The Wenlock Olympian Society announced that Rogers passed away last Saturday (April 9) six years after he accepted the post of President in 2005 following the death of his long-time colleague and friend, Norman Wood.

Rogers, who came from Bristol, led a full and active life in the athletics world which spanned 52 years.

In 1953, he began judging athletics at the age of 21-years-old whilst still on National Service in the RAF.

The following year in 1954, a Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) course took him to Oxford where, in his official capacity, he witnessed the historical moment when Roger Bannister ran the first ever mile under four minutes to make sporting history.

Rogers also officiated at a number of major international athletics events, including the Barcelona 1992 Olympics and several Commonwealth Games, including Edinburgh in 1986, Auckland in 1990 and Manchester in 2002.

But but he will forever be remembered as the man who disqualified all the teams in a crucial 4x400m Relay at the Combined Services Championships at Aldershot.

On leaving the RAF, Rogers was appointed UK National Officials secretary and he continued to be a familiar figure at sports meetings as a track official or timekeeper.


For 18 years, Rogers was chairman of Shropshire County Athletic Association and 2005 and 2006 saw him become President of the Midland Counties Athletics Association in tandem with his Presidency of Wenlock Olympian Society.

He travelled the world giving lectures on athletics in such diverse countries as Gibraltar, Zambia and Cuba.

In 2003, Rogers retired from full-time involvement in athletics but he always retained close links to sports organisations within the region.

A statement from the Wenlock Olympian Society said: "His down-to-earth common sense and his breadth of knowledge about the athletic world will be greatly missed."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]