The star of our first-ever entrance web page in December 1945 was a effective lengthy jumper who competed for Tipton Harriers and the Achilles membership
Over the previous 80 years a number of thousand athletes have graced the quilt of AW. Some, corresponding to Usain Bolt, have featured on our entrance web page plenty of instances. The primary athlete to obtain the honour as an ‘AW cowl star’, although, was the little-known lengthy jumper Jim Morrish.
The Oxford College athletics captain had a finest of seven.31m and was pictured in motion on the entrance of our iconic December 1945 difficulty whereas leaping at White Metropolis.
Born in 1920, he competed for Wolverhampton Grammar Faculty and joined Tipton Harriers in 1938 – profitable, amongst different issues, the Midland Counties junior 220 yards title – earlier than going to Oxford College, the place he represented the Achilles membership. As soon as there he was invited to coach for the 1948 Olympics however turned it down, his household imagine, with a purpose to deal with tutoring his younger son, David, with maths.
“He was a flexible athlete,” says Tipton Harriers historian Chris Holloway, “usually masking observe and subject occasions in inter-club trophy conferences that have been in style on the time earlier than leagues. He gained Staffordshire colors earlier than the conflict and it could seem he went to Oxford someday in late 1939 have been he received two occasions within the Freshman’s Sports activities in excessive leap and lengthy leap.”
Holloway provides: “His college profession was spectacular and he beat CB Fry’s lengthy leap document that had stood since round 1893!”
It appears Morrish put lecturers earlier than athletics as he left Oxford with a double first in Maths and in addition Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Later he loved success within the rising world of rubber and plastics, profitable a prize for innovation business which was to be offered to him in Australia in 1967.
Sadly he died from a coronary heart assault simply earlier than he was attributable to make the journey, although, together with his spouse, Joyce, nonetheless in her 40s and his two daughters, Elizabeth and Rosemary, nonetheless in school.
Rosemary says: “As the problem [in December 1945] suggests, my father was a number one UK lengthy jumper instantly after the conflict. He got here second within the July 1946 AAA championships with a leap of 6.96 metres.”
There isn’t any doubt Morrish’s profession was interrupted by World Struggle II as effectively, with him serving within the RAF as a pilot officer.
After hanging up his lengthy leap spikes he grew to become a number one golfer with Harpenden Golf Membership and he was a effective piano participant and a eager oil painter. “My father was exceptionally proficient in some ways,” says Rosemary.
She provides: “As we speak’s athletes are the identical as these within the Nineteen Forties – they not solely benefit from the aggressive nature of athletics occasions and the pushing of 1’s efficiency to PBs but additionally they develop and are enriched by these shut and lifelong friendships made on the time.”
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