John Downing

John Downing was born in Rowley Regis in the heart of the Black Country on 16th December 1962. Aged 13 he was persuaded by neighbours, Mark and Matthew Davies, to go to the Oldbury Sports Centre on a Friday evening and Saturday afternoon where regular general skating sessions were being held. He put a pair of skates on for the first time and found himself stuttering around the rink. Despite his constant falling over and holding on to the barrier Downing found he was having immense fun.

Just before the Saturday afternoon session, the Birmingham speed club held a training session run by World Champion and world medallist husband and wife, Leo and Pat Eason. The club had recently taken a number of youngsters under its wing that included the McGrath brothers, Jerry, Mark and Kevin. Downing became aware of the club session and as his confidence on skates grew, he and the Davies brothers asked if they could also attend. This is where Downing’s story really begins.

Twelve months later on 26th June 1976 Downing was entered for his first ever junior race at Tatem Park, London. It was the Ron Hawkes Trophy event, an 800 metre handicap, where off 30 metres Downing would progress through his heat and finish fourth in his first final.

For reasons unknown Downing did not enter the 1000 metre British Championship on Tatem Park on 24th July, but in the very next event, his second race on 29th August, he would win his first gold medal. It was a 1500 metre scratch event at Mallory Park, Leicester and Downing would win just ahead of team-mate Jerry McGrath. McGrath, along with Barry Webb (Alexandra Palace) would become his fiercest rivals as a junior, but Downing was now up and running and medals, including gold medals, came thick and fast.

On 8th May 1977 Downing raced his first junior British Championship, the 500 metres for the Jack Abrey Shield at the Granby Halls, Leicester. He would finish second to McGrath just 0.2 seconds separating the pair. Downing would, however, turn the tables in the 1000 metres. On the large cycle circuit at Southampton Downing would win his first junior British Championship, a little over twelve months since his first competition. Downing was a strong well developed youngster and even at that early age large open tracks like Southampton suited his natural strength and speed.

At that time Downing, by his own admission, always felt a little “guilty” at beating McGrath. He saw McGrath as a skater who worked hard in training and was focused on success, whereas contrastingly Downing was more relaxed about his skating exploits and entered races in those early years with what could then be described as an air on nonchalance. It is difficult to ascertain whether that was because he was successful from the outset or whether it was just in his make-up. Probably a bit of both, but either way Downing was now starting to get be recognised.

By the time the junior Championships came around in 1978 Jerry McGrath had moved into the senior age group. Downing was now junior top dog and with the Championships once more on Southampton it seemed a foregone conclusion that he would bring home both junior titles. He didn’t disappoint.

For some time now the Birmingham club had been training alongside the Mercia club at Granby Halls. Mercia consisted of just a handful of skaters at that time, but they were skaters of renown such as John Fry Senior, John Mullane and John Toy. To be training alongside these guys meant that the Birmingham youngsters developed quickly, both clubs benefitting from each other. Downing’s last race as a junior was 18th November 1978 at the Palm Court inside Alexandra Palace. He always maintained that small tracks were not his forte, but such was his dominance as a junior he still romped home the winner and readied himself for what was to come, the senior ranks.

Downing’s first senior event was a 5000 metres at Granby Halls in February 1979. He would cross the line in eighth place, a fair result for the youngster when you consider the field consisted of the likes of GB internationals Mick McGeough, Pat Feetham, John Fry and John Mullane and a whole host of others knocking on that door, such as Peter Howe, Tony Rhodes and of course, Downing’s team-mate Jerry McGrath. He may not have appeared on the senior scene with a bang, but he certainly wasn’t overshadowed by Britain’s senior elite at that time. And let’s not forget, in 1978 and ‘79 Britain’s senior elite were not only champions of Europe, they were amongst the world’s best!

