Dave Cropper

Dave Cropper served athletics as a middle-distance runner, and later administrator, for nearly 50 years. A member of Birchfield Harriers he won the AAA 800 metres title in 1969 and was placed second in 1971 and 1972. He married fellow middle-distance runner Pat Lowe in 1971 and she too was the WAAA champion in 1969 and, as Pat Lowe-Cropper, was runner-up, like Dave, in 1972. Dave was the best 800 metre runner in Britain in the latter part of the 1960s and took part in the 1968 Mexico Olympics, reaching the semi-finals. Four years later in München, he agonisingly missed out on a place in the final by 3/10ths of a second after finishing third with only the first two going through to the final. In between the two Olympics, Cropper took part in the 1969 European Championship in Athens and again missed out on a place in the final after finishing fifth in his semi-final. One of the best wins of his career, however, was in finishing first in the 800 metres in the Great Britain vs. USA match at the White City in 1969 against a strong American 800 metres pair of Felix Johnston and Juris Luzins. Dave Cropper became a well-known administrator and after serving the AAA as honorary treasurer was chairman from 1991 to 2004. He was also a life vice president and received the AAA Award of Honour in 1989 for outstanding services to amateur athletics and the AAA. The former chairman of the UK Athletics selection committee he was, at the time of his death, the chairman of the AAA Charity for the Young. For his services to the sport Dave Cropper was awarded the OBE in 2005.

Personal Best: 800 – 1:46.8 (1973).