The original Southport Cycling Club formed in the late 1800's - it was certainly thriving in 1896.  below is a 'certificate' to Arthur AW Phillipps who was the Chairman at that time.

In 2007 there are 4 cycling organisations, Southport Cyclling Club, and Kuota-Beimme -Spinergy cycling team and AGE CONCERN

In 1874 the Southport Cycling Club was formed. Little is known of the early years but it seems certain that path races were held at a number of tracks in the town. There was a grass track at Cemetery Road, an asphalt track at the Winter Gardens and a 440 yard flat cinder track at Sussex Road. A banked shale track was later built at Ash Lane (now Haig Avenue) sports ground in Blowick. The town’s first crack was J.W.(Wally) Schofield with W Birtwistle and George Masters being among the fastest tandem pairings in the country.

CHALLENGE SHIELD
 PRESENTED BY W TIMBERLAKE ESQ
 
 ONE MILE BICYLCE RACE
 IN SIX CONTESTS

1892
                                                                           

1st competition winner          LC RILEY     157yds      2M 46S
2nd competition winner         H B BIRD      340yds     2M 47S
3rd competition winner          TH CARR     Scratch     2M 42S
4th competition winner          TH CARR      Scratch     2M 46S
5th competition winner           TH CARR     Scratch     2M 33S
6th competition winner          TH CARR      Scratch     2M 35S

Click on box

As early as 1891 a massed start road race was held over a twenty five mile course from Burscough Bridge to the Anchor Inn Penwortham and back. F.W. Hudlass, later the chief engineer of the RAC, was second and received for his effort a solid gold medal presented by a club supporter and enthusiastic cyclist Mr W. Timberlake.

In 1892 the club’s president Sir George Pilkington presented to the club the Centenary Shield to commemorate the founding of Southport by William Sutton one hundred years earlier. The shield was presented to the winner of the One Mile Championship open to riders residing within an eight mile radius of the town hall. The most renowned winner of the shield was war hero George Masters V.C. who was born in Birkdale in 1877 and on marrying lived in Norwood Road. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918 for conspicuous bravery while serving with the RASC near Bethune. At the time he was aged forty one. George, who rode in the colours of the Southport Harriers, won the shield on ? occasions and his brother John was victorious ? times. The period just before the first world war saw the end of many cycling clubs as the fashion for cycling as a social and sporting activity was dropped by the middle classes who had been the first supporters of the sport. The war itself laid waste to a generation of young men and many clubs did not survive. It has not been possible to discover if the Southport Cycling Club continued but this seems unlikely.
The Southport Road Cycling Club was started in June 1932 by just twelve founder members and the first meeting was held at 25 Shaftesbury Avenue Birkdale where Fred King was appointed secretary. Only Les Hubbard was an experienced club rider although others were riding with the CTC. The first outing of the new club was held on 24th July 1932 but sadly there is no record of those who attended or the destination. The same year the Club held its first event, a 25 mile time trial from Kew Bridge to Aintree and back. Les Hubbard put his experience to good use and beat Dennis Kitchen into second place. Riders changed into their Alpaca jackets and tights at Kew Gardens Railway Station. Dennis Kitchen overcame his defeat by Les to become the Club's first Best All Rounder champion.

The club soon acquired clubrooms above a bakery in Gordon Street. The premises were rented from the Van Puyenbroek Family and the Club remained there until 1941. Great use was made of the clubroom, which was open three nights a week. It contained a snooker table, grand piano and facilities for the Club's table tennis team. Hot pot suppers were a regular feature with members bringing the food from home in washing up bowls!

By 1937 membership had increased to 65. Of that number, however, only 45 were first claim and that same year the Club banned second claim members. By this time the Club was affiliated to both the Liverpool and North Lancs. T.T.A. and already the Club was competing at Bootle Track League, winning the Second Division Pursuit Championship in 1939. Membership then declined as members were called up for active service.

Four members lost their lives in the service of their country. Sgt. Pilot Officer
Joe Unsworth D.F.M. and he was shot down over Belgium in the early hours of 14 October 1941.

