est. 1891
“UNCLE HARRY”
1 October 1910 – 12 August 2004
by John Moss
We all thought Uncle Harry would last forever. It seems that he has been around forever but alas on 12 August 2004 he was taken away from us.
I first met Uncle Harry in the early 1980s when I came back to South Africa from Europe and was on the receiving end of one his many famous speeches. Before going to Europe I was a “Northerns” rider and did not have much to do with “Stadelikes” but on returning I was persuaded to join City as they had an excellent programme of club races.
I was lined up at the start of my first City club race on my state of the art Italian bike, which I had brought back from Europe, when I was spotted by Uncle Harry. Uncle Harry took one look at my bike and went into a long lecture on how these latest Italian bikes were dangerous as the short front wheelbase caused the pedal to overlap the front wheel. “Watch this guy when he goes around a corner he is liable to fall off” was Uncle Harry’s warning to the other riders. This theory has since been proved wrong although I have fallen off on numerous occasions since his warning!
Uncle Harry received his first bike just before Christmas 1926. Although the 16 year old had never raced before he was planning to ride out to Paarl and race in the Annual Boxing Day Sports. However, a thief foiled his plan as his bike was stolen outside a pharmacy in Long Street. Instead of racing at Paarl Uncle Harry had to join his family in their canvas topped roadster on their annual outing to Ceres. As they approached Kraaifontein they passed two cyclists and to Uncle Harry’s amazement one was riding his bike. He convinced his father to stop and they confronted the cyclist who was riding the stolen bike and he instantly confessed. Uncle Harry cycling career was back on track.
Uncle Harry won his first WP title in 1930 and in the same year won the quarter mile title at the South African Championships. He went on the win many more WP and South African titles.
In 1937 he moved to the Transvaal and joined Rand Roads Cycling Club where he won his Southern Transvaal colours. He later became chairman and life member of Rand Roads. When the Second World War started he served in the Air Force and Artillery and joined 6th S.A. Armoured Division in Italy.
After the war with his racing career over he dedicated his spare time to becoming an official in both cycling and athletics. He was manager for the first Northern Transvaal Cycling and Athletics team at the SA Championships in Bulawayo, Rhodesia. As well as being an official Uncle Harry was always on hand to offer advice to cyclists. He coached Wally Rivers and R. Benvenuti and helped them get Springbok colours for the SA v Britain test.
In 1948 Uncle Harry came back to Cape Town and was duly elected to the Executive Committee of City Cycling Club serving as secretary for many years. He also served on the first Cycling Advisory Board to the Western Province Athletics Association and Cycling Association as secretary. He has been a Western Province selector and handicapper and has managed several WP cycling teams in events all over South Africa. He first became a cycling referee at the 1953 Boxing Day Sports and has served in this capacity for nearly twenty years. He managed the successful Junior and Senior WP teams in Durban in 1957 where he was nominated and elected as Springbok Team Manager for Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games) to be held the next year in Cardiff Wales. At the Games he was elected on the Jury of Appeal. After the Games in Champions versus Rest at Herne Hill, London he was asked to manage one of the teams which he did. In 1972 he was made Life Vice President of the SACF and also in that year received honours for service. The WPCA Service Award was granted to him in 1981.
His highest award came on 16 November 1982 when he elected into the South African Sport Hall of Fame for 50 years of service to cycling.
Uncle Harry always had time for his fellow cyclists and was instrumental in coaching many famous Springbok riders such as Ted Clayton, Syd Rose, Hennie Binneman (Commonwealth champion), Wally Rivers, Ronnie Benvenuti, Les Haupt, Syd Byrnes to mention a few.
The 1936 Olympic Games Springbok, Ted Clayton, said: “I owe my success to Uncle Harry, not only did he get me started in the sport by selling me my first racing bike “on tick” but he coached and encouraged me whenever he could.”
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