Soon to be corrupted: Wimbledon – it’s an industry, folks!

If you thought Wimbledon provided a commercial opportunity to look into a genteel, gentleman’s sport, think again.

Consider the stats: 13 official suppliers, including Rolex and IBM; 6,000 staff; 15,000 bananas (eaten by the players!); 28,000kg of strawberries (eaten by the spectators!); nearly 1/2m visitors; £1.8m of prize money; 473m page impressions on Wimbledon.com; uncountable opportunities to advertise (eg Robinsons Barley Water, Nike et al).

Wherever there’s an audience, there’s money. And wherever there’s money, there’s corruption.

Advertising in, at or near Wimbledon is only for the select few. Brands pay well over the odds to be associated with it.

All we’re waiting for is the first Wimbledon drugs scandal, or match rigging.

After all, FIFA did it with the beautiful game, and the Pakistanis did it to cricket (not the first, I hasten to add).

And as for the IOC!!! I’ve no doubt that as soon as the FBI have finished with FIFA they’ll pull the Olympic Committee apart too.

Wimbledon has turned the corner into big business, so enjoy it now, while it still basks in the glory of an innocence which we all know will soon be lost forever!