Author: The Author

This not a report on the 1986 Commonwealth Games.   It is an account of the involvement of one of the country’s best ever administrators, John Brown, his selection, preparation and involvement in what was to be the first such involvement in many Games including four Olympics.

The Games Opening Parade:   John is third from the left with his hand in the air!

The two and a half year lead in would be over at the end of July, 1986 and the Games would begin.   John had been working hard and at increasing intensity as the Games approached – that intensity would increase and the pressure mount during the Games year itself rising to a crescendo during the two weeks of the actual competition.   Much of the pressure for these Games would come from matters that had nothing to do with the athletics – or any other sport come to that.   

The Games were boycotted by a majority of countries, largely African, Asian and Caribbean states, and making it appear as a whites-only event. Of the 59 eligible countries, 32 boycotted the Games due to the Thatcher government’s attitude towards British sporting links with apartheid-era South Africa as opposed to the sporting boycott of South Africa. It resulted in the lowest number of athletes since the 1950 Commonwealth Games

Further controversy came about when it was revealed that due to the lack of participation and associated decline in anticipated broadcasting and sponsorship revenues, the Organising Committee was facing a serious financial black hole, and the boycott ended any prospect of securing emergency government assistance. Businessman Robert Maxwell stepped in to offer funding, taking over as chairman, but despite promising to invest £2m, Maxwell’s contribution was just £250,000. On a budget of £14m, the Games opened with a deficit of £3m, which later grew to £4.3m, and instead of putting enough money into the event to save it, the new chairman of the Games asked creditors to forgo half the payment due to them to keep the event out of liquidation. The debt was finally paid off in 1989, with the city of Edinburgh losing approximately £500,000.

The papers were full of stories about Robert Maxwell and his pontificating but with little money coming to back it, the government refusing to commit to emergency assistance and so on.   It was not a good atmosphere in which to hold the Games.   In addition there were some notable absences from the Scottish teams selected with athletes who had a good record and who had managed to do the qualifying time, height or distance being admitted.   One athlete offered to pay for his own  uniform or even wear a genuine Scottish uniform issued earlier in the year to compete.   Although there were only two running in the event in question and he had qualified, his offer was turned down.  

And John Brown was the team manager who had done so much work and travel over two years to have the team ready.   His task was much, much more difficult than it had to be.   He was fortunate in having John Hamilton, the popular manager of the Scottish cross-country team as his assistant manager – and David Lease, national coach,  as the team coach.   All three were well acquainted with the athletes, had been with them on trips to various other countries, knew their likes and dislikes and David had even stepped in on one occasion when the team was short of a pole-vaulter to compete in the event himself (he had been an international vaulter for Wales several years earlier) which gained him personally some kudos.   They needed all the experience and skills learned over the previous two years at least.   Since 1984, John himself had been with 5 Scottish or Scottish Junior teams on  5 occasions in 1984 to venues as far afield at Budapest, London and Swansea, in 1985 he had been with 4 GB teams to Karlovac (Yugoslavia), Le Touquet, Genoa and Tel Aviv, and 5 Scottish teams to Dublin, Flora (Spain), Nice and Swansea as well as a couple of home fixtures.   Their work with the actual team was  done well, having been in the athletes village several times during the period of the Games I can say that it was a good atmosphere there and there were several genuine high spots for the Scottish tea, with Liz Lynch capturing the headlines for her win in the 10,000m, Yvonne Murray ran well in the 3000m and Tom McKean had a very good meeting with his running in the 800m among them.   

John (and his wife) had to attend many Dinners, Lunches and Receptions which at times probably had to be endured rather than enjoyed but which were part of his official position.   He had to meet sponsors, encourage supporters, attend official council events and so on as well as work with the team.   There was the official team announcement to be made on 9th June and John’s presence was of course essential.

Then there was the meeting with the Tetley (Sponsor) hospitality co-ordinators –

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The Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland had a Scottish Reception, held at the University in Edinburgh on 23rd July.

 And there was always a Church Service which preceded every Games:

And many more at an increasing pace as the Games themselves drew nearer, an even after they had started.

Despite all the problems – political and financial – the XIII Commonwealth Games were a success due in no small part to the work done by dedicated officials and coaches like John Brown, Hilda Everett (Scottish women’s team coach), John Hamilton and David Lease as well as by the athletes in the arena.   The performances and results can be found in many places on the internet such as Wikipedia or on this website at 

www.scottishdistancerunninghistory.scot/1986-commonwealth-games 

Finally, just to show that he was indicate that he was in fact working while he was expected to attend all the above functions – and more, the list above is not nearly a complete one – we finish with his report on the actual team performance.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

26TH JULY – 13TH AUGUST 1986

Scottish team performance is summarised below:

3 – 1st places               12 – 2nd places               18 – 3rd places

SECTION MANAGERS REPORTS

ATHLETICS (Men)   –   John Brown   –   Section Manager

Travel:   All athletes assembled at the Games Village under their own arrangements and no difficulties were encountered.

Accommodation: In contrast to the previous Games held in Brisbane in 1982, the accommodation provided in the Edinburgh University Pollock Halls of Residence was ideal.   Team members shared, two per room, but with the athletes being allowed to determine their own extent of residence in the Village, and by making appropriate pairings, many enjoyed almost single room accommodation and this was very much appreciated by the athletes.

Training Facilities: The training faciities provided by the Organisers were found to be adequate for our requirements.

Medical Support: The mdical team of doctors and physiotherapists can only be described as superb.   They were always on hand to provide expert care and atention in a very warm-hearted way, and on behalf of the athletes I would like to pay them a special tribute.   Of the many athletes who consulted the Medical Team only Lindsay Robertson (marathon) was unable to compete.

Discipline: No member of the team required to be spoken to regarding discipline or behaviour in general, and all supported the various functions and meetings with Royalty.

Boycott: It was most unfortunate that the Games suffered from the boycott with a third of the competitors being excluded.   In athletics very few potential medallists did not take part.   The depleted fields however meant that a number of our athletes who would have benefited from an earlier round, were being thrown into semi-finals or finals of events.   A number were unfortunate not to qualify for further rounds by the narrowest of margins.   

Results   * Aditional Event

100 metres

Bunney   5th   10.37;   Henderson   8th   10.68;   Sharp   eliminated in semi-final   10.62

200 metres

McCallum   eliminated in semi-final   21.39;  Whittle   eliminated in semi-final   21.69

400 metres

Whittle   5th   47.10;   Johnston   eliminated in semi-final   48.57;   Nicoll   eliminated in semi-final  50.07

800 metres

McKean   2nd   1:44.80;   Forbes   7th  1:51.29

1500 metres

Currrie  eliminated in heat   3:44.82;   Hanlon   eliminated in heat   3:50.57;   Robson   9th   3:57.20

5000 metres

Muir   8th   13:40.92

10000 metres

Hutton   –   30:16.50

3000 metres steeplechase

Charleson   –   9:21.73;   Hanlon   –   8:53.56;   Hume   –   9:05.40

Marathon

Graham   4th   2:12:10;   Clyne   10th   2:17:30;   Robertson   withdrawn on medical grounds

110 metres hurdles

Wallace   eliminated in 1st semi-final  14.23;  McDonald   eliminated in 1st semi-final  14.37;   Fraser   eliminated in 1st semi-final   14.28

400 metres Hurdles

Fulton   eliminated in 1st semi-final   57.90;   McCutcheon   eliminated in 1st semi-final  53.58;   Hardie   eliminated in 1st semi-final   55.68

Pole Vault

McStravick   8th   4.45m

High Jump

Parsons   2nd   2.28m

Long Jump

McKay   8th   7.39m

Triple Jump

Duncan   7th   15.68m

Hammer  

Black   8th   63.88m

Shot

Irvine   9th   16.73m

Discus  

Patience   52.54m

Javelin   

Maxwell   –   62.34m

Decathlon

McStravick   4th   7563 pts

4 x 110 Relay

Henderson, McCallum, Sharp, Bunney    3rd    40.41

4 x 400 Relay

Johnston, Forbes, McKean, Whittle    4th   3:18.43

This not a report on the 1986 Commonwealth Games.   It is an account of the involvement of one of the country’s best ever administrators, John Brown, his selection, preparation and involvement in what was to be the first such involvement in many Games including four Olympics.

