Bill Godwin

A sales representative at the time of the 1960 Roma Olympics, Bill Godwin qualified for the final of the small-bore rifle, prone, 50 metres event after finishing second in his qualifying round. Unfortunately, he could not match that performance in the final round and finished 25th out of 54. Godwin started shooting as a teenager in 1930 and became a member, and eventual captain, of the City of Birmingham Rifle Club. He enjoyed his most successful years in the 1940s and 1950s when he was Staffordshire rifle champion every year between 1946-59, with the exception if 1953 when he did not compete.

Godwin´s best year was 1952. Serving in the Walsall Home Guard at the time, he finished third in the British Short-Range Championship. He also led the City of Birmingham team to the first of nine successive National Team Championships for the Winchester County Cup at Bisley. Also in 1952, John Hall, Alf Hale, Bob Bruce, and Godwin established a world record score of 1,999 out of 2,000. To crown a memorable year, Godwin also added the Earl Roberts Memorial Cup after winning the National Small-Bore Rifle Championship at Bisley.

In the 1970s, Godwin had his own BBC television programme about rifle shooting and was also a national coach. He was appointed development officer of the National Small-Bore Rifle Shooting Association in 1971 and in 1973, and at the age of 60 travelled to the USA with the Great Britain team to contest the Pershing International Team Trophy.