Athletics historians of whatever generation would look at the picture above and look for the names of the athletes.   There may even be arguments about the exact names of the runners.  Very few would look at the man in the middle who was the team coach.   All of the athletes won many medals for relay championships in Scotland in the 1950’s.   The 4 x 110 yards, the 4 x 440 yards and the medley relay all fell with amazing regularity to teams from Victoria Park AAC.   The  conveyor belt of international athletes produced such as Willie Jack, Alan Dunbar, Ronnie Whitelock, Bobby Quinn, Harry Quinn, Willie Breingan and many more.   They were not produced by accident – they were produced by the labours of Willie McFarlane who is the gent in the centre of the picture.   Had there been a medal for the coach of a winning championship team, he would have had more than any of the athletes who took home some precious metal.   The club cross-country and road running team is rightly lauded for their feats but the sprinters were just as good, just as special.   It is only right that we look at Willie McFarlane and what he gave to the club.

The Glasgow Herald tells us that Willie was 26 on 2nd January 1933, so he must have been born in 1907.  It also tells us that he had been running since successfully since 1930 when he won the Clyde FC 120 yards sprint.     Held on 26th July, 1930, the Clyde FC Sports were, unlike Rangers FC, Celtic FC or Partick Thistle FC Sports professional Games and always attracted big crowds.  There were not many athletic events – six in all – and McFarlane won his race off 13 yards, beating J Logie (Muirkirk – 12 yards) by two yards in 11 10-16th secs.   If he had run at all in the New Year Sprint he was unplaced in his heat.   

1931 was a different story.   It began like every year for the pedestrians at Powderhal and the report on the final day’s running was as follows:  

“Surprise in 130 yards Final 

There was a big surprise in the final of the 130 yards New Year Handicap Final at Powderhall Grounds yesterday.   The favourite, W McFarlane, Glasgow, 8 1/2 yards, about whom odds were asked, was beaten by T Tait, Prestonpans, a 2 to 1 chance, after a thrilling struggle.  ….    The Glasgow runner returned the fastest time in the second ties.”

It was an expensive slip up – the winner won £100 and second placed McFarlane received £5!  

*

If McFarlane was favourite for the title in 1931, it was a different story the following year.   The favourite was HJ Morgan from Wales.   He was until McFarlane defeated him the first round on 1st January.   McFarlane gave the Welshman two yards of a start and beat him by three in 13 7-16th seconds.   Unfortunately he himself was beaten in the second round by DW Brown from Aberdeen and did not make the final.   Brown was second and received twice as much as the Glasgow man had the previous year – £10.

1st January in 1933 was a Sunday and the first rounds of the sprint were held on the Monday.  The Glasgow Herald of 2nd January commented that there would some good sport at Powderhall but only two runners were backed – W McFarlane (7 yards) of Glasgow and K Price (10 1/2) of New Tredegar.   There were thirty three heats that year and the fastest times were by those two runners although neither had the fastest time in the heats.   Came the final and the headline said

WESTERN SUCCESS AT POWDERHALL

McFarlane Wins Sprint

There were some fine performances at Powderhall Grounds, Edinburgh when the famous New Year Gala was concluded. It is difficult to know which to place in the premier place – the fine distance running of J Campbell of Craigneuk in the ten mile marathon in which he defeated Allan Scally of Broomhouse, or the magnificent sprinting of W McFarlane of Glasgow in the final of the 130 yards handicap.    …

There were no doubts about the success of W McFarlane of Glasgow in the ‘big sprint’.   He showed himself to be a runner of fine physique and a stout heart.   Neither in his heat on the previous day, nor in his second tie yesterday had he to reveal anything of his power, but the final demanded of his very best.   Conceding starts up to eight yards, he quickly settled to his task.   He did not show the same hesitancy at his mark as he had done two years ago when he ran second to T Tait of Prestonpans.   McFarlane had the measure of his opponents after covering 100 yards.   The second favourite, T Melrose of Leith, did not prove a barrier to McFarlane’s success.   It was C Paterson of Burnside, running from the 15 yards mark who caused the Glasgow man most trouble.   McFarlane, however, got ahead 15 yards from the tape to win by two yards from Paterson, with Melrose third, half a yard behind.  

McFarlane has been a prominent racer for the past three years.   In 1930 he won the Clyde FC 130 yards sprint, and his performance at Powderhall two years ago has already been commented on.   Last year (1932) he was defeated in the second tie by DW Brown of Aberdeen who was the ultimate runner-up.   McFarlane is 26 years of age, weighs 12 stone 2 lb and stands 5′ 10 1/2″.   He was trained at Barfield Ground, Largs by Mr G Munro and was sponsored by Mr J Girklas, Glasgow.” 

