Jack Miller: 1946-2020

England Athletics are sad to share the news that Jack Miller, stalwart of the British Athletics Supporters’ Club and former chair of the organisation, has died aged 74 after contracting coronavirus during a hospital visit to treat an infection.

The popular track and field fan has been an ever-present at major events for years and will be sadly missed by those who knew him and the many athletes he supported. A jovial larger-than-life character, Miller was a popular and much-loved figure on the athletics circuit due to his affable personality and prolific attendance of meetings around the world.

Since retiring from a career in banking in the 1990s, he devoted himself to following the sport from domestic events in the UK to European and world championships, the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. During the last 30 years, in fact, it has been rare not to see him at one of the major events.

Philip Andrew, who succeeded Miller as chair of the BASC, said: “When he retired he didn’t want to read a report in a newspaper and say to himself ‘I wish I’d been there’. So he resolved to attend as many events as he could.”

Outside the BASC, England Athletics recognised his knowledge by appointing him as a judge on our hall of fame panel. Linked to this he was passionate about the history of the sport and has been one of the main guardians of an archive of British athletics memorabilia and printed material such as vintage programmes and magazines.

John Standerline, current chair of the BASC, said: “It is with great sadness that I heard of the death of Jack. He has had a long involvement with the British Athletics Supporters’ Club, including a long period as chairman and more recently continuing as a director until poor health forced him to step down a year ago. As an honorary vice president his involvement with BASC continued.”

Click here to read the full obituary on the Athletics Weekly website.

Jack-Miller with Martin Rush and Ken Matthews at our Hall of Fame. Photo by Mark Shearman.