THE BAMPTON WEIGHTLIFTING CLUB
Founded 1956 by its members, for the members to run. The Bampton Weightlifting Club has an extra ordinary history even more exciting than the story of Cinderella. In 1956 there were only a very few Sports Clubs operating in Bampton. The Scouts, Boxing, Bowls and the Youth Clubs had folded with the Cricket and Tennis soon to follow. A Badminton club had just started, apart from the Football club there was very little for young people to do. Our founder Don Rouse a keen sportsman whose Father had just taken on the tenancy of a new Farm, found that the demands of Farming cut across any chances of him participating in weekend sports. Don had already started Weightlifting using two buckets of water on the ends of a Broomstick to create a barbell. When a Bampton friend of his regaled him with a story of a work colleague, Brian Crewe who could perform great acts of strength which were obtained through serious Weight Training. Don was extremely impressed with what this character could achieve and a meeting between the two was arranged. The well-equipped Weight Training Gym was situated in a loft at the back of a Pub in Faringdon. The two of them gelled well with Brian designing a work programme for Don to follow. This progressed to them visiting the well-established Witney Weightlifting Club to learn all about the intricacies of the Sport of Weightlifting. It wasn’t long before word got around Bampton as to what was happening on Don’s farm and in no time at all there was a lot of youngsters wanting to improve themselves both Strength wise and Physical stature. Don’s father Reg Rouse came to their rescue with the offer of a bigger Chicken House to convert into a Gymnasium for them to use. All the lads were so grateful that the following summer they all offered to help on the Farm with the Harvest, free of charge, what you might call a typical Bampton gesture ‘You helped us, we will help you’! The enthusiasm that these youngsters had was tremendous; well, what else was there for them to do? They soon started entering local weightlifting competitions with an increasing amount of success. Every success had a good write-up in the local newspapers which increased the local interest in this new phenomenon. The Club entered different Carnivals and Fetes in the area putting on weightlifting competitions with Don doing ‘Strong Man’ acts like breaking a six-inch nail in 20 seconds as Brian had taught him. By 1965, just 9 years after their humble ‘Chicken House’ start in Bampton and Reg Rouse re-housing them in the ‘Old School’ at his new farm in Lew. The club had achieved great fame. Alan Winterbourne winning his first of many British Titles. Nigel Chivers breaking two British Records and club members winning every class in the South Midland Championships that they entered. So great was the clubs’ performances from such a little place that the National Television Company of A.T.V. actually came to the Gym at Lew to do a 30-minute programme on the club. The euphoria that all this created meant that Lifters and Clubs from all over the country wanted to compete with us as well as join in our activities. One lad came all the way from the Isle of Jersey to live here and train with high quality lifters. Another came from Bletchley, set up a Tent in a field at Lew as his accommodation and trained with us for over a year, even representing us on a trip to Holland. Being so popular with the younger groups of lifters meant that we were in the perfect position to promote the first ever British Schoolboy Championships. The first one was in co-operation with the Empire Club of Bristol as they were of a similar standard to Bampton. These were unofficial championships as we were trying to persuade the authorities of the needs of the Schoolboys. Our action achieved what we set out to do. The next year the national authorities invited us to run the first ever Official British Schoolboy Championships in Oxford. The Club has produced many British Champions in both the Olympics’ and Power lifting. With many famous people gracing our lifting Platforms. Our top lifter being Alan Winterbourne who joined the club as a 13-year-old and went on to represent Great Britain in the Montreal and Moscow Olympics. Since moving back to Bampton where our local Council have been extremely helpful in rehousing us with a brand-new Gymnasium, we have had to alter our format and changed our abilities. We now cater for a much wider range of training and the facilities have improved tremendously, which is all positive. The only negative is that we can no longer cater with Olympic Lifting as we do not have the room. We still arrange weightlifting competitions which enables us to maintain the camaraderie and fun achieved from lifting. The new facilities mean that we now accommodate both Ladies as well as Men. What hasn’t changed is the warm welcome that awaits newcomers to the Club room that is conveniently situated close to the Town Centre. The club facilities are available from 6.00am till 10.00pm. Extremely suitable for shift workers.
