George Herbert Stancer
Encyclopedia
George Herbert Stancer OBE
(b. Pocklington, Yorkshire, England, 17 April 1878 –d. October 1962) was a notable English
racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of the British
Cyclists' Touring Club
(CTC) after World War I
. He is commemorated by the annual juvenile 10-mile GHS individual time trial
championship.
, a village 14 miles east of York
in Yorkshire
. His father owned and ran the local newspaper, The Pocklington Weekly News and at 14 Stancer wrote cycling articles for it. He became a member of the Yorkshire Road Club in 1898 and remained with the club until his death. Like his friend, Frederick Thomas Bidlake
, Stancer favoured the tricycle
. Stancer and L.S. Leake beat the Road Records Association
London
-Brighton
and back record on tandem tricycle in 1910, with 5 hours 59 minutes 51 seconds.
, editor
of Cycling
magazine for nine years. In 1920, he took over as president of the Cyclists Touring Club at a time when membership had dwindled to 8,500. By the time he retired in 1945, membership had exceeded 50,000.
The Bicycle wrote: "The new broom, if it went to work in unspectacular fashion, swept exceedingly clean. The five-shilling [25p] subscription was doubled, and although many heads were shaken at the 'folly' of such policy, its success was never in doubt, and membership figures ascended into the fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty thousand classes."
He became president of the Road Records Association after 34 years on its executive committee. He was an opponent of the revival of massed racing on the road when it was proposed by the British League of Racing Cyclists
. His fear, and that of the National Cyclists' Union
, was that asking the police for permission to hold a race ended the freedom of cyclists to hold races, or at any rate lone races against the clock, without interference. Under the headline A hopeless revolt, he wrote in Cycling
:
The cycling importer and wholesaler, Ron Kitching, said of him: "He was a very proper gentleman; he never said a wrong word of got overheated." Stancer was awarded the Bidlake Memorial Prize, one of British cycling's top honours, in 1943.
).
GHS leisure rides are promoted annually by Yorkshire Cycling Federation on a Sunday near his birthday.
There is a seat commemorating Stancer in the F.T. Bidlake
memorial garden at Girtford Bridge on the Great North Road near Sandy, Bedfordshire
. Bidlake was at one time Stancer's tandem partner.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(b. Pocklington, Yorkshire, England, 17 April 1878 –d. October 1962) was a notable English
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 of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Cyclists' Touring Club
Cyclists' Touring Club
CTC and the UK's national cyclists' organisation are the trading names of the Cyclists' Touring Club.CTC is the United Kingdom's largest cycling membership organisation. It also has member groups in the Republic of Ireland...
(CTC) after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He is commemorated by the annual juvenile 10-mile GHS 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...
championship.
Early years
Stancer was born in PocklingtonPocklington
Pocklington is a small market town and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately east of York....
, a village 14 miles east of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. His father owned and ran the local newspaper, The Pocklington Weekly News and at 14 Stancer wrote cycling articles for it. He became a member of the Yorkshire Road Club in 1898 and remained with the club until his death. Like his friend, Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake was an English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of British road bicycle racing during the early 20th century. The annual Bidlake Memorial Prize, was instituted in his memory...
, Stancer favoured the tricycle
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
. Stancer and L.S. Leake beat the 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:...
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...
-Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and back record on tandem tricycle in 1910, with 5 hours 59 minutes 51 seconds.
The administrator and journalist
He was the first president of the Tricycle Association from 1944–1950. He worked as a journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of Cycling
Cycling 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:...
magazine for nine years. In 1920, he took over as president of the Cyclists Touring Club at a time when membership had dwindled to 8,500. By the time he retired in 1945, membership had exceeded 50,000.
The Bicycle wrote: "The new broom, if it went to work in unspectacular fashion, swept exceedingly clean. The five-shilling [25p] subscription was doubled, and although many heads were shaken at the 'folly' of such policy, its success was never in doubt, and membership figures ascended into the fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty thousand classes."
He became president of the Road Records Association after 34 years on its executive committee. He was an opponent of the revival of massed racing on the road when it was proposed by the British League of Racing Cyclists
British League of Racing Cyclists
The British League of Racing Cyclists was an association formed in 1942 to promote road bicycle racing in Great Britain. It operated in competition with the National Cyclists' Union, a rivalry which lasted until the two merged in 1959 to form the British Cycling Federation.-Background:The National...
. His fear, and that of 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...
, was that asking the police for permission to hold a race ended the freedom of cyclists to hold races, or at any rate lone races against the clock, without interference. Under the headline A hopeless revolt, he wrote in Cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
:
- They have plunged into their dangerous experiment without regard for the consequences... I understand that the 'rebels' want to go on holding races by police permit and under police protection; and when this is withdrawn they are apparently content to put up the shutters and go out of business as promoters.... If we voluntarily place road-racing under police control, we sign its death warrant.... If we are to race on the road, for heaven's sake let us do it as free citizens, and not by permission of the police.
The cycling importer and wholesaler, Ron Kitching, said of him: "He was a very proper gentleman; he never said a wrong word of got overheated." Stancer was awarded the Bidlake Memorial Prize, one of British cycling's top honours, in 1943.
Memorials
After his death, a trust fund was established to promote and encourage young cyclists. A national schools 10-mile time trial championship was instituted, adopted in 1970 by the Road Time Trials Council (today Cycling Time TrialsCycling Time Trials
Cycling Time Trials is the British bicycle racing organisation which supervises individual and team time trials in England and Wales. It was formed out of predecessor body the Road Time Trials Council in 2002.-Time trialling:...
).
GHS leisure rides are promoted annually by Yorkshire Cycling Federation on a Sunday near his birthday.
There is a seat commemorating Stancer in the F.T. Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake was an English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of British road bicycle racing during the early 20th century. The annual Bidlake Memorial Prize, was instituted in his memory...
memorial garden at Girtford Bridge on the Great North Road near Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy is a small market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to...
. Bidlake was at one time Stancer's tandem partner.