John Patston, a cycling personality
Mon, January 24, 2022 
John Patston (Front.) and John Woodburn during their RRA Place to Place Record Attempts.(1976)
Wherever there is an organized sport there is a governing body for that sport, it is what makes it “Organized.” Sports that have been around for many years have a World Governing Body, countries have National Governing Bodies, and within each country there are local officials running things.
One does not necessarily have to participate in organized sport, anyone can kick a football around, or shoot a few hoops, or go for a bike ride for that matter, alone or in the company of others. Such sport can still be competitive, but no one is necessarily keeping score anyway, and the level of competitiveness depends on those participating.
In an organized sport there are always those who will disagree with decisions made and way the sport is run. Last week I wrote about John Patston who in the 1970s was a leading rider in the West Midlands area, of England. A hot bed of the British cycling industry and the sport of cycle racing.
In 1976, John had spoken out about local cycling officials, on a Birmingham radio station, and referred to them as “Little Tin Gods.” As a result, JP was handed a six-month suspension, for “Bringing the sport into disrepute.”
At this time another leading British cyclist, John Woodburn was also under suspension, and the two decided to team and attempt British Place to Place tandem records. They rode under the auspices of the Road Records Association. (RRA.) An established organization that had been around since the late 1800s and was not affiliated with the Road Time Trials Council, or the British Cycling Federation, who governed the rest of cycling sport in the UK at that time.
Patston and Woodburn broke a total of five records in that six-month period. London to Cardiff [5:56:20], London to Pembroke [9:59:31]; London to Brighton and back [4:07:26]; London to Bath and back [8:40:57] and London to Portsmouth and back [5:43:59].
There was another incident involving John Patston during this six-month suspension period that I remember well as it happened during an early season road-race in the Callow end area of Worcestershire, where I lived at the time.
John was out on a long solo training ride, from Birmingham to the Cotswold area of Gloucestershire. It was a Sunday and John had already covered over 100 miles when he came across this road-race and stopped to watch them go by. A small break-away group of three or four riders passed by. JP looked at his watch and timed the lead the break had on the main bunch, at a minute and a half.
John was “Decked out like a tourist,” as he put it, with a saddlebag on his bike, and wearing long pants and a winter jacked. He chased and caught the main bunch, and as he passed them, he acted like an unofficial timekeeper telling them the break had one and a half minutes lead.
He then chased after the break-away group. John had expected a few riders from the main field to follow him, but as he told the story, when he looked around, he was alone. He caught the leading group and again acted as unofficial timekeeper telling them they had a minute and a half lead.
Race officials in following cars were going crazy, honking horns, and flashing headlights, trying to get JP to stop. He stayed with the lead group and unofficially “Won” the finishing sprint.
Officials tried to impose a further ban, but as John was already banned by the RTTC and the BCF, he was no longer affiliated with these or any club. The race was being held on open roads, and JP was simply a member of the public out for a bike ride.
The thing is, only John Patston could have pulled this off at the time. This was an early season Road Race of little importance, and most of the of the participants were probably not that fit. John always trained right through the winter, and because of these Place-to-Place Record attempts he was even fitter than he would have normally been.
He had managed to raise a middle finger to the officials he despised, to the amusement of local cyclists. No one was harmed, and all that witnessed what happened that day have an amusing tale to tell their grandchildren.
The best sports stars are “Personalities” who entertain not only by winning, but by unofficial exploits like this one.
Footnote: Correction, John Patston tells me he was suspended for falsifying an RTTC entry form, when he mistakenly wrote the wrong event name that he had done his best 50 mile TT time. The comments on the radio broadcast came later as a result of this suspension. Altogether JP was disqualified, banned, or suspended a total of 23 times over the years.
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Reader Comments (4)
I love a story like this one, Dave. Hooray for John Patston and hooray for you!
Great. Last year there was a picture of a French (?) Farmer all kitted out in work clothes closely drafting a racer either in a race or training for one. Funny!
I love the cycling history pieces. Big personalities in those days!
Great anecdote Dave.