John’s first experience of the Commonwealth Games had been as chief Wind Gauge operator in 1970; by the next Games in Edinburgh, in 1986, he was in a vastly different position.    His first Scotland team had been in 1979 as Admin Officer in a match against England and Sweden at Crystal Palace and he worked with more Scotland teams in 1980, ’81, ’82 and ’83.   It was in January 1984 that he was appointed Team Manager through to the end of the 1986 athletics season which would include the 1986 Commonwealth Games.   This overlapped with his first Great Britain and Northern Ireland team manager which had started in 1983 and we will deal with that later.   We are fortunate that he kept all his records in such an immaculate fashion.   It may well be the only such collection by any team manager or admin officer.  And now we can see just what was involved in such a task in the second half of the twentieth century.   We can open the first of John’s box files.    Although labelled XIII Commonwealth Games, the box contains information on other meetings at which he officiated for either Scotland or Great Britain.    John also officiated at this time in lower level ‘representative’ matches as well as internationals (A representative match would be Scotland  v   Midland Counties, or Scotland  v   Wales and Southern Counties).    We concentrate here on the Games and it will consist mainly of reproduced letters and documents with only linking comments.

The appointment for such a post is never made in the actual year of competition for obvious reasons and in John’s case it was made at the start of 1984.   The handwritten letter below from Ian Clifton congratulating him and assuring him of every support is dated 29th January 1984.

And of course there was the official letter of congratulations from president John Fairgrieve, dated 8th February 1984, which tells him that the SAAA will ‘pressure’ the AAA to give him more international experience than he already has in the two years leading up to the Games.

Whether it was because of the efforts of the SAAA, or because of his work done for them previously, the BAAB had invited John to be Admin Officer for the International against Yugoslavia in Split.

It is interesting to note that his first letter following the appointment was to the National Coach, David Lease, one that very topic:

David replied on 10th February and they met on Tuesday 14th at Haymarket in Edinburgh and spent the evening at David’s home discussing the Games and related matters.   Whether it was as a result of pressure by the SAAA or not, John was selected for the British Team to travel to Split later in the year.

These were different days.   Although officials like John Brown were officiating as Team Managers or Admin Officer for Scottish or British teams they were not full time employees of the governing bodies.   They were dependent on who their line manager was and their attitude to the sport.   Joh was fortunate in that respect.   Just look at the letter below giving him permission to go to four different meetings in four different venues from Norway to Israel. 

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There were of course a number of social functions to be attended dealing with various aspects of fund raising and awards dinners where the plans were explained and support for 1986 gained.    One of the biggest was the Royal Gala Performance with the Queen and Prince Philip present – John has kept the invitations and the elaborate programme for it.   We reproduce the pre-event letter simply because of the detail that was informed for those attending!

In July came another invitation to work with a Scottish international team – this time for the Eight Nations International to be held in Tel Aviv.   The correspondence is below.

And of course there was the British team competition in Split before the New Year.   We will leave 1984 and 1985 here and have a separate section on the Games year of 1986.   See link below.

Part 2:   The Games Year

The picture above is one of the best known Commonwealth Games group photographs, appearing on websites, in magazines and in newspapers.    It was of course taken before the 1986 Games in Edinburgh and almost all are easily recognisable to athletes and officials, and indeed to many Scottish team supporters.   But if you asked people to point out John Brown, not many would get it right and yet he was possibly the most important and sought after administrator  in Scottish teams at several Games and fixtures and was also a vital cog in the GB wheel at four Olympic Games which meant officiating with a number of  British teams in the run-up to these events.   He was ‘selected’,  if that is the appropriate word, for more major Games and international fixtures than any athlete.  In the photograph he is right in the middle of the front row above, between John Hamilton and Hilda Everett.    We are indeed fortunate that he was an immaculate record keeper and organiser and his documentation has been passed to John Mackay by his son, another John Brown, to help us put together this record of his career in the sport.   

We can start with information extracted from his own account of his life and career.

Born on 2nd June 1932, his father was a former pilot in the Royal Flying Corps but was by then back in civvy street and working as a janitor which involved moving around the city of Glasgow as his employment demanded.    John could remember the outbreak of World War 2 on 3rd September 1939.  

John had been a pupil at Whitehill Senior Secondary School in 1943, left school in 1947 and was employed by Glasgow Corporation Housing Department.   His father had been a sprinter of some ability with Maryhill Harriers and had even raced against Eric Liddell.   John wanted to follow in his footsteps and joined Maryhill Harriers on 26th March 1946 little knowing where it would take him.   What follows is his beginnings in the sport in his own words.   Because it contains some information about the sport in general at the time and indeed some social history as well as details of his career we have kept in some information not strictly relevant to his athletics.  eg How many of the present generation would know of Junior and Senior Secondary Schools?    Or about National Service?   Or about running cross-country without a shower afterwards?

“In June 1948 I had my first open handicap  event as a youth at Glasgow Transport Open Sports at Helenvale Park.   My final event was at Cowal Highland Games in August 1959.   During this period I had 504 competitive races.   Summer training took place at Balgray, Kelvinside Academy’s sports ground on Great Western Road.   In the wintertime our HQ was in Maryhill Baths’ communal wash house.   Every Tuesday and Thursday evening and on a Saturday afternoon we had training sessions.   After coming in from a muddy cross-country run on a good occasion we could have a cold shower but, on a bad day there was no shower and we had to go home dirty and sweaty.   In the summer of 1948 the Olympic Games were held in London.   Maryhill Harriers organised a trip to the Olympiad and I had a truly wonderful time there.   The opening and closing ceremonies were held in Wembley Stadium.   

In 1949 I became the Junior captain of Maryhill Harriers.   In June the club championships were held in the public park in Rothesay when I won the 100 and 220 yards championships.   Later in that year I also won the 440 yards championships.    Around this time I became Assistant Secretary of the Scottish Amateur Wrestling Association which came about through a Tom McMillan of Maryhill Harriers who was secretary of the association at that time.   Tom was also secretary of the Bute Highland Games and again roped me into being Assistant Secretary of the Games, an appointment that lasted for two years.”

 John went off to do National Service with the Air Force in November 1950.   After ten weeks square bashing, which was par for the course for all who did their National Service, John was passed out as the best recruit of the 108 recruits.   His organisational skills which had been developed to some extent at the Bute Games, was posted to the RAF Record Office in Gloucester he rose very quickly through the ranks.   A very successful and enjoyable period was spent with John returning home after the two years and starting work back at Glasgow Corporation and returning also to athletics.   

In 1955 he won the Glasgow Police Sports handicap 220 yards and also won the Maryhill Harriers Davidson Trophy which his father had won in 1921.   1956 was his best season in athletics with a first in the 220 and second in the 100 at the YMCA Championships and again at Shotts.   Then in the Dunbartonshire County Championships he was again first in the 220 and second in the 100.   He went on be a fairly successful sprinter finishing second in three 120 yards invitation races and then at Cowal won the 220 yards on the Friday night and also in the Saturday event.   1958 was his final season as a competitive athlete.   

