Remembering Maureen Halton, Sheffield alumna and UK Frisbee pioneer
Maureen's life took an unexpected turn due to a humble plastic disc, which - thanks in large part to her pioneering spirit - is enjoyed by countless British families today.
Born in Rochdale, May 1938, Maureen Halton (née Robinson) chose Sheffield for her degree in Botany and Zoology, and graduated in 1959 to start a career in teaching.
After completing her training and moving to London, Maureen began professional life as a biology lecturer at the Institute of Education. During this time, she also wrote and illustrated two A Level textbooks, Vertebrates and Invertebrates, copies of which she would later gift to the University of Sheffield library.
In 1977, one of Maureen's students told her about a business interest he was looking to pass on, involving the European licensing for Frisbee toys. The US-trademarked flying discs - named after the Frisbie Pie Company's iconic circular tins - had taken America by storm over the previous two decades, but largely failed to catch on further afield.
Sensing a missed opportunity, Maureen decided it was something she could make a go of. She and her then-husband David Faulkner promptly booked a long-haul flight to Los Angeles, and successfully persuaded Frisbee owners Wham-O toys to transfer the EU rights over to them.
What followed will forever be a little piece of British sporting history.
Filling a van and touring around busy UK beaches, the couple sold around 4,000 units in that first summer alone. Maureen quickly emerged as a talented entrepreneur and salesperson, and soon took over from the sales director they’d initially brought in.
With Maureen at the helm, the newly branded Faulkner Sports company achieved second-year sales figures of £250,000, chiefly owing to her shrewd focus on selling through nationwide sports chains as opposed to seaside kiosks.
The Frisbee license stayed with Faulkner Sports until 1983, when their mistimed buyout of the struggling Penfold Golf brand brought the venture to an end. Maureen and David divorced in 1985 and, as a newly single mother to their daughter Kathryn, Maureen returned to teaching via a post at London's prestigious St Paul’s Girls’ School.
She married solicitor Nicholas Halton in 1992, and in 2000 turned down a contract offer from Models 1 after winning a national ‘mature model of the year’ contest. Instead, she opted to use the platform and winnings to support her ongoing work with Wandsworth Women’s Aid, the domestic violence charity she chaired.
Having developed a passion for croquet in her later years, Maureen remained active in sport throughout her life - most notably as a longstanding and popular member of Roehampton Club. In 2019, she chose to make a generous gift of £5,000 to support sports societies at her alma mater.
Her kind donation directly benefited both the Croquet and Ultimate Frisbee clubs at Sheffield, boosting kit reserves to reduce financial barriers for new members. It also funded the purchase of a video camera to improve technique analysis during training, and the organisation of Sheffield-hosted tournaments to help build stronger networks between student teams across the north of England.
Maureen in 2019, pictured with student representatives from University of Sheffield Croquet
Maureen’s backing has been immensely valuable to our club, enabling us to make several impactful improvements that will be transformative both for current and new participants alike. We are deeply grateful for the opportunities it has created, and we thank Maureen very much for her support.
Rhodri Williams
Ultimate Frisbee club captain
Maureen sadly passed away in 2025 at the age of 86, due to complications from Alzheimer's. She is survived by her husband Nicholas, and her daughter Kathryn Faulkner.
The University is enormously appreciative of Maureen's kind contribution to the continued success of student sports clubs at Sheffield, and extends its deepest condolences to her family and many good friends.