Bert Aspen

Bert Aspen first trained at the Bolton Olympic Wrestling Club in 1952 as a result of his brother Norman suggesting that he join the club instead of getting involved with the “wrong sort” of local youths. It paid off as Bert won the first of five national featherweight titles in 1958. He also won the first of three Commonwealth Games bronze medal at Cardiff that year.

Aspen went on to win the British featherweight title again in 1960, 1964, and 1966-67, and the lightweight title in 1961. He also won two more Commonwealth Games bronze medals, at Perth, Australia in 1962, and Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966. Aspen also competed in the 1962 World Championships at Toledo, USA. Aspen also went to four Olympics; as a competitor in 1960 and 1964, as manager-coach in 1968, and as coach in 1976.

Aspen ran a local roofing business and when his son Brian was aged just six, he took him along to the gym, and thus started the second dynasty of Aspen wrestlers. Bert still wrestled well into his 50s, and in 1979 won a featherweight bronze medal at the European Seniors Championship at Manchester. Aspen was awarded an MBE in 2020 for his services to coaching national judo teams, but did not receive it until 2022 because of Covid. Son Brian had earlier, in 2001, received the MBE for his services to wrestling.