Clifford Geoffrey Temple (29 January 1947 – 8 January 1994) was a leading British athletics journalist, author, commentator and coach. For many years he was the athletics correspondent of ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, wh ...

''. He committed suicide after being threatened and falsely smeared.

Early life and family

Temple was born in

Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was hi ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

,''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007'' the son of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

author

William F. Temple William Frederick Temple (9 March 1914 – 15 July 1989) was a British science fiction writer, best known for authoring the novel-turned-film ''Four Sided Triangle''. Early life and career Temple was born in Woolwich in 1914.Mike Ashley, "Intro ...

and brother of

Anne Patrizio Anne Patrizio was a British retired teacher and leading campaigner for LGBT rights in Scotland. As one of the principal organisers of Parents Enquiry Scotland, Patrizio supported parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and ...

MBE, a leading campaigner for the rights of

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people and their parents. He left four children Kristen, Kenza, William and Jos.

Smear campaign

In 1993 Cliff Temple began an investigation into conflicts of interest in the business affairs of

Fatima Whitbread Fatima Whitbread (' Vedad; 3 March 1961) is a British retired javelin thrower. She broke the world record with a throw of in the qualifying round of the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, and became the first British athl ...

, the former world record-holder in the javelin and, at the time, mistress of

Andy Norman Andy may refer to: People *Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds *Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano ...

, an influential promotions officer at the British Athletic Federation (BAF). Norman threatened that if Temple did not stop asking awkward questions about Whitbread's business with the

Chafford Hundred Chafford Hundred is an area in the Borough of Thurrock in the ceremonial county of Essex. Chafford Hundred is north-west of Grays. Its railway station serves the area and Lakeside Shopping Centre. Lakeside Shopping Centre is in West Thurrock ...

athletics club, he would spread unfounded allegations that Temple had sexually harassed a young woman athlete whom he coached. Temple carried on with his investigation and Norman carried out his threat. In January 1994, three weeks before his 47th birthday, Temple committed suicide. Temple's body was found on the railway line at Sandling, not far from his home in

Hythe, Kent Hythe () is a coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the district of Folkestone and Hythe on the south coast of Kent. The word ''Hythe'' or ''Hithe'' is an Old English word meaning haven or landing place. History The town has ...

. At the inquest into Temple's death the jury were given a transcript of a recording that Temple had made of a telephone interview with Norman in which the threat was made. In their verdict they stated that the call had "pushed him over the edge". Peter Radford, then Executive Chairman of the British Athletic Federation, said in April 1994: "So

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...

there is no doubt in anyone's mind, I have never heard any evidence of any kind that Cliff Temple ever engaged in any practice which could be construed as sexual impropriety. I would have to conclude that there should be no slur whatsoever on his good name and that his good name has been cleared." Norman lost his high-profile job in British athletics soon after that.

References

* Inquest report, ''The Times'', 22 April 1994 * ''The Sunday Times'', 17 April 1994 * ''Running Scared'', by

Steven Downes Steven Downes (born 22 November 1961 in Waterloo, London, England) is a British sports journalist, television producer and a contributing writer for the ''Sunday Herald The ''Sunday Herald'' was a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published betwe ...

and Duncan Mackay (Mainstream), 1996

Publications

Temple's published books include: *''Nadia Comaneci'' 1977 *''Jogging for Fitness and Pleasure'' 1977 *''Cross Country and Road Running'' 1980 *''Challenge of the Marathon'' 1981 *''International Running Guide'' 1983 *''Running Commentary'' (with

David Moorcroft David Robert Moorcroft (born 10 April 1953) is a former middle distance running, middle-distance and long-distance track event, long-distance runner from England, and former world record holder for 5000 metres, 5,000 metres. His athletic care ...

) 1984 *''Running from A.to Z.'' 1987 *''Marathon, Cross Country and Road Running'' 1990 *''The Perfect End'' 1990 *''Middle Distance Running: Training and Competition'' 1993

External links

Norman warms up for a return to UK athletics' frontlineThe Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford, whose grandstand is named in honour of Cliff Temple
{{DEFAULTSORT:Temple, Cliff British male journalists The Sunday Times people British sports journalists 1947 births 1994 suicides 1994 deaths