All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

	Opened		1868
	Capacity (Centre Court)		14,000
	Capacity (No.1 Court)		11,500

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is based in Wimbledon in South London. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, but is also a private members club. It was founded in 1868 as the All England Croquet Club and the then infant sport of tennis was added to its activities shortly afterwards. The first Championships were held in 1877, when it changed its name to The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club. In 1882, croquet was dropped from the name, as tennis had become the main activity of the club. But in 1889, it was restored and the club’s name became The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Initially an amateur event that occupied club members and their friends for a few days in each summer, the championships have now become far more prominent than the club itself. However, it still operates as a members tennis club, with many courts in use all year round. There are around 375 full members, 100 temporary playing members, and a number of honorary members, including past Wimbledon singles champions. The club also houses the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, and it still has a croquet lawn, but it is too small for top level competitions.

The main show courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, are used only for two weeks a year, during the Championships. The remaining seventeen courts, however, are regularly used for other events hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event still played on grass courts.

The main court, Centre Court, was opened in 1922 when the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club moved from Worple Road to Church Road. Due to possibility of rain during Wimbledon, a retractable roof is planned for the court; it is expected to be completed in 2009. The court has a capacity of almost 14,000; at its south end is the Royal Box, from which members of the Royal Family and other dignitaries watch matches. Centre Court usually hosts the finals and semi-finals of the main events, as well as many matches in the earlier rounds involving top-seeded players.

The second most important court is No. 1 Court. The court was constructed in 1997 to replace the old No. 1 Court, which was adjacent to Centre Court, but was demolished because its capacity for spectators was too low. The original No. 1 Court was said to have a unique, more intimate atmosphere, and was a favourite of many players. The new No. 1 Court has a capacity of approximately 11,000.

The third-largest court, No. 2 Court, has been dubbed the “Graveyard of Champions” due to its reputation as the court on which many seeded players have been eliminated during the early rounds. Famous players who have lost on the Graveyard during early round play include John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Serena Williams. The court has a capacity of about 3,000.

At the northern end of the grounds is a giant television screen on which important matches are broadcast. Fans watch from an area of grass officially known as Aorangi Park, but more commonly called Henman Hill. The “hill” takes its name from local favourite Tim Henman.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

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All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
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