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Tipton Harriers were created in September 1910, when the members of the
Tipton
Tipton is an industrial town in the West Midlands in England with a population of around 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham.
Tipton was once one of the most heavily industrialised towns in the Black Country, w ...
branch of
Birchfield Harriers
Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club, founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, England.
As well as welcoming recreational runners they cater for all levels of experience up to and including Olympic athletes whether a ...
resolved to end their connection and become independent. Soon, over 40 members were meeting and training regularly from a former painters' workshop and store in a loft behind a shop and houses in Waterloo Street. These primitive facilities, sparsely furnished, using two 18 feet square, 8 inches deep beer cooling vats as baths with water heated in an old copper washing boiler, remained the club H.Q. until 1936. The house where the formation took place was demolished in the 1960s.
Much of this happened despite serious bomb damage during the
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...
raids in 1916 and the obstruction of the non-improving landlady.
In competition the green and white hooped vests with the whippet emblem surmounting the slogan "Swift and Eager", soon became a force to be reckoned with in cross-country competition. This despite the demands of the armed forces and munitions work during World War 1, and the ravages caused by the economic depressions of the 1920s and early 1930s when at times up to 80% of the members were unemployed. After the war membership grew and club branches were founded at
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...
,
Dudley
Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...
,
Wednesbury
Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of 3 ...
and Cradley Heath until this practice was banned by the M.C.A.A.A. in 1924.
The first major team successes, winning the Midlands 'junior' and Staffordshire Championships arrived in the 1925–26 season where they were also runners-up in the Midland Senior Championship. This marked the beginning of the first golden age for the club, which was dominated by two outstanding individuals, Jack Holden and the club president 'Innie' Palethorpe. Together they transformed the image and the reputation of the club.
The Harrier public house, which opened on Powis Avenue in the 1950s, is named after Tipton Harriers.
The club train at Tipton Sports Academy on the Wednesbury Oak Road. They are regularly on top in the Triangle League (A league between Wolves and Bilston AC, Tipton Harriers and Dudley and Stourbridge Harriers) and also produce talent capable of being near the highest level