Brian Shenton

Born in Doncaster from a working-class background,^[3] he was a member of the Doncaster Plant Works Athletic Club,^[4] later having a successful career in the City and reaching the position of Chairman of Noble Lowndes. He died in a car crash soon after retirement.^[5]

Shenton came to public attention in 1950 with a series of good performances, culminating in a place at the European Championships as a replacement. Described as the "boy from nowhere", he set a new personal best in the semi-finals of 21.6s, in the finals beating off the challenge of Étienne Bally.^[6]

He won the gold medal at the 1950 European Athletics Championships in Brussels, Belgium in the men's 200 metres in a time of 21.5s as part of the British team that first topped the medal table with a medal count that would not be matched for a further 40 years.^[7] Representing the England athletics team he won the silver medal at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand, in the 4 × 110 yard relay and represented the English team,^[8] winning an individual silver medal in the 220 yard dash at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.^[9]

He won the silver medal at the 1954 European Athletics Championships in Berne, Switzerland in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay,^[10] alongside George Ellis, Kenneth Jones and Kenneth Box.^{[citation needed]}

Shenton was the British 220 yards champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1954 AAA Championships^[11] and the 1956 AAA Championships.^[12]

In 1957 Brian Shenton was timed as having set the English 100 yards native record in a time of 9.7 seconds. However, this was disallowed following a ruling that he had had a "flier". Shenton appealed and received a personal hearing at the AAA.^[13]

Memorabilia from Brian Shenton's athletic career was included in an exhibition of Doncaster's local Olympians in celebration of the London 2012 Olympics.^[14]