Clifford Geoffrey Temple was a leading British athletics journalist, author, commentator and coach. For many years he was the athletics correspondent of The Sunday Times. He committed suicide after being threatened and falsely smeared.
Early life and family
Temple was born in Ealing, London, the son of science fiction author William F. Temple and brother of Anne Patrizio MBE, a leading campaigner for the rights of LGBT people and their parents. He left four children Kristen, Kenza, William and Jos. His will was altered whilst he was not of sound mind and his estate was distributed amongst family he'd barely met. His ex-wife and mother of his 4 children contested that his estate be shared amongst the 4 children only. Having to fight the greed of theses other parties has left the family in a state of disrepair as only one humble party was willing to give their share back to the fatherless children.
Smear campaign
In 1993, Cliff Temple began an investigation into the conflicts of interest in the business affairs of Fatima Whitbread, the former world record-holder in the javelin and the then mistress of Andy Norman, the influential promotions officer of the British Athletic Federation. Norman threatened that if Temple did not stop asking awkward questions about Whitbread's business with the Chafford Hundredathletics club, he would spread unfounded allegations that Temple had sexually harassed a young woman athlete whom he coached. Temple carried on with his investigation, and Norman carried out his threat. In January 1994, three weeks before his 47th birthday, Temple committed suicide. Temple's body was found on the railway line at Sandling, not far from his home in Hythe, Kent. At the inquest into Temple's death the jury were given a transcript of a recording that Temple had made of a telephone interview with Norman in which the threat was made. In their verdict they said that the call had "push him over the edge." Peter Radford, then executive chairman of the British Athletic Federation, said in April 1994: "So there is no doubt in anyone's mind, I have never heard any evidence of any kind that Cliff Temple ever engaged in any practice which could be construed as sexual impropriety. I would have to conclude that there should be no slur whatsoever on his good name and that his good name has been cleared." Norman lost his high-profile job in British athletics soon after.
