Record

LevelSub-fonds
Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure)ATH/PT
TitlePapers of Phil Thomas
Extent6 standard boxes (comprising 34 volumes, 15 files and 72 items)
Date[c 1900]-[late 20th century]
Thumbnail (Click this image to open a larger image)

ATH\ATH_PT_T.jpg

DescriptionPersonal papers compiled by the athletics administrator and coach Phil Thomas. The collection's primary strength rests upon a very large sequence of high-quality photographs depicting athletes and athletics meetings primarily staged during the 1970s and early 1980s. Athletes depicted in these photographs include Seb Coe, Steve Cram, Brendan Foster and Donna Murray. In addition, the collection includes a number of athletics programmes, mostly dated during the 1970s and early 1980s, reflecting cross-country racing, road racing, road relay racing and track and field meetings primarily held in the north-west of England. There are also a small number of papers relating to athletics organisations operating in north-west England including the Northern Counties Cross-Country Association and the Liverpool and District Cross-Country Union.

Taken as a whole, the collection is a valuable research tool for athletics historians, especially those researchers interested in English athletes who were prominent during the 1970s and early 1980s.
NotesOld references: PT; NCAL XXV.T56
ArrangementThese papers have been arranged into the following 4 series:

athletics programmes and related ephemera;
results and fixture lists;
correspondence, newspaper cuttings and publications;
photographs and medals
Access ConditionsAccess to all registered researchers.
LanguageEnglish
Spanish
Finding AidsA catalogue of this collection is available on the online archive catalogue. Click on the Finding Number to display the summary contents list of the catalogue and to view the full catalogue, or view the catalogue as a PDF file by clicking in the document field below. A paper copy of this catalogue is also available for consultation in the Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections Department.
DocumentATH_PT.pdf
Access StatusOpen
Creator NameThomas, Dr Philip, athletics administrator and coach
Administrative HistoryPhil Thomas (b 1945), athletics administrator and coach, was one-time secretary of the Liverpool and District Cross-Country Union as well as press officer for the Sutton Harriers and Athletic Club. During the 1960s the Harriers ran successful female and junior cross-country teams. Phil organised a number of matches between local secondary schools and established a Merseyside cross-country league for girls. This was believed to have led to an increased interest in the sport and a subsequent influx of female athletes. The girls took the National cross-country title at Runcorn in 1979 and numerous photographs from this meeting are included in this collection.

Phil was one-time secretary of the Liverpool and District Cross-Country Union and held degrees from the Universities of Lancaster, Liverpool and Keele. He was also the editor of Athletic Review, magazines with a limited circulation and which was known to sometimes cover controversial subjects. The magazines also contained detailed results from specific track and field meetings and road races.

Sources: papers of Phil Thomas; a history of Sutton Harriers accessed 2 October 2014 from: http://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/suttonhistory/suttonharriers.html
Custodial HistoryThis collection was previously in the custody of the National Centre for Athletics Literature (NCAL).
Archival NotePapers arranged and described by Mark Eccleston, October 2014, in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; and in-house cataloguing guidelines.
Related MaterialOther archive collections, formerly held as part of the National Centre for Athletics Literature (NCAL), are catalogued as collections distinct from this collection. They comprise both institutional archives and collections of personal papers of athletes, athletics administrators, journalists and others associated with the athletics world.

Catalogues of the institutional archives available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1880-1992. Finding No: ATH/AAA;
English Cross-Country Union: papers, 1911-1989. Finding No: ATH/ECCU;
Midland Counties Amateur Athletics Association: papers, 1900-1991. Finding No: ATH/MCAAA;
Midland Counties Cross Country Association: papers, 1898-1985. Finding No: ATH/MCCCA;
Midland Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1949-[1980s]. Finding No: ATH/MCWAAA;
Northern Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1933-1989. Finding No: ATH/NCWAAA;
Northern Cross-Country Association: papers, 1906-1983. Finding No: ATH/NCCA;
Northern Women's Track and Field League: papers, 1982-1983. Finding No: ATH/NWTFL;
Southern Counties Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1958-1983. Finding No: ATH/SCAAA;
Southern Counties Cross-Country Association: papers, 1911-1990. Find No: ATH/SCCCA;
The Sports Council: papers, [1940s]-2001. Finding No: ATH/SC;
Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1932-1989. Finding No: ATH/WAAA.

