Allworthy Cup

First raced for: 1931 (although winners from 1924-1930 also engraved)

Last raced for: Current trophy

1931-1970       Men’s Half Mile Championship (not held 1940-1945)

1971-1972       Men’s 800m Championship (not held 1972)

1973                Men’s 1000m Championship

1974                Men’s 800m Championship

1975-1976       Men’s 1000m Championship

1977-1982       Men’s 500m TT Championship

1983-2003       Men’s 300m TT Championship

2004-2014       Men’s 200m TT (even years) & 300m TT (odd years) Championship

2015-2017       Men’s 300m TT Championship

2018                Men’s 1 Lap Flying (Dobbin) Sprint TT Championship

2019-2020       Men’s 300m TT Championship (not held 2020 – Covid 19)

2021-Current  Men’s 200m TT Championship

Thomas Walter Charles Allworthy was born on the 4^th December 1885, the son of a pawnbroker who plied his trade at 127 King’s Cross Road. It was a fairly lucrative establishment and his father employed not only assistants but general servants to support the household. When his father died Allworthy took over the management of the business.

On 9^th December 1915, a few days after his 30^th birthday, Allworthy enlisted for the army. The war was in full swing in Europe and he was posted to the Army Services Corps. Unlike many others, he survived and by 1919 he was living in Tollington Park, just a few miles from the Alexandra Palace.

In 1925 Allworthy set up a business, Theatrical Publications Limited. He was already a director of the Wyvern Press and by 1927 he had met and married Eveleen Dillon, with whom he had two daughters. Quite what Allworthy’s connection was with roller skating at that point in time is not clear, but we do know that on 13^th September 1929 he is co-opted on to the Roller Committee. This committee existed at that time to be the over-arching body for roller speed and artistic (figure and dance as it was known). A year later, on 23^rd September 1930 he was appointed Chairman, a post he held up until around May 1931.

At the meeting of the Roller Committee on 11^th December 1930 it was reported that Allworthy had donated a trophy for the Men’s Half Mile Championship (now the Men’s Time Trial Championship). This is how the minutes of that meeting were recorded:

The first recipient of the trophy was Joe Weatherburn (Aldwych) when he secured the Half Mile title on 14^th February 1931 at the Leicester Boulevard rink. Fittingly the trophy and medals were presented by Allworthy’s wife, Eveleen.

The trophy, itself, is a bit of a conundrum as it also has engraved the previous winners of the Half Mile Championship since the event was inaugurated in 1924. The popular belief is that these names were added retrospectively.

Some historical records suggest that between 1921 and 1923 an Allworthy Cup was presented to the winner of the Half Mile Southern Counties Championship. Other than old NSA handbooks from the 1950’s and ‘60’s no other written evidence (or indeed cup!) can be found to corroborate this. The most likely scenario is that the Half Mile Southern Counties (only held between 1921 and 1923) did transition into the Half Mile British Championship (first held 1924), but the original suggestion that the Allworthy Cup was also part of this transition is not now believed to be the case. It is now thought that the cup was new at its introduction in 1931.

Throughout 1931 and 1932 Allworthy was also present on the ice speed and roller figure and dance committees (donating trophies to each of these disciplines), but shortly after this period his association with any form of skating appears to have ceased. Again, it is unclear why, but the likelihood is that he moved out of central London. We know that by 1936 he was living in Beckenham and by 1939 had set up his own business as a newsagent in the High Street of Chalfont St. Giles, Amersham.

Thomas Allworthy died in July 1973 aged 86. His personal involvement in the sport of roller speed skating, whilst relatively short, saw him reach the very top of its administration as Chairman of the Roller Committee. Despite his tenure being just a few short years, his name still lives on in the form of a trophy that has since been won by countless legends of the sport.

SOME PREVIOUS WINNERS

INTERESTING FACTS

• The highest number of recorded entries for a single event was 87 in 1951.

• The first person to win it three times in a row was Eddie Stumbke (Alexandra Palace) in 1932, 33 and 34. The story goes that he was promised by George Lord that if he won it for a third consecutive time he could keep the trophy. After doing so, Lord disputed that he ever said that. Stumbke believing Lord to have renegued on his statement refused to race in the competition again.

• The record for the most consecutive victories is FIVE won by Vincent Henry (Birmingham Wheels) between 2004 and 2008.

• Vincent Henry also holds the record for the most number of wins with TWELVE between 2004 and 2021.

• Although Joe Weatherburn (Aldwych) is believed to be the first recipient in 1931 the names of the previous seven winners of the Half Mile Championship since it came into being in 1924 are also engraved on the band.

  
  

ERRORS AND OMISSIONS

• The winner for 1964 incorrectly says Ricky May. May only won one British title, that being the One Mile in 1965. The actual 1964 winner was Les Woodley.

• The winner for 1975 incorrectly says Bobby Smith. Smith did not win a title in 1975. The actual 1975 winner was John E. Fry

• Engraving omissions:

  • 1977    John E. Fry

  • 1992    Sutton Atkins

  • 1993    Errol Spence

  • 1994    Ian Ashby

  • 1995    Adrian Wordsworth

CHARACTERISTICS

Engraved as follows:

Presented by

T.W.C.Allworthy Esq.

to the

National Skating Association

Challenge Trophy

For the

Half Mile Amateur Roller Championship

of

Great Britain

• Height – 365mm to top of handles (with base) – 225mm (without base)

• Width – 290mm across handles

• Cup diameter – 175mm

• Base diameter – 210mm