Southport Cycling Clubs oldest member Albert Hopkins who joined the club in 1933 was 90 this week. Albert was a trackie in his day on the Bootle track.
The picture belows shows Albert in the centre with Bob Bird on his right and Frank Marshall to his left.

Wallis Dyson, a past chairman, went down with the Cruiser Galatic in the Mediterranean. Sgt. Bob Stanford, serving in the Marines, managed to get ashore from a landing craft going down off Cornwall. He then returned to the sea attempting to rescue a comrade but was himself drowned. Almost at the end of the war Pilot Officer Bernard Stanford was also lost.

The post-war period was a great time for the Club which benefited from the appetite for sport induced by six years of war. Arnold Green was the Club's "crack", to use the jargon of the time, winning the L.T.TA. Championship in 1950. Arnold was still racing and hard-riding when I joined the Club and I well recall him elegantly pedalling the fixed wheel of his Bates machine, enamelled in black of course, as much younger riders grovelled in his wake. I was told that Arnold was given the task of "destroying" an infamous half wheeler. The unfortunate fellow was half wheeled all the way to Scarborough. This experience permanently cured the victim of his anti-social habit!

Warren Road Wheelers about 1947
the late Gordon Edwards, the late Cliff taylor, and Brew Rimmer

Arnold's success was followed by the even greater achievements of Bob Bird. To this day Bob remains the Club's most successful time trialist, if one discounts Bill Bradley's brief dalliance with the un-paced game. He won the Club B.A.R. on five occasions and both the N.L.T.T.A. and L.I.T.A. Championships, the latter on two occasions. In both 1951 and 1952 he achieved top twelve placings in the British Best All Rounder Competition. He also won the Liverpool Pursuit Championship and led clubmates Arnold Green, Frank Marshall and Ron Welch to many team successes in time trials throughout the country. INTERVIEW

In the mid fifties a local church Youth Club developed an unofficial cycling section. Some members were bitten by the cycling bug and joined the club with the intention of "doing a bit of racing". Few could have foreseen how quickly Bill Bradley would come to dominate British Road Racing. It would take a book to list his major achievements over the next decade. An early achievement was a stage win in the Berlin-Warsaw-Prague stage race, something only rarely achieved by riders from Western Europe. In the Tour of Austria he broke the record for the feared 20km climb of the Gros Glockner pass - previously held by Tour de France winner Charly Gaul. The picture of Bill featured in the Euro Links brochure was taken during this epic ride. In this event Bill won a bike that served Bob Robson well for many years.

Although Bill did many great rides in overseas competition perhaps his best remembered rides were in the Milk Race. With his first attempt in 1958 Bill finished second, less than one minute behind the winner. The following year he made no mistake winning the first 145 mile stage and never looking back. This was the year of the epic Trans Pennine Stage. Riders were still struggling over the line an hour after Bill had won the stage. The next year he won again becoming the only British cyclist to achieve consecutive victories in the Milk Race. After all these years it never ceases to amaze me how the wearing of a Southport jersey can cause Bill's name to be raised in conversation. Even in distant Middlesex aged coureurs recall the details of that brutal stage between Whitley Bay and Morecambe. It is, of course, easy to spot a Bradley fan as they are the only riders still using handle-bar control for the front changer!
Over the next few years Bill twice won both the British Championship and the Vaux International, possibly the hardest one day race ever held in the U.K. Failure to be selected for the Commonwealth Games in Australia, despite being British Champion, naturally rankled Bill. Understandably disgusted, he turned semi-professional for his longtime mentor Harry Quinn. The victories continued until he hung up his wheels at the end of the 65 season, leaving a record unlikely to be equalled.
Mention must also be made of Jack Lowe's many fine achievements about this time. Besides being a stalwart team-mate of Bill's he won the Tour of the Lakes and the Merseyside Championship. Jack had the misfortune of being suspended by the R.T.T.C. for riding an unauthorised time trial. I recall his disgust, not at being suspended, but that the letter advising him of his punishment was signed below the message "Yours in Sport". I don't know the length of his suspension but certainly Jack never again rode against the watch

click on pics for larger view
This is the sprint, Bill Bradley with his head down. The winner is Walter Shepherd Lune RCC www.lunecc.org.uk/
and third was "the Spaniard" G.Kay Lancs RC.
It is second stage Tour of the Lakes, I think 1955
(Ray Green)

