The present day athletic
club was formed during 1975, when some six interested people
gathered together to form themselves into a club to be called
Dorchester Athletic Club. Athletic activity had, of course, been
taking place in the community long before this. In the nineteenth
century the Eldridge Pope Brewery had a Horticultural and Athletic
Club and there is a record of Dorchester Harriers competing
against Weymouth Harriers in 1910. It is believed that athletic
teams competed in the name of Dorchester between 1910 and 1975 as
attachments to football clubs, rugby clubs or the YMCA.
Dorchester AC has had a number
of "homes". Training has taken place at the recreation grounds at
King's Road and Weymouth Avenue, at the site of Thomas Hardye
School when it was Castlefield School and at Hardye's School at
Barnes Way. The Club's strongest period was when it was at the old
Hardye's School. The school generously made a series of clubrooms
available to us, we were one of the dominant clubs in the region
at both track and field and cross country and our female teams
were promoted in successive years to Division 3 and Division 2 of
the Southern Women's T & F League. The Club developed what is now
its tradition of serving the wide community of west and central
Dorset with members travelling from Wareham and Lyme Regis and
from as far as Swanage and Sturminster Newton.
Since the sale of the Hardye's
School Barnes Way site, the Club has had no home. Uncertainty as
to whether community facilities would be provided for athletics in
West Dorset has meant that the decision to site a clubhouse has
remained on ice for several years. Equipment is stored by members
of the Committee.
The enormous local talent and
enthusiasm for athletics has ensured the continued success of the
Club over recent years. We have excellent support from local
schools. Summer training has been at St Osmund's Middle School in
Dorchester since Hardye's School closed. Winter training has been
at several venues, including The Prince of Wales School and a
village hall in addition to use of the Thomas Hardye Leisure
Centre. Dorchester Middle School gym has been a valuable
additional winter venue recently.
It is proposed that this section
of the website will be developed to give detail of some of the
many successes Dorchester AC athletes have enjoyed.
THE EARLY YEARS
The successes of the first
twelve years of the Club were researched by past Secretary, Chris
Cherrington, and published in the first Athletic Track Feasibility
Study of 1987. Mike Furse, Club Statistician has provided a
detailed history of the first two years of the Club. We hope for
more as Mike has time....
1976: Two Dorchester athletes won Couny Championship Track and
Field Gold medals and another won the Senior Ladies Cross Country
Championship.
Click for more.
1977: Seven girls gained high placings in the Dorset County
Cross Country Championships and in its first year's competition
the Club was placed third in the Avalon League and third in the
Southern Counties Women's track and Field League (Division 4).
Click for more.
1978: The Junior Ladies (U15)
won age group trophies at the Dennett Trophy Meeting (at Yeovil)
and were overall winners in the Avalon League (T&F).
1978: Facilities: Dorchester
Town Council suggested the club may like to use land alongside the
children's play area at the end of Mellstock Avenue for a track.
1979: Club Secretary (Garth
Ridgers) was awarded the Echo Rothmans Service to Sport Award. The
first Dorchester athlete to do so, gained a place at the English
Schools National Championship.
1980: Two girls achieved 5th
places in the English Schools Championships at 400m and Discus.
1981: A Dorchester Athlete
gained fourth place at the English Schools Championships and at
the Women's AAA Championships won a silver medal in her age group.
The first ever Dorchester Mini-Games were staged at Piddlehinton;
these have since become a very poipular annual event. The Club
came second in the Avalon Track & Field League.
1982: A Dorchester Athlete
gained a third place at the English Schools Championships and was
later selected to represent the England Junior International Team
at Meadowbank. Dorchester AC's Boys' Team won two age group
trophies in the Westward and Avalon Track & Field Leagues. Five
Dorchester Athletes were placed in the National Ranking Lists.
1983: Honours were very high
during this year when achievements from Club Athletes were:-
English Schools Boys' Champion Javelin Thrower; Southern Counties
Boys' Champion Javelin Thrower; Top Ranked Boy Javelin Thrower in
the Country and Dorset Sports Personality of the Year (Justin
Rubio).A female Athlete gained a second place at the English
Schools Championships (400m) and second place at the Womens'
Southern Counties AAA Championships (400m) and another became
British Colleges Champion at Shot Put. Team efforts saw Dorchester
win the Westward League Competition, picking up several age group
trophies. Seven Club Athletes were placed in the National Rankings
Lists with two first place rankings: for Javelin and Long Jump.
1984: A female athlete placed
4th in the Womens AAA Championships (Shot Put). There was first
place again in javelin at the English Schools Championships
followed by selection as a Junior International. 1st and 3rd
places were won in the Southern Counties AAA Championships at
javelin. Dorchester was second overall in the Westward and Avalon
Leagues. The Junior Ladies team won their age group trophy in the
Avalon Cross country League. Membership numbered 121.
1984: Facilities: Chris
Cherrington wrote to WDDC Planning Officer on behalf of the Club's
Development Committee to object to development of the Brewery
Sports Field for housing. To this date the club had used the
Avenue Recreation Ground, King's Road Park, Castlefield School and
Hardye's School. Chris wrote:"The lack of facilities under our
control mitigate against the club in several ways. For example it
has only been possible to stage one track and field meeting a
year, for under 13 year olds, because of conflicting demands for
Hardye's sports field. As a consequence all our league matches are
away from home. This not only deprives many people of Dorchester
from watching their athletic club compete but it also involves the
club with the extra burden of fund raising to sponsor the high
cost of travel." The application was approved.
