Bill Tancred
Encyclopedia
William Raymond "Bill" Tancred (born August 6, 1942) is a leading sports administrator, academic and former international athlete. He competed at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics in the discus
and won a bronze and silver medals in successive Commonwealth Games
from 1970 to 1974. He was the British National discus champion on seven occasions and held the British record for 25 years his personal best being 64.94m in 1974. He also competed in the shot put
and remains one of the top ten British shot putters. Athleticsweekly.com has ranked Tancred as the greatest British discus thrower of all-time by virtue of his long reign as British record-holder and profusion of AAA titles.
, Balochistan
, Pakistan
, and grew up in Felixstowe
. He was one of a number of siblings, one of his younger brothers being the athlete and strongman Peter Tancred
. As a school boy, the javelin
was his main event but he developed elbow trouble and was forced to abandon this event. His father, Adrian, believed that this was not a barrier to athletics in another discipline and Bill took up the discus in which his father coached him. After the family moved to Ipswich
from Felixstowe he would find roads with adjoining fields to throw into and would often lose the discus in long grass. His father would get him to read books on the subject as well, to hone the technique, a discipline not used widely in the 1950s. His father would also improvise with equipment if none were available. He joined Ipswich Harriers and trained at the Ipswich Town training ground. This gave him opportunities for competition within the county and also in the Eastern Counties framework.
. Although proud of his British and European and Commonwealth achievements, Tancred has made it clear that the pinnacle of being an athlete is to compete at the Olympic games, and in interviews recalls getting a letter signed by the Duke of Edinburgh, telling him that he had been selected to represent Great Britain in the 1968 Olympics. He took his father, mother, friends and siblings for a meal to celebrate. As a young athlete, he recalls being awestruck at the Olympics. He saw Bob Beamon
set the long jump
record, recalled talking to athletes about a new high jump method called the Fosbury flop, witnessed the Black power salute of the American sprintgers and found himself competing against his idol, Al Oerter
, already the three time Olympic discus champion who won his fourth gold medal in Mexico, which he reportedly said was one for each of his daughters. Of his own performance, Tancred has said that he felt he ought to have thrown better but a combination of over training and lack of experience in such a big arena as the Olympics were his downfall. The discipline of waiting long periods between throws was something he had not appreciated and found hard to reconcile to a more explosive approach that he employed.
One of the nineteen occasions that he broke the British record was at the AAA championships in 1972 where he received a tracksuit, sponsored by Nationwide as a prize. Ironically, he could not wear the tracksuit at AAA events due to the rules around sponsorship. On one occasion, whilst wearing Adidas
shoes he broke the British record, and so pleased were the promoters of Adidas that one said "I’m going to give you some money for this because you’ve earned it. I’m going to put £20 in your pocket". He recalls this, tongue-in-cheek, as his first professional pay.
In total, Tancred represented Great Britain
a 55 times. He competed at the 1968
and 1972 Summer Olympics
in the discus
, as well as at three Commonwealth Games
in 1966, 1970, (where he achieved the bronze medal) and 1974 (where he achieved the silver medal). He also competed at the 1966, 1969 and 1971 European Championships. Domestically, he set the British discus record on nineteen occasions. He was seven times the British Champion having won the AAA discus title from 1966–1970 and 1972-1973. His mark of 64.94m in 1974, set in Loughborough on 21 July 1974, was his personal best but his British record was set after this in Woodford on 10 Aug 1974 at 64.32m. This remained the best thrown by a British athlete until Richard Slaney
bettered it on 1 Jul 1985, in Eugene, Oregon
, USA, although unofficially. Robert Weir
officially broke the record in 1997. Tancred remains sixth on the British all-time list for the discus. He also competed in the shot put
and remains one of the top ten British shot putters.
and then with the Army Physical Training Corps
. After his military service, he attended Loughborough College
for Teacher Training, and then went on to Loughborough University
, renowned for its sporting reputation, for a Masters degree in Human biology
. He then obtained another masters degree by research, in Physical Education
. Cotinuing his education he received a N.A.T.O. Fellowship to study for a doctorate in Sports Management in the United States.