John’s Photograph of the Opening Ceremony Parade at Meadowbank in 1970

John again: 

“When I stopped competing in athletics in 1959, I became an official of the Scottiah Amateur Athletic Association.   Starting at Grade 3 I worked my way up to Grade 1.   The 9th Commonwealth Games was awarded to Edinburgh where I was one of the Senior Technical officials.   By this time my speciality was the recording of wind  speeds required for the ratification of record performances.   Because of the difficulty of finding officials in 1969 I was sent to officiate at the August Bank Holiday in London,   It was a two-day fixture – Great Britain v France.    On the Saturday it was held at the White City Stadium.   This had been the premier athletics stadium in Great Britain where the 1908 Olympics had been held.   This was the last day that a meeting had been held there.   The second day of the meeting was held at Crystal Palace which became the new home for athletics in London.I did not find any suitable candidates south of the border so I returned home and eventually put a team together.   The IXth Commonwealth Games took place in Meadowbank Stadium.   It was a tremendous ten days of sport and my team of five enjoyed the atmosphere .   Throughout the Seventies I continued to officiate at many meetings from domestic championships to the internationals which came to Scotland.”

Officials List from the 1970 Empire &  Commonwealth Games programme

When he was elected to the SAAA General Committee in 1979 his qualifications as an official were as a Grade 1 Track Judge. Wind Gauge Operator and Marksman, and in 1979 he was a Grade 3 Timekeeper.   He was by then also a member of Garscube Harriers.   To these his experiences as an official and, mainly, administrator in international fixtures  and a very welcome addition to the governing body.   Within two months he had been elected by the committee to the post of Assistant Secretary  in succession to Duncan McSwein.   He held this position until December 1982, the start of the Association’s Centenary Year, when he was elevated to the position of Treasurer where he was successor to George Donald.   He held this position until the formation of the new Scottish Athletics Federation in 1992 which replaced no fewer than seven governing bodies covering athletics, cross-country running and hill running.   

He had ten years on the Council of the British Amateur Athletic Board.   This was a position in which he could influence affairs at British level whereas the President of the SAAA usually only had three years on the Board where as one former President said, “You spend one year playing yourself in, one year when you can do something, and one year on your way out!”   

We have had a preliminary look at John’s family background and his own early interest in the sport, how it developed and how he became an administrator and officials at International level.   He has left his documentation clearly labelled and organised and the intention now is to keep his organisational pattern to show how his career  really blossomed.

John in Cornwall in 2011 with some young hurdlers 

John Anderson who died on Sunday 28th July, 2024, aged 92,  was a coaching legend in Britain.   You can read our profile, which was written with his active co-operation, at this link.   Writing his profile was an interesting experience in itself.   Although I first met him in the early 1960’s when I was a young coach and he was SAAA National Coach travelling the length and breadth of Scotland encouraging athletes of all ages, teaching coaches and spotting talent.   He was one of only two coaches in Britain who was a senior coach in every event on the athletics calendar and had, he told me, coached 147 British International athletes.   When I phoned him about writing the profile, he was his typical enthusiastic self BUT – I had to telephone him on Monday at 1:00 pm.   That was the only time he could speak to me.   Except that after he spoke to me and I went out for the afternoon, I would return to a message from him on the telephone answering machine adding to or even correcting something he had said earlier in the morning.   The same procedure every time that I phoned him.   He added to almost everything he said to me to be sure I had it right or that I had all the information.   One senior coach, a master coach no less, said to me at one point that he would never coach children or very young athletes again, he was past all that.   Look at the picture above of John above, aged 79, with some young hurdlers.   He’d never have said he was “past all that.”

Scottish athletics owed John a lot.   Not just for his personal activities with athletes, coaches and clubs but also for some of the structures he put in place and also for the Scottish International Coaching Convention which was held annually in Edinburgh, an initiative kept going by a succession of coaches starting with Frank Dick, then carried on by Allan Jones and David Lease.   Some of the best coaches and specialists in the world came to Scotland and talked to the coaches.   We have several of them commenting on their thoughts and interactions with John since they heard the news on Sunday.   There were many who would say with Hugh Barrow, former Scottish and British international athlete, when he said he vividly remembered “Mini bus trips to Cosford John at the wheel with Doug Edmunds at the front as ballast  and Moira Kerr at the back on guitar singing the Wild Side of Life hammering over Shap”.   We start with Frank Dick who succeeded John as Scottish National Coach and is a very highly qualified coach in his own right, having worked with sportsmen across many disciplines.

I really got to know John after he invited me to coach at Scottish Schools Easter courses. I was still at Loughborough and hungry to learn from him. So when He asked me to join his staff it was a no brainer.   While it was great to work with Scotland’s next generation of National Athletes and learn through that experience the greatest learning was in the evenings. Debate and discussion went into the early hours every night. Alex Naylor, Eddie Taylor, Davie Morrison all got involved but John was at the centre, steering thinking in one direction or another. On several occasions you would be arguing A and John B. Two hours later it was the other way round.

So first picture of him was someone who would challenge you to think differently. Next picture was of someone who truly understood pedagogics and principles of training that were at core of Jordanhill’s Physical Education course. He was relentless in his focus on basics. It was no accident that Jordanhill produced two outstanding National Athletics coaches in UK, in John and Tom McNab. They founded their coaching on brilliant teaching – a Jordanhill trademark.

Next picture is really a blending of the first two. He made time to share his experience and expertise. So he was as much a coach of coaches as of athletes.

Finally, there is a picture of a coach with extraordinary adaptability to coach across the full range of athletics events. Very few coaches can do this. It is quite a sophisticated competence to balance what is generic and what is specific when applying your coaching skills. It’s this picture that defines just how world class he was.   Of course none of us is perfect and John’s intensity and passion whilst fuelling the energy that produced his incredible list of achievements, it could very occasionally create more heat than light. This however, served well to enrich my picture not only of the character he was but the immense depth of character he had.”

Hamish Telfer, and his friend Cameron McNeish, was coached as a young athlete by John and went on to become a GB coach himself and to be a sports historian, specialising in athletics history.   He has this to say of the man.

“John Anderson is of course remembered for his outstanding coaching of those who he took to elite level but John also coached those whose abilities were more modest of which I was one. He demanded only one thing; hard work. There were many like me and this hopefully represents their views as well as my own. He had a profound influence on not only my life but others who had aspirations, and he changed my life to give it structure and meaning. I was lucky as I got to tell John that a few years back and was able to thank him. Uncompromising (often), argumentative (usually) but he responded to the loyalty shown to him with a loyalty to his athletes and he should also be remembered for a strong guiding influence on those he coached.

 

Memories have flooded in of the times in the 1960s. 20 second runs in snow storms at Grangemouth on Christmas eve; conditioning sessions at Springburn (where he once went off to answer a call and we simply kept going without a break until he came back 30minutes later); helping him splice his loop films at his house; helping him as an athlete ‘demonstrator’ on coaching courses and of course arriving at his house on my small ‘motorbike’ with hypothermia, conking out and waking up in front of his fire and then being told to get into the car as we had a training session to do. There was also the trip to RAF Cosford (as it was back then) for an indoor meeting when in thick fog he told me to open the back door, lean out and tell him where the white line in the road was (we were driving overnight and it was pre motorway days). Finally there are the ‘sayings’ … ‘I don’t feel any pain!’; ‘I’ll tell you when it hurts’, ‘Even when I’m wrong I’m still right’ and of course the easy smile and the quiet ‘well done’. I’m glad I got to tell him what he did for me and of course for all the others like me.”

