Obituaries
Last amended
at 13 April 2018
Bob Matthews
It is with great sadness that we have heard, Bob
Matthews, MBE, former Medway A.C athlete, has died, aged 56.
Many of us will have fond memories of Bob’s time with
Medway A.C. Bob, who was visually impaired, won a total of 13 Paralympic
medals in athletics and set 22 world records ranging from 800m to the
marathon. Bob later emigrated to New Zealand whom he then went on to
represent in cycling and triathlon.
Our thoughts are with his family.
Lin
Hon. Sec
Medway & Maidstone AC
13-04-18
KCAA is sorry to announce that Paul Alcock
(Field Official) lost his fight with cancer earlier in the week (29
January 2018); Gill Freeman will be emailing details of the funeral,
once known, to all officials.
Lin Neeves Medway & Maidstone Secretary penned
the following tribute:
“Paul was a former Chairman of M&M and was
instrumental in getting sponsorship towards the track facilities at
Sutton Valence School as well as negotiating with Medway Council
before the opening of the track at Medway Park. He was a former high
profile football referee and although he gave up refereeing after a
highly publicised incident, he still remained active in the
background. What appeared to be football's loss was athletics gain
as he became a qualified field official and volunteered for London
2012 and the Invictus Games.”
He will be sorely missed in the both the
Athletics & Football Community in Kent.
10-01-18 |
Len Murphy
20-10-16
KCAA unfortunately has to report the death of Len
Murphy (a Past President of KCAA) who passed away on the 17th October 2016
from cardiac arrest and pneumonia after a prolonged period of illness.
Len had a first taste of athletics when he worked for
CAV in Rochester and they used to have a big annual athletics meeting of all
their factories.
Dick Adams, a Cross Country England International
introduced him in the late 50s to the City of Rochester Athletics Club, and
that was the start of his long association with club & county athletics in
Kent.
His events were mainly 440yds to 1 mile on the track
and Cross Country and Road Running in the other seasons.
The 50s also saw the start of inter Company track
leagues and Len, now working for Elliots which later became GEC, was one of
the foremost 'pioneers'. When the City of Rochester AC amalgamated with
Maidstone Harriers in 1968, Len left Rochester to form a combined Elliots/Aylesford
Paper Mills Athletic Club. Later Aylesford folded and Len became Secretary
of now GEC Athletic Club, and with Bill Alexander, who was General Manager
at GEC when it changed built one the strongest Clubs in Kent as history
recorded on many county trophies show.
In the early 70s he went onto the Kent Committee and
although he would never take a Secretary’s post, he did serve on the
'active' committees for a number of years and until only 4 years ago KCAA
committee meetings & Awards Dinner were held in GEC venues which Len had
secured on an ongoing basis for us despite now having long since retired.
In 1998 he became the 9th President of the KCAA after
which he continued to serve on the Committee (which became the Council) and
helped at both Track & Field & Cross Country; in later years sitting on the
registration desk; which for those who know our Championships can be cold
locations and was always willing to offer warmth from his hip flask feeling
the cold.
He was never took coach or official qualifications but
was the reliable regular volunteer helping wherever needed and will be
greatly missed.
With thanks to Denis Foxly for providing the basis
of this obituary.