1985: The Club had a third place
in the English Schools Championships (Javelin) and a seventh place
in the 100m. There were second and third places in Javelin in the
AAA Championships and SEAA Championships respectively. The Club
was second overall in the Westward and Avalon Leagues. Two
athletes were ranked in the national lists.Membership rose to 144.
1986: Dorchester had its first
International representative at cross country. Four athletes went
to the English Schools Championships. Dorchester athletes were at
the Southern Counties AAA Championships and gained two third
places. At the Women's AAA Championships Dorchester was
represented in the 400m Hiurdles. A Dorchester athlete represented
Barclays Bank at an International event. The Club rejoined the
Southern Women's Track and Field League and finished in second
place in Division 4 to gain promotion to Division 3. The Club had
5 qualified club coaches and 7 qualified assistant club coaches.
1986: Facilities: Dorchester and
District Sports Advisory Council produced a questionnaire for
sports clubs to inform the Dorchester Town Council what land
requirements they had. The Duchy had made available a five acre
site at Fordington Farm. The Club made a bid for a grass track
which would be alongside the club room which had been made
available by Hardye's School. Through a variety of grants the Club
now had adequate equipment. After the press had reported that a
track would not be incorporated, Mike Furse wrote to the Town
Council: "Of the popular playing-field sports, athletics and
football are the least well served in Dorchester and most in need
of support. Our proposal to the Dorchester SAC seeks to provide a
scheme which integrates both these needs to the detriment of
neither. Other sports, for which you are prepared to make
provision at Fordington, already have some acceptable facilities
in the town, even if these are not optimal."
1987: Dorchester finished
runners up in both the Avalon and Westward T&F Leagues. The Club
also gained promotion to Division 2 of the Southern Women's Track
and Field League: the second year running the Club had gained
promotion in that league. Two athletes won South West Counties
Cross Country Championships. The Junior Ladies Team won their
section of the Avalon Cross Country League. The Senior Ladies
Champion was a Dorchester athlete. Two sixth places and a ninth
were gained in National Track and Field Championships and four
athletes broke County Records. A Dorchester athlete was Southern
Counties WAAA Under 19 800m Champion. Highest National Ranking was
sixth in Under 13 High Jump. The Club hosted the South West 20K
Road Race Walking Championships and the County Cross Country
Championships.
1988: Nine athletes represented
Dorset in the South West Championships. Dorchester AC won the
final Avalon League match to come second overall; the Club won all
the female age groups. The Club entered the Southern Men's League
and won the division to be promoted at the first opportunity. Five
members took part in the English Schools National Championships
and returned with a third place in the Senior Girls' 100m and a
sixth place in the 400m Hurdles. Club athletes won two County
Cross Country Championships.
1989: A Dorchester athlete
represented England in the World Cross Country Trial and three
other female athletes were South West Counties Champions.
Dorchester took first place in the Avaloin Cross Country League
Senior Women. The Club's Inter Ladies Team was invited to the
National Cross Country Relays and placed ninth. The National Under
20 Indoor 3000m Championship was won by a Dorchester athlete as
was the British Universities 800m Championship. Seventeen gold,
twenty one silver and twelve bronze medals were won by Dorchester
athletes at the County Championships, three wins being
Championship best performances. Three gold medals were won by a
Club member at the Somerset Championships. The Southern Men's
League Team were again promoted. Inters and Girls Teams were first
in the Avalon League and the Ladies Team was first overall in the
Westward League. In the World Veterans Championships a Dorchester
athlete won silver in the 400m hurdles and ninth place in the
1500m. The latter athlete was first in the UK (35) veterans 400m
hurdles in a new English record. National Age Group Rankings
included a third place for 400m hurdles and an eleventh for high
jump.
1990: Four Club athletes
represented South West Counties, three in a meeting against Wales
and Southern Counties. A member won two gold medals at the British
Colleges Championships. Eight Club members were ranked in the top
three of their events for the South West of England. A second
place was won in the high jump at the Southern Women's AAA
Championships. Three athletes competed in the English Schools
Championships: another competed successfully for the British
Universities Cross Country Team. A Dorchester member was nominated
for a Southern Men's League Athlete of the Year Award. Female
athletes were ranked nationally seventh (high jump) and twelfth
(javelin) in the under 17 age group.
1991: Third place was gained in
the Women's AAA National Indoor high jump (Inter age group). In
the National Universities Championships Club members achieved a
first place (3000m), a second (800m) and a third (javelin). Ten
County Championships were won by Dorchester athletes. A Member
came second in the Southern Counties Under 17 walk. Three Members
represented the South West in an under 20 meeting. Four young
Members represented Dorset in the English Schools Championships
gaining fifth place (high jump), 6th (discus), 9th (javelin), and
21st (high jump). A new County Record was thrown in the girl's
discus, and third place was taken in the WAAA's National
Championship. The Club was promoted to the First Division of the
new South West Athletics League at the first attempt, the senior
women, colts and walks teams each winning their Division.
Dorchester was second overall in the South West Athletics League
Cup: the senior women were champions. Second and fifth places were
recorded by Club runners in the South West Cross Country