Eddie Devlin of Monkland Harriers, Clyde Valley AC, who ran for Strathclyde University when he was a student there, was everything that a good club runner should be: first of all he was a good runner, second he was reliable, third he was consistent and in addition he was one-club man.   Without Eddie Devlin the Monkland/Clyde Valley story would be very different – and many of the very best Scotland has produced would have won fewer medals.   His friend and contemporary Joe Small has penned the following profile of Eddie with additions by Ron MacDonald and Jim Brown.   As the picture above shows, Eddie was a steeplechaser and he appeared in the Scottish rankings in 1974 (9:46.0), 1975  (9:42,2), 1976 (9:43.0); 1977 (9:24.2) and 1978 (9:07.2) – this last ranking him ninth in Scotland.   He was also ranked with a time of 14:42.6 for 5000m in 1975.   As Joe says below Eddie was a reliable first stage runner doing so almost annually in the Lanarkshire County Relays as well as in the bigger races.   He ran every stage in the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay except for the two which were reserved for the very top men – the Olympians, the GB runners, the Scottish champions – namely two and six.   In 1980 he held his place at the head of the field and ran the fastest time on the seventh stage.   No matter the surface, whether on the track or on the road or over the country he did what his club needed him to do – and at times a wee bit more.    Now read Joe’s profile.

Eddie steeplechasing for Clyde Valley AC

Eddie Devlin, who died recently will be remembered as a tough competitor, always giving his best in any race.

He was a product of the St Patrick’s H.S. Coatbridge talent factory in the ‘60s & ‘70s presided over by P.E. teacher Bill Coogans. Among the other names to emerge from that school around that period were Martin McMahon, Ronnie MacDonald, Paul Bannon, Frank Gribben, Mark Watt, Jim Burns, Neil Agnew & myself.

There is some doubt as to when Eddie actually joined Monkland. He first appears in the 1968 Midland District C.C. relay team, when he would have been 18. Also, he is named in the programme for that season’s National Cross Country Championships, but running for Strathclyde University. There is no mention of him as a senior boy or youth, although Ronnie MacDonald distinctly remembers him winning medals over the 1/2 mile at Scottish & Lanarkshire Schools Championships. 

Eddie was a few years ahead of me at school, so my earliest recollections of him were after I joined Monkland Harriers, Eddie already being a member. He was active on the track, principally as an 800m/half miler, picking up a lot of prizes at highland games over those distances. I think his best time was around 1min. 56sec for 800m.

A Young Eddie Devlin in a Monkland Harriers Vest

On the road and country, Monkland were experiencing a bit of a resurgence at that time due to the emergence of people like Eddie & Ronnie MacDonald. The 4 man relay teams would usually consist of Eddie, Ronnie, Willie Drysdale & one other (Jim Brown arrived a couple of years later.)

The first notable success was in the prestigious Allan Scally relay in 1971, when Monkland finished third. Willie Drysdale running the first leg, followed by Jim Brown, Eddie & Ronnie MacDonald. In the same Allan Scally event, Eddie was a member of the winning Clyde Valley teams in 1978 and ‘79.

Undoubtedly his favourite event of the winter season was the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay. He had an unbroken run of appearances from 1969 to 1984, competing for Strathclyde University, Monkland Harriers & Clyde Valley AAC : 16 consecutive runs with two first place finishes, one second place & three third places. His best run I would reckon to be the in 1980 race, when he recorded the fastest time on the seventh stage, his `home’ leg passing through Coatbridge, beating the likes of Martin Craven and John McGarva.

Other relay successes included the SCCU Cross Country relay championships, being in the winning teams in 1977 (with Ian Gilmour, Brian McSloy and Jim Brown)  and ‘79 (with Colin Farquharson, Brian McSloy & Jim Brown.) Brown was quoted after the last event “on the splendid support they received from the two unsung members of the team, Devlin & Farquharson.” Doesn’t sound like Jim!   There was also a silver medal in the West District Cross Country relay in 1975 with John Graham, Ronnie MacDonald & myself.

Not much information, but other races such as the McAndrew and Lanarkshire road relays produced medals and prizes, for instance, we won the team race at the Strathkelvin 12, myself, Eddie and Neil Agnew being the team members.

One thing which surprised me when researching the above was the fact that Eddie was an accomplished steeplechaser. He appeared in the Scottish rankings on 5 occasions, with his highest placing being 9^th in 1978 with a time of 9min.07.2sec. He won a bronze medal in the event at the West District championships in 1975. If asked about his career, I would never really have thought of him as a steeplechaser.

Towards the end of his career, he ran in a couple of marathons, finishing the 1984 Glasgow Marathon in 29^th place, running the excellent time of 2hrs. 25min. 47sec. So starts off his career as a 1/2 miler, ends up as a marathon man.

Some personal anecdotes:

Jumping on the train to run in the Clydebank – Helensburgh road race. When we arrived at the changing rooms, the place was deserted – we were a week early! I took the blame for that one.

Travelling to a race in Edinburgh in Eddie’s car, a blow out on the M8. No problem, get the spare wheel out: problem, no jack. Three of us had to lift the car while Eddie swapped the wheels – luckily it was a mini. 

After winning the 3000m team race at Lochaber Highland Games. Presented with our prizes: a “Welcome to Fort William lapel badge” – Eddie in particular not amused!

The annual trip to Cowal Highland Games – being invited to run in the 3000m team race meant “expenses” were paid, a novelty for us amateur runners. Eddie was always there. This bonanza was usually squandered in the pubs of Dunoon before catching the last ferry & “Last train tae Glasgow Central” according to Ronnie MacDonald (& Billy Connolly.)

After we had finished running competitively, we knocked off a few Munro’s together, generally around Arrochar, Glencoe, Cairngorms etc. On one ascent of Ben Nevis, we arrived at the summit to find out that coincidentally, it was the day of the Ben Nevis race. We kept well out of the way, hill running not being our forte.

From Jim Brown:

Always a mainstay of the team…. Mr. Consistency. I recall numerous first leg runs always keeping us in contention. I remember the National Cross-Country relays at Aberdeen. We had two call offs on the morning of the race… John Graham and Ronnie MacDonald.  Eddie and Colin Farquharson were called in. Colin had a great run finishing in the leading group, I ran second and Eddie kept us in contention on the third leg , Brian McSloy anchored us to an unexpected win. Aberdeen were so confident they brought red and white ribbons for the trophy…. We borrowed them!

Like me he was a Highland games pot hunter. A particular favourite was Cowal highland games 3000 metres team race with travel expenses included. Most of the early evening was spent in the pub, expenses exhausted.. then watch the march of 1000 pipers.

He worked hard in putting the E to G team together and it was just reward when we eventually won it. Was there not a time when we had no runner for the Forrestfield leg? I think Eddie solved the problem by motoring through to Motherwell to return with Peter Fox who had already trained that morning.

He had a dry sense of humour at times and was as sharp as a tack…. Great club servant. I think he competed for Scotland at an inter area match cross country match.

Ronnie MacDonald remembered the “missing trophy” story:

Clyde Valley won the McAndrew Relay – at the race next year, the trophy was nowhere to be seen. For some reason, suspicion fell on Eddie (odd, as he wasn’t in the winning foursome.) Eventually the trophy was given up as lost. 

Below:   Eddie in the Glasgow Marathon

Mountblow Pavilion in the 21st Century.

Have a look at the photograph above of the once fine sports pavilion.   The rendering has fallen off the walls, ther doors have metal grills on them, even worse the windown in front of the central tower is shuttered, the windows have grills on them and the general picture is one of dilapidation.   The running track was, when last seen, a simple, red blaes, path surrounding what had been the small football pitch.   To the best of our knowledge the days of two full time groundsmen are gone.   We have the local vandals to thank for all the shuttering and metal grills.     The councillors of vision who conceived of, developed and boasted of it have gone – the Clydebank Town Council has gone and the governing body is based in Dumbarton.   The Commissioner of the Special Areas in Scotland which put up three quarters of the cost of the facility no longer exists and if it did, it would probably not be able to contribute from a Special Areas Fund.    But just by looking at the picture it is clear that no maintenance has been done on the building for many years.   

