Papers of Joe W. Percy

Personal papers compiled by the athlete and athletics administrator Joe Percy. The collection includes a substantial number of athletics programmes, many focusing on events held in Yorkshire. There are also results; fixture lists; a large number of publications created by various athletics organisations and clubs; and personalia. There is significant material relating to Percy's association with, and service to, Longwood Harriers Athletic Club; Huddersfield and District Cross-Country Association; Bradford and District Cross-Country Association; Halifax and District Cross-Country Association; the English Cross-Country Union; the Yorkshire Cross-Country Association; and the Northern Cross-Country Association.

Taken as a whole the collection is a valuable research tool for athletics historians, especially those with an interest in the history and development of athletics in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire.

The personal papers of George Adam also include material relating to athletics in northern England, specifically Yorkshire, during much of the 20th century. See: ATH/GA

Joe Percy was born in Halifax in 1912, the son of Albert Edward Percy and Carrie (nee Shaw). He was associated with athletics in Yorkshire, especially in Huddersfield and the surrounding area, throughout much of his life. He was a dedicated runner and was associated with Longwood Harriers from October 1929 until his death. He wrote a book to mark Longwood's centenary in 1988, charting the highs and lows of the club throughout much of the 20th century. His passion was cross-country running and he was ever present at local, regional and national meetings. He was a member of the junior team who at one time won the Huddersfield and District Championships and the Halifax and District Championships in 1932-33 and 1933-34. He was a member of the senior team which finished second to Slaithwaite Harriers in the 1934-1935, 1935-1936 and 1936-1937 seasons.

Joe Percy held various administrative offices during his athletics career including:
President of the English Cross-Country Union, 1989-1990;
Chairman of Northern Counties Cross-Country Association Centenary Committee, 1980-1983;
President of Longwood Harriers Athletic Club, 1958-1972;
President of the Yorkshire Cross-Country Association, 1968-1969 and 1988-1989;
President of the Northern Cross-Country Association, 1980-1981;
President of the Halifax and District Cross-Country Association, 1975-1982;
President of the Northern Counties Athletic Association, 1986-1987.

He married Molly Brook in Huddersfield in 1938. The couple had three daughters: Joan (b 1940), Barbara (b 1942) and Sheila (b 1949). Joe Percy died in 2001.

Sources: papers of Joe W. Percy; Longwood Harriers website accessed 18 December 2014 from http://www.longwoodhac.org.uk/Joe_Percy_10K.html; Free BMD website accessed 18 December 2014 from: http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl; a history of Longwood Harriers by J. W. Percy, finding number: ATH/Z/5/86

These papers have been arranged into the following 6 series:

athletics programmes and related ephemera;
results;
fixture lists;
material relating to specific athletics organisations;
publications collected by Joe Percy;
personalia

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Deposited by Joe Percy, per Mr John Temperton (North-East Athletics Office), 30 June 1998

Other archive collections, formerly held as part of the National Centre for Athletics Literature (NCAL), are catalogued as collections distinct from this collection. They comprise both institutional archives and collections of personal papers of athletes, athletics administrators, journalists and others associated with the athletics world.

Catalogues of the institutional archives available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1880-1992. Finding No: ATH/AAA;
English Cross-Country Union: papers, 1911-1989. Finding No: ATH/ECCU;
Midland Counties Amateur Athletics Association: papers, 1900-1991. Finding No: ATH/MCAAA;
Midland Counties Cross Country Association: papers, 1898-1985. Finding No: ATH/MCCCA;
Midland Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1949-[1980s]. Finding No: ATH/MCWAAA;
Northern Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1933-1989. Finding No: ATH/NCWAAA;
Northern Cross-Country Association: papers, 1906-1983. Finding No: ATH/NCCA;
Northern Women's Track and Field League: papers, 1982-1983. Finding No: ATH/NWTFL;
Southern Counties Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1958-1983. Finding No: ATH/SCAAA;
Southern Counties Cross-Country Association: papers, 1911-1990. Find No: ATH/SCCCA;
The Sports Council: papers, [1940s]-2001. Finding No: ATH/SC;
Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1932-1989. Finding No: ATH/WAAA.

