It’s a game of numbers, statistics, scores and sequences and nothing escapes forensic observation at Wimbledon.

Take Centre Court invasions.

Every non-tennis incursion on to the sacred grass is recorded for perpetuity in the Wimbledon Compendium, so here is the definitive list of unofficial appearances over the last century… bumblebees, streakers, sparrows, flying ants and even an imposter POTUS.

A squirrel interrupts play

In 1949, the match between Hans van Swol of the Netherlands and Frenchman Bobby Abdesselam was held up by the impromptu arrival of a pesky rodent.

Play resumed after the ball boys leapt into action and chased the cheeky creature away.

A polite intruder pays homage to Her Majesty The Queen

During the 1957 men’s doubles final, Helen Jarvis invaded the court waving a banner in support of her campaign for a new world banking system, which she called the ‘Life, Love and Sex Appeal Party’.

Her message began with the words ‘God Save Our Queen’ - who happened to be in the Royal Box - and rather thoughtfully she also wore a white hat and flat white shoes so as not to damage the grass.

The referee and a policeman swiftly escorted her off.

Borgmania

Five-time champion Bjorn Borg attracted hordes of admirers. Britain’s Roger Taylor was also popular with female fans.

There was double trouble when they played: at the end of their 1973 encounter, a stampede of girls ran on to the court and asked for autographs.

After the police cleared the court, the Groundstaff spent some time straightening out the turf and making sure there were no heel marks.

Flower power

A 1976 match between Jimmy Connors and Stan Smith was interrupted when promoters pushing a pop concert ran on to court and handed Connors a single rose.

Pillow fight

Cushions, programmes and other small projectiles were hurled by incredulous spectators on to Centre Court in 1981 when an intensely fought third round ladies’ doubles match was halted at 9.35pm due to bad light, with the score poised at 5-5 in the final set.

Despite boos and jeers, the Referee’s decision to halt the contest between home favourite Sue Barker, playing with Ann Kiyomura, and JoAnne Russell and Virginia Ruzici held firm.

When the match resumed the next day, Barker and Kiyomura won 9-7 and went on to reach the semi-finals.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

Americans Pam Shriver and Kathy Rinaldi had no intention of putting Muhuammad Ali’s famous words to the test when, in 1982, a swarm of bees engulfed both players.

When Rinaldi was stung on the arm, Shriver moved in to remove the sting.

The twitching hours…

In 1989, two sparrows flew on court, a good omen to lighten the intense atmosphere of a men’s semi-final between Stefan Edberg and John McEnroe.

According to bird experts, the appearance of a sparrow ‘makes you believe you can achieve whatever you wish for’.

The little birdies must have told their ornithological peers because, a year later, a pied wagtail appeared for a bird’s-eye view of proceedings between Boris Becker and Brad Gilbert, then returned for some semi-final action with Steffi Graf and Zina Garrison and then again to check up on Ivan Lendl v Stefan Edberg.

Centre Court’s Dave moment

In 1991, a man claiming to be the American President interrupted the match between German rivals Boris Becker and Michael Stich.

As the Compendium neatly puts it, ‘He was not George H.W. Bush and he was quickly removed.’ The idea of it!

Coincidentally - or not? - a comedy film starring Kevin Kline as an imposter president thrust into accidental power came out just two years later.

Now you see her, now you don’t!

1996 had been a sodden Championships and moments before the men’s final between Richard Krajicek and MaliVai Washington, a sometime member of the catering corps decided to provide some levity.

Stripping down to just her pinny, she streaked across Centre Court.

The Club later joined in the fun when it issued a statement regarding the incident: ‘Whilst we do not wish to condone the practice, it did at least provide some light amusement for our loyal and patient supporters, who have had a trying time during the recent bad weather.’

A mouse in the house

In the days before Rufus the Hawk was employed as official bird and vermin scarer, a tiny mouse’s antics interrupted play between Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Mark Philippoussis.

Flock ’n’ roll

‘The avian threat returned, in fuller force, in 1999 when a group of pigeons twice interrupted play during the singles match between Boris Becker and his compatriot Nicolas Kiefer,’ the Compendium reports.

‘The rowdy flock disturbed both Becker’s service and his opponent’s concentration.

Later that same year a single pigeon gatecrashed the men’s semi-final between Pete Sampras and Tim Henman, causing the latter to lose his concentration while serving.

It is not known if he was part of the previous squadron.’

Not all right in the white

Prior to Henman’s match against Scott Draper in 2002, two pranksters, dressed in whites and carrying rackets, climbed over the barrier and began knocking up on court.

A security guard intervention hustled the pair out of the court.

The men follow suit

After the female trailblazer in 1996, a male streaker took his turn at naked invasion, somersaulting over the net and moonwalking during the 2002 men’s singles final between Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian.

Cue, officials running on with red blankets. The streaking reached ‘epidemic levels’ in 2006 when, during the second set of the match between Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova, a male streaker once again invaded the court.

UFO alert

On Wednesday 5 July 2018, the air over the All England Club thickened with a storm of tiny, flying black objects: an invasion of flying ants.

Taking to the air to mate, and disperse and derail tennis players, they caused headlines around the world and prompted the first mention of ‘eusocial insects’ in Wimbledon’s famously detailed Compendium.

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