As an academic he has taught and lectured in schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities, and among his many positions was for a long time the Director of Physical Education and Sport at Sheffield University as well as the Professor of Sports Studies at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
. He is also a published author, having written a number of books as well numerous articles and has presented papers at conferences in subjects relating to human sports performance, health related fitness and coaching.
After his retirement from competition, Tancred remained actively involved in sport and served on several committees, including being Chairman of the International Athletes Club and President of Sheffield University's World Student Games Directorate. He later became the National event coach to the British Amateur Athletics Board (BAAB) and also coach of UK Athletics
and the International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF). In 2007 he joined the board of the British Olympic Association. He has been active in pushing forward proposals to encourage greater participation in schools.
Professor Tancred is also the Chairman of the Suffolk Sport Board. Having been resident in Sheffield for 25 years, he moved back to Felixstowe
in 2007.
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and won a bronze and silver medals in successive Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
from 1970 to 1974. He was the British National discus champion on seven occasions and held the British record for 25 years his personal best being 64.94m in 1974. He also competed in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and remains one of the top ten British shot putters. Athleticsweekly.com has ranked Tancred as the greatest British discus thrower of all-time by virtue of his long reign as British record-holder and profusion of AAA titles.
Early life
Bill Tancred was born in QuettaQuetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Balochistan
Balochistan
Balochistan or Baluchistan is a region which covers parts of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. It can also refer to one of several modern and historical territories within that region:...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and grew up in Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
. He was one of a number of siblings, one of his younger brothers being the athlete and strongman Peter Tancred
Peter Tancred
Peter Arthur Tancred is a former athlete, and professional strongman from England. He competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the discus and came sixth at the 1978 Commonwealth Games...
. As a school boy, the javelin
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
was his main event but he developed elbow trouble and was forced to abandon this event. His father, Adrian, believed that this was not a barrier to athletics in another discipline and Bill took up the discus in which his father coached him. After the family moved to Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
from Felixstowe he would find roads with adjoining fields to throw into and would often lose the discus in long grass. His father would get him to read books on the subject as well, to hone the technique, a discipline not used widely in the 1950s. His father would also improvise with equipment if none were available. He joined Ipswich Harriers and trained at the Ipswich Town training ground. This gave him opportunities for competition within the county and also in the Eastern Counties framework.
Sport
Having represented his county, he competed in the Eastern Counties and rose quickly to domestic prominence. His first international vest for Great Britain was in 1964 against the Benelux Countries in GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. Although proud of his British and European and Commonwealth achievements, Tancred has made it clear that the pinnacle of being an athlete is to compete at the Olympic games, and in interviews recalls getting a letter signed by the Duke of Edinburgh, telling him that he had been selected to represent Great Britain in the 1968 Olympics. He took his father, mother, friends and siblings for a meal to celebrate. As a young athlete, he recalls being awestruck at the Olympics. He saw Bob Beamon
Bob Beamon
Robert "Bob" Beamon is an American former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico Olympics in 1968, which remained the world record for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. This is the second longest holding of this record, as...
set the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
record, recalled talking to athletes about a new high jump method called the Fosbury flop, witnessed the Black power salute of the American sprintgers and found himself competing against his idol, Al Oerter
Al Oerter
Alfred Adolf Oerter, Jr. was an American athlete, and a four-time Olympic Champion in the discus throw....
, already the three time Olympic discus champion who won his fourth gold medal in Mexico, which he reportedly said was one for each of his daughters. Of his own performance, Tancred has said that he felt he ought to have thrown better but a combination of over training and lack of experience in such a big arena as the Olympics were his downfall. The discipline of waiting long periods between throws was something he had not appreciated and found hard to reconcile to a more explosive approach that he employed.
