It is with great regret that FIRS has to communicate the death of Bob Halford, a true legend in roller speed skating.

Robert Ernest Halford was born in Tottenham, London in 1921. As a boy he would constantly be seen in the street on a pair of roller skates and on occasion would even skate to school. In 1938 he took part in his first ever race. A year later he joined the Alexandra Palace Roller Speed Club.

But like so many of his skating friends at that time, his skating career was put on hold with the outbreak of the Second World War. Between 1941 and 1945 he saw service in Egypt, but even the war could not curb his enthusiasm for skating. He took his skates to Egypt where he and his friend, Frank Best, would regularly go and skate at a rink that they had found in Cairo!

After the war Bob returned to racing. Although an individual British title would elude him, he medalled no fewer than eight times between 1947 and 1951 in the British Championships, obtaining medals in all three distances. In 1948 it was anounced that there would be a recommencement of World Championships in Monfalcone. Bob was selected to represent his country where he would achieve 7th in the 5000 metres. A year later he was again selected, and although Italy again, this time it was Ferrara where he would finish 9th in the 10000 metres.

In 1951 Bob decided to retire from racing aged just 30, but although his competitive days were behind him he would help administer the sport in Britain for the next 40 years as well as serving 28 years as a world renowned International Judge.

Bob sadly died on 9th July 2015.  Even just a few weeks before he passed away, aged 94, skating was still coursing through Bob's veins. He was often seen around tracks in Britain watching and supporting the sport that has given him so much enjoyment over his lifetime and even attended World and European Championships, his last being the World Championships in China in 2009 and the 2011 European Championships in Holland.

Bob was probably one of the last of his generation in our sport that could put his hand on his heart and say that he had literally "done it all".