Having now left school Downing was juggling work with training, but still unable to drive he took to cycling as his mode of transport. His work was some ten miles from where he lived and for anyone who knows Rowley Regis and its surrounding areas, you will know that it is not the flattest. This daily round trip coupled with his four day a week training and Sunday racing was soon starting to pay dividends. On his “off skate” days he would also go out running with his dog. On 11th March 1979, aged just sixteen, Downing would win his first senior gold medal, a 1500 metre handicap at Granby Halls. Off 50 metres Downing finished ahead of Mercia’s John Toy and John Fry Senior. Over the course of the next few months he featured occasionally in the medals, usually in a handicap or as part of a relay team but on 16th June the North London club would hold their famous Invitation Five Mile event on the large Southampton cycle track. Despite the name the actual event was run over 10000 metres and as in previous years, only the top twelve skaters in the country were invited to take part. Downing was thrilled at being considered as good enough to make the grade and stepped onto the track where he had become junior British Champion a year earlier. In the sprint for the finish, he would cross the line in third place behind Mick McGeough (Alexandra Palace) and his team-mate Jerry McGrath. Whilst it was an impressive performance, a little over a month later he would rewrite history.

Before that, however, there was the small matter of the European Track Championships which were to be held in Zandvoorde, Belgium at the end of June. It was no surprise that Downing did not feature in the minds of the selectors. In fact, there were no qualms with the team of Fry, Feetham, Mullane McGeough and a first outing for Jerry McGrath. All with the exception of Mullane who was injured, would return with a medal. In the case of Fry, Feetham and McGeough it would be gold.

The 1979 British Championships were held over the weekend of 28th and 29th July at Southampton. Downing looked forward to these as it was on his favourite track. His new found confidence from the ‘Invite Five’ meant he fancied himself for a medal, but as the first day unfolded he realised that maybe this was not his year. The first race, the 20000 metres, went without incident and he would finish a commendable fifth with Ian Cocks (Portsmouth) showing his own strength and turn of speed to take the victory. Next up was the 500 metres time trial. Again, it was an unremarkable performance failing to break 50 seconds and finishing a full three seconds behind the winner. It was a second victory for Cocks in as many races. The last event, the 5000 metres, didn’t go much better. With Birmingham not fielding a relay team and Downing not entering the Jesson Cup handicap, his day was done.

The following day started with the Northern & Midland Counties Championship. With only Birmingham and Mercia skaters in the line up there were no unknown factors. After all, this group of skaters despite being in separate clubs regularly trained together. Jerry McGrath had fallen and broken his wrist a day earlier but despite there being another two Birmingham skaters in the field it was effectively a Downing versus Mercia race. The result was that Mercia would finish 1-2-3 with the veteran, John Toy, being helped to victory by Fry Senior and Mullane.

The last event, the 10000 metres started without Fry and Mullane and of course the injured Jerry McGrath. The field, however, was still twenty plus strong with the likes of Ian Cocks (Portsmouth), Pat Feetham (Mercia) and Mick McGeough (Alexandra Palace) who had made the distance pretty much his own for the past decade. It was still anybody’s race as the pack entered the last lap of the big 480 metre circuit. As the field spread to race for the line it was a head to head between Downing and McGeough. As they finished, they could not be split and the decision was to declare it a dead heat, the first, and to date only, time a Senior Men’s British Championship was declared as such. The watching crowd were stunned, but none more so than Downing himself. Not only that but Downing had just become the youngest ever senior British Champion aged just 16 years and 226 days. The record was previously set by Denis Hill (Broadway) when he won the One Mile Championship in 1949 aged 17 years 281 days.

