The fifth annual Junior International took place on 13th August, 1983 and was previewed in the ‘Scotsman’ in the lead-in the week before as follows:
Given their form in the senior ranks since the international the previous year, the nomination of McDougall and Parsons maybe didn’t need a crystal ball but the other names had been well selected. The Scottish team was a very strong one with Elliot Bunney 3rd in the 100 and 2nd in the 200m, Jim Nicol 2nd in the 400m, Geoff Parsons 1st in the high jump, Craig Duncan 2nd in the Long Jump, and Carol Candlish (400m), Lynne McDougall (800), Karen Hutcheson (1500m) all winning their events.
One year later on 4th August in 1984 the 4 nations faced up to each other at Meadowbank. The following preview was printed in the ‘Scotsman’ on Friday, 3rd August.
As far as the highlight predicted above was concerned, Jayne was second in the high jump but her best clearance on the day was 1.82m which was a bit short of the record. As for the others, Elliot Bunney won the 100m, Dawn Flockhart won both 100m and 200m, Alistair Currie won the 1500m and Craig Duncan won the long jump. There were many seconds and thirds with the team result being a win for England with 335 .5 points, Scotland was second with 222.5, Wales had 174.5 and Northern Ireland 125.5.
In 1985 the date was 17th August when, although he was still eligible, Bunney was advised not to accept the invitation to run because the meeting was only five days before a GB international for which he had been selected. However he did agree to run but only in the relay as a gesture of support. Sandy Sutherland gave the meeting more coverage in the ‘Scotsman’ then the ‘Glasgow Herald’ sports editor did and his report is below.
When the meeting was held on 16th August 1986, it was not realised that it would be the last in the series. It had been a good meeting, one which helped young athletes progress in competition against the best of the rest of Great Britain as well as a target for new Junior athletes in their first season in the Junior Ranks. Several clubs had their first athlete ever ‘capped’ in these fixtures. For example, the following extracts from regional papers indicate how significant the fixture was all across Scotland. First, from the ‘Galloway News & Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser’ of 21st August:
‘Arbroath Herald’ 22nd August –
From the Fife Free Press 8th August
From Falkirk Herald, 15th August
From the ‘Perthshire Advertiser’
That was just a small selection of reports found in fifteen minutes; from Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife Perthshire, Arbroath, Glasgow and Galloway. A big event which was good for the athletes, the clubs, their home areas and for Scotland which ended all too soon.
The performances of all Scots at all meetings (except for 1983 where p