One of the nineteen occasions that he broke the British record was at the AAA championships in 1972 where he received a tracksuit, sponsored by Nationwide as a prize. Ironically, he could not wear the tracksuit at AAA events due to the rules around sponsorship. On one occasion, whilst wearing Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
shoes he broke the British record, and so pleased were the promoters of Adidas that one said "I’m going to give you some money for this because you’ve earned it. I’m going to put £20 in your pocket". He recalls this, tongue-in-cheek, as his first professional pay.
In total, Tancred represented Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
a 55 times. He competed at the 1968
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
and 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in the discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
, as well as at three Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in 1966, 1970, (where he achieved the bronze medal) and 1974 (where he achieved the silver medal). He also competed at the 1966, 1969 and 1971 European Championships. Domestically, he set the British discus record on nineteen occasions. He was seven times the British Champion having won the AAA discus title from 1966–1970 and 1972-1973. His mark of 64.94m in 1974, set in Loughborough on 21 July 1974, was his personal best but his British record was set after this in Woodford on 10 Aug 1974 at 64.32m. This remained the best thrown by a British athlete until Richard Slaney
Richard Slaney
Richard Charles Slaney is a British discus thrower who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics and strongman competitor, notable for being a repeat winner of the Britain's Strongest Man title.-Biography:...
bettered it on 1 Jul 1985, in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, USA, although unofficially. Robert Weir
Robert Weir
Robert Weir, PC was a Canadian politician.Weir was born in Wingham, Ontario and was a teacher by training. After working in Ontario he moved to Regina, Saskatchewan where he taught, worked as an actuary, public school inspector, farmer and horse, cattle and hog breeder...
officially broke the record in 1997. Tancred remains sixth on the British all-time list for the discus. He also competed in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and remains one of the top ten British shot putters.
Life outside of sport
Tancred also served in the Army, first with the 1st East Anglian Regiment1st East Anglian Regiment
The 1st East Anglian Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army.As a result of defence cuts implemented in the late 1950s, the 1st Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment and the 1st Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment amalgamated on 29 August 1959 to form the 1st Battalion, 1st East Anglian...
and then with the Army Physical Training Corps
Army Physical Training Corps
The Royal Army Physical Training Corps is the British Army corps responsible for physical fitness and physical education. Its members are all Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructors ....
. After his military service, he attended Loughborough College
Loughborough College
Loughborough College is a college of Further Education in Leicestershire, England established in 1909. It is located opposite Loughborough University on Epinal Way, and adjacent to the Loughborough University School of Art and Design, situated next to the main entrance of the college...
for Teacher Training, and then went on to Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
, renowned for its sporting reputation, for a Masters degree in Human biology
Human biology
Human Biology is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines humans through the influences and interplay of many diverse fields such as genetics, evolution, physiology, epidemiology, ecology, nutrition, population genetics and sociocultural influences. It is closely related to...
. He then obtained another masters degree by research, in Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. Cotinuing his education he received a N.A.T.O. Fellowship to study for a doctorate in Sports Management in the United States.
As an academic he has taught and lectured in schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities, and among his many positions was for a long time the Director of Physical Education and Sport at Sheffield University as well as the Professor of Sports Studies at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
Buckinghamshire New University is a university in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The Vice-Chancellor is Prof Ruth Farwell...
. He is also a published author, having written a number of books as well numerous articles and has presented papers at conferences in subjects relating to human sports performance, health related fitness and coaching.
After his retirement from competition, Tancred remained actively involved in sport and served on several committees, including being Chairman of the International Athletes Club and President of Sheffield University's World Student Games Directorate. He later became the National event coach to the British Amateur Athletics Board (BAAB) and also coach of UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
and the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
(IAAF). In 2007 he joined the board of the British Olympic Association. He has been active in pushing forward proposals to encourage greater participation in schools.
Professor Tancred is also the Chairman of the Suffolk Sport Board. Having been resident in Sheffield for 25 years, he moved back to Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
in 2007.