Athletically,  it was very well used by the club until in about 1960 there was a new track laid at Whitecrook in the east end of the burgh.   Unlike Mountblow it was an eight lane with ten in the straight, 440 yards, cinder track.   The Running Track Directory says: “The track was built in about 1960 and was initially known as the Whitecrook Running Track. At the time it was considered to be a state of the art cinder track with first class field facilities and was used by Clydesdale Harriers. In the late 1970s the name changed to the Whitecrook Community Education Centre Track following a change of name of the adjacent centre. However, in 1993, the local council decided that the cost of upkeep was too high and leased the whole playing field area to the Clydebank Rugby Club for 19 years for a peppercorn rent.”   The bigger track meant that there was a bigger infield with more room for field events.   At one end there was a high jump fan with good firm cinder approach and jumpers from other clubs were known to come along and train there – eg David Cairns of Springburn Harriers came along.   

There were some problems initially.   The track was very soft and some runners, like the former double Scottish Junior cross-country champion John Wright took to training at the Mountblow track.   The feeling was that the softer surface was an injury risk but once they learned about this the local authority added to the mix of the cinder and firmed it up.   The other little difference to Mountblow was that there were no changing rooms with showers, etc and the athletes had to change in the Primary School which was all of 100 yards away across the football pitches.   The Directory referred to above did not mention that there were three football pitches beside the track which gave a big perimeter for the endurance runners to use.   In addition at the track, it was so big that runners could run 300 yard reps on the grass inside the track if they preferred it or if recommended to do so by a physio.    It seemed a good change for the club to make.   Then when a pavilion was built beside the track it was even better.   The pavilion had many fewer dressing rooms than Mountblow, women and men used the same short, narrow corridor to access them and there was only one set of showers.   

This meant that the track at Mountblow was not being used very much at all with mainly occasional runners using it as a base for road or country running at weekends.   The hockey fields had long since been done away with and the Singer cricket team ceased to exist in the late 1950’s; Clydebank Cricket Club was officially disbanded in September 1987 – exactly 50 years after the facility was set up..    No cricket, no hockey, no athletics and that only left football.  Football was and is always wanting more facilities – in the 1990’s when Clydesdale Harriers had been evacuated from the track at Whitecrook various options were looked at with Jack Daly, the West Dunbartonshire official responsible for leisure activities.   He suggested the big pitch at William Street in Duntocher because it was seldom used – but that was ruled out because it was one of the few in the area that could be used for cup matches; part of the good grass at Mountblow which was not in use was also ruled out – this time because it was a ‘resting’ football pitch.   It was the same story with every piece of vacant ground.   The football lobby then started a campaign to turn Mountblow into a Football Centre.   They were successful and in February 2017 the area was ear-marked for an £850,000 overhaul including the pavilion.   It was opened for use in February 2020 and now has three 7-a-side pitches and one 11-a-side pitch suitable for all weathers.   

Mountblow as it is today: The pavilion is a shadow of what it was, football pitches everywhere and the whole open area divided up by fencing.   

It is easy to see why the multi-sports facility became a single sport venue.   If the cricket, athletics and hockey all went elsewhere with football the sole user, it was inevitable that this would be the fate of the Recreation Ground.   It was not inevitable that it would be allowed to get into the state it is in currently – that was a political decision.    Mountblow plan is below.   And what about Whitecrook?

Well, what about Whitecrook?   After we left the rugby club had had it from 1969 but were looking for other users for the pitch.   Local sports clubs came together and established the Clydebank Community Sports Hub in 2012.      The complex was described in the Clydebank Post as:

No running track.   

A group of Clydesdale Harriers at Mountblow immediately after the second World War.

Mountblow Recreation Ground was a well known facility for athletes and the home of Clydesdale Harriers from its opening in 1937 until the start of the 1960’s.    Others came along at times as guests of the club – Tom O’Reilly of Springburn Harriers, Davie Kerr of Garscube Harriers for instance – and when the great Victoria Park team of the 1950’s was at its peak, Andy Forbes led Sunday training sessions there using the 330 yard track and the half mile good grass perimeter.   When Ian Logie took up pole vaulting, he had a runway installed and invited David Stevenson, Scottish and British champion in the event, to come and do a session at Mountblow.   It was very near the Dalmuir Railway Station and the bus stops on the road outside came from and went to Glasgow and Dumbarton.   It was an ideal venue for athletes from all around.

Like all sports facilities be they football pavilions, swimming baths or playing fields at the time, Mountblow had a beautiful art deco pavilion and the layout covered football pitches, hockey pitches,   cricket wicket and the athletics track.   A recent description of the pavilion, which was a listed building, describes it as follows: 

Description

Rare example of Modern Movement sports pavilion surviving largely ulaltered and occupying original recreation ground setting.   2 storey and raised basement, 5 bay rectangular plan on sloping site with cantilevered balcony, oversailing flat roof and tall off-centre curved stair tower with vertical glazing breaking eaves, 2 flights of steps to walkway above basement.   Rendered brick.   Horizontal pane glazing in metal framed casements, predominately tripartite and bipartite, now with later metal grills to exterior.   Later metal roller shutters to entrance doors.   INTERIOR.   Largely intact floor plan.   Ground and first floors similar with concrete floors.   Changing rooms lead off central corridor, each floor with bathroom and showers.   Some early timber benches and coat hooks.   Stair with horizontal metal bannisters.

So much for the building.   The running track was 327 yards of red blaes enclosing a small football pitch about which more later.   Like many tracks of the period, there were problems in organising meetings with events at standard distances such as 220 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards etc and the club had cards printed as below and all committee members and anyone else involved in organising championships and other meetings.

Diagram of the 330 yard track being used for standard distances such as one mile, three miles, etc showing starting point and  number of laps required .   Diagram by David Bowman

The grass was very well looked after and a very smooth surface to run on and it was possible to run a straight 300 yards on the level grass.   Field events were catered for outside the track because the inside had to be available for football matches.    This post deals with how the facility came about.   

The picture above from the RIBA Architects magazine, although a modern drawing, is a very good picture of what the Pavilion was like (although the circular lights are an addition).

The “Daily Record” in May 1936 reported on progress on what was a very big undertaking on the part of the local authority.

As the date approached the plans were finalised as noted in the “Clydebank Press” of 27th August, 1937:  “It was reported in the Park Committee Minutes, with reference to the official opening of the Pavilion at Mount Blow Recreation Ground, a remit was made with powers to the Recreation Sub-Committee to make the necessary arrangements.   Since then the Committee has agreed that the opening should take place on Saturday, 4th September when football and hockey matches, track running, etc, will be carried through after the initial ceremony.”   

As far as he clubs were concerned, the Clydesdale Harriers Committee held a supplementary meeting on 2nd September for which the Minute read:   “Opening of Mount Blow Stadium.   Harriers to stage a One Mile Handicap and two relay races and intending competitors to meet at new pavilion  at 2:30 pm, Saturday, 4th.”

The “Clydebank Post” of 3rd September 1937 reported as follows under a heading of ‘NEW RECREATION GROUND.   Official Opening Tomorrow Afternoon.’

“Tomorrow (Saturday) is to be a red-letter day for local amateur athletiv enthusiasts, for in the afternoon all roads should lead to Dalmuir to witness the official opening of the burgh’s latest – probably most ambitious recreation scheme, viz, the thirteen acre stretch of new playing fields, situated on ground at Mount Blow, north of the L.N.E. railway.   As Baillie Wm. Brown, convener of the Parks and Open Spaces Committee pointed out to a “Press” representative, the new recreation ground, the name of which has yet to be decided, should prove a veritable boon to local football, hockey, cricket and the various athletic clubs, who for a small fee can now enjoy their various sporting encounters in ideal surroundings and under the best possible conditions.

