Life Members

Born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, Zola Budd broke her first record at 13. Having abandoned her university education to concentrate on athletic training, in January 1984 she ran 5,000 metres in 15 minutes 1.83 seconds, 7 seconds faster than Mary Decker’s existing record. However, Budd’s achievement could not be recognized as South Africa had been banned from international sporting events because of its policy of apartheid.Determined to compete at the 1984 Olympics and also being egged on by her father, Budd applied for British citizenship on the grounds that she had a British grandfather. Supported by the Daily Mail newspaper, her claim was rapidly granted, amid angry protests. On reaching Britain she settled in Guildford and joined AFD although she rarely competed for the club but she did win the South of England Cross Country Championships in 1986 in an AFD vest. The infamous collision between Decker & Budd.

Obviously the main reason for her coming to Britain was to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics and she duly gained selection to run in the 3000 metres. The story of the 3000 metres in the Los Angeles Olympics is well known. Mary Decker, the home-town favourite was expected to win with Zola Budd being rated as her most serious rival. After about 1700 metres there was a coming together and debates on who was to blame still rage. The result was that Decker fell and did not finish whilst this incident led to Budd being booed and jeered throughout the rest of the race. Obviously distressed, Budd finally finished seventh. In 1985 Budd won the European Cup 3,000 metres title and set a new world record of 14 minutes 48.07 seconds for the 5,000 metres. In addition to world cross-country titles in 1985-86 she set the world indoor record for the 3,000 metres in 1986. Banned from the Commonwealth Games that year as a result of continued controversy, she returned, disappointed, to South Africa in 1988.Zola was really quite a remarkable athlete. She nearly always ran in barefeet, claiming that she found it more comfortable than wearing spikes. Indeed her two World Cross Country victories were barefooted. She has a remarkable record on the track. She ran 3:59.96 for 1500m in 1985 (2nd in UK All-time list), 4:17.57 for the mile (still a UK record), 5:30.19 for 2000m (a UK time only bettered by Yvonne Murray) and 8:28.83 and 14:48.07 for 3000m and 5000m respectively – these times only having been bettered by Paula Radcliffe on the UK all-time lists. Zola Budd winning the World Cross Country in 1986.

The day of the Olympic 3000m final was not all doom and gloom. In an excerpt from her autobiography, Zola recalls “The one bright spot on a day that was to shake the athletics world came when the athletes in the 3000 metres final had to show their running spikes to an official, whose task it was to see that the spikes conformed to specifications. I was barefoot, so I just picked up my feet and showed them to him, white plasters on my toes and all. The poor man nearly cracked up laughing, but what else could I have done? Everybody else had spikes and I had to show him something”

Taff was an absolute legend in veteran athletics. His record over the years will probably never be bettered and he was the most fiercely competitive trainer I have ever met. His grandson (Luke Bone) is a member of the club.

Taff joined AFD on returning from a tour of duty with the Parachute Regiment in Bahrain & Aden in 1965. His running career was very much curtailed by the necessity for him to complete several tours of duty in various theatres throughout the world including five tours of duty in Northern Ireland between 1970 & 1972. He completed 26 years of army service in 1983.

During his army years he came second in the Army Cross Country Championships six years running between 1973 and 1978 before winning it in 1979 and again in 1981 and this was as a veteran.

As a club athlete his career took off on becoming a veteran and he led the way in the eighties when AFD completely dominated the veteran scene for many years being ably backed up initially by Les Presland, Andy Jelly and Bill Peglar the team started winning trophies at National level.

I recall that when I moved southwards with my job, having been previously a member of Sale Harriers there was only one club I wanted to join and wanted to see at first hand what made the club so strong. I was soon to find out on joining in the training sessions. At Sale the veterans all tended to train together but at AFD the vets were easily good enough to train with the seniors.

Taff was fiercely competitive in his training as well as his racing. I soon learnt that the biggest mistake you could make on a long run was to try to lead Taff. In one instance on a Sunday morning run one or two younger athletes joined us and going across Caesar’s Camp area one unsuspecting brave young soul attempted to start pushing for home. Taff ran alongside him on one side and Brian O’Neill on the other – nodded and grinned at each other, then started to turn the screw. A couple of miles further on I passed the young upstart barely going faster than walking pace.

