Judy Murray has revealed how rumours concerning plans for a new sports centre in Dunblane left her elderly parents deeply distressed.
Plans for the £20 million facility, intended to honour Sir Andy Murray and his brother Jamie, were shelved recently.
Judy – Andy and Jamie’s mum – was the driving force behind the proposals, which included 19 houses on the site.
She revealed that rumours from those opposed to the plans left her “bruised”.
The Sunday Times reported: “The most hurtful thing is the lies and misrepresentations that have been peddled by those who are opposed to the project.
“They are a small but vocal minority. It is quite wrong to suggest that this was all about luxury houses, that I stood to make millions from it and that it was little more than my vanity project.”
Murray legacy centre rumours upset grandparents
Judy said allegations that the area was to be bulldozed for mansions upset her parents, Roy, 92, and Shirley, 90, who have lived in the town for decades.
She said: “My dad was the optician in the town and helped to build the scout hut. Mum ran a toy shop and spent her Saturday mornings coaching at the tennis club for years out of goodwill.
“I don’t live in Dunblane but, for them, it’s been hard.
“They’ve heard mistruths and allegations being levelled which they know are completely untrue.
“All we were trying to do was to create something wonderful for our local area.
“But we have been misrepresented every step of the way by a small number of people. They seem to be against anything that involves change.”
The proposal included indoor and outdoor courts at Park of Keir.
There would also have been a shop, café, gym and soft play area.
The decision to pull the plug was made last week by the Murray Play Foundation, the charitable organisation set up to build and operate the centre and of which Judy Murray is a trustee.
She said: “I don’t want to get into how much, but the project has been entirely funded by me.
“The idea that it is some kind of get-rich scheme is absolute nonsense.
“We set it up as a not-for-profit charitable foundation. It was always about investing in sport and in the community that the boys grew up in.”
Andy Murray legacy centre remains on the cards
Judy insisted that the foundation will be looking to open a centre in the future.
She said: “Our heart is set on doing something in Scotland.
“We have been inundated in the last week with emails from people saying; ‘What about Aberdeen?’, ‘What about Inverness?’, ‘What about the Borders?’
“We will take a bit of time and look at what opportunities might be out there to create a fitting legacy.
“The country is incredibly proud of what Andy and Jamie have achieved. It makes me so sad that we have absolutely nothing to show for it.”
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