NATIONAL CHAMP OF YESTERYEAR
ALAN PERKINS WENT FROM SMOKING 20 CIGARETTES A DAY TO WINNING THE 1958 NATIONAL CROSS TITLE
ALASTAIR AITKEN
UNLESS you are part of the older athletics fraternity in Essex, Alan Perkins is not a very well known name.
Perhaps this is possibly due to his family connections. His first wife Phyllis Perkins (née Green) competed in the 1960 Olympics, European and Commonwealth Games and held the world record for 3000m of 10:55.2 – a time she set in 1956.
His brother, David, had a daughter, Jackie Perkins, who won the Australian Championships over 3000m several times in the 1980s, held several Australian records and competed in the 3000m at the 1988 Olympics.
So what made me feel like going to Rochford in the depths of Essex to interview the sprightly 86-year-old?
The reason is that Alan Perkins was a hugely successful athlete himself and one of those successes was winning the National cross country title at Birkenhead in 1958.
Alan Perkins on the cover of AW with Basil Heatley
The race took place over nine miles at Arrowe Park and the results were: 1 Alan Perkins (Ilford AC) 48:51; 2 Frank Sando (Aylesford Paper Mills) 48:56; 3 Mick Firth (South London Harriers) 49:02; 4 Basil Heatley (Coventry Godiva) 49:02; 5 John Merriman (Watford Harriers) 39:05, 6 Mike Maynard (HHH) 49:18; 6 Peter Driver (SLH), while further behind were Olympic steeplechaser Eric Shirley, Martin Hyman, Gordon Pirie and Ken Norris.