CORBY AC
THE STEEL-PRODUCING TOWN HAS BEEN CHURNING OUT WORLDCLASS TALENT FOR OVER THREE DECADES, WRITES RUTH JONES
CLUB NIGHT
The early days
Corby AC was formed by coaches John Montgomery and Charles McConnell and membership secretary Ian White. This followed a period when the previous set-up in the town, led by Montgomery – then the club’s 18-year-old secretary – decided to join up with neighbouring Kettering Harriers when there were insufficient numbers to maintain a full-time club.
Over the years, the club has produced some athletics greats including 1989 European junior high jump champion Brendan Reilly, who went on to compete in the Olympics, the world and European championships as well as the Commonwealth Games; three-time world championship 110m hurdles finalist and 2010 Commonwealth silver medallist Will Sharman; middle-distance specialist Karen Cudby, who competed indoors in Europe and at world level; last year’s Euro indoor 60m hurdles runner-up Lucy Hatton; world cross country championships competitor Martyn Green; club pole vault record-holder Mark Davies, who competed at the World Juniors in the 1990s; and European junior discus finalist Jamie Murphy.