Entering the grounds from Cedar Avenue, in the Mount Blow housing scheme, one is impressed right away with the compact layout of the various pitches, and with the magnificent pavilion of modern design which stands outr majestically on the north side in a central position convenient to those using the various playing fields.   The entire scheme which was done by direct labour, has taken about a year to complete – the work being unavoidably retarded at periods owing to the weather.   It is a credit to the municipality and a tangible example of the Town Council’s desire to encourage and cater for the amateur sports groups in the town.   

Mr A.G. Martin, Burgh Surveyor, and staff, prepared the plans for the layout of the fields as well as designing and supervising the building of the Pavilion by the Works Department, while Mr Thomas MacDonald, Parks Superintendant, supervised the laying out of the pitches in accordance with the plans prepared.   The Pavilion, which is as commodious as it is pleasing to the eye, has three separate verandahs from which spectators can

Command a fine view

of all that is taking place within the arenas and on the top of the roof verandah, there is ample space for quite a number of tables where tea and refreshments can be served.   The dressing room accommodation within the building is all that a player could wish for.   There is, both upstairs and downstairs, ample toilet provision, wash hand basings, etc, light sprays to cool down in, and ten drsssing rooms built to hold a dozen persons.   The Pavilion is also equipped with central heating, a kitchenette, and small reception rooms upstairs which leads out to one of the verandahs. The football pitch, north-east of the Pavilion, is one that the most critical soccer enthusiast or player surely cannot find fault with.   It is as well conditioned as Rangers Ibrox ground, and the regulation size too, 130 yards by 70 yards.   At the northern extremity is situated the most up-to-date and 

Best equipped outdoor gymnasium

it is possible to provide at the present time; with horizontal and parallel bars, trapeze, ring and hand swings, five vaulting “bucks”  and other such devices for graceful, physical exhibitions and for aiding muscular development.   Running parallel with the maximum football pitch and on the railway side, is the minimum football pitch, 100 yards by 50 yards, for use by boys teams, and surrounding it as a well laid out running track, 100 by 50 yards, only 100 yards short of the prescribed quarter-mile regulation one.   Some local harriers have seen the running track are a little critical in respect that the bends are perhaps slightly on the sharp side for a big field of runners to take comfortably, but this, we are informed, was unavoidable owing to space limitations.   Apart from that it is certainly a fine track.      West of the {Pavilion the two maximum sized hockey pitches and a cricket pitch, and the provision of the latter is likely to lead to increased interest in this pastime next summer.   One of the features of the carnival will be the football match, Clydebank  v  Dalmuir.   The respective teams are being sponsored by those local doyens of juvenile football, Messrs Mochan (Clydebank) and Robertson (Dalmuir).   Both sides will contain the cream of juvenile footballers in the district as many of the players have been excused for the day by their clubs in order to participate in the match.   Although only a friendly, both teams will treat the game like a cup tie for the honour of winning the first game on the opening day of the new recreation ground.   Dalmuir’s team is likely to be – Curran; Dickson and Friel; Robertson, G Barrie and Graham; Wallace, A Barrie, Smith, Ewart and Henderson.”

One of the ‘verandahs’.

(Illustration also from the RIBA magazine)

The facility was indeed opened on 4th September 1937 and the occasion was well covered by the “Clydebank Press” but not ignored by the wider body of the Press, the “Scotsman” report is below.   Note the gift presented to Baillie Brown after the ceremony!

The  estimated cost of the new facility was noted above as being £8,000  (£682,957.24 in today’s money).   This had risen according to the ‘Scotsman’ article to £12,000.   Today’s purchasing power index indicates that that £12,000 would be worth more than £1,024,000 at today’s rates.   A slight over-run (£521, 043)  but no one was complaining and there were few if any letters to the papers about it.

The report in the “Post” after the opening read as follows.

MOUNT BLOW SPORTS ARENA

OPENING OF NEW RECREATION SCHEME

SIMILAR FACILITIES FOR EAST CLYDEBANK?

The new recreation grounds and sports pavilion at Mount Blow, Dalmuir, estimated to cost about £12,000, were officially opened by Baillie Brown, Parks Committee Convener,on Saturday afternoon, in the presence of a regretably small  but  interested  crowd  of  citizens.   The  weather  conditions  for  the  occasion were all  that  could  have  been desired,  and  the  probable  explanation  of  the  poor  turnout  lay  in  the  number  of  counter  attractionsclashing  on  the  same  afternoon.   (A description of the new grounds and Pavilion appeared   in  our  last  issue).

PROVOST’S  REMARKS

Provost Martin, who  presided in  the  opening ceremony said he wanted to welcome all present that afternoon, an afternoon which culminated the great work of bringing to fruition what had been thought of for many years by many members of the Town Council.   The Town Council of Clydebank had for a number of years provided open space grounds of one kind or another.   

They had various bowling greens, putting greens, tennis courts and the like but they had felt for quite a while they would like a recreation ground that would provide facilities for football, hockey, cricket and so on, and through the assistance of a grant from the Commissioner for Distressed Areas they had been enabled to provide such a recreational area which his friend, Baillie Brown, would open this afternoon.   The space provided two football pitches, two hockey pitches, an outdoor gymnasium and cricket pitch and a running track whereby they hoped to be able by that to encourage the local harriers more than they been able to do before.   By the opening of htis ground they not only would take their part in the Government Keep Fit but they hoped also to encourage juvenile football clubs and hockey clubs to take a greater interest and build up their interest in sport more than in the past.   He then called upon Baillie Brown, Convener of the Parks and Open Spaces Committee – the Committee that had just had the work of preparing for the opening day – to declare open the Pavilion attached to the grounds.

PARK CONVENER’S APPEAL

Baillie Brown said that a great honour had been conferred upon him to open the sports Pavilion on behalf of the citizens of Clydebank.   For many years the Parks Committee and Council had been interested in the provision of additional playing fields for their areas, and there had been many complaints that their areas did not have sufficient playing facilities to encourage citizens to take their place in sport alongside those elsewhere.   Now they were making every endeavour to see that the youth and citizens of this area would be provided for with sufficient playing facilities to permit them to compete with any other area throughout the country.   With football in particular, their juvenile clubs were limited to three spaces and three pitches.   That would not apply, he said, after to-day with the additional advantage of the new recreation grounds, which would enable them to compete and play the game with teams from other areas.    The Baillie emphasised that while they were opening the new recreation facilities at the extreme west end of the burgh, it was not the intention of the Parks Committee to stop there.   They hoped, provided they get the ground, to lay out similar playing fields in the eastern portion of the town.   The Baillire, commenting on the provision of the hockey and cricket grounds, pointed out that in the past unless such players were attached to public works amd such like they could not get the facilities for carrying out these games locally and the provision of these two hockey pitches and cricket field would enable such players to compete with others at any particular time now.   As far as the Parks Committee were concerned, he assured the citizens that they were 

making every endeavour

to try and provide adequate playing facilities locally so that Clydebank would be able to take its part in the sporting sphere, not only were they trying to provide such facilities for the youth but also for the grown upas and old folk as well.   They had at present fourteen tennis courts, municipal bowling greens, one 18 hole golf course (one of the best in Scotland), three juvenile pitches then additional two on the new ground, a yachting pond, a swimming pool, seven children’s playgrounds, and three old men’s  recreation grounds, the committee were looking out for ground to provide further facilities for the latter.   After referring briefly to the committee’s intentions in the near future for the provision of further recreational facilities, the Baillie said he thought it would be seen that the Parks Committee were doing everything possible to enable and encourage citizens to take part in competition for sport held throughout the country, and it was to be hoped that the public would take advantae of these facilities being provided for their benefit and that the various sports organisations in the town would bring honour to Clydebank by winning some of the cups and trophies in competition.   Baillie Brown then declared the sports pavilion open amid applause.