As Bill's career was drawing to a close a raw novice Jim Dixon Millar joined the Club and almost immediately achieved the seemingly impossible - staying with Bill on the climbs! Unfortunately Dixon failed to capitalise on his great talent and he drifted away from the sport after a brilliant third place in the British Hill Climb Championship, beaten by just a fraction of a second.On flatter roads Dixon and Bill were matched by Richie Turner, a super fit mile-eater who would have achieved far greater success had he been more tactically astute. Nevertheless he certainly made my legs ache beyond all reason on many a hard training bash. I'm told it was even worse for those recklessenough to ride at the front with him.

One rider even less likely than me to go to the front was Don Howarth. Don had an unfortunate reputation as a "wheel-sucker". Such was his infamy that even on the occasion that he beat the hour, and won the event, it was rumoured that he had been pacing. All this was most unfair as Don had a love of the sport that will never be equalled and was interesting and entertaining company. In 1963 he emigrated to California telling me that he was going so that he would never again have to fit a pair of mudguards! A number of Club members visited him in San Francisco and were introduced by him to the "laid-back" California cycling scene, that suited him so well. Alas in 1986 Don succumbed to an hereditary disease that had first developed fifteen years earlier.The early sixties saw the emergence of the first of Southport's trio of CycloCross stars. Mike Wilkinson shone at every aspect of the sport but his combination of fitness, agility and courage made him a natural for off-road racing. He won his first cross in the Delph Tea Gardens and indeed won virtually every event he entered. Unfortunately Mike was a contemporary of Coventry's John Atkins who twice beat him into second place in the NationalChampionships.

Mike was followed by John Barton, known universally as "Tam" after his choice of headgear Tam couldn't quite match Mike's natural ability but he was even tougher. Anecdotes about him are endless and they all demonstrate either his toughness or recklessness and usually both. My favourite occured on the Isle of Man during Cycling Week. On night walking back to the digs after a session in the Palace Hotel's Texas Bar he instigated a sprint for the "Douglas" sign. Naturally he won and as he passed the sign he turned to look contemptuously at the defeated opposition. He turned to the front just in time to run, at top speed, into a concrete lamp-post! The impact shook Oncham Head itself. Tam merely shook his head observing that the broken tooth he had sustained in the accident would impair his previously impeccable good looks.The following morning his mouth, always a prominent feature, resembled a large slice of ripe watermelon. Tam remarked that it felt a bit sore. Three days later I was in Tam's room as he put the finishing touches to his appearance before heading for the Villa Marina. He peered into the mirror to inspect his still tender mouth wondering if it would be a hindrance should he "score". As he squeezed hisbottom lip out popped the missing tooth!

more pic click above

Tam won the Merseyside Cyclo Cross Championship on three consecutive occasions. He was also a great tester, particularly over ten miles.John Barton was followed by Terry Wignall who twice won the North Cyclo Cross title. It seems to be somehow significant that all three cross are country members from Banks and beyond. I suppose they are happier mud than us Townies.I fully realise it is self indulgent of me but I must mention a lady champion from this era. Dianne Fazakerley was no threat to Beryl Burton, being too busy with her studies, but she nevertheless had a considerable fan club, with me as its undisputed leader. Unfortunately I no longer cycle with delightful teenagers so I don't know if the modern generation could match Dianne's feats, but I rather doubt it. Along bash to Keswick at Easter induced nothing more than a healthy glow to her lovely face while all round hardened club-men sweated and toiled. Oh! I could go on and on, nostalgia being my one remaining vice,but some memories are too precious to share, even with club-mates!