Over the course of the next twelve months Downing failed to take another senior gold medal in any race. Despite this he still found himself on the team sheet for the European Track Championships in Spoleto, Italy in June 1980. His first taste of competition in a British shirt produced some decent results. Back then a team consisted of four skaters. Downing’s club mate, Jerry McGrath, was also in the team to make up the fifth man, but McGrath had to withdraw from the competition prior to it starting through illness. This meant that Downing was selected to skate all events, including the relay. Out of the five individual events Downing would have three top ten finishes including a silver medal in the 5000 metres. He would also help the team to a silver medal in the relay. Downing was once asked how he felt about his individual silver medal and this was his response:

“I stood on the rostrum and felt like I didn’t belong here. I knew I wasn’t the second fastest guy on the track and felt like I had got my place by default. Mullane had been asking me to crash in between the four leading Italians for a few laps and I simply couldn’t do it. Every time I dropped down the banking I came back up and ended up in exactly the same place. With a few laps to go Mullane showed me how it should be done. He dropped down the banking and came back up between the Italians causing carnage. I sprinted through the gap and chased after the Italian in front. I was never going to catch him and ended up second. It was a very slippery and smaller than normal banked track and certainly didn’t suit my style of skating so no, when I stood on that rostrum, I felt like it shouldn’t be me”.

A month later and it was the European Road Championships. This time the event was on home soil for the first time since 1938! Downing was again on the team sheet and this was really his chance to shine on his favourite track. He would finish a creditable sixth in the first event, the 500 metres time trial, but it would be his highest placing. He did help the team achieve a bronze medal in the relay, but the reality was that the entire British team had put on a poor show. Not one skater took an individual medal of any colour. It is said that the pressure to perform at home for the first time in over forty years played a significant part. That may well be true but there were also other factors, not least of all that the British team decided they would stick with plastic wheels throughout the Championships. A year earlier the British skaters had introduced the world to urethane and pretty much wiped up at the European Championships in Belgium. Here, though, they believed in sticking with what they knew for Southampton. The rest of the field, and particularly the Italians, had learned from Belgium and switched to urethane. There was a stark difference between the two materials and by the time Britain decided to switch themselves the damage had been done. For all concerned, it was a championships to forget.

On the weekend of 16th and 17th August the British Championships were again held on Southampton. The skaters who had competed in the European Championships in July were still smarting at their own individual performances, or rather lack of. The British Championships were an opportunity to at least exorcise some of those memories.

The first event was the relay. The Birmingham team consisting of Downing and the McGrath brothers, Jerry, Mark and Kevin, came home first just ahead of a Mercia team that consisted of no fewer than three European Champions in the form of Fry Senior, Mullane and Feetham along with new recruit Tony Oulds. It was certainly unexpected if not a coup and set the scene nicely for what was to come. Next up came the 20000 metres. There were no fewer than twenty-seven entries but at the finish Downing was a clear half second ahead of a fast finishing Mick McGeough (Alexandra Palace) and John Fry Senior (Mercia). The final race, the 5000 metres was two heats of fifteen starters. Downing easily qualified for the final but it was Fry who would take the victory with Downing finishing down in fifth place. Whilst the Northern & Midland Counties was scheduled to be run on the first day it was held over to the following day due to time constraints.

The following day started with the 500 metres time trial. It had rained earlier and part of the track was still wet but again, it was Downing who would come out on top, a full second ahead of sprint legend Fry Senior. Ian Cocks (Portsmouth) who Downing had finished more than three seconds behind just a year earlier could only manage third. Downing looked unstoppable.

Next up was the 10000 metres. Downing (and McGeough) was defending his title but as the race unfolded Pat Feetham (Mercia) and Mark McGrath (Birmingham) broke clear of the field. Feetham won just ahead of young McGrath and Downing failed to feature in the medals. The final event was the Northern & Midland Counties Championship held over from the previous day. The race saw the Birmingham and Mercia clubs joined by Leeds for this year’s edition. However, there was not to be a repeat of the previous year as Downing claimed yet another victory. Having not won a gold medal since the British Championships a year earlier he had now won three in one weekend. Four if you include the relay. The weekend well and truly belonged to the Birmingham youngster.

The 1980 World Championships were to be held in Masterton, New Zealand in December and selection was still to be made. When the team was eventually announced it was no surprise that Downing’s name was included. Despite his obvious strength and speed, however, he was only selected to race the track championships, and then in only three of the five events. This was a great disappointment to Downing who felt that he would have fared better on the road. Downing believes that his below par performances on the track sealed his fate for the road selection.