In competitive Veteran Athletics Taff’s record will probably never be bettered. He was winner of the British Veteran’s Cross Country Championship five times between 1979 and 1986 – on the last occasion winning outright as an over 45 beating all in the M40 category. He won the Southern Championships six times. He was also a member of AFD’s 12 Stage National Road Relay winning squad in 1982 and the veterans winning 8 stage squads in 1988,1989 and 1991.

In 1979 he was world vet’s cross country champion in Hanover and in the same year won the world vet’s Steeplechase in a time of 9:03 – a record which still stands. In 1985 the world Vets 10K road championships were held at Lytham St Annes. Before the race word had reached these shores about an American athlete called Barry Brown who was winning everything in the States. He was being sponsored by Nike to take the title back to the US. Taff was having none of this despite a six year age advantage to the American. Brown had gone out and attempted to dominate the race but had been unable to shake off a pack of British runners including Taff. This was when Taff played his trump card running alongside the American, saying “Tough over here, isn’t it mate” then leaving him trailing in his wake to become World Champion. Incidentally AFD also won the team race on that day.

As a 50 year old Taff showed no signs of slowing down winning the Eoropean 10K championship two years running in 1988 & 1989. He also did a world best over 50 10k at Reading in 1988 of 30min 35sec and in the same year at Stroud set the World best half marathon time for over 50′s of 67min 9sec. – a race that I was also privileged to run in and benefitted by sipping the champagne that the organisers provided.

Unfortunately repetitive injuries affected his running in the latter part of the nineties, although he did attempt a number of come-backs until in 2000 a serious car crash put him on crutches for months and although he is now mobile it is unlikely that he will ever compete again.

His world bests in M40 Steeplechase and M50 10K and Half-Marthon still stand to this day.

Bernie was born in Woking Surrey in 1952. In the 1970 and 1980 he was one of the UK leading endurance runners a regular in the GB team as well as the AFD team. He as placed 8th in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal in a time of 28min 17.78. In 1979 he ran 2hours 10.51 for the Marathon and was reselected for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He DNF in the Olympics due to heat exhaustion, one of the rare time Bernie did not finish a race.

Roger was Britain’s top steeplechaser for many years. He also excelled in a number of middle-distance events and has an excellent record on the road & cross country.

Is AFD’s first Olympian, born in Farnham Surrey on the 28th October 1949, she was coached by her Father Jack. Barbara cam to prominence by winning the English Schools Intermediate High Jump in 1965 at Watford with a jump of 1.55m and winning again in 1966 at Blackburn with a clearance of 1.65m.

1968 was her breakthrough year into Senior athletics when she placed 2nd in the Women’s AAA at Crystal Palace with a clearance of 1.67m. This performance earned her a place in the GB team for her first major Games, the Olympics in 1968 in Mexico City, she was 13th with a clearance of 1.68m.

The following year 1969 Barbara won the WAAA Championship at Crystal Palace with a clearance of 1.72m. She was selected to represent GB at the European Championship in Athens, she came 8th with a clearance of 1.77m.

In 1971 she again represent GB in the European Championships in Helsinki were she cleared 1.85m to take 3rd place, the first medal won by a AFD athlete in a major games.

1972 saw Barabra place 3rd in the WAA Championships with 1.74m and go on to place 4th in the Munich Olympics with 1.85m 16th August 1972: Barbara became the first British girl to clear 6ft with the Fosbury Flop style of high-jumping.

1973 Barbara come second in the WAAA champs at Crystal Palace with a jump of 1.82m.. September 22nd again at Crystal Place Barbara achieved her personal best of 1.87m, a club record that still stands in 2011.

1974 was Barbara last major games the Commonwealth games in Christchurch were she won the High Jump with a jump of 1.84m

1974 saw Barbara last appearance at the WAAA Championships were she came 3rd in 1.75m.

Barbara married international race walker Carl Lawton. 

Verity joined AFD at 11 years old in 1982 with her triplet sisters, Amanda and Paulette, after being spotted at their school for having athletic promise. During the early years Verity, along with her sisters competed in the Lily B and Alder valley leagues. As with all of this age group, everyone was encouraged to try all events, Verity seemed to have a talent in the walking events. This provided her with an excellent excuse to break away from her identical sister Amanda who was talented in middle distance running and Paulette who shone at Javelin throwing.

