Worcester
St Johns CC
NORMAN SHELMERDINE
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Norman Shelmerdine, was born in Sale, Cheshire on Boxing Day 1933. He attended the William Hulme Grammar School in Manchester. At school he played rugby and cricket, then a "proper" racing cyclist at his school talked everyone with a sports type bike into trying a race.
The bug bit and Norman joined Manchester Coureurs then later the Sale Road Club. Normans first bike was rather aptly a "Norman". His first love as a cyclist was Road Racing and he rode for a number of years. Like many riders of his period training was not scientific; there were no special foods or drinks. “Just get the miles in” was how it was done.
When he gave up racing in 1956 Norman turned to organising events. He has officiated at Local, National and World road, track and cyclo-cross Championships; Norman is a UCI International Commissaire.
Norman moved to Malvern in 1961 and joined the Worcester St Johns. An active organiser for the club he was elected an Honorary Life Member for his organisation of the Evening News Road Race among other things.
Among his many important achievements Norman counts his time as Treasurer and later Finance Director for the BCF as his greatest Cycling achievement . The organisation was very hard up and it was Normans task to steer them through their financial problems and make certain they survived. His biggest regret is not having had access during his time at the BCF to the vast amounts of money now available.
When asked if anything in cycling made him angry Norman returned to his time at the BCF. A very difficult situation led to adverse press and public comments. While serving on national committees members were prevented, for legal reasons, from telling the public what was really happening, so that everyone thought the worst about the situation. “The "public relations" were abysmal and we were unable to do anything about it.”
Norman now lives in Woking, Surrey and is still very active in Cycling. He is a UCI International Commissaire and still officiates at international races. He acts as "Teacher" for the UCI on Commissaire Training Courses Worldwide. Since 1998 he has been the Technical Adviser for Tour of Serbia and for the "Paths of King Nikola" a 5-day race in Montenegro. For the years 2005 and 2006 Norman is the Technical Director for the Tour of Siam. Like another honorary member of the club, Tony Field, Norman is one of the UK Doping Control Officers for UK Sport and as such handles the anti-doping work at all sports except cycling in UK.
For his "services to cycling" the UCI awarded Norman the "UCI Merité" badge in 1999. “As far as I can ascertain I am the only Englishman to have received this award - although there is a Scotsman with it, before me”, said Norman.