Gladys Bird is an administrator, coach at the club and an ex-international athlete
Regarding the British League where Woodford came third
" We have done well despite the lack of depth. To finish third in the British League. It is just through the boys loyalty that has helped us'
'We have not got the depth in the events that some other clubs have.'
' When I think of what has happened to Belgrave when they go up and down and they were so dominant in years past.'
Her daughter TARA BIRD runs well,
" She had not had a very good season because of injuries. She has started to get back into it and she hurt herself warming up at the Challenge Final and had been really looking forward to it. She is now resting and getting ready for next year.'
Looking back at Gladys Taylor (Bird) the international penthatlete, 400m flat runner and 400 hurdler:-
" I just enjoyed my athletics. I enjoyed competing rather than training. I think my most satisfying race was the Commonwealth 400 in 1982 when I cam 4th in 52.48 which was a personal best.. It just seemed to me that this is how you run a 400. It felt right but I ran out of track. When I came back home from that my coach Ron Bowden said I had to switch to the 400 hurdles. '
' I enjoyed sprinting so that was why it took me so long to adjust to the 400 really!'
PS (As Press Secretary to the IAAA and a competitor in the Championships, I can remember so well when the Insurance Championships Track & Field Championships were full of athletes and Gladys won 7 events ,as she was such a good pentathlete!)