Back to first love for ex-Bairns chairman Lex Miller

After spending most of his adult life in football at a local level, Miller has returned to his first love – tennis.

Brought up in Abbots Road Grangemouth, he had a fine view of the Zetland Park tennis courts from his bedroom window, and he dreamed of the days when he might become a tennis star.

He made spectacular progress through the Junior ranks and after hours of practice on the Grangemouth courts, he decided to move up to the Falkirk Lawn Tennis Club.

The excellent coaching at the club saw Miller develop into a really good prospect and he took part in various Junior Tennis tours throughout Scotland, which meant a few long car journeys where he received “detailed analysis” from his fiercest critic - his Dad, Alex.

Miller remembers: “He went over every shot I played, where I went wrong and what shots I should have played.”

By the age of 18, the young Miller was a first team regular at Falkirk Tennis Club and he formed an impressive first couple gent’s partnership with Jim Nicol, who had played in Junior Wimbledon.

Miller was also a skilled footballer, and he faced a tough choice in deciding which sport to pursue – and in the end it was football which won out.

After his spell in the boardroom at Falkirk came to an end last year, many expected him to move into football administration but he undertook a vigorous training and conditioning regime to get himself fit with the aim of returning to competitive tennis.

Road runs of 5k and 10k soon saw the pounds fall off and gym sessions ensured toning and stamina progress.

Now he is a member of a successful Falkirk Tennis Club Men’s 2nd Team and they have got off to a good start in their league campaign.

Not content with that, he also turns out for North Berwick Tennis Club in the East Regional League.

He says he enjoys the tennis competitions and has no regrets about the change of sport.

The tennis dreams of the 10-year-old Lex Miller were fulfilled but even he could never have guessed that the love affair with the game would be continued 30 years after his first “retiral”.