Paper Monitor
13:38 UK time, Thursday, 1 July 2010
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
More news from the Andy Murray Scottish or British front? Yesterday's Paper Monitor decided to get its hands dirty in the festering pool of newspaper mythology by asking if there's any truth in the oft-stated observation that Andy Murray's nationality wavers with his fortunes.
When he's winning, he is billed in the pages of the press as a Brit. When he's losing he's a Scot.
To get to the root of the matter, Paper Monitor commissioned an elaborate scientific study which involved combing through several columns of newsprint. It took, oooh, at least 10 minutes.
The results were inconclusive - some papers called Murray a Brit, some called him a Scot and some called .
But new evidence from sources close to Paper Monitor - er, the newspapers - today reveals evidence of a strengthening of the conspiracy theory.
At first mention the Independent notes Murray is "within two victories of becoming the first British man to win the singles title...".
The Guardian notes he is "determined to end Britain's long wait...".
The Times says Murray's ambition is to become a grand-slam champion for the first time "on the courts that have condemned British men to 74 years of torture", while the Sun introduces our clenched-fisted hero as "the last Brit standing".
The Star says he is now "one win away from becoming the first Brit since Bunny Austin in 1938 to reach the men's final".
There's not a lot of Scottishness going on here guys.
The Mirror maybe gets closest to satisfying those north and south of the border - identifying Murray initially as a Scot in the same sentence as noting he could be the first British men's Grand Slam champ since 1936.
But surely there's a good reason all this. The papers are identifying Murray as a Brit in the context of the absence of recent British winners at Wimbledon.
The question that no one answers is when, if ever, was the last Scottish men's singles Wimbledon winner? Answers on an e-mail to Your Letters etc
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