Verity mixed her running and walking training successfully until mid teens when she decided to concentrate on race walking. On specialising in Race walking, the talent really started to emerge. Verity was selected to compete for Hampshire and the South of England at the age of 16, placed 2nd in the English Schools Championships twice, and from there represented GB as a junior from the age of 18.

Verity’s progression grew steadily moving her into Senior Ranks, competing for GB frequently.

Verity’s mother is Scottish and after a lot of debate she decided to follow her heart and love for Scotland and represented the country at various International competitions as well as competing for GB The highlight of her athletic career (so far) was “the Commonwealth Games”, Victoria, Canada. Verity was deputy team captain and finished 7th with a lifetime best of 46.06 over 10 km. Verity was ranked number 2 in Great Britain for 8 years, and competed at the World Championships, World Cup three times and the European Championships, to name just the major championships. It was always her dream to compete at the Olympic Games, but fate was not kind – 1992 Verity was involved in a serious car accident, and 1996 had a work accident that caused a fractured nose. In 1997, after her third World Cup race, Verity and husband David, decided to take a break from competition and start a family.

Verity’s family, Timothy and the twins Kathryn and Christopher have contributed to a 5 year break from competition, but watch this space for her return. Verity is also Accident and Emergency Crew with Surrey Ambulance Service and works part time at present.

Verity has recently been accorded the privilege of appointment as UK Team Manager for major overseas race walking competitions

However, Verity has not yet decided to “hang up her walking shoes”. As the children are growing up she has returned to training and has her sights set on the new challenge of 20 km the current championship distance at the Commonwealth Games.

Best Times:

• 3km 13.16 (1996)
• 5 km 23.22 (1995)
• 10 km 46.06 R (1994)
• 20km 1hr 53 mins (1997)
• English Schools 2nd in 1987 and 1988, 6th in 1986

Major Senior International Competitions

• Indoor International – Greece, Hungary, Scotland, Czech Rep (10th February 1990)
• U23 International – Spain, GB, Italy vs Germany, Denia, Italy (21st July 1990)
• Indoor International – Italy vs GB vs Yugoslavia (13th February 1991)
• Indoor International GB vs USA (3rd March 1991)
• 10 Nation International Czech (26th April 1992)Scotland vs Greece, vs France vs Cyprus, in Athens, Greece (18th July 1992)
• World Cup – Mexico (April 1993)
• Indoor International – GB vs USA (1993)
• Germany – (12 June 1993)
• Final – World Eschborn Cup, Championships -Stuttgart (13-22 August 1993) Turkey, Israel, Wales and Scotland, Istanbul,
• Turkey (21 May 1994)
• Belgium Championships (2nd July 1994)
• 8 Nations International – Livorno, Italy (11th June 1994)
• European Championships – Helsinki, Finland (9th August 1994)
• Commonwealth Games – Victoria, Canada (25th August 1994)
• World Cup – Beijing, China (29th April 1995)
• Spanish Championships, Palma (5 March 1995)
• Czech Republic International (27 April 1996)
• 4 Nations – Moscow, Russia (02 June 1996)
• World Cup – Prague, Czech Republic (19 April 1997)

Les’ main achievements have come since he joined the veteran ranks but he did achieve several honours prior to that.

He joined Aldershot A.C. in 1950 as a 10-year-old and ran in track, road and cross-country winning the Hampshire Schools 880 yards as an under 16. In 1957 he left Aldershot to join Surrey A.C. winning many honours in what was then probably the top distance club in the South (Dave Gibson, also now a member of AFD, was another member). During the time Les was with Surrey A.C. he won many honours including being selected for the Southern Counties and AAA’s.

Les rejoined AFD in 1970 and became part of our team that gained so much success in the 1970′s and 80′s. In the ten years or so before he became a vet Les was in a number of our relay teams who were beginning to make their mark, also finished second to David Bedford in the Southern Cross Country Championships. He was also very prominent on the continent where he ran in numerous International Cross races and also began to get a liking for Mountain races which were very popular in Europe. Indeed in 1979 when he became a veteran on the continent (over there you become a vet in your 40th year) he was 1st Vet in 9 different Mountain Races.

