STANLEY Matthews was a Wimbledon champion - that's Stanley junior.

Sir Stan's young son Stanley was clearly a chip off the old block when it came to sport.

But instead of the football it was the tennis ball which drew the best out of Sir Stan's young offspring.

Stanley junior was British Junior Tennis champion from 1960 to 1962, the only three-times winner of the title, and in the third year he also lifted the Wimbledon Junior Invitational championship.

No expense was spared in nurturing his talents and his father would often be seen at tournaments, typically trying to melt into the background behind dark sunglasses.

"There is no doubt that my reputation did put some pressure on him,'' Sir Stan would later observe. "Maybe, too, his service was not quite strong enough and he tended to double fault.

"I know it worried him a bit, being in my shadow, and I hoped he might overcome it.''

His son later finished runner-up to future Davis Cup player Mark Cox in the under-21 championship and was never to enjoy the impact he and his father were hoping for.

He would eventually put his tennis skill and business acumen to good use, however, by running a £5m complex in Connecticut, USA.

Sir Stan, himself, could also turn his hand to other sports and was no mean cricketer in his youth.

He recalled: "I was a batsman/wicketkeeper and one Saturday my father sent me to Longton Cricket Club. He told me to ask for the secretary and they would give me a trial.

"I walked all the way from Hanley to Longton, but when I got there I could see them playing in white and I would not go in. I was too shy and embarrassed and so I went back home.

"If my father had been there to push me I think I would have gone in for cricket or tennis. I played everything with a ball, but it was finding the time.''

Golf captured his imagination after he signed for Stoke, becoming a caddie to the pros at 15 and a scratch player at 18.

"Club rules forbade us to play after a Wednesday when we had to be indoors by 10.30pm. But I would sneak off and play in the afternoon on a Thursday and Friday - until the manager Tom Mather found out. He gave me a real telling off!''

After moving to South Africa his love for the game helped him become big mates with golf legend Bobby Locke.

First Published: March 3 2000