George Newberry won his first national title as a 21-year-old in 1938 when he captured the National Five Miles Grass Championship. A member of the Rover Racing Cycling Club, he won the 4,000 metres team pursuit Olympic trial at Coventry in July 1939 but, of course, the 1940 Olympics never took place. Newberry had to wait until Helsinki 1952 before making his one and only Olympic appearance when, at the age of 35, he was a member of the Great Britain team pursuit squad that won the bronze medal. Prior to the 1952 Games, Newberry had added two more national titles to his name when he was a member of the East Midlands Clarion quartet that won the National Team Pursuit Championship in both 1951 and 1952.
Newbery worked for Burton-on-Trent brewers Marston, Thompson and Evershed, and was a life member of the East Midlands Clarion Club, and shortly before his death was appointed president. He was also the vice-president of the Mercia Cycling Club in Burton. He remained active as a cyclist until a couple of months before his death and was capable of clocking up 55 minutes in a 25 miles road race over the age of 60.
Great Britain