Dunblane cheers local hero Murray

Aug 5 2012

Loyal fans in Andy Murray's home town of Dunblane gathered together to watch him be crowned Olympic champion.

Attention has often focused on the Perthshire town when Murray reaches the latter stages of major tournaments, as locals meet up to show their support.

Crowds in the Dunblane Centre, where fans have gathered over the years to get behind their local hero, were given a reason to celebrate this time round. About 60 people burst into applause and jumped off their seats as Murray hit his winning ace.

Gemma Greer, centre manager, said: "You could have heard a pin drop before that last point, but as soon as he hit it the place erupted and the huge cheer here when he was presented with his gold medal was absolutely brilliant.

"Some of these people were sat here in the same place exactly four weeks ago, but it wasn't to be then. We have always been very proud of him and today he has shown just what he is capable of."

In the bar of the Dunblane Hotel, the regular Murray watchers were enjoying their moment of celebration.

Barman Ryan Greig said: "There weren't as many people in watching as there was at the Wimbledon final but we still had quite a few here and they made a pretty loud cheer at the end. It was actually when he got his medal that we heard the loudest noise. He's an Olympic champion now, good on him.

First Minister Alex Salmond joined the messages of congratulations, calling his success an "epic achievement".

"Andy Murray played the match of his life on the biggest stage of all against the best player in tennis history," he said. "This gold medal marks Murray's arrival as a contender to be the world's number one. "To beat Djokovic and Federer is an epic achievement. To demolish Federer in an Olympic final is breathtaking."

Michael Moore, Secretary of State for Scotland, was at Wimbledon to watch Murray take the gold medal. He said: "It's difficult to think of a better conclusion to an astounding sporting weekend for Team GB at the Olympics."