Cliff Simpson (athlete)

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Cliff Simpson

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Clifford Simpson

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|08|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Temuka, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|12|10|1928|08|20|df=y}}

| death_place = Feilding, New Zealand

| spouse =

| country = New Zealand

| sport = Track and field

| club = St Kilda Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club

| nationals = 880 yards champion (1950)

}}

Clifford Simpson (20 August 1928 – 10 December 2023) was a New Zealand middle-distance athlete who represented his country at the 1950 British Empire Games. He also played representative rugby union for South Otago.

Early life

Born in Temuka on 20 August 1928, Simpson was the son of George William and Winifred Margaret Simpson.{{cite web |url=https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths |title=Birth search: registration number 1928/26675 |website=Births, deaths & marriages online |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |access-date=17 February 2024}} He was educated at King's High School in Dunedin, where he played fullback in the school's 1st XV rugby team, and was prominent in athletics, winning the intermediate athletics championship in 1944.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19450726.2.14 |title=High school rugby |date=26 July 1945 |work=Evening Star |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=3}}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19441216.2.90 |title=School year ends |date=16 December 1944 |work=Evening Star |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=8}}{{cite web |url=http://www.kingshigholdboys.co.nz/?page_id=270 |title=NZ senior sports representatives |publisher=KHS Old Boys' Association |accessdate=11 May 2019}}

Athletics

Simpson came to national attention when he won the New Zealand under-19 880 yards title, representing Otago, in 1946, recording a time of 2:00.6,{{cite web |url=http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/userfiles/file/National_Champions.pdf |title=National champions 1887–2016 |date=December 2016|publisher=Athletics New Zealand |accessdate=15 January 2019 | first=Stephen | last=Hollings}} and was second in the same event the following year.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19470626.2.8.2 |title=Fortieth anniversary |date=26 June 1947 |work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=2}} He went on to win the national senior title over the same distance in 1950; his winning time was 1:54.4.

Simpson competed in the men's 880 yards and 1 mile at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland.{{cite web |url=https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/clifford-simpson |title=Clifford Simpson |year=2018 |publisher=New Zealand Olympic Committee |access-date=11 May 2019}} He placed fourth in his heat of the 880 yards,{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19500206.2.52 |title=Athletics results |date=6 February 1950 |work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=5}} and progressed to the final, in which he finished sixth in a time of 1:56.0.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19500208.2.86 |title=Further Empire records are broken |date=8 February 1950 |work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=8}} He ran 4:26.6 to finish sixth in his heat of the 1 mile, and did not advance further.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19500210.2.91 |title=The results |date=10 February 1950 |work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=8}}

Rugby union

A fullback, Simpson was a member of the Toko Rugby Football Club in Milton.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19500424.2.21 |title=South Otago rugby |date=24 April 1950 |work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=2}} He played for the South Otago representative rugby union team between at least 1947 and 1950.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19470930.2.14.5 |title=Milton: representative football |date=30 September 1947 |work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=3}}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19500821.2.113 |title=Topp Cup match |date=21 August 1950 |work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=11 May 2019 |page=8}}

Later life

Simpson worked as a stock agent. He moved to the Manawatū in the early 1950s, living first in Feilding, and later at Halcombe.{{cite web |url=https://manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz/item/79dbe6b6-e98a-42c7-bcdf-ee5ca205e8e1 |title=Manawatu conversations: Cliff Simpson pt 2 |date=16 April 2019 |publisher=Manawatu People's Radio |access-date=14 January 2021}} He died in Feilding on 10 December 2023.{{cite news |url=https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/manawatu-standard/20231216/281659669833741 |title=Repeat golfing feat shouldn't take another 63 years |first=Peter |last=Lampp |date=16 December 2023 |work=Manawatū Standard |access-date=17 February 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://deaths.manawatustandard.co.nz/nz/obituaries/manawatu-standard-nz/name/clifford-simpson-obituary?id=53808815 |title=Clifford Simpson obituary |date=12 December 2023 |work=Manawatū Standard |access-date=17 February 2024}}

References

Category:1928 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:People from Temuka

Category:People educated at King's High School, Dunedin

Category:New Zealand male middle-distance runners

Category:Olympic athletes for New Zealand

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games

Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand

Category:New Zealand rugby union players

Category:Rugby union fullbacks

Category:New Zealand stock and station agents

Category:Athletes from the Canterbury Region

Category:Rugby union players from the Canterbury Region

Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners

Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen