Frank Southall
Encyclopedia
William Frank Southall was an English
racing cyclist who won silver medals for Great Britain
in the individual road race
(run as an individual time trial
) at the 1928 Summer Olympics
and a track cycling
medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
. He also represented Britain in world championships from 1926 to 1933.
Born in Wandsworth
, London
, Southall, who rode for the south London Norwood Paragon cycling club
, broke numerous time trial and Road Records Association
place-to-place records in domestic competitions, winning the first four British Best All-Rounder
(BBAR) competitions from 1930 to 1933.
at Herne Hill Velodrome
on 26 May by almost 1400 yards to record 25 miles 1520 yards.
He then improved the 50-mile record in the same event the following year and broke the world amateur hour record with 26 miles and 838 yards at Herne Hill in June 1926. Southall was selected by the National Cyclists' Union
to represent Britain at the 1926 world road race championship, where he finished eighth.
In 1927, Southall again broke the 50 miles (80.5 km) record in the Etna event, recording 2h 5m 7s. On 24 July, he broke the RRA London-Brighton and back record by 13 minutes, with 4h 53m 20s.
On 5 August 1928 in Amsterdam
, with Harry Wyld
, Percy Wyld
and Leonard Wyld
, he broke the team pursuit Olympic record in 5:01.6, beating the previous record by 9.2 seconds. They were only the third team to hold the record since it began on 10 August 1920. It was broken by 10.2 seconds next day before standing for nearly eight years.
In 1930, Southall finished seventh in the world road race championship (an individual time trial in Denmark
) and broke the national 100 miles (160.9 km) time trial record with 4h 32m 46s.
In 1933, Southall and Stan Butler rode the Oak Tandem 100, winning in 4h 1m 3s, beating the record by two minutes. Southall now held six single and tandem competition records (25, 50 and 100 miles (160.9 km) single and 30, 50 and 100 miles (160.9 km) tandem).
in 1928 was run against the clock, as an individual time-trial. It was the last to be disputed that way. Southall was one of the best performers in the world against the clock but in 21 miles (33.8 km) he lost seven minutes to Henry Hansen
of Denmark
.
Bill Mills of the News Chronicle
wrote:
British officials protested that Southall had been 90 seconds behind Hansen at 50 km but that 34 km later the lead had stretched to eight and a half minutes. They insisted that Hansen had neither gone faster nor Southall slower. Southall had been riding fast enough to take back a minute in the last half of the race. They suggested that the Dane had taken a short cut.
The judges turned down the protest and Hansen received the gold medal.
What happened remains a mystery. Southall and the officials believed they had been cheated. But another member of the team, Jack Lauterwasser
did not believe it then and never changed his mind. "I couldn't see where anything like that could have happened. It seemed to me that it would have been impossible to go off-course," he said.
Southall finished sixth in the Olympic road race in 1932, with Charles Holland
15th and Stan Butler 16th. The Great Britain team finished fourth overall. In the team pursuit, Britain, with Southall, beat Canada to take bronze.
awarded him his own page in the Golden Book of Cycling
.
Later he managed the professional careers of Ken Joy and Eileen Sheridan
and became manager of the Hercules
professional road-race team. He had already worked for Hercules as a salesman. He was elected president of Norwood Paragon in 1953.
He died aged 59 on 1 March 1964 in Hayling Island
, Hampshire
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
racing cyclist who won silver medals for 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...
in the individual road race
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
(run as an individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
) at the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
and a track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He also represented Britain in world championships from 1926 to 1933.
Born in Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Southall, who rode for the south London Norwood Paragon cycling club
Cycling club
A cycling club is a society for cyclists. It can be local or national, general or specialised. The Cyclists' Touring Club, CTC) in the United Kingdom is a national association; i-Team and are internet clubs; the Tricycle Association, Tandem Club and the Veterans Time Trial Association, for those...
, broke numerous time trial and Road Records Association
Road Records Association
The Road Records Association is a British cycle racing organisation which supervises records on the road but not in conventional races. It is one of the oldest cycle sport organisations in the world, formed in 1888.-Remit:...
place-to-place records in domestic competitions, winning the first four British Best All-Rounder
British Best All-Rounder
The British Best All-Rounder competition, organised by Cycling Time Trials, is an annual British cycle-racing competition. It ranks riders by their average speeds in individual time trials, over 50 and and 12 hours for men, and over 25, 50 and for women. There are similar competitions for...
(BBAR) competitions from 1930 to 1933.
Records
He broke his first record on Easter Monday 1925, when he won the Etna 50 miles (80.5 km) time trial on the Bath Road course in 2h 8m 31s, beating the record by five minutes. He followed this by breaking the one-hour recordHour record
The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle. There are several records. The most famous is for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale . It is one of the most prestigious in cycling...
at Herne Hill Velodrome
Herne Hill Velodrome
The Herne Hill Velodrome is a velodrome or track cycling venue in south London. It is one of the oldest cycling tracks in the world, having been built in 1891. It hosted the track cycling events in the 1948 Summer Olympics and was briefly the home of Crystal Palace F.C...
on 26 May by almost 1400 yards to record 25 miles 1520 yards.
He then improved the 50-mile record in the same event the following year and broke the world amateur hour record with 26 miles and 838 yards at Herne Hill in June 1926. Southall was selected by the National Cyclists' Union
National Cyclists' Union
The National Cyclists' Union was an association established in the Guildhall Tavern, London, on 16 February 1878 as the Bicycle Union. Its purpose was to defend cyclists and to organise and regulate bicycle racing in Great Britain...
to represent Britain at the 1926 world road race championship, where he finished eighth.