The mid sixties saw the emergence of Brian Bladon as Club Secretary with one of Brian's most notable achievements, the establishing of the Annual Gala Criteriums around the Kings Gardens on Southport Promenade which became known as the Bladon Races and top criterium along side the vanquars in the country something that has never been equalled since.The early years were unique with Brian making the events "international" by importing top Belgium and Dutch amateurs, many of whom progressed to the Professional ranks and many on to the likes of the Tour De France.

Brian also provided excellent prizes for the events via generous sponsorship obtained from local businesses ensuring the event attracted a top class field of amateurs and professional riders, and becoming the   top criteriums in the country with recorded crowds of 15000 until its demise in1980. Then in the middle 70's he started the schoolboy races on pleasure land car park, then on to a circuit in pontins holiday village before moving on to a smallerr circuit on the Kings Gardens. Also there was the evening races on woodvale aerodrome . Another noticeable achievement was of Brian to acquire the club room in Victoria park , then a wooden building enabling the club to have a building as it is today .

1972 Gala Crits
1.Jos Vanackere - Belgium
2. Sid Barras  - Bantel
3. Les West - Holdsworth -Campagnola

On the bus: L. to R. Mark Wilson, Don Howarth, Lesley Bladon, Ray Green, Ken Perkins, Ken Matthews, Bob Bird, Margaret Biggs.
Below: L to R.  Gordon Edwards, Brian Bladon(Organiser) Rob Winder, David Duffield (Commentator) Bill Bradley, Marcel (Belgium Manager) Ken Beck, Tom Pinnington
  

Les West

Click Here

Gala Crits about 1967? Les West wins the amateur race

Southport cc using Initiative  in the 1972 to advertise themselfs and cycling (Nationwide front window)click on pics to enlarge

After 10 years of Asking by then Southport Corporation and seven years of pressure from the then Secretary/Treasurer Brian Bladon, The organisers of the Milk race included a stage in Southport for the very first time in 1972. Having finished in New Brighton .
The day before, the whole "circus" travelled to Southport for an overnight stay before the next stage from the town.
To coinside with the visit Brian Bladon acquired the use of a window for two weeks at Nationwide Building Society, London Street and with the help of Ken Perkins and Walvale Cycles dressed the window, to mark the occasion, using some of the late Bill Bradley's Trophies and Yellow Jerseys that bill won in 1959 and 1960. Each day  the results were posted in the window of the previous days stage.
36 years on and it has taken the same person and a councillor to bring the tour of Britain down Lord Street. 

Left to right - Ron Graham, Brian Mawdesley, and John

I was sorrry to hear of the death of Jonny
(BRIAN BLADON)
I first met John in 1954 when we joined the Southport Cyclist Touring Club. He loved his cycling and was happy just touring with the "Club"  He always road fixed wheel and on one occasion, I met the "club" in sumerset whilst I was doing my National service and we road over the noturious Countisbury Hill, needless to say John had to walk all the way down the hill with it being so steep. \when the "club" folded he then joined the Southport Cycling Club

Despite the achievements of the off-road squad the late sixties and early seventies were something of a lean period. The mecurial Jim Rimmer achieved a number of regional wins in between his frequent brushes with officialdom. Jim at that time suffered from a serious impediment as a racing cyclist, a social conscience! He would wait for puncture victims and even allocate primes on the basis of financial need. Not surprisingly he decided that the "dog eat dog" world of bunched racing wasn't for him and he retired in every sense, while still in his twenties

Southport CTC and Maghull CTC,
on a Midnight Ride to theTrough of Bowland 1953
Robert Hodge , Tom Halewood, Terry Ogrady,
Fran Bowman, Ron Edwards, John Rimmer

Last minutes before the 25 mile time trial

Robert Whitfield,Dave Hampson, Gordon Shadlock, John Stead, les hubbard, Bill Bradley, Walter Fazackerly, Michael Taylor, Dave Hoey, Steve Jackson, Pete Leanard, Noel Rimmer, kevin Bladon,Geof Reason, Kevin Reilly, Alan Clarke, Paul Roberts, ...??

!

