Deric Bareford Athletics Biography

Born in Poplar in November 1922, it was almost impossible for Deric to avoid becoming an athlete for his brother was a member of the Polytechnic Harriers and the family lived next door to Danny Jacobs (Herne Hill Harriers), who captained the British team at the Olympic Games at Stockholm in 1912. The war interfered with Deric’s early career and he served with the RAF from 1941 to 1946, mainly in the African theatre of operations, but he still managed to get in some athletics and in 1946 won the RAF Victor Ludorum trophy. When he first appeared at the Victoria Park track in the spring of 1947, it took some weeks for the information to filter through that this magnificently endowed and obviously experienced and class athlete was in fact unattached. You can imagine the delight of officials when Deric put his signature to a VPH membership form.

Deric had won his first medal some 14 years before when at the age of ten he had finished third in the under-14 East London Schools Championship and it wasn’t long before he was adding to his collection of five RAF cups for he soon captured the club 100 yards and high jump titles. The 1947 season was one of athletic reconstruction - clubs were struggling to reorganise after a war which had scattered officials, records, and trophies, but by 1948, things were in full swing. VPH instituted a large number of new championships and Deric promptly set out to get his name on as many as possible. In that year, he retained the sprint and high jump and long jump titles and the newly instituted 220 yards championships. Working for the GPO qualified Deric for the civil service championship and he took both sprint titles, a double which he repeated when the London AC championships were held at the end of the 1948 season. In 1949, he captured the Middlesex sprint title and was runner-up in the furlong, performances which led to his selection for the AAA. Injuries handicapped Deric in 1950, although not sufficiently to prevent him annexing four club championships and the Middlesex pentathlon title, but in 1951 he came second in the Southern 100 yards and was favourite to win the furlong when he had the misfortune to pull a muscle. However, he retained his County pentathlon crown even though he could only (!!) boast two club titles. In 1952, he brought his number back to four, again took the County pentathlon, was third in the Southern decathlon, runner-up in the Middlesex 440 yards, and winner of the London AA long jump. Turning more and more to the decathlon in 1954, Deric reached a new peak by taking the bronze medal in the AAA championships.

For one reason and another, his club pot hunt was limited to the discus, a championship which only evaded him for three years between 1950 and 1964. In 1955, he reached the high tide in his career when he was runner-up in the AAA Decathlon, although in the Southern, he had only been able to get home 3rd. The Middlesex pentathlon was by now practically a foregone conclusion but this was the last occasion he was to take home the trophy. The year also saw him reach a new peak in the club championship field for he secured five 1st place medals and at the end of the season was awarded the Sullivan trophy jointly with Geoff Iden for the most meritorious performance of the year.

From then onwards, Deric decided that an all-rounder meant what it said and he tried almost everything...road races, road relays, and even the Middlesex Cross Country championship. How many can claim a County sprint medal and to have ground out 7 1/2 miles over the county country course? By dabbling in everything, it naturally meant giving up any ideas of major individual honors, but with his happy-go-lucky nature, there can be no doubt that the mid-50’s were the most enjoyable years of Deric’s athletics life for the pressure was off...and who likes pressure? His name may have disappeared from the newspapers, but he still played havoc with the VPH championships for in 1955 he again captured five titles. This was the last occasion a track championship fell to him, but the field events continued to fall thick and fast and even as recently as 1973, Deric held the discus title. He amassed the staggering number of 54 club championship with the first coming in 1947 and the last in 1973 (age 50).

His club representation statistics were outstanding. When competing for VPH, Deric won no fewer than 32 100 yard races, 20 furlongs, 8 long jumps, 4 high jumps, and 10 discus contests. He twice won triple jump and javelin contests and once took a 440. On 29 occasions, he was a member of a winning VPH relay team. He turned out for the club in the 100, 220, 440, 880, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, hammer, shot, discus, and javelin. Deric won club titles at 100 (7), 220 (5), 440 (2), high jump (10), long jump (8), shot (1), discus (14), and pentathlon (7). He also had a place medal over 880 yards. In one afternoon, during a match with the Metropolitan Police at Imber Court, Deric took part in the 100, 220, 110 and 220 relay, medley relay, shot, discus, hammer, javelin, long jump, and high jump - 11 events in all!

In 1963, he joined the Veterans AC and promptly annexed their 100 and 220 championships. Deric lives in Woodford and used to run Triangle Sports in Hackney. Alas, his remarkable collection of trophies was decimated when over 40 cups and medals were stolen from his home in 1965. In 1972 and 1973, age 50- plus, Deric once again returned to competition, capturing victory in the club discus championship both years.

In 1978, Deric was recognized for his lifetime achievements with the Club being honoured with the position of Life Vice President, only the 11th to be so recognised. Deric has some wonderful memories to sustain him and those who saw him in his prime will never forget the sight of the superbly built athlete using his raking stride to full advantage around the old dusty bends of the Victoria Park track!