Sam Mussabini

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Willie Applegarth and Sam Mussabini at the 1912 Olympics

Scipio Africanus "Sam" Mussabini (6 August 1867 – 12 March 1927)

amateurism was prized, he was not officially recognised because he was a professional coach.[2]

Early life and career

Mussabini was born in

Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company.[8]

Mussabini played

billiards
to a high standard and reported on matches as a sports journalist during the winter months. In 1897 he co-authored a technical book on billiards and began writing articles for a billiards journal. In 1902, he became its assistant editor and later the joint proprietor and editor. In 1904 he wrote a two-volume book on the technicalities of billiards. He was also one of the top billiard referees.

Olympic athlete coaching

He coached the

Polytechnic Harriers from 1913 until his death from diabetes in 1927[8]
aged 59.

He brought a systematic approach to coaching, rather than just being a masseur. For example, he used the techniques of Eadweard Muybridge to photograph runners' actions and techniques at the finish.[8]

At the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium, he coached Albert Hill to two gold medals in the 800 m and 1500 m, and Harry Edward, third in the 100 m. He led Harold Abrahams to win a gold medal in the 100 m and silver in the 4 × 100 m at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Legacy and honours

Mussabini's success at the 1924 Olympics was portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire in which Mussabini is played by Ian Holm. After filming, Ian Holm exchanged letters with living relatives of Mussabini concerned about accuracy.[citation needed]

His trainees won further medals at the 1928 Olympic Games after his death.[8][9]

In 1998, the Mussabini Medal was created, to celebrate the contribution of coaches of UK performers who have achieved outstanding success on the world stage. In 2011, Sam Mussabini was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame.[9]

English Heritage installed a blue plaque at 84 Burbage Road, Herne Hill, on 11 July 2012.[1][8] The house was Mussabini's home from 1911 until about 1916 and backs on to the Herne Hill Stadium, where he worked as a cycling and athletics coach from the 1890s until his death and trained several medal-winning Olympic athletes, including the young Harold Abrahams.[10] The plaque was unveiled by Lord Terence Higgins, who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, and Ben Cross who played Abrahams in the film Chariots of Fire.[11]

Quote

"Only think of two things – the gun and the tape. When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other."

Archives

Sam Mussabini's papers are held at the

Cadbury Research Library (University of Birmingham), along with the papers of his father, Neocles. This collection includes material related to Neocles Mussabini's journalistic career at the Pall Mall Gazette, during the era that its editor W. T. Stead was involved with the Eliza Armstrong scandal.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b Scipio Africanus ‘Sam’ Mussabini. plaquesoflondon.co.uk
  2. ^ Sam Mussabini. Southwark Council
  3. ISBN 9781910463406.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  4. ISBN 0-906522-36-6
    .
  5. ^ The New York Times (25 September 1981). "OLYMPIC GLORY IN 'CHARIOTS OF FIRE'". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  6. ISBN 9781903365755
    .
  7. ^ Tames, Richard (2005). Sporting London: A Race Through Time. p. 143.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "English Heritage plaque for Scipio Africanus Mussabini". Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  9. ^ a b c Sam Mussabini. englandathletics.org
  10. ^ "Harold Abrahams(1899–1978)". Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  11. ^ "Review Chariots of Fire". Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  12. ^ "UoB Calmview5: Search results". calmview.bham.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2021.

External links

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