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Birchfield Harriers

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Coordinates: 52°31′53″N 1°54′19″W / 52.53139°N 1.90528°W / 52.53139; -1.90528
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Birchfield Harriers
Birchfield Harriers' badge on Perry Barr Stadium
Founded1877
GroundAlexander Stadium
LocationWalsall Rd, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2LR, England
Coordinates52°31′53″N 1°54′19″W / 52.53139°N 1.90528°W / 52.53139; -1.90528
Websiteofficial website

Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club, founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, England.

As well as welcoming recreational runners they cater for all levels of experience up to and including Olympic athletes whether able-bodied or wheelchair-using athletes.

The Club's motto is Fleet and Free.

History

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The Alexander Stadium
Arthur Robertson, the club first Olympic gold medal winner

Founded in 1877, the Harriers were named after the Birchfield district of Birmingham.[1]

In 1908 Archie Robertson was Birchfield's first Olympic gold medallist.[2]

From 1929 to 1977, the Harriers were based[1]), at nearby Perry Barr, was Alexander Sports Ground,[1] which still carries their badge, a running stag, rendered in this case in Art Deco style, carved in 1929 and attributed to William Bloye.[3] Both venues were named for members of the Alexander family, who were prominent members of the club.[1]

Pat Cropper was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her running achievements in the 1974 Birthday Honours.[1] In 1993, Peter Radford served as Chairman of UK Athletics.[4]

In the 2000 New Year Honours, heptathlete Denise Lewis was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).[5] In 2010, coach Norma Blaine was made an MBE in the New Years Honours announced on 31 December 2010, for her services to athletics.[6]

Tom McCook, a former athlete and club chairman, was the club's President from 2001 until standing down at the end of 2013.[7]

