Sporting personalities - Albert 'Tiny' Sangwine

Sporting heroes like David Beckham provide us with great moments, and sports fans love to marvel at their accomplishments. Postal sport has its own sporting personalities, men and women whose achievements singled them out in their field. One such sportsman was Albert 'Tiny' Sangwine, who worked in Mount Pleasant Sorting Office.

"…This six feet of super man has not only an astonishing physique but a superlative record of athletic achievement"

Len Hall, The Post, 20 July 1935

He played football, swam and was involved in various other sports, including wrestling. In 1920 at the age of just 19 Sangwine won his first wrestling title. He went on to win National and International honours, and travelled to Paris and Canada to compete. In 1924 he represented England in the Olympic Games in Paris, and in 1930 represented England at wrestling in Canada for the British Empire Games.

'Tiny' won many titles in weight putting and wrestling, but also became a football trainer. He acted as honorary trainer to Leyton FC in 1925 until 1935, and during his time there, the club won the amateur FA cup twice. He became trainer to the Essex County Representative Elevens and the Civil Service Representative teams, and also looked after the Essex County schemes visiting secondary schools under the FA’s Education Scheme.