HISTORY OF BRITISH GYMNASTICS

The AGA headquarters move back to London and Charles West becomes the Honorary Secretary for the next 20 years – seemingly keeps the association going from 1910 – 1930.

Charles West honorary secretary of the AGA. Photo courtesy John West & ADTRV videos.

Leading up to the war, men’s gymnastics carries on with their programme of English Championships and the Adam Shield.

Adam Shield poster 1933

Men’s Amateur Gymnastics Championships of England Programme 1935

First residential gymnastic course Bisham Abbey which continued for 15 years.

Photo shows Bisham Abbey course circa 1957

British team train at Bisham Abbey prior to 1952 Olympics Helsinki.

A Welsh team attend the 1st ever Gymnaestrada in Rotterdam.
GB V Germany at Harringay Arena North London (the event was a financial disaster).

Frank Edmonds becomes honorary secretary of the AGA from his home in London.

Frank Edmonds, President of British Gymnastics with Max Bangerter, Secretary General of the FIG.

Evidence of coaching examinations taking place, in this case for Intermediate Diploma in Coaching awarded by the Amateur Gymnastics Association.

A Welsh team takes part in the Gymnaestrada in Zagreb.

Championships of North West Europe held at Nottingham Ice Rink (the event is another financial disaster).

The Gymnast magazine is re-introduced. The editor is Jim Prestidge.

1st British Championships held at a major venue, The Royal Albert Hall. The event is over subscribed with an audience of 6,000 plus standing room. This event continued until 1971, before changing to the Champions Cup which continued in the Albert Hall until 1974 by which time the venue had really become unsuitable for such an event.

British Championships for Men’s trampoline took place at the Albert Hall along with MA & WA.

Proficiency Award Scheme set up. 1,000 gymnasts participate but only 60 schools participate.

First time GB has entered the European Championships women, held in Leipzig East Germany.

GB is represented at the Gymnaestrada in Stuttgart by a Welsh team, Fulwell School (Monica Rutherford’s school), Bexley Girls Gym Club and Openshaw Technical School Manchester.

700 people subscribe to The Gymnast magazine.

Women trampolinists  take part in British Championships at the Albert Hall.

The Amateur Gymnastics Association which was seen as the governing body for the UK becomes the British Amateur Gymnastics Association.

Regional boundaries are re-drawn inline with the Central Council for Physical Recreation.

400 gymnasts from all parts of the country take part at the Vienna Gymnaestrada.

The Perfectionists Visit by Soviet Gymnasts takes place at the Crystal Palace. BBC film the event.

A large British team takes part at the Basle Gymnaestrada.

Gymnaestrada Basle 1969

English Schools team at the Gymnaestrada Basle

The first Champions All event is held at Fairfield Hall  Croydon.

The first National Judges Women’s Artistic gymnastic course is held, course and examination for Area and National; judges.

Gymnastics for Youth, a national boys course takes place at Luton Youth Centre bringing together leading men’s coaches as well as gymnasts.

First National Conference takes place involving Board of Control members, regional secretaries and members of the technical committees.

Girls 3 year Plan has to be divided into North and South to cope with the demand. Record entry of 300 gymnasts.

Reports of club membership averages between 30 – 100 members.

BAGA membership fees amount to £677,16 and affiliation fees £12,500.

Men’s Artistic Judging course and examination held.

Champions All Event is held at Fairfield Halls. Because of the constraints of the venue vault was omitted from men’s and women’s programmes.

The British Championships Men & Women is held at Darlington. Room for 300 spectators only. The event at the Albert Hall is now the Champions Cup. 

A record entry of 470 girls take part in the 3 Year programme of set exercises introduced by the Women’s Technical Committee in 1969.

The 9^th European Championships for Women are held at the Empire Pool Wembley. It’s a sell out.

3 National Coaches appointed. John Atkinson, Mick Haynes and Margaret Tipping.

Photo shows John Atkinson with Jeff Davis and Mitch Fenner

Tony Murudock is appointed to the new post of Director of Development.

Russian displays held  at the Empire Pool.

300 girl gymnasts attend a residential schoolgirls’ course at the Sobell Centre Islington London. Gymnasts were accommodated at Goldsmith College South London. 6 sets of apparatus were set up in the venue.

The Boys 5 Year Plan is introduced.

1^st World Cup event held at Wembley Empire Pool. This is the famous event where the Asymmetric bars collapsed as Ludmilla Tourischeva finished her exercise. 

The Bars famously collapse at the end of Tourischeva’s bar routine

1975 Ludmilla Tourischeva and Nikolai Andrianov win first World Cup held in London

1^st assistant National Coaches Conference for men held at Lilleshall.

Carl Dodd & Susan Cheesebrough are first ever Russian Scholarship winners

First Coca Cola International held at Brighton in December.

1st Coca Cola Champs Brighton 1977

The first pits appear in UK clubs.

Annette Stapleton becomes Women’s Director of National Training.

Leeds Athletic Institute win Adam Shield (British Team Championship) with disabled team member Jim Brogan.

Jim Brogan member of Leeds Adam Shield winners 1977

Over 2 million Sunday Times Award scheme badges issued. Including growth in the number of disabled children taking part.

2,000,000 Sunday Times Gymnastics Award Scheme badges

Entries to the Girls NDP competitions has grown 6 fold which would mean 1,800 gymnasts.

BAGA membership has grown 6 fold.

Number of gymnasts in the London area has been estimated to have risen from 1500 in 1967 to 8000.

Administration of Women’s coaching awards are centralized at Lilleshall following a national workshop for coaching examiners. In a year the number of coaches double. A list of recognized examiners set up. (Prior to this coach examination could be done at a national course or done within the regions but by asking another coach of a higher level to examine the candidates)

Lilleshall National Sports Centre

Obligatory individual gymnast membership introduced. All affiliated clubs had to register all individual members. Made a huge change to the finances of the BAGA.  A national insurance scheme was introduced (approx. year 1980).