Exceptionally Talented Athlete

Len Platt was an exceptionally talented track and field athlete who was able to compete at the highest level in no fewer than 4 events; the Long Jump, Hop Step and Jump (Triple Jump), High Jump and the 100yds dash. Although a late comer to competition, and despite a relatively brief career in the sport, between 1950 and 1956, Len won no fewer than 17no Cheshire County Athletic Championship titles, 6no Northern Counties Athletic Championship titles and a British Games and Inter Counties title.

The photo shows Len jumping at Leasowe.

Wallasey Born and Bred

Len was born in Poulton, Wallasey in 1927 and won a scholarship to the Wallasey Grammar School. He volunteered for the Armed Services when he was 17 years old to fight for King and Country, but fortunately by the time Len had completed his basic training the war was over and he enjoyed a relatively peaceful time in the Forces. Ramsey Hewson remembered that Len had been quite a useful athlete at school and persuaded him to represent the Old Wallaseyans against the Wallasey Grammar School at the annual athletics meeting. This in turn led Len to join the Wallasey Athletic Club in 1949, where he was an instant success. Len modestly attributes his superb fitness and ability to the training that he did in the Army. Wallasey AC was fortunate to have a very strong contingent of track and field athletes at the end of the 1940s and into the early 1950s, and the Wallasey team faired very well at local track meets and particularly in the Cheshire County Championships. Len was a sprinter who could jump, and often competed in the 100 yds dash, High Jump, Long Jump and the Hop Step and Jump. He excelled at the Hop Step and Jump and the Long Jump, and broke the County records on several occasions. In 1953 Len won four County titles in one day.

The photo shows Len Platt jumping during the Wirral Grammar School past versus present match on 22/6/1950.

England, Britain & the British Empire

Considering the facilities that were available at that time, the quality of competition and the times and distances achieved are to be admired. Len was a member at the Club when it was in the process of relocating to Leasowe Playing Fields, and together with other members was involved with building the clubhouse, setting out the track and digging the jumping pits. There were several other jumpers at the Club to train with and compete against, and when his potential was recognised, Len was fortunate to be coached at Merchant Taylors School in Crosby by Denis Watts, the AAA area coach, who was himself a 24ft Long Jumper. The winners of the County titles would be selected to represent the County at the Northern Counties Championships, and in the Inter County Championships at White City. Len was a regular competitor at these Championships between 1951 and 1956. International honours followed and Len was selected on several occasions to represent England, Britain and the British Empire. This was in the days of Amateurism, when it was difficult to combine a successful athletics career with holding down a job and bringing up a family. The athletes were given only the basic expenses unlike the well looked after internationals of today. Len tells a story of being asked for seven guineas for the purchase of a British tracksuit, but because he not in a position to afford so much had to compromise and settle for a second hand, spike holed tracksuit for the knock down price of thirty' shillings. Len was working for the Civil Service in Immigration, and by 1956 his job required him to travel regularly around UK. He was unable to find the time to train properly, and this situation combined with his family commitments persuaded him to call it a day on his athletics career.

Had Qualification Standard

Athletics was good to Len, and it gave him many opportunities and happy memories. his only disappointment was not being selected for the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952, as he managed to achieve the qualifying standard in the Long Jump. For reasons unknown, the British team sent no jumpers to the Games in 1952. As to prove a point; when representing Great Britain in a match against the American Olympic team at White City in the August of 1952, after the Games, in a competition involving twelve Long jumpers, he beat Gourdine the silver medalist into 5th place, and his leap of 23ft 5½ inches was only 5in behind Jerome Biffle, the gold medal winner.

The photo shows Len waving farewell to his father at Lime Street at the start of his journey to Sweden and Germany to represent Great Britain.

Len is first recipient

In 1953, in recognition of his achievements, Len became the first recipient of the Blair Trophy, awarded to the best performance of any athlete in the Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales areas. Len continues to be interested in sport, and is a member of the Wallasey Golf Club as well as a ardent armchair supporter of most sports, particularly Rugby Union and Athletics. His favourite sportsman is Jonathan Edwards, the World record holder for the Triple Jump, whom Len considers had a most wonderful style of running and jumping. Len would like to see the government of the day, and the schools, encourage youngsters to take part in sport, for both the health of the nation and to produce the champions of the future.