Notable BWC Dates/Events.
1956 - BWC is founded by Don Rouse.
1962 -Winners of the Baxters Trophy - Team of three.
1 winner & 1 runner up at the South Midland Championships.
Beat Bristol weightlifting Club 2-1 - home and away.
1963 -Winners of the Baxters Trophy - Team of Three.
Four Jnr & three Snr Winners - South Midlands.
Three Strength set champions - South Midlands.
Beat Bristol Weightlifting Club 2-1 - The first public Comp in Bampton.
BWC first competition in Holland - Lost.
BWC's First Club Dinner.
1964 - Club Badge approved.
Competed against Birmingham weightlifting, Lost 3-0 & 2-1.
Won 1st & 2nd Division - South Midlands.
Winner of the Baxters Trophy.
winning every class at the South Midlands Championships.
Five BWC lifter broke South Midlands records.
Alan Winterbourne wins the All Midland championships.
Nigel chivers - R/U All Midlands.
BWC beats Bristol and St Albans.
1965 - Alan Winterbourne becomes British Jnr Champion.
Nigel Chivers sets two new British Records.
BWC on six minute TV Show - National TV.
Baxter Trophy winners.
Five lifters set new South Midlands records.
A Winterbourne & C Fitzgerald got scholarships to British Jnr Training camp.
BWC beat Northampton.
1966 - BWC beat Bristol and Boreham Wood.
A Winterbourne competes in his first international against France.
Baxter Trophy.
Five titles won in the South Midlands division.
Don Rouse appears on the front cover of Strength Athlete - the official national magazine.
1967 - A Winterbourne voted best lifter at the nationals.
D Rouse & M Cox become official referees.
A Winterbourne represents GB against Spain & Sweden.
1968 - P Brunt & A Winterbourne represent Great Britain.
Formation of the Lew Ladies - Fundraising team.
1969 - Winners in three divisions at the south midland champs and Baxter Trophy.
A Winterbourne becomes British Champion.
P Brunt awarded Most improved British Jnr lifter.
C Winterbourne & G Gough - National Schoolboys.
Club fees increase to £1 - 3 months.
1970 - C Winterbourne & G Gough - National Schoolboys.
Baxter Trophy 1 & 2 division winners.
Beat Bristol.
1971 - Baxter Trophy 1, 2 & 3 Division winners - Unbeaten in division 1 for 11 years.
A Winterbourne - British Champion.
C Winterbourne wins British Jnr Championship at featherweight.
B Willoughby wins the Marlborough Tankard in the South Midland Power set comp.
Five club members in the county team beat LKV Leiden in Holland.
1972 - A Winterbourne British Champion at Lightweight
C Winterbourne South midland champ in weightlifting and Power set.
B Willoughby South Midland Power set winner.
1973 - B Willoughby South Midland Power set winner.
A Winterbourne chosen for the British Team for the Commonwealth Games New Zealand.
Garry Langford British Jnr & English Native.
BWC beats Bristol and Guys Marsh Borstal.
1974 - C Winterbourne becomes British Champion and competes in his first international V Spain.
A Winterbourne becomes British Champion and international competition's in Denmark and Italy.
Lost against Sunbury and North West Counties.
A Winterbourne competes at the World Championships in the Philippines
Baxter Trophy and South Midland 1st Division winners.
1975 - A Winterbourne c & j British Record.
Seven Club cups awarded at the annual dinner.
1976 - A Winterbourne - English champion, Olympic games at Montreal and represented GB in China.
C winterbourne all Midlands and qualified for the British team under 23.
Club disco held to raise funds.
1977 - A Winterbourne English title for the 8th time, 3x silver Medals and EEC Champs.
A Winterbourne, C Winterbourne and G Langford compete in Bulgaria - Commonwealth Games.
2003- Brian Greenhalgh competed in and won the EFBB Portsmouth.
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