L to R Martin Hughes, Steven Bladon, Steve Jackson, Paul Gannon, Mike Cheston, Kevin Bladon

Pics sent in by Colin Barnes (fa rleft) taken between 1975 and 1978, above was longridge racing circuit,
below morecombe prom

The mid-seventies saw the arrival of both John Parker and the enfant terrible of Southport cycling Kevin Reilly. John quickly made his mark winning the British Hill Climb Championship on Winnats Pass in Derbyshire. It is surprising that Southport, on the Lancashire plain, should produce so many superb hill climbers. John achieved a number of good wins and rode for Britain in the World Championships at the Nurburgring beating, among others, Phil Anderson. He then raced in France with considerable success.

John Parker National Hill Climb Champion 1977 (Winnits Pass)

Kevin Reilly was a rider of great natural talent and a magnificent turn of speed. He achieved placings in a number of National Junior Championships on both road and track before leaving for France to race for the famed ACBB Club in Paris. He had a good season, winning a number of races but decided against returning for a second year.

The early eighties was a period when the school persons grabbed the headlines. Peter Cook and Alex Jaffery won myriad schoolie titles and in 1982 David Greaves landed the big one when he won the English Schools Circuit Championship.

The following year Dave Williams was third in the British Junior Championship, which was a spectacular start to his career by any standards. My first impression of Williams was that he was a badly behaved version of Kevin Reilly! Fortunately like so many "yoofs" before him, by directing all his energies to cycling he kept out of trouble long enough to mature into an asset to the sport - well almost anyhow!

Wins came thick and fast for Dave, including the Merseyside Road Race, and he quickly gained international status. He joined the elite band of Britons who have won international races overseas and rode the "Worlds" where he was unlucky enough to crash. he then turned pro for Dave Lloyd's B.E.A. squad with good results in both the U.K. and Holland. He was particularly impressive in the televised Westminster Grand Prix where he finished second. If you ask him nicely, I'm sure he will show you the video!

In 1985 Bill Bradley proved the benefit of a life time of dedication, moderation and plain old-fashioned clean living by taking second place in the British Veterans Hill Climb Championship.

The mid eighties saw the Southport Club loin the ever growing number of Clubs linked to a commercial concern with the Club entering the world of sponsorship. Club Member Mike Keen, Chairman and driving force behind "Corton Beach plc.", provided four years of generous Sponsorship.

As the Corton Beach era ended, another club member, Robert Whitfield, stepped in to take over the vacant Sponsorship role with "Robert Whitfield Heating & Plumbing Services" along with a co-sponsor of "Leader Cycles Ormskirk".

The younger age group again kept the Clubs name to the forefront. Tim Warriner, Martin Baxter, Steve Clark, Stuart Bond, Emma Shadlock, David Taylor, Paul Moore, Peter Lloyd, Mathew Sewell and Simon Deely have all won Schoolperson Championships of one kind or another. A particular high-spot was the 1991 Merseyside Championship where Paul Moore, David Taylor and Mathew Sewell filled the first three places.

This unique achievement was followed during the 1991/92 Cross season when Junior Mathew Guy, having been prominent throughout the season, was selected to represent Great Britain in the Junior World Championships. A first lap crash ended any hope of a medal but Guy had the consolation of seeing teammate Roger Hammond take the Gold Medal. Guy's courageous ride earned him further Great Britain Selections for International Events for the remainder of the season.

Cyclings popularity, due partly to increasing TV coverage, saw 1991 register an all time Club Membership of 124. This increase coincided with the formation of a Sunday Run Social Section to cater for the growing numbers of mile-eating Club Elders.

