All England Club Faces 26-Year Wait Before It Can Expand Wimbledon

Tennis fans "may have to queue overnight on Wimbledon Park Golf Club grounds for a Centre Court ticket," but the All England Club faces a "wait of 26 years" to develop the facility, according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL. The AEC bought the freehold of the golf course from Merton Council for a "bargain" £5.5M in '93, but the lease lasts until '41, and "only then can plans be implemented to extend the tennis tournament on to the adjoining land." The 800 golf members have voted to play on for more than two more decades, "although one option considered was to negotiate an early exit" with their "super-rich" tennis neighbors in return for a "big fee and help in finding a new home." A working party report said, "The board's policy has been to play golf here for as long as we can. The club has a healthy membership, we do not have a problem recruiting and it is by London standards extraordinarily good value" (DAILY MAIL, 7/7).