Of the races he competed in he actually put in two top ten performances. With a tenth place in the time trial his highest placing was seventh in the 20000 metres, an event where Mick McGeough would take his first world medal, a bronze. Whilst Downing’s results on paper looked decent, they did not reflect the manner in which they were achieved. By his own admission he did not feel particularly comfortable on the track. Downing was therefore swapped out in favour of Pat Feetham for the road events and had to watch the remainder of the championships as a spectator. Unbeknown to Downing at that time, New Zealand would end up being his one and only shot at a world title.

In September 1980 Downing had secured an overall victory in the Jack Abrey Trophy event at the Moselle Leavers Centre (Somerset Road School) in North London. By the time the 1981 British Championships came around, just like his 1979-80 performances, (barring his Jack Abrey gold), victory in any form had eluded him.

The 1981 British Championships were held early on the weekend of 23rd and 24th May. This time there was also a change of venue. Southampton had been ditched in favour of the cycle track at Palmer Park, Reading for the very first time. The track, whilst the same size as Southampton, had a slightly steeper banking on the bends. Downing believed it still suited his style of skating but his recent form had many people looking at others for the gold medals. More fool them.

As had now been customary for a few years the first event was the relay. The same Birmingham team that had won at Southampton lined up to defend their title, however, this time they were well beaten by the Mercia team of Fry Senior, Mullane, Tony Oulds and Steve Swain. Next was the 20000 metres. With thirty-four entries it was once again a large field. Downing, now eighteen years of age, was looking to retain his title and he did so in a sprint finish where just 0.2 seconds separated first from third. In that one moment any nagging doubts that the watching public, or indeed himself, had about his form were blown away.

The last event of the day was the 5000 metres and as with the 20000 metres earlier, just 0.2 seconds separated first from third. In his second sprint finish of the day Downing added yet another gold medal to his tally.

The second day started with the 500 metres time trial. Unlike Southampton the conditions were dry. Some thought it helped their chances of putting in a decent performance or even victory. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Downing posted a time of 46.15 seconds to take the gold medal, a full two seconds ahead of the next placed skater and setting a new British Record in the process. The final British Championship was the 10000 metres and having won his titles Downing suggested to Jerry McGrath that he would work for him to win a title of his own. Despite being a European silver medallist Jerry still had not won a British title (and incidentally would never do). As the group entered the final straight Downing was well placed and looked behind for his team-mate but unfortunately Jerry was too far back. Mick McGeough (Alexandra Palace) sprinted past and gapped Downing. Realising that Jerry was out of the picture Downing gave chase. As with 1979 it came down to a sprint finish between McGeough and Downing. This time there was no fairy tale ending and no dead heat. Downing was beaten to the gold by just 0.1 seconds preventing the first senior men’s clean sweep in a decade.

The final event, the Northern & Midland Counties Championship, saw Downing retain his title. It was a weekend to remember for Downing, his dominating performance over a single weekend almost unheard of at that time with the class of field on show. He was just eighteen and had already notched up no fewer than six British titles. By contrast in 1981 McGeough was out in front having just notched up his fourteenth title but it had taken him fifteen years to get there. Downing was almost half-way to that number in just three years.

At the meeting of the NSA Council on 8th July it was a foregone conclusion that Downing would be awarded the George Lord Memorial Trophy as the most successful male skater in that year.

