Sutton & District AC partnership
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In partnership with Belgrave Harriers
About Sutton & District AC
The club was formed in 1985 when Sutton & Cheam Harriers, who were based at the football ground in Gander Green Lane, merged with Mitcham Athletic Club who were originally based at the News of the World sports ground in Mitcham and had themselves moved to Rose Hill in 1960.
The club was named Sutton & District for two reasons. Firstly, Mitcham was outside of the London Borough of Sutton, whereas Sutton & Cheam Harriers were inside the borough. Secondly, there was already a Sutton Athletic Club in St. Helen’s in the North of England.
The Friends of Sutton were formed as a fund raising team and raised money to have the track rebuilt to its present form; originally it was sited the other way round.
The present wonderful building and facilities were first dreamed up over twenty years ago. Years of meticulous planning, endless meetings and failed starts resulted in the centre being opened in February 2003 by Colin Jackson. John Vernon, Paul Ellis and Brian Hewson worked tirelessly for many years to get the dream off the ground.
The London Marathon Trust, Sport England and Sutton Council all contributed large sums of money towards the project. Sutton & District AC raised many thousands of pounds as a contribution but the National Lottery provided the main financial support, hence the building is multi-purpose and not just athletic based. It is the only track in Europe to boast a 60 metre running track on the first floor.
President of Sutton & District AC is Brian Hewson who competed in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics Games at 800 metres, and was European 1500 metre champion and British Record holder in 1958.
The club’s Chairman is Jack Fitzgerald – in his eighties and still race walking!
John Vernon is the Vice Chairman. John represented Great Britain and England on numerous occasions as a triple jumper. He is one of the foremost jumps coaches in the UK and is the Performance Director of the AAA of England.
– Alyson Euridge, General Secretary
Sutton & District Athletic Club
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.