We now have a physical picture building up which is added to by the following extract from the book ‘Powderhall & Pedestrians’: 

“Possibly the best tribute that could be paid to McFarlane would be to describe him as “Clyde built” – which expression while conveying a wealth of meaning to experts in the shipbuilding world, can be applied with equal facility to the Western athlete.   Powerfully built, with deep chest and strong muscular limbs McFarlane approximates to that physical type of sprinter which was so keenly sought after by the old time shrewd “gaffers” of the Sheffield pedestrian era.   Not only did he strip big, but he was also the great runner which his physical make up suggested.”

Eric McIntyre adds that “McFarlane was a Glasgow joiner and in an interview with my late brother Kenny told of the havoc the job played with his knees. My father competed alongside him in the Games of the 1930s and spoke in awe of his speed.   He was not a tall man and ran with clipped strides like Jesse Owens or Michael Johnson”.   

The caption on the above photograph reads:  “Don Wight in his 83rd year meets Willie McFarlane of Glasgow at the Hawick Common Riding Games of 1934.   McFarlane like Don Wight was a dual winner of the Powderhall Sprint in 1933 and 1934.   Don won in 1870 and 1876.   On each occasion both men ran off scratch.” 

1934 started with the Powderhall New Year carnival and McFarlane was favourite for the title.   He had been favourite two years earlier and did not make the final.   There were 31 Heats this time round and Glasgow Herald of 2nd January read:

“Last year’s winner, W McFarlane, Glasgow, is the favourite for the  Powderhall New Year 130 yards handicap, the heats of which were run yesterday at the Powderhall Grounds, Edinburgh.  At the conclusion of racing he was quoted at 6-4 against, while J O’Donnell, Niddry, was second in demand at 5-2.   …   The scratch man, McFarlane, when returning 13 4-16th sec eased up a good distance from the tape, and had time to look round twice before getting to the tape ahead of T Melrose, Leith.”

In the second round, he was in the second tie of five, and running off scratch.   Move on 24 hours and the Herald for 3rd January, tells us :

 “McFarlane in Thrilling Finish

Some excellent performances were seen at the closing day of the 1934 New Year’s pedestrian carnival at Powderhall Grounds, Edinburgh, yesterday.   One does not wish to belittle in any way the fine running of J Campbell of Craigneuk in the ten miles marathon race, the scratch award of which he won for the second year in succession, but it must be recorded that the racing ability shown by W McFarlane of Glasgow in the 130 yards handicap surpassed in brilliance any of the other items on a varied programme.   McFarlane gave a notable performance being the first runner to win the event in two successive years and the first scratch man to win the event outright. “

McFarlane had won his second round tie in 12 12 10/16th seconds and the Final in 12.10 1/2 seconds to win £100 and a gold medal.   It was a wonderful performance and recognised by the promoter Mr AM Wood who presented him with a silver cup inscribed: 

Presented to

W McFARLANE, GLASGOW

As a simple appreciation of his magnificent record performance in winning the Powderhall New Year Sprint Handicap from the scratch mark for the first time ever over 130 yards in 12 10 1/2/16th seconds.   McFarlane, having won in 1933, created another record with two successive wins.”

The book ‘Powderhall & Pedestrians’ tells us that the cup also bore the facsimile signatures of FA Lumley (Referee), AM Wood (judge), Chris Lynch (handicapper) and FG Clark (starter).   

The significance of the 12 10 1/2 seconds time was that in effect he ran 130 yards 3 1/2 yards inside even time.   

He followed that performance with a run at Hackney Wick grounds in London on 15 Jan 1934 at ‘Professional Championships’ he won 100 yds scr in 9.9s. and in 130 handicap came 3rd in final but had won his heat off scratch in 12.63s.,   It was fantastic running then at that time of year without the benefit of indoor training!   By March he was in Australia for the pro running season there where he competed in international pro sprints but his performances were not as good as his earlier ones and he came 4th in each of his races.

That was to be his last Powderhall Sprint Final but not the last that would be heard of McFarlane.   The following is an extract from the New Year Sprint website and can be found at this link  

 http://www.sportingworld.co.uk/newyearsprint/briefhistory_20.html 

“During the past 120 years the “Sprint” has produced many top class competitors. Dan Wight of Jedburgh, the 1870 winner, heads a long list Scottish Champions. Other legendary names from the past include Harry Hutchens of London, never a winner, but the fastest sprinter of the century and “scratch” man from 1880 to 1895. The record run of this period is credited to Alf Downer of Edinburgh who in the 1898 sprint ran 128.5 yards in 12.4 secs. On a comparative basis with later “crack” runners, Downer stands out as a great all round running champion. The First World War witnessed the great Australian champion Jack Donaldson and England’s Willie Applegarth, a brilliant former amateur. The most famous winner of all was Willie McFarlane of Glasgow who achieved the unique distinction of winning the event two years in succession, the second time from the scratch mark in 1934 – a feat never repeated.”