Honours

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Notable athletes

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Olympians

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Athlete Events Games Medals/Ref
Daphne Arden 100m, 200m, 4x100m 1964
Meghan Beesley 400m hurdles 2020
Ainsley Bennett 200m, 4x400m 1976
Joe Blewitt 5000m, 3,000m team, 3000m steeplechase 1920, 1928
Robbie Brightwell 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m 1960, 1964
Audrey Brown 100m, 4x100m 1936
Godfrey Brown 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m 1936
Phil Brown 400m, 4x400m 1984, 1988
Daniel Caines 400m, 4x400m 2000, 2004
Geoff Capes shot put 1972, 1976, 1980
Gladys Clarke javelin 1948
Charles Clibbon 5000m, 10,000m 1920, 1924
John Cooper 400m hurdles, 4x400m 1964, 1968
Clova Court heptathlon 1992
Dave Cropper 800m 1968, 1972
Sidney Cross triple jump 1948
Jock Dalrymple javelin 1924
Samantha Davies 200m, 4x100m 2000
Zoe Derham hammer throw 2008
Cyril Dugmore triple jump 1928
Cyril Ellis 1500m 1924, 1928
Sally Ellis marathon 1992
Mike Farrell 800m 1956
Stewart Faulkner long jump 1988
Joel Fearon bobsleigh 2014, 2018
Walter Freeman cross country 1920
Helen Frost 4x400m 2000
Elliot Giles 800m 2016, 2020
Billy Green 400m 1928
Jack Hambidge 200m 1928
John Hanlon 400m 1928
Lorraine Hanson 400m 1992
Louise Hazel heptathlon 2012
Julie Hollman heptathlon 2008
Harry Houghton 800m 1924, 1928
Matt Hudson-Smith 400m, 4x400m 2016
Fred Hulford 800m, 1500m 1912
David Jenkins 400m, 4x400m 1972, 1976, 1980
Pat Jones 80m hurdles 1968
Winnie Jordan 100m 1948
Helen Karagounis 4x400m 2004
Karl Keska 10,000m 2000
Du'aine Ladejo 400m, 4x400m 1992, 1996
Mark Lewis-Francis 100m, 4x100m 2004
Denise Lewis long jump, heptathlon 1996, 2000, 2004
Fred Light 5,000m team 1928
Judy Livermore-Simpson pentathlon, heptathlon 1980, 1984, 1988
Vincent Loney 1500m 1908
Pat Lowe-Cropper 800m 1968, 1972
Bertram Macdonald 3000m team 1924
Ruth Martin-Jones long jump 1972
Germaine Mason high jump 2008
Eric McCalla triple jump 1984
Katharine Merry 200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m 1996, 2000
Aston Moore triple jump 1976
Mica Moore bobsleigh 2018
John Morbey long jump 1964
Brett Morse discus throw 2012
United States Adam Nelson shot put 2000, 2004, 2008
Sidney Newey 3000m steeplechase 1924
Tom Parsons high jump 2008
Howard Payne hammer throw 1964, 1968, 1972
Shara Proctor long jump 2012, 2016
Carole Quinton 80m hurdles, 4x100m 1956, 1960
Peter Radford 100m, 200m, 4x100m 1960, 1964
Derek Redmond 400m 1988, 1992
Republic of Ireland Sarah Reilly 100m, 200m 2000
Australia Jean Roberts discus throw 1968
Arthur Robertson 5 miles, 3 miles team, 3,200m steeplechase 1908
Michael Rosswess 200m 1988
Sue Scott-Reeve pentathlon, long jump 1968, 1976, 1980
John Sherwood 400m hurdles, 4x400m 1964, 1968, 1972
Donald Slack pentathlon, decathlon 1964
Ray Smedley 1500m 1972
Glen Smith discus throw 1996, 2000
Kelly Sotherton heptathlon, 4 x 400m 2004, 2008
Ian Stewart 500m 1972, 1976
Mary Stewart 1500m 1976
Stuart Storey 110m hurdles 1968
Danny Talbot 200m, 4 x 100m 2012, 2016
Bill Tancred discus throw 1968, 1972
Eddie Webster 10,000m, cross country 1924
Bob Weir discus throw, hammer throw 1984, 1996, 2000
Nick Whitehead 4 x100m 1960
Malcolm Yardley 400m, 4x400m 1960

Other

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Bibliography

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  • Alexander, William O; Morgan, Wilfred (1988). The History of Birchfield Harriers 1877-1988. Birchfield Harriers. ISBN 0-9514082-0-8.
  • Rogers, Gareth; Morgan, Wilfred; McCook, Tom (2005). Fleet and Free — A History of Birchfield Harriers Athletic Club. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-3523-X.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Alexander, William O; Morgan, Wilfred (1988). The History of Birchfield Harriers 1877-1988. Birchfield Harriers. ISBN 0-9514082-0-8.
  2. ^ Philpotts, Chris (8 October 2010). "Pub runs with hero's reputation for unexpected triumphs". Great Barr Observer. Birmingham: Central Independent News & Media Ltd. pp. 4–5.
  3. ^ Public Sculpture of Birmingham, George T. Noszlopy, Liverpool University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-85323-682-8
  4. ^ "Peter Radford". Hall of Fame. UK Athletics. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  5. ^ "No. 56070". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 July 2008. pp. 9–12.
  6. ^ Savvas, Christina (31 December 2010). "Birchfield Harriers coach Norma Blaine receives an MBE for her services to athletics". Birmingham Mail. MIN. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  7. ^ "Devoted to his sport and club for 45 years". Great Barr Observer. 4 January 2013. p. 4.
  8. ^ Stuart, Julia (20 April 2004). "Athletics: 50 years ago, Roger Bannister became a sporting legend with his four-minute mile. Why is his female equivalent just seen as an also-ran?". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Scott Rider". European Athletic Association. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  10. ^ Andrews, Harry (2008). The Follies of a Victorian Athlete (William Snook 1861-1916). Leonie Press (Anne Loader Publications). ISBN 978-1-901253-56-6.
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