In 1981 the world Championships in Belgium were held in August and preceded the European Championships which were to be in Italy in September. Downing was again selected as was his club mates Jerry and Mark McGrath. Pat Feetham, having retired from racing immediately after New Zealand, was now the Team Manager. First up was the road championships and much to everyone’s surprise Downing was left out of the team. On the face of it, it was a huge shock but again Downing, disappointed as he was, accepted the decision without any fuss. That was left to others and none more so than his coach Leo Eason. This is an excerpt of a letter Eason wrote to the Roller Speed Committee immediately after the championships:

“John Downing was not allowed to skate in anything because the Team Manager said he wasn’t fit enough. He was fit enough to be selected by the three selectors when in England and he shouldn’t have been selected in the first place if the Team Manager thought he wasn’t fit enough. He was certainly fitter in Belgium than he was during the trials and training sessions. He was told that because he wasn’t fit enough the Team Manager opted for the experienced skaters, how fit is fit enough??? He was not fit enough to skate for Great Britain after being selected but he was asked to skate for Austria by Feetham (presumably in the relay), a request he refused!”

Eason always maintained that Feetham had favoured his former Mercia team-mates, Fry Senior and Mullane, over the Birmingham skaters and that it was favouritism on the Team Manager’s part. As one would expect Feetham maintains that his decision was based purely on fitness and selecting the best team to do a job. This is what Feetham had to say about the matter:

“John let me down fitness wise in Zandvoorde. Maybe he had overtrained but there was no fitness or fight there [during the training sessions]. I’d also changed the game by selecting specialist sprinters…but could not select John on his showing. Leuven was on an incline so was tough for him with a reverse camber on the bottom bend. Horses for courses. He flowed on circuits like Southampton but really wasn’t showing on ‘grafter’ circuits”.

On his return he once again won the Jack Abrey Trophy on points as he had done twelve months earlier. As with 1980 this was to be his only other domestic gold medal barring British Championships. Not only would it be his last domestic medal of any colour it would also be his last ever domestic race.

Despite his set back at the World Championships, Downing was once again selected to compete in the European Championships in Italy. This time he did skate. First on the track in Pineto where he helped Britain to another silver medal in the relay, and then on the road in Montesilvano, but here a medal would escape him.

Downing returned from Italy and pondered what to do next. In his head he was adamant that without a proper banked track in England, moreover Birmingham, his efforts at trying for a world title would always come up short (he didn’t consider Tatem Park as suitable for his needs). He also recognised that finding suitable road circuits on which to train was also problematic. Downing had been having thoughts about stopping for some time. For whatever reason, possibly because he still hadn’t learned to drive, he had found himself training alone more and more. Granby Halls was no longer used and the days of training with Mercia had long since stopped. He very much wanted to be part of a team and as time wore on he felt more and more isolated. One day he simply just didn’t turn up for training, and that was it. He was still to reach his nineteenth birthday.

Ironically, just two years later the 200 metre banked track at Birmingham Wheels was built but Downing had moved on. He had met his future wife shortly after giving up skating and by the time Birmingham Wheels was built, he was married. Any thoughts of restarting his racing career were not on any of his agendas and John Downing disappeared from the sport in all but the history books.

More than four decades later he now admits he may have stopped too soon and regrets that decision.  Not least of all because he feels that his stopping was the catalyst for the likes of Jerry and Mark McGrath calling it a day soon after. Whether that is true or not, it is certainly how he has felt and looked at it in the intervening years. Maybe there were other options he could have explored, but he recognises that that ship sailed a very long time ago. He had made his bed.

For all his success John Downing is one of the most modest and humble of skaters to have ever carried the title “Champion”. In fact, he was more embarrassed by his successes than he was euphoric. In a perverse way his success, certainly domestically, was a burden to him. He always wanted to be in a team and despite his efforts, for whatever reason he simply could not help his club mates taste the same glories that he was experiencing. Using his words “…taking home trophies in someone else’s car made me feel guilty not necessarily happy”.

John Downing’s skating career came and went in the blink of an eye but in that short space of time he proved himself to be an enigma. He will tell you that he always thought that the likes of Mick McGeough, John Fry Senior, Pat Feetham and John Mullane were icons (his words) and was in awe of how they could work together and share the spoils. In his eyes they were at a level that he could only aspire to. But ask those four legends which skater they were most afraid of domestically in 1980 and 81 when they were at the top of their own game, and it is with an almost certainty that John Downing’s name will top all of their lists.