Tributes paid after death of sporting legend Allan, 96

A useful footballer when he was younger, he played in three finals of the long-running charity competition, the JW Hunt Cup. He was its oldest surviving former finalist.

Born in Wolverhampton, Allan only ended his athletics career when he broke his hip when refereeing a football match aged 79. He lived for many years in Yew Tree Lane, Tettenhall, having previously lived at Birches Bridge. He died at the Hampton Court care home, in Bilston.

A keen athlete from his early days. he raced at 400 metres as well as the two sprints, first joining Wolverhampton Harriers in 1941.

He competed in the first meeting at the Cosford RAF indoor track in 1955, winning the 60 yards sprint, and also at its last meeting in 1993 when he was again a winner. Cosford fell out of use nationally with the advent of the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

In that final meeting, Allan won three races in the 65-70 age group. Allan still held British veterans records for the 100 and 200 metres over-75 age group.

Allan had in fact run at Cosford before the advent of the indoor arena. He recalled in an interview a few years ago: “Around 1951, 1952 Bill Marlow and I used to run at Cosford on the concrete floor which we marked out with chalk. Bill was a schoolteacher in Wednesfield and went on to become one of the head coaches for what in those days was the Amateur Athletics Association.

“Things developed and later on we put up a circular track by using scaffolding planks, and then it developed into a proper track.”

During the war Allan served in the Army as a military policeman, then after national service resumed his running career, switching to Birchfield Harriers, who later made him a life member.

When he got to the veteran stage, Allan raced in Masters events for over-55s in such places as Japan, USA, Canada, Australia and Puerto Rico as well as many European countries. In all he won seven world titles and nine European.

After his competitive days were over, he coached at local schools for many years, particularly at St Edmund’s School in Wolverhampton. He became a referee late in life and took charge of many schools matches and games in local leagues.

Allan was at Molineux when the JW Hunt Cup opened its permanent exhibition in the Steve Bull Stand. He had played in the cup for Marandola and Stafford Road Railway Works in the 1950s.

Hunt Cup president Alex Hamil said: “Allan was a great supporter of our competition, and we have been fortunate over the years to have people like him to support us.”

All proceeds from the competition go to the Beacon Centre for the Blind.

Peter Holmes, chairman of the Wolverhampton Sports Advisory Council, said Allan was inducted into the city’s Sporting Hall of Fame in the early 1980s. He added: “Allan Meddings was one of Wolverhampton’s great sporting icons. Apart from his own achievements he took great satisfaction in encouraging young athletes.”

Born in Burleigh Road, Wolverhampton, Allan was one of four brothers, all keen footballers. Allan’s son Simon said: “Dad was sports mad and he was refereeing at the Wolves Academy when he had his fall. I think it was only then they realised his age.

“He was still going down to Aldersley Stadium until a couple of years ago and even did some sprints to keep himself fit. He only stopped driving two years ago.” Simon said his dad led a full life and added that it was a proud moment when Allan’s career was honoured with induction into the Wolverhampton Sporting Hall of Fame.

Simon said that after working at Stafford Road Railway Works, Allan worked in the commercial motor trade and eventually became a director of York Trailers, based in Cannock.

Allan, whose wife Hilda died last year, is survived by his daughter Lynne, as well as Simon, four grandchildren and a grandson.