Andrew Castle, a former tennis player and now BBC Wimbledon commentator, once sparked a major incident during a match in 1990 when he staged an on-court protest against the poll tax. The BBC threatened to halt its live broadcast if he did not remove the sign.
Castle's Unusual Protest
Castle, who is stepping down as the BBC's main Wimbledon commentator after more than 20 years, recalled the event in an interview with The Telegraph. During the National Championships in Telford, he placed a piece of cardboard reading 'No to the Poll Tax' under the sponsor's sign. He said, 'I was just bored, I’d been there for a week in Telford, and I saw this piece of cardboard, and I just put ‘No to the Poll Tax’ on it.'
The referee, Colin Hess, approached Castle and asked him to remove the sign, warning that the BBC was threatening to go off air. Castle initially refused but eventually turned the sign over and wrote 'Hello, Mum' on the other side. He described the incident as an early version of going viral.
Consequences of the Protest
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) charged Castle with bringing the game into disrepute, fining him £4,500 and banning him from representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup. He was also prohibited from speaking to the press. Castle called the punishment 'outrageous' and felt the LTA abused its power.
Despite the repercussions, Castle has no regrets. In 2019, he said, 'I think I would probably do it again. I had a bad year. I was getting very cross about the whole thing.' He noted that even now, taxi drivers sometimes recognise him and mention the poll tax protest.
Castle's Broadcasting Career
Castle's playing career was modest, never advancing beyond the third round at any Grand Slam. After retiring, he became a prominent tennis commentator for the BBC, covering Wimbledon for over two decades. This summer marks his final year as the lead commentator, after being informed that the role would end.