Catalogues of personal papers available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Abrahams, Harold Maurice (1899-1978), athlete, administrator, commentator and journalist: papers, 1902-1989. Finding No: ATH/HA;
Adam, George Mair (1898-1989), athlete, coach and athletics administrator: papers, 1909-1989. Finding No: ATH/GA;
Binks, Joseph (Joe) (1874-1966), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [1920s-1950s]. Finding No: ATH/JB;
Brown, Audrey Kathleen (nee Court) (1913-2005), athlete: papers, [1930s]-2005. Finding No: USS22;
Cardew, Martin H. (b 1927), athlete: papers, 1964-1988. Finding No: ATH/MHC;
Cullum, Dennis Noel Johnson (1913-1985), athlete and coach: papers, [1930s]-1985. Finding No: ATH/DC;
Humphrey, David (b 1933), athlete: papers, 1944-1958. Finding No: ATH/DH;
Ives, Bert (1890-1975), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, [1920s-1970s]. Finding No: ATH/BI;
Jarvis, Walter (c 1888-c 1935), athlete: papers, 1910-1996. Finding No: MS4;
Jewell, John Christopher (1912-2001), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, 1897-2002. Finding No: ATH/JJ;
Lloyd-Edgley, Ralph: scrapbook, [c 1924]-[c 1931]. Finding No: ATH/RLE;
MacLean, Duncan (1884-1980), athlete and coach: papers, 1948-1977. Finding No: ATH/DM;
Monk, Walter Harry (Wal) (1896-after 1965), athlete: papers, 1918-1961. Finding No: ATH/WHM;
Morgan, Wilf (b 1935), athlete and athletics historian: papers, 1937-2012. Finding No: ATH/WM;
Newton, Arthur Francis Hamilton (1883-1959), athlete: papers, [c 1904]-[1990s]. Finding No: ATH/AN;
Payne, Howard (1931-1992), athlete: papers, 1899-[c 1975]. Finding No: ATH/HP;
Percy, Joe W. (1912-2001), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1910-1997. Finding No: ATH/JWP;
Perry, George (b 1903), athlete: papers, [1920s]-1956. Finding No: ATH/GP;
Powell, Edgar Robert Leslie (Peter), (fl 1920s-70s), athlete: papers, 1813-1988. Finding No: ATH/ERLP;
Richards, Wilf (b 1906), athlete and journalist: papers, 1924-[mid 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/WR;
Roberts, Dave (fl 1930s-1990s), athlete and statistician: papers, [1930s]-1991. Finding No: ATH/DR;
Simpson, Colin J. (1929-2011), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1945-1990. Finding No: ATH/CS;
Tatham, Wilfrid George (Gus) (1898-1978), athlete: papers, 1908-1960. Finding No: ATH/WGT;
Thomas, Dr Philip, athletics administrator and coach: papers, [c 1900]-[late 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/PT;
Vargas, Charles Climaco (1905-1975), athlete: papers, 1921-31. Finding No: ATH/CCV;
Ward, Leonard H., athletics coach: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/LW;
Watman, Melvyn Francis (Mel) (b 1938), athletics journalist and statistician: papers, 1980-1993. Finding No: ATH/MW;
Wight, Robert M., athletics administrator: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/RW;
Winter, Arthur E. H. (d 1990), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [early 20th century]-1983. Finding No: ATH/AW;
Yarrow, Squire Stevens (1905-1984), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1938-1984. Finding No: ATH/SY.

A history of Longwood Harriers titled 'Longwood Harriers Athletic Club: Down the Years 1888-1988' by J. W. Percy can be found at ATH/Z/5/86.