The photograph above – not quite the same as the one on the earlier pages (note the marathon runner here who is missing from the other) – shows John and the team with which he is most associated in Scotland – the 1986 Commonwealth Games team – but it is not the only Scottish team that he worked with. We will have a look at various aspects of his work with GB teams and Olympic Games squads in this look at his athletics career, but let’s not forget the 17 (yes, seventeen) times he worked with Scottish teams. The list is impressive.
| Month | Year | Venue | Countries involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 1980 | London | Sco v England v Italy v Sweden |
| May | 1981 | Gateshead | Sco v Eng v Ethiopia v Italy |
| June | 1982 | Luxembourg | Sco v Belgium v Luxembourg |
| August | 1983 | London | Sco v Eng v Hungary |
| May | 1984 | Budapest | Sco v Hungary (J) |
| August | 1984 | Edinburgh | Bell's Junior International* |
| August | 1984 | Inverness | Jun. Select v North District |
| September | 1984 | Edinburgh | Sco v Catalonia v Ireland |
| May | 1985 | Grangemouth | Junior Select v Universities v League |
| June | 1985 | Dublin | Sco v Catalonia v Ireland |
| July | 1985 | Swansea | Sco v Eng v Wales |
| September | 1985 | Tel Aviv | Sco v Greece v Israel v Ireland v Wales |
| September | 1985 | Flora** | Sco v Ireland v Norway |
| May | 1986 | Grangemouth | Junior Select v Universities v League |
| June | 1986 | Lloret de Mar | Sco v Catalonia v Ireland |
| July | 1986 | Edinburgh | XIIIth Commonwealth Games |
| August | 1986 | Leyden | Sco v Holland v Northern Ireland |
*Bell’s Junior International and was sponsored by Bell’s Whisky Company. It was an annual match contested by Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales with the first having been held on 29th July 1978
**Flora is in Ireland.
Below: Another version of THAT picture!
17 matches and meetings with 12 different venues. Frequently with two internationals in a month in two different countries eg July and September 1985! It is quite a record. After 1986 he was selected as admin officer and at times team manager for GB teams or squads through until his retirement from international duty in 1992.