Tennis Ireland might like to ponder on an idea the Lawn Tennis Association came up with this week. The British tennis body, which receives an endless supply of money from Wimbledon but just can't make it work, has approached the former England and Arsenal striker, Ian Wright, to get youngsters in inner city schools to start playing tennis.

The LTA is hoping to increase the number of seven- to 11-year-olds from less advantaged areas to take up the game. Wright, because of his "hip lip" and confrontational style of playing football, was chosen for his street credibility among that age group.

What this says about the charisma of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski need not be printed but how different it would be if a person such as Paul McGrath or Jack Charlton were to be employed to take up the cudgel for Irish tennis in this country.