I AM writing to share my memories of former Colchester Rovers Cycling Club secretary Tony Asplin, who has sadly died at the age of 71.

Tony, who was born on Christmas Eve 1949, was a loyal clubmate and friend and general secretary of our club for more than 30 years.

I often used to say “it’s not what Tony says, it’s what he does”.

When I was first membership secretary, we were using rather large green membership cards.

He changed them to plastic and also put our club’s records and membership on computer.

When asked by British Cycling, he looked after an Eastern European cycle racing team in the early days of the Tour of Britain.

He co-ran the Anglia Sport cycle racing team and ran the Jock Wadley cycle race in its beginning.

He would commissionaire in several other local road races.

In the 1980s, Tony, a qualified masseur, was a keen cyclo cross rider and part of the Rovers team.

He was also an organiser, together with Neil Pears, in running the 1982 National School Boys and Girls Cyclo Cross Championship and later he organised at least one of the two annual Mistley races for many years.

This was often after single-handedly clearing the Furze Hill course beforehand.

Tony used to set out the racing calendar for the year, including other local club events.

At the end of the season, he would work winners’ places, including handicaps, in the various championship prizes.

This included ordering medals, plaques, shields and cups and giving the engravers the relevant information.

Beforehand, he also worked hard to get back all the trophies, cleaning them and getting them to the engravers in time.

In 2002, Tony was awarded the British Cycling gold badge of honour for his services to cycling.

More recently, in 2017, at the Sport Colchester awards, he was presented with the Eric Chapman Award for his services to sport.

Colin White

Sussex Road, Colchester

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