You can read about Willie McFarlane as a coach at  this  link .

[Many thanks to Hugh Barrow, Jack Davidson, Shane Fenton, Eric McIntyre and the Memiours of Pro Athletes for help with this part of the profile]

Willie McFarlane’s career as a professional sprinter is   at this link

Willie McFarlane as a professional runner was a contemporary of another athlete who would go on to become a coaching stalwart of amateur athletes – Allan Scally was a distance runner who won Powderhall twice and went on to work with Shettleston Harriers.   Both men ran during the 1930’s and, although they may have done some coaching before or during the war, they were known best for what they did after after the war was over.   Willie McFarlane was always ‘Willie McFarlane of Glasgow’ and in Glasgow the main running tracks after the three football grounds of Hampden, Ibrox and Parkhead were Westerlands, the Glasgow University ground, and Scotstoun, the home of Victoria Park.   Willie, Victoria Park AAC and Scotstoun were a good fit.   

In discussions about how he trained his athletes, there is one thing that is always mentioned – they did plenty of starts, lots of starts.  After 30 yards or so it was “Aye, that’ll do!”   Most of his athletes were known as fast out of the blocks.   Willie Jack, Ronnie Whitelock and Mike Hildrey were all very quick off their marks.  The other aspect of his training that is noteworthy was that he used lots of massage.  That seemed to be more typical of professional athletes than of amateurs at that time.  It was to be several decades before massage became available to athletes at SAAA championships and although it was encouraged there were so few masseurs that it was generally only those who could make their own arrangements who were able to use their services.     Back to Willie and his training: Jimmy Christie in his article on Willie Jack’s training (link below) said 

“His training covered practically every distance stretching 150, 220. 300 and 330 yards. Dashes over 10.20. 30 to 60 yards but all the time concentrating on his start the most important aspect of any sprint.”

We are 10 years too late in investigating the matter but whatever he did, it worked.   The club records for the 100 yards and 100 metres are held by Mike Hildrey (9.6 in Dublin in 1961) and Willie Jack (10.5, London, 1954).   Incidentally, Jack’s 10.5 from 1954 would have ranked him number 3 in Scotland in 2019, Hildrey, pictured below, also has a 10,5 to his credit from 1961.

The question asked about any coach in Scotland is this:  “Aye, but who has he produced?”   Willie’s list covers the 1950s and the start of the 1960’s.   McFarlane’s sprinters dominated the scene.   Look at the statistics, there are a lot and you could while away some time working out the various permutations in any one year.

100y was won by Victoria Park runners in 1951, 1952, 1953 (all Willie Jack), 1955, 1956 (both Alan Dunbar), 1957, 1959 (both R Whitelock), 1960 (M Hildrey), 1962 (Whitelock again).  9 gold medals in 10 years.   

They had second places in 1950, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962 with bronze in 1953, 1954 and 1961.   In 1953 they had all first three places.

220y was won by the club men in 1946 (George McDonald), 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 (all Willie Jack), 1960 and 1961 (Mike Hildrey).   There were second places in 1949, 1950 (G McDonald), 1954, 1955 (Robert Quinn), 1956 (Alan Dunbar), 1957 (R Quinn), and 1961 (A Dunbar), with third places in 1947, 1948 (G McDonald), 1953 (Ronnie Whitelock), 1955 (A Dunbar) and 1960 (Alistair Ballantyne).

The 4 x 110 relay was won by the club in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961.   11 sets of gold medals in 13 years.   In 1955, the first three teams were all Victoria Park with the C team beating the B team for second place.   In 1956, the club’s B team won with the A team being third, split by Glasgow University and only half a second between the two VPAAC teams.   

Scottish 100 yards records were set on 20th May 1952 (Willie Jack, the previous record had stood since 1935), 22nd June 1957 (Ronnie Whitelock), 25th June 1960 (Mike Hildrey), 10th June 1961 (Hildrey), 19th August 1961 (Hildrey).

The Medley Relay (880y, 220y, 220y, 440y) was the other old established relay.   The Scots loved it.   The club’s record here was 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1962.   Second in 1947, 1948, and 1956 plus third in 1958, 1959 and 1960.

