Athletics in the UK: The Rise and Fall of the BAF

115 Andy Norman In 1989, Sebastian Coe’s and Steve Ovett’s glory days were behind them but, apart from major championships, the head to head clash that the sporting public had longed for had not materialised. At last, if a little late, the clash was to take place at the AAA Championships which doubled as the trial for the Commonwealth Games, scheduled for New Zealand the following January. On the day of the race a storm broke when Ovett said he would not run in the final of the 1500m. To everyone’s mystification, Steve Ovett gave an emotional interview to ITV, saying that he was upset because he had been offered money to run and Seb Coe had not. The villain of the piece who had allegedly offered the money was, of course, Andy Norman. ITV, the broadcasters, had built up their advance publicity on this clash and could see a disaster looming. No one could understand why Ovett should complain about being paid (the amount was said to be £20,000) – they could understand if others were paid and he was not - and the official rule was that no one was paid to compete in the AAA Championships. In the event, Ovett was persuaded to run and was easily beaten by Coe. The controversy raged in the national press and at its meeting on 18 th August 1988, the AAA’s F&GP Committee decided on an independent enquiry into Steve Ovett’s allegations against Andy Norman. David Pickup (chief executive of the Sport Council) and Peter Reid QC agreed to conduct the enquiry but they were unable to find enough evidence to reach a clear verdict. They did, however, recommend strongly that clearer procedures should be put in place for the control of Norman’s activities. For a time, matters seemed to settle down but, below the surface, other controversies were simmering. When Malcolm Jones became Chief Executive in December 1991, one of his priorities was to provide stronger management over Andy Norman and, once and for all, to end the unsatisfactory consultancy arrangement and put him on a proper employment contract. Realising that this was an “offer he should not refuse”, Norman agreed to the change and a contract of employment was prepared by the BAF’s solicitors. Before signing off the contract, Norman was forced by the BAF to confront his own reputation and other allegations about him; the BAF insisted on, and got, his absolute undertaking to “mend his ways”, or else!