost of £20 (Dh109) per visit. "I've been on Centre Court twice and loved it," she says. "But I'm just as happy here on the hill. It's great. "I wander around the outside courts each time I come but I spend most of my day here, eating drinking, sun bathing - if the sun shines - and soaking in the atmosphere.

"It's completely different to watching the matches at home. It's so much more exciting. If people want to watch football, let them go elsewhere. This is the most famous tennis venue in the world and those who come here come for the tennis." John Hawkes, a supporter from the east midlands, had all the angles covered. Delighted to have acquired tickets for No 1 Court for himself and his wife Denise which enabled him to get a first view of Roger Federer, his idol, in the early evening, he had a small television set in his picnic basket.

On the way to watch Hewitt's match against Korolev, he says: "I've just switched it on to get the England team news but I have to use it sparingly to make sure the batteries get me through the 90 minutes." [e-mail]