Famous Wimbledon queue dubbed a 'shambles' as courts deserted at start of play due to slow security process
Tennis NewsMonday, 03 July 2023 at 15:30
Matches have begun albeit with no fans in certain sections of the ground as the famous Wimbledon queue encountered well documented issues on Monday morning.
The queue, which very much underlines what it means to be British is a staple of the Championships with non-ticket holders able to gain ground passes if they wait in Wimbledon Park.
With action on all courts in the opening few days, it gets quite busy as fans encountered this morning with queues still ongoing now well into the afternoon.
It was described by many as a mess and a 'shambles' albeit their annoyance will be quelled by rain delays meaning outside courts are currently suspended anyway for the moment.
This could mean that those in the queue now get in quicker and don't miss too many more matches today.
One fan, James Collins, tweeted: “The queue is shambolic, so far waiting for five hours and haven’t moved… 8100 (in the queue). What is going on?”
Another, Paul Muchmore, said: “In the Wimbledon queue. Hasn’t moved for two hours. What’s going on? From the sounds of it, barely anyone has got in for the start of play.”
Fan Nikhila Ravi who was also in the queue said that having paper tickets also was an issue. "Simple tech solutions would go a long way: add QR codes to the queue card to pay online, send text updates on the status/wait time, create a virtual queue instead! Grateful the sun was out."
Prominent journalist, Stuart Fraser also said that Just Stop Oil threatening protests was also behind issues with security.
"It appears that the threat of Just Stop Oil protests today has caused the queue to move far slower than usual with enhanced bag checks at the gates for ticketholders. Hearing from people in the queue who haven’t moved for hours."
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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