Phil Brown

Phil Brown

Phil Brown first started training at Birchfield as a 14 year old after a conversation with Tony Hadley, who was both a coach and teacher. He rapidly developed into a very good junior athlete and recounted to E. Cashmore,(for the book “Black Sportsmen”) ‘Games teachers would say, “There’s a meeting at such and such a place on Wednesday afternoon; would you ask your teacher if you could miss your lessons” And I’d get the afternoon off. It was quite nice’

He was to become part of a phenomenal Birchfield squad of sprinters, including Derek Redmond, Lincoln Asquith, Vaughan Esprey and Fenton Cambell.

From the early 1980s he represented England and Great Britain in both 400m individual and 4X400m relays, running some thrilling, astonishingly well-timed anchor legs. He brought the team in to win European silver in 1982; Commonwealth gold in 1982 and 1986; Olympic relay silver in 1984 and World Championship silver in 1987. He won individual Commonwealth bronze in 1986. His lifetime PB of 45.26seconds in the individual 400m was run in Antrim in May 1985.