They really amazing statistics.   There was no doubt in anybody’s mind about McFarlane’s part in all this success.  In his centenary history of the SAAA, Keddie comments “The Victoria Park coach in those days was the great professional sprinter of the 30’s Willie McFarlane,”  and reference is made to him in ‘The Past Is A Foreign Country’, by Colin Shields and Arnold Black when talking about Willie Jack.   They say

“In the 50’s the hot bed of Scottish sprinting was centred in Glasgow where Victoria Park sprinters trained at Scotstoun Stadium.   A production line of sprinters, coached by former professional sprinter Willie McFarlane poured forth from Scotstoun to such a degree that they won the national 100 yards titles eight times and 220 yards titles six times during the decade. 

   Willie Jack, 2, in the blue and white of Victoria Park AAC

Willie Jack (20.12.1930 – 98.12.1938) 

There is complete coverage of Willie’s career in ‘The Past Is a Foreign Country’ by Arnold Black and Colin Shields.   It was a superb career and when it is realised that he was only 22 when he retired in 1953 it is quite amazing.   He won the Scottish championship double of 100 and 220 yards in three consecutive years 1951, 1952 and 1953, having won the Junior 220 yards in 1948.   In each of these years he qualified for the final of the AAA 220 yards but was selected for the Olympic Games of 1952 after running second to Macdonald Bailey at the White City in 10.5.  At the Olympics he ran 11.05 in his heat of the 100, 10.94 in the second round and 11.01 in the semi-final.   In the relay the team of Mac Bailey, Jack, Jack Gregory and Brian Shenton won their heat in 41.3, ran 41.34 in the semi-final and finished fourth and out of the medals in the final in 40.85.   He the  took part in the British team’s post Olympics tour of Europe.   He was McFarlane’s first really big star runner.   The performances below have the year, the event, the time, Scottish ranking that year.   

There is a very good and detailed profile of Willie Jack on pages 12 and 13 in the ‘Scots Athlete’ magazine for June 1955 at

http://salroadrunningandcrosscountrymedalists.co.uk/Archive/The%20Scots%20Athlete%20Volumes/Volume%209/SA%20Vol%209,10-11.pdf

Ronald H. Whitelock  (14.10.1932-7.12.2012) 

There is an obituary which is a good summary of Ronnie’s sporting career  at this link, but the bare statistics are as follows.   

1959 100y 9.8 1 ;

1960 100y 9.9 2

1961 100y 9.9/9.6w 3

1962 100y 9.9u/9.8w 3

CR: Sco: 1 100y ’59, 1 100y ’62, 2 100y ’60, 3 100y ’61.

Alan S. Dunbar (26.02.1934-1.07.2011)  

There is an excellent Scotsman obituary for Alan that covers his career as an athlete but also his wider life at this link but the vital statistics of his running career appear below.

1959 100y 9.92;  220y 22.5 11

1960 100y 10.0 4;  220y 22.3 7

CR: Sco: 2 100y ‘59; , 2 220y ’60.

Michael G. Hildrey (15.10.41) 

Described by Black and Shields as “Hildrey joined Victoria Park AAC and was coached by the great professional sprinter of the 1930’s, Willie McFarlane who produced such great sprinters as Willie Jack, Alan Dunbar and Ronnie Whitelock.”

There is more detailed information about Mike on the scotstats.net website at this link.   Mike ran in all the major championships other than the Olympics – SAAA, AAA, European and Empire Games

1959 100y 10.0/9.8w 4;   220y 22.1 5

1960 100y 9.8 1 ;  100m 10.7 1  200m 21.3 1

1961    100y 9.6 1;  100m 10.5 1; 200m 21.1 1;  440y 50.3r 

1962 100y 9.9/9.7w 3; 220y 21.2 1

1963 100y 9.9/9.8w 2; 220y 22.04

CR: Eur ‘62 200 (sf);   Com ’62 100y (qf),  220y (sf).   GB: 2 AAA220y ‘61, 3 AAA220y ’60.

CR (continued): Sco: 1 100y ‘60, 1 220y ‘60, 1 220y ‘61, 2 100y ’61.

And you can read about Bobby Quinn at  this  link .

Mike Hildrey (7)

McFarlane was without doubt a very good coach indeed and it was unfortunate that he was not available for Scottish international duties because of his past professional involvement.  He would certainly have been involved in the present day.   Stuart Hogg, John Freebairn, Eric Simpson and Alastair Macfarlane , all former professionals, have all been involved with the various national teams and squads.   It is a pity, or maybe an injustice, that he is not better known today.

The picture is of four Victoria Park sprinters in the final of the West District 100 yards at Scotstoun 1959.   Ronnie Whitelock second from the right.

[Thanks go to Hugh Barrow and Arnold Black for assistance on this page, and to Graham McDonald for the superb picture above]