Whether British tennis star Andy Murray - seen wearing a Wolves shirt during practice prior to winning the Aegon Championships at Queens Club a fortnight ago - decides to wear the gold and black while wandering around Wimbledon remains to be seen.

But even if the dress restrictions at SW19 render such a prospect impossible, he probably still won't be able to avoid hearing about various matters Wolves from BBC commentator and British Davis Cup captain John Lloyd.

Lloyd, like Murray, a former Grand Slam finalist during his own playing career, is a lifelong Wolves fan whose passion for the club remains undiminished whether here working in England or back home following all the action on the internet in California.

And it is down to the Essex-born 54-year-old that Murray has taken an interest in Wolves in the first place.

It was last September when, during a break from training for a Davis Cup tie with Austria, Lloyd took the squad down to The Valley to take in Wolves' 3-1 win at Charlton.

Following that Wolves' Vice-President Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, after talking to Lloyd, ensured a spanking new home shirt emblazoned with "Andy Murray" and the number "1" was sent down to the Great British hope.

Despite being a staunch Hibernian fan Murray has no particular affiliation to any English club and thus has been happy to wear the Wolves shirt on occasions, most recently at Queen's a fortnight ago.

Much to the delight of his Davis Cup captain!

"I didn't actually see the pictures but I'm looking forward to talking to Andy about it - it's great!" says Lloyd.

"I've been on to him ever since we went to that Charlton match which was all good because Andy's fitness trainer Matt Little is a big Charlton fan.

"Charlton went downhill from there onwards but for Wolves it went completely the other way and I've told Andy his great year has co-incided with ours!

"I'm regularly texting him with "Up the Wolves" and all that sort of thing and he's probably sick and tired of me going on about it.

"But it's all good fun and I know he enjoys wearing the shirts and all the banter that comes from it."

To that end a new Wolves shirt has been winging its way down to Murray at Wimbledon this week as he bids to secure his own major Championship on the hallowed South London turf.

For Lloyd it's life in the commentary box over a fortnight for which he will certainly be carrying a smile when any conversations turn from the subject of tennis to football.

Regularly trying to educate the likes of fellow commentators Boris Becker and John McEnroe on the subject of goings-on at Molineux, the former British number one has already put his money where his mouth is in terms of a few cheeky wagers on his favourite team.

"I'm certainly looking forward to talking football with some of the guys," Lloyd explains.

"I was commentating with Andrew Castle at Queens and he mentioned how happy I must be - and I am!

"There are a few people on the BBC team who are Wolves fans so it will be good to talk about the team's success.

"And I've already had a bet with several people that Wolves will stay up next season as well as one with Mark Petchey that Sylvan Ebanks-Blake will score 15 goals."

Positive thinking indeed, but only the same employed by Lloyd after viewing Wolves' at first hand at the start of last season.

Also on texting terms with Mick McCarthy, he was filled with optimism after taking in one of the memorable early season victories achieved against the Addicks.

"When I saw Wolves that day I just thought they looked really solid and the balance of the team was just right," says Lloyd.

"They also looked full of goals with plenty of options on the substitutes bench as well and I was left feeling very optimistic about the season ahead.

"And obviously it went on to be a great campaign.

"There was that one little blip in January and February when maybe nerves set in just a little bit but the same happened to the other teams up there as well.

"When it came to the crunch at the end of the season it was Wolves who came through really strongly.

"I texted Mick at various stages over the season and then offered my congratulations at the end - I think he's done a fantastic job.

"I know there were some people who perhaps were disappointed with how things went the season before and so I'm not sure he always gets the credit he deserves.

"He's done unbelievably well particularly with how he's brought in players who weren't particularly well known and made them into such a success.

"In that respect I'd compare him to Arsene Wenger.

"A few of my friends are Arsenal fans who aren't happy they've not won a trophy in the last few years but I try and remind them of just what Arsene Wenger has done in bringing in players for very little money and turning them into superstars.

"That's what Mick has done at a different level and it's been great to see."

If Lloyd is back home with wife and two children in Los Angeles, it's early on a Saturday morning when he rises to listen to Wolves commentaries on the internet with only the family's pet dog for company.

The devotion is the result of almost half a century of following the fortunes of the men from Molineux, initially honed via a childhood interest in the famed gold and black colours!

Having endured a happy if lonely vigil listening to the commentary of Wolves' memorable promotion-clinching win against Queens Park Rangers back in April, there are at least plenty more reasons to celebrate the club's arrival in the Premier League.

Namely that more matches will be screened live on television in America, and there's also more London teams in the division offering a greater chance to view Wolves in action when working on British soil.

"It's a shame I didn't get to see Wolves more during the season and I ended up listening to the crucial games at the end with only the dog for company," he added.

"But it's good that I'll be able to see more on television next season and I've already been scanning the fixture list to see what's happening when I'm in England!

"We've got a Davis Cup tie in September and the weekend before Wolves are at Blackburn away so I'm not sure if I'll be able to sneak up for that one.

"Then I've got to be back in the UK in December when we've got Tottenham away so that's another possibility."

Like all Wolves fans Lloyd meanwhile is enjoying playing the 'name game' this summer, pondering just who might be added to the squad before the Premier League adventure kicks off against West Ham in August.

The clear sense of optimism as demonstrated in the aforementioned bets suggests he doesn't think Wolves are all that far away.

"I think the squad Mick has put together already contains plenty of Premier League class with a good blend," Lloyd suggests.

"I'm sure he'll be looking for a few more acquisitions but I don't think it's a bad time to have gone up this year.

"If you look at teams like Hull and Stoke who did well to survive last year, and then Birmingham and Burnley coming up with us, I don't think there's any reason why we can't stay up.

"It's all about staying up that first season and trying to establish yourself and from there being able to bring in even better quality players.

"But with what we have now, and a few others coming in, I am very confident that Wolves will be able to survive."

* MURRAY, whose official website can be viewed at www.andymurray.com, starts his Wimbledon campaign against American Robby Kendrick this afternoon.