A Presentation

On behalf of the Town Council, Provost Martin in a few choice words, presented Baillie Brown with a silver cigarette case and the Baillie trusted that the gift will not be the only silver emblem to be handed over in these present surroundings.   Customary votes of thanks were proposed by Councillor Fleming who associated himself with the words of Baillie Brown and said the entire work in connection with the new grounds and pavilion had been done by direct labour.   It might be true to say of course that it cost a little more than it would have done under ordinary circumstances, but when one took into consideration the inclement weather of the winter, it would be readily understoodwhy it was not completed sooner.   There was one thing they would all agree with and that was that they had made 

A splendid job

of it.   Councillor Fleming went on to explain the Council were also making enquiries with regard to that portion of ground between Beardmore’s old yard and Brown’s present yard being converted into an accessible open space, with a view that citizens of Clydebank and more especially the old folk, would see it as a rest spot and the elderly could sit there and watch the boats go up and down the river.   That was their intention and he thought perhaps Baillie Brown must have forgtten to refer to it.   After some further observations anent the new recreation scheme, the Councillor closed by calling for votes of thanks to all who in any way contributed  to the success of the official opening.   

In the course of the afternoon, the crowd were entertained To displays of racing and football and hockey games and to a display of physical culture by the Junior Instruction Centre Class under Instructor Maxwell.

Sports results.

In an exciting football competition, Duntocher lads beat Dalmuir lads 5 – 3.   Barry scoring four and Riley one for Duntocher, and Henderson two and Robertson one for Dalmuir.   Singer Ladies hockey XI  “A” team won 5 – 1 against Singer “B” team.   Scorers: “A” team –  Jean Walker(3) and Mary Allan (2); “B” team – Ina Cox.    Clydesdale Harriers members supplied plenty of thrilling running on the track.   T Luke won the mile off scratch in 5 minutes 1 second, W Howie (100 yds) being second and A Gilmour (100 yds) third.   The ladies half-mile was won by Isa Hunter with A. Ritchie and J Ballantine second and third respectively.   Clydesdale Harriers Number 1 team beat Clydesdale Harriers Number 2 team in relay racing.”

*

As was noted above, the Harriers were among the very first users of the track.   There were only four lanes but the surface was good the huge half-mile perimeter with almost limitless space for jogging, warming up, and good grass track available for sprint drills and strength training using the outside gym made it a superb first-class facility.    There were two cricket teams in Clydebank – Singer’s factory had a good team and there was a Clydebank Cricket Club as well.    Although Singer’s had a training wicket at Radnor Park, they could use the new one for matches, and the Clydebank team played in a Glasgow League and in the annual Rowan Cup competitions.   The athletics fraternity could now hold inter-club matches and even in the late 50’s there were matches against Springburn Harriers and other local clubs, and also in the 50’s Dunbartonshire County Championships were held there.   When Ian Logie took up pole vaulting in the early 60’s, the local authority agreed to have a pole vault box installed for the jumpers and Ian had the soft rubber materials for the landing delivered and available for training.   He even invited Scottish and British internationalist David Stevenson along for a training session at the venue.   The club invited the first Scottish National Coach, Tony Chapman, along and he came and took a session, spoke to some of the senior club members and it was a profitable session all round.    

The pavilion was a superb addition to the facilities available – generally the men used the downstairs dressing rooms, the women used those on the first floor.   Equipment for high jumping, shot, discus and javelin were kept in the store room below the main first floor with the entry round the side for ease of access.   There were four wash hand basins on each floor and a similar number of showers.   In addition to the dressing rooms, there were rooms for referees and other officials and for the administrators for any matches held there.    The perimeter was almost exactly a half mile which made it useful for training for cross-country running.   There was also a steep-ish hill behind the changing room which was also used for training purposes (and its top there was Peggy Barr’s wee shop where lemonade, fruit juice, sweets, cakes, buns and biscuits could be purchased!)

Although the club moved its headquarters for winter to the Bruce Street Baths, runners could train from Mountblow on Saturdays or Sundays on payment of a very small fee.    The whole Recreation was well looked after – in the 1950’s and 60’s there were two employees there full time, Ben and Charlie, with Ben the top man.   The grass was kept short and in good condition, the fabric of the building was looked after and any club equipment in the store room was safe.

It was also quite close to the Municipal Golf Course – less than half a mile distant along Cedar Road – where the endurance athletes could run longer laps, do hill sessions, run on varying gradients and generally have good hard work outs.   

So what happened to Mountblow Recreation Ground?   We can have a look at its beginnings first.

Jackie Higginson, Frank McKay and Jimmy Young of Clydesdale Harriers training at Mountblow.

John Hanratty running in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay

There were many who came into running via the ‘running boom’ of the 1970’s and 1980’s.   The first ever Glasgow People’s Marathon was held in 1982 and brought hundreds into the sport.    John was one of them , his first race was in ’84, and unlike the vast majority he went on to run distances up to the marathon on the roads, he ran on the track in 5000m, 10,000m and steeplechase, and ran in every cross-country championship – club, county, District and National – for which he was qualified and he ran in championships on all surfaces as well as in international teams as a veteran runner.   

Asked about previous sporting involvement, John tells us that “I was in the Clydebank Sea cadets, TS Queen Elizabeth, for about 6 years, where I became an instructor cadet, many a weekend was spent sailing dinghies at HMS Lochinvar under the Forth bridge, great time.  Like most boys I played football but wasn’t very good.” 

Why did he come into running in the first place?   “I watched Peter Fleming win the Glasgow marathon in 1983, decided to give it a go and joined the harriers soon after that.”  

The Glasgow Marathon, after three years as an elite international race over four laps of the city became a people’s marathon, a mass marathon that attracted thousands into the sport and it was in 1983 that Peter Fleming won the race in 2:17:46. 

Having been inspired by that run, and of course the race publicity machine which was in full swing then, John, who was 32 at the time, joined the Harriers with his application form going through on 10^th January, 1984.  Unlike most Harriers, he was not brought along by a friend or acquaintance but just went down to the club’s winter headquarters at Bruce Street Baths and that was it.  Later that year, John was at the start with 10, 702 other runners with the 10 Miles Tom Scott Memorial Road Race as his longest race before that.   The Glasgow Herald estimated that more than a quarter of a million spectators, bands and dancers turned the city into a carnival.   John was 236^th at the finish with more than 10,000 runners behind him.   Not a bad debut at all for the newcomer.   

He ran in three more Glasgow Marathons all of which were in very good times indeed.    More important, he finished further up the field every time he ran.  The weather may change from year to year affecting the times, but the fields are no less competitive, and that is nowhere more true than among the real club runners.   John’s consistency however is remarkable.

Not satisfied with running well in Glasgow, he travelled to Fort William and ran in the Lochaber Marathon twice finishing in times of 2.35 (1986) and, in 1989 he ran 2.37.19 to be sixth finisher and first non-veteran across the line.   In one of them, he recalls getting terrible cramp in the last mile and stopping to recover. 

John featured prominently in this poster for the Glasgow Half Marathon in 1996.

He always ran well on the roads and turned out for the club in – 

*The Edinburgh to Glasgow Eight Stage Road Relay 10 times between 1984 and 2002 when it ceased to be an event.   He ran seven of the eight stages, missing only the fourth leg. 

*The National Six Stage Road Relay 16 times between 1985 and 2004 and ran every stage at one time or another.

John ran in teams with runners of all abilities including Scottish internationalists Allan Adams, James Austin, Ewan Calvert, Phil Dolan, Grant Graham, Kheredine Idessane Billy Jenkins, Ian Murphy, Brian Potts, Graeme Reid, Des Roache and others.    

