Report by Tom Gayle

Despite an outstanding all round team display City of Stoke will go into the final Division 3 fixture still unsure of their British League future. In hindsight dropped points in the high jump and pole vault cost the team dearly as in the end we were frustratingly just 10 points shy of 4^th placed Crawley AC. On a whole though those who were present at Abingdon each gave their absolute all and I was proud to be their team manager for the day as stand in for Steve Shubotham. 

The star of the show from the club perspective was 28 year old Sam Bishop who helped supply the team with mammoth 46 points, with two events in particular in which he stood out. First event of the day was the long jump and Bishop got the club off to a phenomenal start with an outstanding performance as he scooped victory in a new personal best of 7.08. Later the Anthony Brannen coached decathlete beat all comers aside from British Olympic representative Nick Buckfield (Crawley A.C) in the Pole Vault. In an event in which he self confessed he has been struggling with of late he recorded a new personal best of 4.30. 

Fellow decathlete James Dohnal had an equally busy afternoon in he helped provide 38 points. Feeding of the buzz of training partners Bishops final round jump of 7 metre plus jump, Dohnal responded with by equalling his personal best of exactly 6.61 to take second in the B string. Later on he went one better in the B string as he cruised to victory in a new personal best of 15.6 which is even more impressive considering he gone straight from the high jump to the long jump, and the hurdles, for which he had just 5 minutes preparation. 

Invaluable points came from the throwing circle as Gregg Nixon, and Morris Fox, who was nursing a bad ankle, showed great versatility with quality performances in the hammer, shot and discus. Out of the maximum possible 84 points on offer in those three events Nixon and Fox collected a remarkable 66. 

With the clubs number one sprinter Steve Butterfield currently sidelined with injury 17 year old Rob Black performed was elevated to the A string and performer well along side two season bests from Richard Porter. Unfortunately due to high standard of sprinting on show at Abingdon (winning times in both the 100m races were won in 10.7, and 21.5 and 21.7 respectively in the 200m) neither was able to make a heavy impact. 

In the distance events Andy Prophett and Carl Shubotham tackled the notorious 800 and 1500m double. Both were edged into fourth in the tactical 800m races, while in the 1500m, Shubotham collected the better result as he took second in the B string. In the longer races 18 year old Damion Gallagher was just outside his personal best in taking 5^th in a swift 5000m race where the first two went under 15minutes, with training partner Danny Barker, making his B.A.L 5000m debut, supporting well with 3^rd in the B. Finally over the steeple barriers Steve Bazell was the first Stoke A.C athlete home in seasons best time of 10.05, with Gavin Walters placing 3^rd in the B. 

The meeting also saw the return of former Stoke AC starlet, Great Britain Junior 400m representative and English Schools pole vault medallist Andrew Corey. After five years away from the sport and coming into the weekend with just one training session behind him he admirably, after a bit of my persuading on my behalf donned his running kit again and towed the line for the club and was thrown in at the deep end with the A string 400m. Astonishingly he circuited the track in 51.7 seconds. His performance was even more valued as despite his lack of training he was willing to contest the A string, allowing 16 year old Liam Tracey, one of the stars of George Coopers Young Athletes team, to make his senior men’s debut and not be out of his depth in the B string. While he may have been disappointed with his position, glimmers of the Corey of old were shown in the opening leg of the 4x400m relay and I sincerely hope this is the just the start of the comeback from a great athlete.

Eventually, despite their endeavours the team will now need to do even better of in the final fixture on August 4^th to guarantee their British League status for next season. I am sure though that with the same team spirit and a little more luck the club will successfully perform their own version of the great escape. 

Stoke AC Results:  Full results

Match Result

1. Notts AC 344

2. Kingston & Polytechnic 327

3. Basingstoke & Mid-Hants 305

4. Crawley A.C 272

5. Medway & Maidstone 267

6. City of Stoke A.C 262

7. Team Southampton 234

8. Rugby & Northampton 170