Compared with the vibrant club athletics scene of the late 1940’s to the 1990’s, track and field club athletics has declined.
Severn Athletic Club’s Terry Haines thinks that an idea to resuscitate grass roots track and field would be to reinstate the many sports days of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Then top local events were the sports days of big employers such as Dowty Rotol, Gloucestershire Police, Smith Industries and a host of others. These were held on local sport fields, included closed, open and handicap events. They attracted large crowds and were the staple for top athletes. The legendary Olympic athlete Sydney Wooderson cut his athletic teeth on them.
Terry Haines feels the success of local Parkruns suggests lessons in attracting the general public support which mainstream athletic needs. “Synthetic tracks and stadiums have their place but lack the atmosphere and fun of events like the Gloucestershire Police Sports day which alternated between Gloucester Wagon Works and Cheltenham Colleges sumptuous sport field”.
The photo shows two local stars of the 1950’s, Old Cryptians Clive Wootton(Cheltenham Harriers) and Peter Tunstall(Bristol AC) battling in the 100 yards at the Lower Tuffley sports day in 1958. Wootton(in the double hoops) played rugby for Gloucester, Tunstall for Cleeve and Bristol.
Severn AC Results:
Seven Sins Trail Runs – 7 Hills in 7 Miles & The Immortal Trail Runs-14 Hills in 14 Miles. Blakeney, Forest of Dean,
We do not count slopes as hills…these are proper hills. The course is a mix of gravel trails & muddy forest paths. There are 2 streams under bridge tunnels to run through (4 on the Immortal).
Seven Sins 31/12/2021: 20th Tom Adam 1:06:18. 193 ran.
The Immortal 01/01/2022: 4th John Chapman(2/V50) 2:11:49. 27 ran.
Seven Sins 02/01/2022: 49th Imran Hassanjee(V/40) 1:28:36 & 59th Stephen Shields(V/50) 01:31:50. 118 ran.
Severn AC 
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