JUDY Murray has told Renfrewshire Council to tidy up a run-down tennis court and unlock the gate so people can play, writes Jack Thomson. 

Robertson Park Tennis Courts in Renfrew have been pictured in a state of neglect, with the entrance to the facility chained shut.

A sign on the outside, which has attracted criticism, says: “These tennis courts have been upgraded and are available for public use.”

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Judy, mum of Andy and Jamie, is a high-profile advocate of making the sport available to people of all ages and backgrounds.

The Gazette: Judy is the mum of tennis legends Andy and Jamie Murray Judy is the mum of tennis legends Andy and Jamie Murray

So when alerted to the current state of the courts on social media, she said: “Come on Renfrewshire Council, could you tidy the courts up and unlock the gate so people can play on them?

“Your sign is not helping…”

Stewart Armstrong was the man who tweeted Judy about the issue, revealing the pictures of the dilapidated courts.

He said he hoped it would “embarrass” Renfrewshire Council into action.

Stewart, a keen golfer, explained: “I’ve got three sons and we occasionally play tennis indoors at Glasgow Club Gorbals over the winter and head down to Robertson Park over the summer but haven’t been able to for a couple of years due to the state of the court.

“It’s a complimentary sport, the skills learned in tennis can be used for a variety of sports and fitness.

“If you’re using it for fitness and skills, the local courts in the park are very useful and have zero barriers to entry.

“If kids want to pick up a racket and walk down to the park absolutely nothing should be put in their way.

“The photos I took on Saturday show the current state of the courts. Overgrown with weeds, no nets, locked gates.

“Judy Murray is such a positive influence in Scottish sport and is often tweeting about refurbished courts so thought I would be able to get some publicity and embarrass the council into action.

“The sign is particularly ironic given it says they’ve been refurbished.”

Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, was saddened to see history repeat itself after fighting for remedial work so the courts could be reopened three years ago.

He said: “We need to ensure that young people in Renfrewshire who have been inspired by figures like Andy Murray have the chance to play.

“I intend to meet with the chief executive of Renfrewshire Leisure to discuss this issue and to seek decisive assurances that Robertson Park will be back up to a usable state quickly, especially as we are now entering summer time.”

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A Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “The tennis courts at Robertson Park have been closed as normal over the winter period – but are due to reopen for the summer in the next couple of weeks.

“Some maintenance is needed on the surface so that can happen, but this work has been scheduled – we will have staff on site over the coming week to remove weeds and level the surface before relining the court and adding the nets.”

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