On becoming a veteran in the UK he was still good enough to make our Senior Relay squad and in 1981 was bronze medallist in the European Vets 10K in Rumania. Then Taff Davies and several other athletes broke into the Veteran ranks and AFD for a few years had an unbeatable veteran squad, when it seemed like we only had to turn out to win titles – Les also winning many individual honours including bronze in the World Vets 10K road championships in 1985, and in 1989 2nd in the World 10K Road Championships and 3rd in both the World 10K track and Cross country championships.

In 1990 as a 50-year-old Les achieved a World age group best of 31:59 for 10000 metres and a British best of 8:57 for 3000 metres and was 1st over 50 in the Home International Cross Country race, then in 1991 won the National Vets over 50 Cross country and 5K Road Championships was 2nd in the Vets World Cross Country Championships, the Home International Cross Country and the National 10K Road Championships. Also that year he achieved a British Over 50 best for a 10K road race of 31:54.

Les missed most of 1992 with injury but in 1993 returned as strong as ever winning the National Cross Country, 5000 metres track with a Championship Best Performance of 15:40 and the 10K Road Championships. More successes followed in 1994 and 1995 but Les missed nearly all 1996 with injury.

Following this as a 55-year-old Les has won gold in the European 10K Road Championships, bronze and silver in the National Cross Country, two golds in the National 5K Road and gold in the National 10K Road Championships.

Now he’s turned 60 Les is still going strong, coming 1st over 60 in numerous races, competing in the World Vets Championships in Brisbane and coming 4th in both the Cross Country and 5000 metres.

Article Reproduced by kind permission of Athletics Weekly.

Distance star of the future, Chris Thompson, can vividly recall the moment he decided athletics might just be the sport for him. It wasn’t as you might think, at an English Schools’ track and field championship or an English schools’ cross-country event or even a local race meeting or school sports day. It was when he beat his father for the first time. From the age of nine Thompson was regularly taken for runs by his dad, Peter, but no matter what Chris tried he couldn’t beat him in a sprint finish. But at the age of 12 that finally all changed.” My dad used to beat me with a sprint finish” he admitted. “He always had a bit of speed about him.”But I remember I’d joined the local club and had a bit of training behind me, and this day I outsprinted him. I remember pointing my finger at him when I went past him, it was brilliant.”And I remember him making up loads of excuses, like he’d had a hard day at work” And what of the rematch? “Oh, that never happened,” Thompson adds frankly, “he never raced me again.”So the story of Thompson’s promising rise through the junior ranks began. As he embarks on his second year as a senior athlete he is already showing the signs that British distance running may not quite be in the intensive care unit many believe. Witty, cheeky, charming and plain-speaking, Chris Thompson is certainly a joy to interview, and lays to rest the misconception that distance runners are by nature shy and retiring. Dubbed the ‘Laughing Cavalier’ of British athletics by Athletics Weekly, this amply describes the Aldershot, Farnham and District athlete who is in terms of personality, the Dean Macey of the endurance running world.

He speaks with an accent that is somewhere between Home Counties and Northern England and the indiscernible accent becomes clear when he explains he lived the life of a nomad as a youngster, regularly moving from place to place due to his father’s job.

Born in the same hospital as his father in the Cumbrian town of Barrow-in-Furness, he also cites Poole, Solihull, Crawley and Fleet as other towns he has lived in his short life. But it is from about the time his family settled in the Hampshire town of Fleet that his passion for running flourished. However he was far from a young superstar at the sport and in his early teenage years was only the number two cross-country runner in his school behind Richard Prince. Beside that first ever victory over his dad, another key moment occurred at the age of 15 when he scored his first major victory in the local Hampshire League. He was regularly beaten by a talented runner called Ronnie Haville, until he made the most of the situation when he saw his big rival take the wrong direction in a cross-country race.

He explained: “I thought to myself this was my big chance and went on to win the race. I really gained confidence from this and he never beat me again.”His rate of progression from steady club runner into potential future international moved along at breakneck pace. The following season he finished third in the English Schools’ Cross-Country Championships and went on to win the Home International cross-country.

International medals soon followed and the Mick Woods-coached athlete lifted team silver and then team gold in the European Junior Cross-Country Championships in 1998 and 1999. With all this success you’d think Thompson is a glutton for punishment, or should that be training? Well not really.” I don’t think I’ve ever been in love with the sport, particularly not the training,” he said. “People say it must get easier the more you do, but it gets even harder. But I do love competing.”The Loughborough University student has also earned a reputation as a popular socialiser, throwing himself headlong into campus life. He admits to committing the occasional transgression in the past, but argues no athlete is more dedicated when it comes to preparing for big events.”I do like to go out a bit,” he admitted. “But when it comes to the big events like World Juniors and European Cross events I’m totally focussed.”I’m still only 20, and as long as I keep my running going I don’t worry about the odd night out.”In fact, his big race pedigree is second to none and his mental approach has also been widely praised in the athletics fraternity. For example, he turned his ankle in training just weeks before the World Junior Championships in Chile in 2000, but battled through the pain barrier to finish an impressive 11th in the 5000m final. Then, just two months later, he shook off the effects of a cold to produce his finest performance, a brilliant individual silver medal in the European Junior Cross-Country Championships in Sweden. “

I remember picking up a cold the week before the Europeans, but I refused to accept it because I was determined to do well. Everything went perfectly in the race and in some ways it was one of my easiest runs. “I was unbelievably focused but I remember my whole body collapsing on me with a cold a couple of days after the event.” 

He also said UK Athletics had recently sent him a video of the race and he had a lump in his throat watching the race for the first time and receiving his medal. He was similarly animated on the podium in Malmo – at least when the German gold medal winner tried to give him a congratulatory peck on the cheek during the award ceremony.” On the video, this German is coming towards me to try and kiss me, but I pull away and shake the hands of both the German and the bronze medal winner,” he adds cheekily. A total of 14 months on from his wonderful Malmo memories, Thompson is in the process of trying to cross the chasm between junior and senior athletics. Early signs suggest the Cumbrian-born athlete is adapting positively to the change. Last summer he sliced more than 20 seconds from his personal best in the 5000m with a 13:45.27 clocking. He also performed with credit at the European Under-23 Championships in Amsterdam, claiming fifth spot in the 5000m and later finished ninth over the same distance in the World University Games in Beijing. Meanwhile in his first senior international cross-country race he finished a respectable 35th and fourth counter in the European Cross-Country Championships in Thun in Switzerland. His next target is the world short-course trials in Newport, but it is on the track where his future priorities lie. “In the past I’ve been more of a cross-country runner. But I don’t think that’s the case now. I really want to be known as a track runner.”My coach and I haven’t decided how to play things at the moment. I might decide to go for the Commonwealth Games over 5000m. But another option is try and work on my speed over 1500m and try and concentrate on the shorter stuff during the winter months.”

The ‘Laughing Cavalier’ of British athletics he may be, but he raises a very salient point when talking about the ongoing distance debate.”In my event, the 5000m, other than David Moorcroft, nobody has really done it. Other than David, Britain has produced only one other guy to go under 13:10. So, it is a bit of a myth to say we’ve always been at the top of the tree in 5000m running.”But with the likes of Thompson developing positively, the bleak assessment of the state of British endurance running might remain just like his dad’s running pre-eminence over his son – short-term. Note – Chris was unable to run at Newport due to injury.

As a teenager, Pooley competed at both the World Junior Championships and European Junior Championships, failing to reach the final. In 2012, she improved her best from 1.86m, first to 1.88 m indoors then to 1.90m, which she cleared at the Bedford Games in June. She competed at that year’s European Championships in Helsinki, where she was eliminated in the qualifying round with a best of 1.78m. In July 2013, she finished fourth in the final at the European Under 23 Championships in Tampere, clearing 1.90m. A month later, she improved her PB to 1.91m.

Pooley had the best season of her career to date in 2014. In June, she equaled her PB of 1.91m, before going on to win the UK Championships later the same month with 1.90m. Then in August, she won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with a new best of 1.92m. Three weeks later, she broke the UK outdoor record, when she improved her best by 4cm to 1.96m in Eberstadt, Germany.

Pooley graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2014.