ANDY Murray was seven years old when Blane Dodds first set eyes on him. Then Scotland’s second-best male singles player, the future Tennis Scotland chief executive was taking a coaching session with his contemporary Ross Matheson at David Lloyd Renfrew when little Andy and his big brother Jamie first came to his attention.
“Neither of us ever reached anything like his heights obviously,” Dodds said, “but we looked at him and thought ‘wow’. Jamie was there that day too and both of them stood out.
“We couldn’t tell that day where they would end up but Andy’s incredible focus and determination was already obvious. That is unique. You can see that through his career, he has left no stone unturned. Whether it was fitness, diet or the technical side, he has done everything possible. He could have earned a good living just from being top 100 in the world, but that wasn’t enough for Andy. You have got to say that is special, that mentality to go even further.”
The two men then went and pursued their respective careers. While Andy racked up three Grand Slams, including two Wimbledon titles, two Olympic gold medals and a brief stint as world No 1 in this strongest-ever era, Dodds went into sports management, moving on from David Lloyd Leisure to North Lanarkshire Leisure then Scottish golf.
But 18 months ago, he moved back his first love tennis, becoming CEO of Scotland’s governing body, charged with – and driven by – the imperative to create a lasting legacy for this nation on the back of everything the Murray clan has achieved. And he would dearly love to tap into the formidable insight of the nation’s greatest sportsman to help make it a reality.
“I just really watched his career from afar, because I wasn’t involved,” Dodds said. “But I spoke to him at Wimbledon last year when he wasn’t playing but was training at the NTC and he was keen to see how things were going, he knew I had come in to drive it.
“I am hoping I am going to get some time with him to say ‘here are the plans, here is the progress’, just to get his expertise and knowledge to shape what we are doing, make sure we are doing the right things to make a difference. That is an an important next stage for me.”
Mother Judy, Jamie and occasionally Andy, have been critics of the failure of the LTA, and its Scottish offshoot Tennis Scotland, to capitalise on the performances of the Murray clan in the last decade but Dodds feels he is starting to make progress. Not only did Scotland recently get the blessing to host one of two British national academies at the same University of Stirling courts where Jamie and Andy spent much time in their formative years, but both brothers have been hugely generous in time spent with the next generation of players like Murray’s 77 Sports Management company protege Aidan McHugh.
Equally important is the example the Scot provided in proving that you can make it from this country to be the best in the world. Jacob Fearnley will compete in the boys singles at the Australian Open this fortnight, with Ben Hudson and Matthew Rankin two teenagers bubbling out underneath.
“I feel we are starting to get a bit of traction now over the last year-and-a-half,” said Dodds. “We have had the biggest capital investment ever in Scotland, with eight new facilities projects which we are starting to develop. There is Judy’s own tennis centre, which will be a bricks and mortar way for her to develop her family’s legacy. Then there is the national academy, which is a multi-million pound investment which creates a route for developing the best Scottish and British players.
“In my generation we were all told it is unlikely you will be world class but all the kids now are seeing what Andy and Jamie have achieved and seeing that if you come from Scotland you can still be world class. Andy has changed the game on that one.”
Andy’s tentacles, of course, extend far outwith tennis. Not only has he used his worldwide fame to raise money for charity and press causes such as sexual equality and animal rights, the 31-year-old has Scottish footballers Hibs players Ryan Porteous and Fraser Murray, signed up to his management firm.
“I knew he was popular but it just shows you what is happening,” said Dodds, who has been besieged with media inquiries since Murray announced his imminent retirement. “He is not just a sportsman and an amazing athlete but he transcends tennis into other sports. Other people look up to him so much. He inspires sportsmen and people all over the world. But I think his ability to influence people might actually increase.”
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