Donald (Don) Howe, David Lloyd Nelson, Springvale Cricket Club and St Peter’s Collegiate Academy have represented the city in football, athletics and cricket and have recorded individual achievements and other milestones.
The City of Wolverhampton Council and the Wolverhampton City Sports Advisory Council launched the Sporting Hall of Fame in 1999 to recognise and celebrate the achievements of sportsmen, sportswomen and sporting clubs who have represented the city.
Chairman of Wolverhampton City Sports Advisory Council, Peter Holmes MBE, said: “Once more, Wolverhampton has demonstrated its sports people are able to contribute to world sport. The 2 individuals that we have inducted into the Hall of Fame demonstrate this better than anything I can say.
“The introduction of our latest centenary club, now our 22nd, and the cricket club proves that Wolverhampton benefits from our sporting clubs. I hope that everyone realises that we have, in the city, some of the best sportsmen and women on a world stage and we should be justifiably proud”.
Don Howe, born in October 1935, was one of the most influential figures in English football, winning the FA Cup and FA Charity Shield with West Bromwich Albion in 1954. He was also recognised for international influence with England as assistant coach to Terry Venables at the 1996 European Championships. He passed away in 2015 and was represented at Saturday’s event by his son, Steve.
Hurdler David Lloyd Nelson, born in March 1967, represented England in the Commonwealth Games in 1986 and 1990, receiving a bronze medal in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. Notably, he also received a gold medal in the 110m hurdles in the 1991 Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) and another gold medal in the 1991 UK Championships.
Springvale Cricket Club was formed in 1923 as the cricket club for workers in the Stewart and Lloyds Steelworks of Bilston. It was known by that name until 1971 when it changed its name to Springvale Cricket Club.
St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, established in 1844, has been recognised for its unique contribution of educating J.K Taylor (Jack) OBE, Hugh Porter MBE, Don Howe, Matthew Hudson-Smith and many more. This contribution has been recognised as a great sporting image of the city.
All 4 were formally inducted into the Sporting Hall of Fame at a ceremony at WV Active Aldersley on Saturday (7 October) where the Sporting Hall of Fame book and wall plaques are displayed.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “Wolverhampton has a fantastic reputation of producing competitors of national and international standard in a wide variety of sports.
"We've already recognised more than 19 of them by inducting them in the Sporting Hall of Fame since 1999, and I am delighted that Don Howe, David Lloyd Nelson, Springvale Cricket Club and St Peter’s Collegiate Academy have now joined the illustrious list of sportsmen, sportswomen, sporting clubs and school whose achievements have been celebrated in this way."
Previous inductees include clubs such as Wolverhampton Cricket Club, Billy Wright, Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club and many more.