Catalogues of personal papers available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Abrahams, Harold Maurice (1899-1978), athlete, administrator, commentator and journalist: papers, 1902-1989. Finding No: ATH/HA;
Adam, George Mair (1898-1989), athlete, coach and athletics administrator: papers, 1909-1989. Finding No: ATH/GA;
Binks, Joseph (Joe) (1874-1966), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [1920s-1950s]. Finding No: ATH/JB;
Brown, Audrey Kathleen (nee Court) (1913-2005), athlete: papers, [1930s]-2005. Finding No: USS22;
Cardew, Martin H. (b 1927), athlete: papers, 1964-1988. Finding No: ATH/MHC;
Cullum, Dennis Noel Johnson (1913-1985), athlete and coach: papers, [1930s]-1985. Finding No: ATH/DC;
Humphrey, David (b 1933), athlete: papers, 1944-1958. Finding No: ATH/DH;
Ives, Bert (1890-1975), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, [1920s-1970s]. Finding No: ATH/BI;
Jarvis, Walter (c 1888-c 1935), athlete: papers, 1910-1996. Finding No: MS4;
Jewell, John Christopher (1912-2001), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, 1897-2002. Finding No: ATH/JJ;
Lloyd-Edgley, Ralph: scrapbook, [c 1924]-[c 1931]. Finding No: ATH/RLE;
MacLean, Duncan (1884-1980), athlete and coach: papers, 1948-1977. Finding No: ATH/DM;
Monk, Walter Harry (Wal) (1896-after 1965), athlete: papers, 1918-1961. Finding No: ATH/WHM;
Morgan, Wilf (b 1935), athlete and athletics historian: papers, 1937-2012. Finding No: ATH/WM;
Newton, Arthur Francis Hamilton (1883-1959), athlete: papers, [c 1904]-[1990s]. Finding No: ATH/AN;
Payne, Howard (1931-1992), athlete: papers, 1899-[c 1975]. Finding No: ATH/HP;
Percy, Joe W. (1912-2001), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1910-1997. Finding No: ATH/JWP;
Perry, George (b 1903), athlete: papers, [1920s]-1956. Finding No: ATH/GP;
Powell, Edgar Robert Leslie (Peter), (fl 1920s-70s), athlete: papers, 1813-1988. Finding No: ATH/ERLP;
Richards, Wilf (b 1906), athlete and journalist: papers, 1924-[mid 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/WR;
Roberts, Dave (fl 1930s-1990s), athlete and statistician: papers, [1930s]-1991. Finding No: ATH/DR;
Simpson, Colin J. (1929-2011), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1945-1990. Finding No: ATH/CS;
Tatham, Wilfrid George (Gus) (1898-1978), athlete: papers, 1908-1960. Finding No: ATH/WGT;
Thomas, Dr Philip, athletics administrator and coach: papers, [c 1900]-[late 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/PT;
Vargas, Charles Climaco (1905-1975), athlete: papers, 1921-31. Finding No: ATH/CCV;
Ward, Leonard H., athletics coach: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/LW;
Watman, Melvyn Francis (Mel) (b 1938), athletics journalist and statistician: papers, 1980-1993. Finding No: ATH/MW;
Wight, Robert M., athletics administrator: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/RW;
Winter, Arthur E. H. (d 1990), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [early 20th century]-1983. Finding No: ATH/AW;
Yarrow, Squire Stevens (1905-1984), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1938-1984. Finding No: ATH/SY.

    Showcase

    Some of our most significant collections