He also has the distinction of winning the first ever Polaroid 10K Road Race on Sunday, 1^st October, 1987, which started in Christie Park..   The Polaroid 10K races were sponsored by the Polaroid factory in Dumbarton and consisted of 10K races in Clydebank, Dumbarton and Helensburgh and were popular among club runners of all abilities particularly from the West of Scotland.   John thinks that this was his best road race, running all the way with the leading pack, he saw an opportunity to take the lead and made his break to victory.  

The result was   1.  J Hanratty (Clydesdale Harriers) 32:25;   2.  R McCulloch (Bellahouston) 32:37; 3.   M Gormley (Scottish Marathon Club) 32:49.   Like many runners he returned to the race – and to others in the Polaroid series – year after year including the last to be sponsored by Polaroid in 2017 when as a V60 he ran 50:09.  

John ran in all the classic road races in the country with very good results.  His best half marathon was at Livingston where he ran 69.59.    He didn’t run the Tom Scott 10 miles road race very often and his best time was 55:57 in 2003 as second placed V50.    He also ran in the Balloch to Clydebank, the Nigel Barge Memorial Road Race in January and the Glasgow University Race in November as well as the McAndrew Relay every October.  

Having joined the club, as noted above, in 1984 and having represented it on the roads and over the country in relays and championships, at club, county, district and national levels, he turned his attention to the track in 1986 and competed in the Scottish Athletics League for the first time. 

 As a competitor he ran

• in the 5000m in 1986, ’87, ’88, ’89, 90, ’92, ’93, ’95, ’98 and ’99;
• in the steeplechase in ’89, ’90. ’91, ’93, ’94 and ’95;
• in the 10,000m in 1990, ’91, ’93, ’94 and ’95.

Valuable as these runs and the points they earned for the club were, and they were very valuable, he was also responsible for most of that time in selecting the runners for the three distance events and ensuring their appearance at the venue.   He set the example himself by doubling up the 5000m and steeplechase at the same match fairly often.  Never afraid of taking on additional tasks, John was club captain for many years after only a few years in the club.   He took his responsibilities seriously and could be seen helping to mark the track  at Whitecrook for club championships, or putting out and taking in the course markers for cross-country races.   He himself says that of all the captain’s duties,  “Waiting to put teams in for the relays on the day was nerve racking and must have affected my own race”.   Maybe it did affect his own race but it did not show in the results column.

John was maybe seen at his best over the country and he says quite clearly that cross-country was his favourite event.  

John in the Veterans’ International in Meath, County Cavan, Ireland in 18/11/2000

John had an outstanding career as a veteran runner winning international honours over the country and more will be said about that below but again his running as a club member was notable.   He won the Dunbartonshire Cup for the first club man home in the Balloch to Clydebank road race in 1985/86 and the DJ McGinley Trophy for the first veteran in the club championship in 1992/93, 1994/95, 1998/99, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.

He has run in every race imaginable – club, district, national championships, district and national relays – and all over Scotland on all the classic courses – Hamilton, Falkirk, Bellahouston, Jack Kane Centre in Edinburgh – as well as at many local venues.   

A very consistent athlete and always a good team member.  In the top event of the winter, the National Championships, he ran 18 times in 19 years between 1987 and 2005 in teams that finished between 6^th and 21^st, and was in the club’s first four counters 14 times, with a best club position of 2^nd on 6 occasions.    In the National Four Stage Cross Country Relay Championship, his first run was in October 1985 at St Andrews where he ran on the second stage in the B team (the club had four teams out that afternoon).   The Power of 10 website has listed John’s races since 2000 and they are impressive.

Note the number of first, second and third places in the table.   The Run Britain website give additional information, below,  about his GB position over the same period using the above information..

From the British Masters at Irvine 12/4/2003 where John finished 3rd in his age group and with Bobby Young and Peter Cartwright taking second team for Clydesdale Harriers

*

Colin Youngson, himself a superb runner, has written the following appreciation of John as a veteran runner. 

JOHN HANRATTY AS A VETERAN ATHLETE

by Colin Youngson

“John ran for Clydesdale Harriers, Scotland’s most historic club. He first appeared aged 40 in the 1993 Scottish Veteran Cross Country Championships at St Andrews, when he finished a respectable 22^nd, while I was fifth and first M45.

As the years passed, he proved admirably consistent: improving to 9^th in 1994 (Troon). He was a strong 12^th in 1995 (Stirches, Hawick).

Shortly afterwards, the 1995 British Veterans Cross Country Championships were held over Beach Park, Irvine. I was very pleased to finish 16^th and first M45, but John Hanratty was only fifteen seconds behind, in 21^st place, and an excellent fifth Scot on the day, due to the English invasion.

Our Scottish Veteran/Masters cross country friendly but close rivalry continued: he beat me for the first time in 1996 (Elgin – 12^th to my 15th); and subsequently in 1999 (more details below); 2000 (Cumnock, 14^th and fourth M45); 2001 (Aberdeen – 19^th); and 2003 (Forres – 26^th).

However, I ‘got’ him in 1997 (Edinburgh – John was 23^rd); 1998 (Troon – 16^th and sixth M45 to my 12^th and first M50); 2002 (Glasgow – he was 28^th to my 24^th). Our last such encounter was in 2004, over a hilly monster at Cupar, when he finished 63^rd shortly after I collapsed over the line 52^nd and first M55.

Therefore, tough, consistent, modest John Hanratty raced the Scottish Veterans XC 12 years in succession.

His best performance in the event was on 27^th February 1999, in horrendous conditions over the Stirches course in Hawick. Let that great athletics journalist, Doug Gillon, set the scene with excerpts from his Glasgow Herald report.

“Storm-lashed hailstones scourged runners like a medieval penance” … “Rough sheep pasture, with a grinding half-mile hill, and muddy descents, was not for the faint-hearted, yet it brought not one moan from the vets. If this had been an open championship, younger wimps would have been bleating in complaint.”

I can add that paths were very slippery, there were several fallers, and that tactics were essential, since during one long section of each lap, we had to battle an incredibly fierce gale. Consequently, joining a small group and sheltering behind was sensible. Suffice it to say that this formidable Stirches course, which John Hanratty had relished in 1995, suited him very well. After the big uphill, when we turned into the gale, he was two groups in front of me – and held on for 12^th place (securing a bronze medal for third M45), while I was 17^th and first M50 by six seconds from my old friend and redoubtable harrier George Meredith.

In the 1998 British and Irish Cross Country Championships, at St Asaph, Wales, Archie Jenkins won M45 bronze again, leading his team (John Hanratty 11^th, Andy McLinden 12^th and Barney Gough 13^th) to silver medals. This was John’s first international vest for Scottish Vets.

In the 2000 British and Irish Cross Country Championships at Navan, County Meath, Ireland, John finished 52^nd, 19^th M45 and fourth counter in the team, which just missed out on team medals in fourth place, in front of Northern Ireland.

John must have enjoyed racing at Dumfries in the 1998 Scottish Veterans Athletics Championships, winning a gold medal in the 1500m (4.23.90) and narrowly losing to Archie Jenkins but securing silver in the 5000m (16.08.77).

John Hanratty of Clydesdale Harriers was well-liked and very well respected, especially as a fine cross-country competitor. “

With Brian Edridge (48) and Jim Shields (47) at Veterans’ National in Elgin, 24/2/96

Given that there was no internet and that not everybody had a telephone, it is not surprising that the Scottish Games Association, organisers of the professional athletics scene, had its own handbook listing of its own rules, races for the coming season, records, winners of last season’s meetings, etc.   Alastair Macfarlane let us copy his handbook for 1969 and it is reproduced here over two pages.  

Part Two:  Records and fixtures