![Wimbledon invites Barnardo's ball boys back - 50 years after they appeared on Centre Court](https://parallelsports.in/images/upload/cover/1688046357.png)
Barnardo's is commemorating 70 years since its partnership with Wimbledon began.
The last of the generation of Barnardo's ball boys have returned to Wimbledon as the world-famous tennis tournament starts on Monday.
Children’s charity Barnardo's supplied Wimbledon with ball boys until 1966 - and some were invited back 50 years later.
And a trio of brothers were in the thick of the action as they turned their lives around from ‘little oiks’ who were sent away as their parents struggled with 11 children.
The eldest, Sam Hill, made it onto the famed Centre Court and was also on the backcloth during one of Wimbledon’s most infamous moments - when line judge Dorothy Cavis-Brown fell asleep.
She nodded off during a 1964 match having earlier indulged at the then-traditional opening day cocktail party.
Retired joiner Sam, 69, said: “Her head fell to the side and you knew. The ball-boy nearest went to wake her up but it was the player, Abe Segal from South Africa, who did the trick.
“He was waiting for her to call the ball ‘out’ but it never was. That’s when everyone realised she was asleep. It’s something you never forget.”
Sam and his brothers Tommy and Billy, all originally from County Durham, were among the ball-boys picked from Barnado's over 20 years.
Sam added: “We owe where we got to in life to Barnardo's.
“We weren’t bad kids, just little oiks, always getting into mischief and our parents, with 11 of us, couldn’t cope.
“But Barnardo's put us on the straight and narrow and gave us opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have had.
“We’ve never been in doubt the gratitude we and so many others owe them.”
Barnardo's, celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, supplied the Wimbledon ball-boys until 1966 and reunited their old boys with the current crop of youngsters as they were put through their paces.
Tommy joked: “I think we’d still beat this new lot to the ball now. The only difference is we did tests on an abacus and they do them on an iPad .”
Sadly, none of the brothers are predicting a home victory this year.
Former decorator Billy, 68, said: “ Murray will do well no doubt but Djokovic is just looking too strong.”
Barnardo's is commemorating 70 years since its partnership with Wimbledon began.
Meanwhile supporters face a week of rain after queuing for a record 55 hours before the tournament began.
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Fans queued from 6.30am on Saturday - almost 55 hours before play starts at 1pm on Monday - beating the previous record of 7.30am on Saturday, set last year.
The first supporter in the queue was mega-fan Stuart Bere, 41, a gardener from Lincolnshire, who has queued at every Wimbledon for 24 years.
He said: “Britain has divided opinion after the EU vote - but cheering for the Brits at Wimbledon will unite the country again. We believe Andy Murray can win it.”
The Met Office told fans to pack waterproofs and forecast rain bursts from Tuesday until Friday, with showers threatening the weekend and next week and campers face mud as Wimbledon Park, flooded last week, still has standing water.
Ladbrokes cuts odds to 5/6 on for Wimbledon rain every day this week, and 5/1 for the tournament being pushed into a third week.
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