The Welsh Athletics Awards evening saw three awards with VOACC and Aylesbury connections. Ben Gregory who began his athletics at Vale age 12 won Male Track Athlete of the year for his performances in Pole Vault and Decathlon culminating in his 6th place in the Decathlon at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games which was only 2 points away from the Welsh record.
Track & Field official of the Year was John Collins who is also a past member of our Club and former pupil of Aylesbury Grammar School. John was a member from 1948 to 1963 when officials were Pat Sage, Eric Wheeler and Vic Phillips. He recently sent this information on his competition days: “
“My contemporaries included Pat Ferguson, Rex Foulkes, Mike Tribe, Colin Palmer, and of course, the Collins Brothers (Roger, Tony & Donald , to whom I was not related – much to confusion of one and all; especially reporters and commentators – particularly the occasion we took four of first five places in the Bucks county 6 mile champs). In a succession of years from the late 1950s there was a Collins from VAAC in the top places of the Southern Junior CC for about five consecutive years culminating in Donald going on to be medallist in the International (now World) Junior CC in Dublin in 1964, although by then he had joined the Windsor & Eton club. I note my 2 mile walk performance was recently still a Club Record but recorded as (only) 3000m. Most of my times we were based at Duke of Edinburgh playing fields in Southcourt.”
An award with a slightly tenuous link to Aylesbury was for Female Endurance athlete of the year which went to former Olympian Andrea Whitcome who for most of her career was coached by Bob Parker, a former Vale athlete and contemporary of John Collins who is probably best known for coaching Dave Bedford.
Thank you to Mr Collins for forwarding this information.