In 1927, Southall again broke the 50 miles (80.5 km) record in the Etna event, recording 2h 5m 7s. On 24 July, he broke the RRA London-Brighton and back record by 13 minutes, with 4h 53m 20s.
On 5 August 1928 in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, with Harry Wyld
Harry Wyld
Frederick Henry "Harry" Wyld was a British track cyclist. He won bronze medals at the 1924 and the 1928 Summer Olympics....
, Percy Wyld
Percy Wyld
Percy Wyld was a British track cyclist, born in Nottinghamshire, who won a bronze medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics....
and Leonard Wyld
Leonard Wyld
Lewis Arthur "Lew" Wyld was a British track cyclist who was born in Tibshelf Deryshire, he won a bronze medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics....
, he broke the team pursuit Olympic record in 5:01.6, beating the previous record by 9.2 seconds. They were only the third team to hold the record since it began on 10 August 1920. It was broken by 10.2 seconds next day before standing for nearly eight years.
In 1930, Southall finished seventh in the world road race championship (an individual time trial in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) and broke the national 100 miles (160.9 km) time trial record with 4h 32m 46s.
In 1933, Southall and Stan Butler rode the Oak Tandem 100, winning in 4h 1m 3s, beating the record by two minutes. Southall now held six single and tandem competition records (25, 50 and 100 miles (160.9 km) single and 30, 50 and 100 miles (160.9 km) tandem).
Olympic controversy
The Olympic road race in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1928 was run against the clock, as an individual time-trial. It was the last to be disputed that way. Southall was one of the best performers in the world against the clock but in 21 miles (33.8 km) he lost seven minutes to Henry Hansen
Henry Hansen (cyclist)
Henry Hansen was a Danish racing cyclist who won two gold medals at the 1928 Summer Olympics....
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Bill Mills of the News Chronicle
News Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication on 17 October 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail. Its offices were in Bouverie Street, off Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8DP, England.-Daily Chronicle:...
wrote:
- The British team sent over for the 1928 Games at Amsterdam was probably the best that ever left our shores. It included the great Frank Southall, unbeatable in time-trials on the road... Our best chance was in the road race, a 165km (102½ miles) time-trial, and a sensation was caused when Southall was beaten into second place by the Dane, Harry Hansen, who took 4h 47m 17s against Southall's 4h 55m 6s. British officials lodged a protest, alleging that Hansen had not covered the full course, but it was proved that he had and the result stood.
British officials protested that Southall had been 90 seconds behind Hansen at 50 km but that 34 km later the lead had stretched to eight and a half minutes. They insisted that Hansen had neither gone faster nor Southall slower. Southall had been riding fast enough to take back a minute in the last half of the race. They suggested that the Dane had taken a short cut.
The judges turned down the protest and Hansen received the gold medal.
What happened remains a mystery. Southall and the officials believed they had been cheated. But another member of the team, Jack Lauterwasser
Jack Lauterwasser
John "Jack" Jacob Lauterwasser was an English racing cyclist and cycling engineer, who won a bronze and silver medal in the same race at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam....
did not believe it then and never changed his mind. "I couldn't see where anything like that could have happened. It seemed to me that it would have been impossible to go off-course," he said.
Southall finished sixth in the Olympic road race in 1932, with Charles Holland
Charles Holland (cyclist)
Charles Holland was a British road bicycle racer. He was one of the first two Britons to ride the Tour de France.-The early years:...
15th and Stan Butler 16th. The Great Britain team finished fourth overall. In the team pursuit, Britain, with Southall, beat Canada to take bronze.
Golden Book of Cycling
After winning his first BBAR Southall's achievements were celebrated in 1932 when Cycling WeeklyCycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly is a British cycling magazine. It is published by IPC Media and is devoted to the sport and past-time of cycling. It is affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".-History:...
awarded him his own page in the Golden Book of Cycling
Golden Book of Cycling
The Golden Book of Cycling was created in 1932 by Cycling, a British cycling magazine,to celebrate "the Sport and Pastime of Cycling by recording the outstanding rides, deeds and accomplishments of cyclists, officials and administrators." There exists only a single copy of this compendium of...
.
Professional
He turned professional in 1934 to attack place-to-place records, there being no professional road racing in Britain. He broke nine records in two years.Later he managed the professional careers of Ken Joy and Eileen Sheridan
Eileen Sheridan (cyclist)
Eileen Sheridan, née Shaw was an English cyclist specialising in time trialling and road record breaking. She broke all the records of the Women's Road Records Association during the late 1930s and into the second world war. They included Land's End to John o' Groats, set by Marguerite Wilson...
and became manager of the Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
professional road-race team. He had already worked for Hercules as a salesman. He was elected president of Norwood Paragon in 1953.
He died aged 59 on 1 March 1964 in Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Assessment
The weekly paper, The Bicycle, said of him:- The versatility of the great Norwood Paragonian, Frank Southall, thrilled the cycling world of the nineteen twenties and thirties. No matter what branch of the sport he turned to, road time trials, paced races on the track, road records, track records, he dominated his contemporaries. In addition to this speed, he had the personality that attracts the crowd, and any track meeting billing 'F.W.S.' versus, say, Harry Wyld (his great rival at the paced game) was certain of a packed house. Although he raced on almost every road course in this country, and competed in many events abroad... world's championships and Olympic Games... he was always at his best on his 'home ground', the Brighton Road, and his RRARoad Records AssociationThe Road Records Association is a British cycle racing organisation which supervises records on the road but not in conventional races. It is one of the oldest cycle sport organisations in the world, formed in 1888.-Remit:...
record for the London to Brighton and back which he set up in 1935 (he covered the 104 hilly miles in 4h 38m 27s) still stands.