Of course the greatest achievement of the Club since the Golden Jubilee is nothing to do with racing but is still about hard work and dedication. I am, needless to say, referring to the superb clubroom that is a lasting tribute to the member's enthusiasm. It is perhaps unfair to identify particular members, particularly as living so far away I managed to avoid all but one work session. Nevertheless my recollection is of the unfailing cheerfulness of Broo Rimmer, seemingly making a joke of everything yet obviously a magnificent artisan doing a great job. Bob Bird, the Ernie to Broo's Eric, taking things more seriously and directing the "labourers" with great skill. Walter Fazakerley, a founder member, joined up the wires and Ken Beck, taking time off from his many other duties, swung his trusty hammer to great effect. Soft furnishings were of course courtesy of Bob Robson.
And the story continues

The sponsorship of the club by Bob Whitfield lasted until 1995 but the club, now known as Southport Cycling Club, much to some members disgust , carried on unabated. From that period to today club numbers fluctuated but still remained healthy. In 2000 the club became sponsored by Animait, a building maintenance company. This originated from long standing member, John Stead, who is a director of the company. This has resulted in an all time record membership of 127.

In recent years racing has generally been in the doldrums although Bill Lloyd has had considerable success in Veteran time trials, achieving some very impressive “plusses”. Yvonne Unsworth scored a rare success for the ladies by taking the NLVTTA womens’ title. Even more impressive has been the amazing five National Hill Climb championships of Jim Henderson the last two being in Southport colours. Generally however members have found other ways of satisfying their competitive spirit. In particular randonneurs have become increasingly popular having been pioneered by Nev Holgate who rode Paris-Brest-Paris in 1979 and 1983 when there were few more than fifty Brits competing. In 1999 Yvonne and Derek Unsworth took up the challenge just beating the ninety hour time limit for the gruelling ultra marathon. Four years later Ray Green, in his sixtieth year, cruised round without support in eighty hours and Bill Dean took just five hours longer for the hilly 770 mile route. Nev Holgate has since joined the select group of Ultra Randonneurs by completing a series of 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km rides in each of ten seasons. Other marathon achievements include the Raid Pyrennean from the Atlantic to the Med first achieved by Bill Bradley and Mark Wilson and since by Steve Ginty and friends.
Almost as gruelling have been the club’s annual “holiday” in Mallorca where both on the road and in the bars competition has been fierce. Few would doubt that on the road Ray Green has been the dominant force with only Steve Ginty showing much resistance while in the bars John Barton, ably supported by Paul Mayor, has shown superb condition. The club is fortunate on these occasions to have in Broo Rimmer a master story teller who can spin yarns about cycling in the fifties or the vagaries of the building trade to great comic effect.
Sixteen club members made a trip to Sefton’s twin town of Mons, Wallonie in 2000 as guests of the local Council and the Dragon Audax Club. This was an emotional experience as Mons was, of course, the scene of fierce fighting throughout the First World War and many Lancashire Lads did not return. Club members were proud to attend several tributes to their fallen countrymen. There was also a pilgrimage to another battle ground when a large group rode to the Muur at Gerardsbergen often the scene of the final battle in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen.
In our 75th anniversary year Bill Lloyd, on behalf of the club and Liverpool District Council of Cycling Time Trials, promoted the British 25 mile time trial championship for men, women and juniors. The event was a great success the only regret being that the club’s premier time triallist Bob Bird was unable to attend and died a few days later.

Today Jan 2007 we have heard the sad loss of a former southport cycling club member Ron Graham aged 73. who many new around Formby were he worked as a Window Cleaner. our condolences go out to his family.The funeral at 12.15pm. on Monday 22nd Jan next week at the Holy Family Church, Hazel grove, Meols Cop, then afterwards at the Crem.

Here is a photo of the late Les Hubbard taken on his wedding day with the Guard of Honour of members of the Southport Cyclng Club.
Does anybody remember who they were.?
It is believed that Les was the original Founder member of the Southport cc in 1932

by Kind permission of his Nephew Alan and his wife Anna

Maybe the original club changed it's name ?  Or maybe disbanded during the 1st WW ?
If you have any info about this, or suggestions of where to find out I would be most grateful.

Any Info please send to kbladon@btclick.com   and I will forward it on

 

Summer 1959 by Ray Green Click here

A Tribute to Don Howarth a Former Southport cc Member

Pic sent byJoe Hardiman who left Southport in
1951 and went to Canada.Click pic for more

Southport 's latest racing team /club
Sponsored by Robert Whitfield Heating SeRvices.

 
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