Announcement
Frank Wilson Passes Away
Badminton Europe and Badminton England mourns the loss of Frank Wilson who passed away on 3rd July 2026, just two days after his 92nd birthday.
In 1981, Frank took over refereeing the All England Open from the legendary Herbert Scheele (ENG). His training for this demanding job included sitting next to Herbert in the previous editions of the tournament. The following ten years saw Frank in charge of this most prestigious event, training his deputy Keith Hawthorne (ENG) to eventually take over.
As Director of Events, Frank was for the better part of twenty years in charge of all elements of the European tournaments, from allocation over seeding and draw to the conduct and reporting, all at a time without the technology and office support we know today – all was done manually. An enormous job, successfully completed.
Frank Wilson’s contribution to badminton and particularly to badminton in Europe was huge. For two decades, he was a leading light for all European Technical Officials and his influence as a teacher and mentor for umpires and referees went well beyond our European borders. With his clear analytical mind and sense of fairness as well as with his professional background as a chartered accountant, his influence in the Badminton Europe Board in general was important and useful.
Frank Wilson received an IBF Distinguished Service Award in 1995 and Badminton Europe’s President’s Medal in 2012. He was a Life Vice President of Badminton England.
