Roy Fowler

Henry Roy Fowler (born March 26, 1934 in Longsdon , near Leek , Staffordshire , † June 27, 2009 in Leek ) was an English athlete who was third at the European Championships in the 10,000 meter run in 1962 .

Fowler began athletics as a youth in Leek, then moved to Stone and District AC . From this club the North Staffordshire and Stone Harriers emerged , for which Fowler started until the end of his career. He then founded the Staffordshire Moorlands AC in Leek , where he worked as a coach until shortly before his death.

Fowler, nicknamed "Red Fox" because of his red hair, caught up with the British top in the early 1960s. In 1962 he won the British championship over six miles with a new British record of 27: 49.8 minutes. At the European Championships in Belgrade in 1962 , Fowler competed in the 10,000 meter run. Behind Pyotr Bolotnikow several runners sprinted for places, in 29: 02.0 minutes Fowler won bronze behind Friedrich Janke . At the end of the year, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games took place in Perth in 1962 , in which Fowler competed despite a foot injury. More than a minute behind the third, he finished eighth over six miles. In early 1963, Fowler sprinted to the finish line at the Cross of Nations in San Sebastian, ahead of the Belgian Gaston Roelants and the Spaniard Mariano Haro . Afterwards he complained of pain in his legs, and later the doctors diagnosed hairline cracks in his shins. Fowler had to take a year and a half and missed the 1964 Olympics.

In 1966 Fowler returned. At the British Cross Country Championship, he won the team championship with the individual winner Ron Hill with the North Staffordshire and Stone Harriers . In the track season he improved his best time over six miles to 27: 24.8 minutes. He qualified for the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1966 , but was unable to compete there due to illness. In 1968 Fowler won again the bronze medal in the individual classification at the Cross of Nations in 1966 and in 1968 he was in the victorious English team. In addition to his career, Fowler temporarily worked as a fitness trainer at the football club Stoke City , where he ran, among other things, as a fitness training with Gordon Banks .

When the first Senior World Championship was held in Toronto in 1975 , Fowler won over 5000 meters, 10,000 meters and cross-country. He was able to defend the title over 10,000 meters at the second senior world championships in Gothenburg .

In 2006 a biography about Roy Fowler was published with the title: A Fighter Second to None (German for example: A fighter like no second ). Roy Fowler died of cancer in June 2009.

literature

• Bob Phillips: Honor of Empire Glory of Sport - The History of Athletics at The Commonwealth Games . Manchester 2000 ISBN 1-903158-09-5

Web links

• Medalist Cross of Nations
• Obituary The Times (English)
• Obituary for lastingtribute (English with photos)