The Guardian
Andy Murray may have steeled himself for the intensity of Wimbledon's centre court and a major tennis final, but a walk through the streets of his hometown in central Scotland left him a little stunned.
The US Open champion and Olympic gold medallist arrived in Dunblane, near Stirling, under slate-grey clouds, to be feted by an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fans, former school-friends and neighbours who had gathered from mid-morning for his homecoming parade. It seemed as if the town's 8,800 population had doubled: fans had come by car, coach and train from across Scotland, to line the narrow, sloping streets up to ten deep.
"The number of people that were there was really overwhelming," Murray said, after more than four and a half hours signing autographs, posing for photographs and exchanging rallies with young players at his former tennis club. "I kind of lost track halfway round; it was all a bit of a blur," Murray said. "I was really nervous beforehand. I have never done anything like that before.
"The last two months have just been unbelievable: the best couple of months of my life. I can't believe it's happened: the Olympics and US Open coming so soon."
Britain's first male major tennis title winner since Fred Perry in 1936, Murray said it was a bit strange coming back to the club – he left the town 10 years ago, aged 15, to pursue professional tennis training in Spain. It was at Dunblane tennis club that he first picked up a racket, aged four. When he and his brother, Jamie, played there, often in "rubbish conditions", the courts were empty; there are now 255 youth members. Scores of children queued in the drizzle to enjoy a brief rally with their idol.
On the street, the crowds endured the gentle drizzle which turned into a drenching downpour, snapping open umbrellas and draping themselves in saltires and union flags, standing for four hours or more for Murray's slow walk through town.
Murray puts that loyalty down to Dunblane's strong small-town bonds: "Everyone has just been saying that they're very proud [of me], and I have always had unbelievable support here. Even when I have had tough losses and bad moments in my career, I have always had great support from the people of Dunblane," he said.
Nancy Lemmon, 74, and Molly McGregor, 80, had come from nearby Stirling and Bannockburn. "We're his groupies", they laughed, with a Scotland the Brave flag draped over a crash barrier. They were ecstatic after his US Open and Olympics victories: "He just blew them away," said Lemmon.
Neil Yarwood, 42, an insurance broker, had travelled from Perth with his family: "Andy is the total pride of Scotland. We've followed him ever since he won the US Open championship first time around as a boy. If he had never won a grand slam, he would still be a hero in our eyes: he's an idol."
Murray seemed to sign anything presented to him: saltires, lions rampant and union flags, Team GB Olympic banners, notebooks, a young boy's shirt sleeve, and even the protective cloth sleeve of one woman's Olympics torch. He held wellwishers' camera phones aloft as they pressed themselves against him for a photo, accepting hugs with a shy good humour.
The schedule was soon abandoned, as Murray's walkabout through Dunblane lengthened from the 75 minutes planned into a slow four-and-a-half-hour communion with the people – almost as long as his US Open final against Novak Djokovic.
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