WHEN years of dedication and hard work finally paid off for Andy Murray on Sunday, I bet the first thought that crossed his mind was: “Great, now they’re bound to give me a knighthood.”

It wasn’t, of course. Sensible people don’t think like that and Murray strikes me as a particularly single-minded sportsman with little regard for the trappings and trivia associated with fame – a throwback to a simpler era when actual achievements counted for more than soundbites.

It didn’t take long for the media bandwagon to get rolling though, because this is the kind of issue that provides the press with a win-win situation. If it’s “Arise Sir Andy”, it’s further proof of the media’s power and influence.

If he stays plain Mr Murray, there are endless opportunities for stories and speculation about him being snubbed.

As I remarked after the Olympics, this headlong rush to shower our sports stars with gongs and ribbons is all getting a bit silly. Fred Perry, a triple Wimbledon winner was never even considered for an honour of any kind. In fact, this working-class “upstart”

was more or less shunned by a snobbish sporting establishment in the 1930s.

From what I have read, it didn’t bother him one jot, sensible man.

While we are well rid of this kind of odious prejudice, when I see politicians fawning over the latest sensation in the hope of some reflected glory, I’m not convinced we have progressed that far.

I do hope Murray’s win has some beneficial effects, though. It was needed to embed tennis as a mainstream national sport for everyone.

When I was a boy, tennis was a mania during Wimbledon and for about two weeks after the tournament. Anything remotely resembling tennis equipment was pressed into service.

Anyone with a real racket suddenly became everyone’s best buddy.

Then the memories faded – my earliest one is Manuel Santana’s win in 1966. You got back to the basics: football, cricket and maybe rugby. Tennis remained a sport for posh kids.

It shouldn’t have been and thankfully any class divides are fading fairly quickly.

I know it’s fashionable to knock local authorities but their provision of good-quality, affordable and accessible courts has been one of their greatest gifts to the community.

Many local clubs and the Lawn Tennis Association have followed suit and opened their doors to a wider public.

In Middlesbrough at the moment, we’re trying to create a 21st Century sports village at the Prissick Base in Marton, a world-class hub for athletics and outdoor and indoor sport.

The village would incorporate the brilliant Tennis World facility and I have insisted from day one that we provide sufficient goodquality courts to continue their good work.

I also want the village to provide the best coaching back-up. In any sport the better you get, the more you enjoy it. I have always felt that’s particularly true of tennis, but maybe that’s just my competitive streak.

So instead of tedious speculation about what letters Murray should have after his name, let’s focus on bringing the game out into the community. This surely won’t be his last Wimbledon win, so there’s plenty of time to decide how he should be honoured.

He’s already an inspiration to people of all ages and abilities and while few, if any, will reach his level, they will have a lot of fulfilment and enjoyment trying and we can all help develop their game.