Obituary – Neville Wilson
Posted: 9 January 2025
Few in the world of NFAS field archery will not have heard of Nev Wilson. Cantankerous, Opinionated and not afraid to tell you what he thought. I am sure there will be many Unlimited Field archers who will have been subject to his views of “These damn target archers slowing everyone down”
But No One can deny he was one of the great characters of the sport and he will leave us without one of its greatest enthusiasts for our sport. I and many others will miss him.
Nev started shooting way back in 1965 in the north of England. He was trained by Alf Johnson a qualified GNAS & BFAA coach. His Field Club was the Teucer Bowmen. He moved to Stevenage in 1970, but did not start shooting again until 1992 shooting Bare Bow style at Bossard Bowmen. It was at Bossard that we met, and started travelling around the NFAS shoots together. He tolerated me shooting a compound bow because I shot wooden arrows and off my fingers, but it still wasn’t a proper bow! He was also for a while a part of our family helping all of my sons improve their shooting, and we travelled all together around the NFAS shoots with Nev getting to our house most Sundays in time for a proper breakfast to set us up for the day.
As I became more competitive, I went off to start shooting EFAA and Nev met up with John Davison with whom he became great friends and travelled everywhere shooting together including all the big NFAS events.
Nev’s great enthusiasm for the sport led him to share it with others he qualified as a NFAS coach in 1999 and continued coaching up until 2009. Nothing gave Nev more pleasure than seeing his pupils progress and become competent field archers. Joining Avalon Archers in 2008 with John Davison. Not only did Nev with John become the very backbone of the club, their creativity in putting on great shoots and doing massive amounts of work but Nev was also Avalon’s head coach and carried on helping people to start field archery.
On a final personal note Nev had another side only really seen by those close to him, for example most will know I spend most of my time working in the Avalon Café, and sometimes especially on our monthly breakfast shoots, I find it difficult to cope but Nev with out invitation would come in and start doing the washing up for me. Not only was this a great help to me but it showed just how helpful he wanted to be.
To conclude I can’t help it but I do need to send my own little message.
Nev as you are wondering around up there, and you see a person in long flowing white clothes, with a great big pair of wings on their back If they are carrying an unlimited compound bow, with all the bits and pieces on it. Please don’t shout at them they are on your side and very committed to looking after you.
Nev I will miss you
Nev Wilson we will all miss you RIP
Chris and Sue Cox, Kristian, Nathan and Paul
Kieth and Tracey Burton