Austin Playfoot and the 1948 London Olympics

GGAC’s Austin Playfoot and the Olympic Games of London 1948

London was chosen to host the 1944 Games, but they were postponed because of the Second World War and so became the 1948 Olympics. The 1948 Games are notable for the fact they were the first to be broadcast on home television. Ahead of London's "Austerity Games", organisers wanted to stage a relay to "capture the imagination of the public and the spirit of the Olympic torch". The organising committee, led by Lord Burghley, decided to continue the pre-war tradition started by the Nazi regime at the 1936 Berlin Games and set up only the second torch relay of the modern Olympic Games.

The Olympic flame torch was lit in Greece and made its way through war scarred Italy, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Belgium before arriving on a British destroyer at Dover on 29 July 1948. It then made its way through the night and the next day, through Kent and Surrey, and on to Wembley. There were 76 torch bearers in all, 22 of them in Surrey, and Athletic Clubs on the route were invited to select torch bearers for their sections of the route. Guildford AC (founded 1950) was not in existence, but Godalming and District AC was (founded 1924) and it chose 18 year old Austin Playfoot to carry the torch. Austin was a middle distance runner for the Club, but was doing National Service in the RAF in Liverpool at the time. He received a letter from the Organising Committee for the XIVth Olympiad London 1948 dated 7 July 1948 inviting him to be a torch bearer. Each torch bearer had an assistant who made sure the runners reached the start of their legs on time and moved the runners’ clothes from the start to the finish of their leg. Austin obtained grudging special leave from the RAF and travelled from Liverpool to meet his assistant in Farncombe. Austin and his assistant made their way to the start of his leg, the Horse and Groom in Merrow, for 9.42am. Torch bearers had to wear white shorts but could wear their club vests so Austin wore the green club vest of Godalming AC.

For the 1948 Olympics, each torch bearer had their own Olympic torch and it was the Olympic flame that was passed between them. Austin waited at the Horse and Groom amid a great crowd, and signed some autographs. Eventually, after toiling up Newlands Corner and down Trodd’s Lane, John Whaley of Epsom and Ewell AC approached the Horse and Groom with 2 police motorcycle escorts and a following car containing Olympic officials and a spare Olympic flame (in case any of the torches went out). He ignited Austin’s torch with his own and Austin sped down the Epsom Road towards town. Austin was grateful that he didn’t have the Newland’s Corner hill leg, but the mostly flat and gently downhill Epsom Road. He recalls cheering crowds on either side of the road and says he floated along the Epsom Road on Cloud 9. The end of his leg was Guildford High Street and awaiting him was the Mayor of Guildford and the next torch bearer, Frank Ede of Dennis AC. As he approached the High Street the crowds were no longer either side of the road but all over it and Austin recalls having to fight his way through the crowds just to get to Frank Ede for 9.56am. There he passed the flame over and sought out his assistant to reclaim his clothes. Back in Liverpool Austin was summoned to appear before the RAF Station Commander and was instructed to return home to collect his Olympic torch, bring it back, and to run with it round the track to open the RAF Inter Command Athletic Championships.

Austin is a Life Member of Guildford & Godalming AC and can often be seen on the timekeepers stand at home fixtures. He is much in demand by the media and LOCOG as he is one of fittest of the few survivors of the 1948 Olympic Games torch bearers.