Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club

Wolverhampton & Bilston AC (WBAC)

Founded	1924
Ground	Aldersley Stadium
Location	Aldersley Road, Wolverhampton WV6 9NW, England
Coordinates	52°36′17″N2°09′01″W / 52.60472°N 2.15028°W / 52.60472; -2.15028
Website	official website

Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club was formed in 1967 and has its home ground at Aldersley Leisure Village, formally Aldersley Stadium in Aldersley, Wolverhampton, England.

History

Aldersley Leisure Village Sports centre in 2011

The track in 2006

Tessa Sanderson

In 1924 the Harriers Athletic Club which would formally be called the Wolverhampton Athletics Club was founded. ^[1] In 1943 the club merged with Penn Harriers to form the Wolverhampton Harriers. ^[2]

In February 1967 after a local government reorganisation the two local athletic clubs, Wolverhampton Harriers and Bilston Town Athletic Club merged to form the Wolverhampton and Bilston Athletic Club. ^{[3] [4]}

The club won the Men's National League Division One from 1975 to 1982 and the Men's National Cup 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980.

Honours

Senior Men:

• British Athletics League
  • First Place: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982
  • Second Place: 1974, 1984, 1985
  • Third Place: 1972, 1973, 1986, 1987

Notable athletes

Olympians

Athlete	Events	Games	Medals/Ref
Ralph Banthorpe	200 metres, 4 × 100 m relay	1968
Maureen Tranter	200 metres	1968	[5]
Don Halliday	100 m, 4 × 100 m	1972
Sonia Lannaman	100 metres, 200 m, 4 × 100 m relay	1972, 1980
Rosemary Stirling	800 metres	1972
Verona Elder-Barnard	400 metres, 4 × 400 m relay	1972, 1976
Denise Brown	high jump	1976
Glen Cohen	400 m, 4 × 400 m relay	1976, 1980
Tessa Sanderson	javelin throw	1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996
Keith Connor	triple jump	1980, 1984
Kathy Smallwood-Cook	100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 4 × 100 m relay	1980, 1984
Joan Baptiste	200 m	1984
Phil Beattie	400 m hurdles	1984
Garry Cook	4 × 400 m relay	1984
Martin Girvan	hammer throw	1984
Pat Beckford	400 m	1988
John King	long jump	1988
Paul Mardle	discus	1988
Joanne Mulliner	heptathlon	1988
Vernon Samuels	triple jump	1988
Steve Heard	800 m	1992
Lisa Langford-Kehler	10/20km walk	1992, 2000
Denise Lewis	heptathlon	1996, 2000, 2004

Other

• Mike Bull, gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games

References

1. "New Harriers' Club" . Birmingham Daily Gazette. 28 August 1924. Retrieved 27 March 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
2. "W'ton Harriers' Successes" . Wolverhampton Express and Star. 20 December 1943. Retrieved 27 March 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "He knew everything about athletics - tributes paid as Ken dies at 85". Express & Star. Express & Star. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
4. "W'ton-Bilston merger goes through with high hope for future" . Wolverhampton Express and Star. 14 January 1967. Retrieved 27 March 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. Maureen Tranter at Power of 10