While we were enjoying strawberries and cream a few nights ago (with a helping of Andy and Jamie Murray playing doubles for the last time), we thought of the beginnings of Wimbledon. The very first Wimbledon was held this week, 9th July in 1877. Let us set the scene for you.
The only competition was the Men’s Singles. Each competitor paid one guinea to participate. In modern worth, a solid gold guinea of 1/4oz gold is worth £565 today in cost of gold bullion alone. As you can imagine, it was a competition designed for a select few.
The prize was 12 guineas and a silver challenge Cup worth 25 guineas. The cup was donated by ‘The Field’ sporting magazine. The final was between Spencer Gore (27 years old) and William Marshall (28 years old). Spencer Gore won, sealing his place in sporting history.
Wimbledon has maintained its position as one of the most prestigious sporting competitions in the social calendar, enjoying royal patronage and a good sprinkling of celebrities at every final. Whether you enjoy people watching or some of the best spectator sport available, Wimbledon is definitely one of the greatest UK sporting events.
We wish the players the best of luck and look forward to seeing who will be crowned this year’s Wimbledon champions.
Have a great week everyone!