Category: Uncategorized

The Renfrewshire Amateur Athletic Association had been in existence for more than 12 years by 1960 and had developed into an organisation that held track, road and country events for men, women and younger age groups.   It was supported by the clubs and by the athletes, of all standards, who kept turning out in its races.    The ‘Glasgow Herald’ as a paper of record had reported at varying lengths and detail over the years too but this would not always be the case – in the 1960’s the ‘Herald’ sports editors seemed at times to prioritise international events, no matter how small, at the expense of Scottish ones – space on the sports pages was precious and decisions had to be taken about what and how much to include.   But for the athletes on the ground, the county association was continuing to do a very good job in providing competition for all and encouraging new clubs to form. 

The winter of 1959/60, started as usual with the relays over the country and after the traditional McAndrew relay at Scotstoun, the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire versions were held on 10th October with Renfrew holding their county championships a fortnight later.   In the 1958 relay, Bellahouston had three teams in the first three which was unheard of before that; they repeated the feat in 1959.   Their strength was such that Scottish internationalists Des Dickson and Bert Irving were relegated to the B and C teams respectively.   The ‘Glasgow Herald report is below.

The Renfrewshire Championships were held on 12th December in 1959 and Bellahouston retained the team title, Joe Connolly won with six men in the top 10.   The six included John Murtagh who had won the Youths title the previous year as well as all the well-kent faces – Connolly, Fenion, Penman, Mercer and Adams.   Second team was Wellpark, whose lead runner was Tom Stevenson in second place, leading an experienced squad of McConnachie, Stoddart, Aitken, McKay and King.   Third placed Glenpark had several interesting athletes in the race – long-serving Bertie Cox whose son Hammy would become a Scottish senior international, and Jim Spence, the oldest of the five Spence brothers, starting out on his career as a Glenpark athlete and coach.

The five Spence brothers who ran for the Greenock clubs in the Renfrewshire championships, Jim second from right.

The Track and Field Championships were held on Monday 21st June, 1960, where more new names destined for international honours were in evidence.   Dick Hodelet running for his first club, Auchmountain Harriers, won the Junior 880 yards, Hamish Robertson (Bellahouston) won the Junior 100 yards, and old favourites like Connolly, Dickson, McAlinden, Helen Cherry and Mary Symon were competing and the schools were represented on the prize winners list too by Greenock Academy and Paisley Grammar.

The cross country relays that started the 1960/61 competition year were held at Paisley and there were several surprises – which did not include Bellahouston’s victory.   There was a surprise when the Wellpark team finished a mere one second behind Bellahouston’s B Team for third place.  There was another surprise when Pat Bradley of Paisley Harriers set the fastest time of the day, 17 seconds faster than Bellahouston’s Des Dickson.   Bradley was one of three brothers of whom Mike was the fastest, a Scottish international miler, who later joined Springburn when he moved to that part of Glasgow.   Results:-

It had been a good day for Bellahouston and there were signs of other clubs starting to take them on – eg Bradley’s fastest time of the day, Bill Stoddart starting to show what he was capable of – but unfortunately none of the online resources have the result of the 1960 championship in December.  In the District championships however, Joe Connolly was first county man to finish when he crossed the line in third place, and the club team (Connolly 3, Black 11, Irvine 18, Goodwin 38, Wright 53 and Wilson 54) fourth and the only Renfrew club to finish a team then it may well be that Bellahouston won the championship that year.

The Renfrewshire association held their 10-mile road race on 22nd April 1961 in Paisley and the winner was Joe Connolly of Bellahouston in 54:27  from clubmates R Black (54:49) and R Penman (54:49) with Bertie Cox of Greenock Glenpark fourth in 58:04.

The track championships that summer were completely dominated by Bellahouston with winning athletes in men’s and women’s events plus winners in Junior and Youths events.   Several of the athletes were competing successfully after having a hard day on Saturday at the Babcock Sports.   Joe Connolly was such a one having had a very hard race against Graham Everett in the Two Miles where he finished second and then winning the Mile at the County event.   

The Relays in October were again at Paisley for season 1961/62 and again Bellahouston won two sets of medals but this time it was first and third with Wellpark splitting them.  Pat Bradley was third fastest this time round but only four seconds separated the times of the first three runner, D McDonald of Bellahouston was fastest with the very consistent Des Dickson second.   Billy Goodwin’s younger brother Brian was running for the B team on the fourth stage – he came in to the sport in the Boys age group, and as has already been noted would become one of the country’s best known administrators.

Bertie Irving to Jim Irvine in the Edinburgh to Glasgow

As in 1960, the results for the County championships are not available but we do know that Bellahouston was third in the Midland Championships on 20th January, and that Bert Irving in sixth place was the first Renfrewshire finisher, Dick Penman in 15th and Brian Goodwin in 38th were second and third finishers from the county, it may well be that the club won the Renfrewshire championship.

The summer championships meeting was held on Monday, 18th June, 1962, and many of the regulars were there – McGaw, Rae, Stoddart, McAlinden, Carmichael and Cherry were all taking part, note that Ronnie Arthur of Glenpark appears as R McArthur.    

A very short report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ tells us that Bellahouston Harriers won the 10 miles cross-country relay on 20th October from Paisley Harriers with Wellpark third.  The Paisley Harriers team had Pat Bradley and his brother Eddie on the third and fourth stages with the team made up by Scottish Marathon Club stalwart, Pat McAtier, and steeplechaser Tommy Thomson.   Pat Bradley had the fastest time of the day but had to share the honour with J McDonald of Bellahouston.   Results of Youths and Boys races were not published.

The Championships for the 1962/63 season were hard fought with Des Dickson winning from Charlie McAlinden with the excellent Frank Whitley of Wellpark Harriers third.   Wellpark won the title by one single point from Bellahouston with Glenpark third.   The third Bradley brother for Paisley, Mike, was second in the Youths race and now all three brothers had represented the club.   For Glenpark, it was a time when they had several very good half milers in the club – Dick Hodelet had joined them from the now defunct Auchmountain Harriers, Ronnie Arthur was running and racing well and the winner in the Boys race was Tom Dobbin who would be a Scottish champion and one of the best in Britain as a Youth and Junior.

The  local paper that could usually be relied upon for detailed results reporting was the ‘Glasgow Herald’ and in the 1960’s for some reason not all domestic fixtures were covered every Monday morning.    So it was that the Track Championships were not covered in 1963 although many of the Renfrewshire athletes were competing well at national level, both as individuals and as teams (ie relays).   

Dick Hodelet, Greenock Glenpark Harriers.

The cross-country relays on 19th October saw the title retained by Bellahouston Harriers from Wellpark with Glenpark third.   It is interesting to note that the two fastest times were recorded by athletes from clubs that did not feature in the first three.    

The championships for 1963/64 were held on 7th December and a new name was inscribed on the trophy – Bert Irving of Bellahouston, of whom it was once said “he only ran three races a year – the Edinburgh to Glasgow, the National and the International”.   A top class athlete his progress maybe suffered a little because he lived at the far tip of Galloway and travel to races was often quite complicated.   The Youths race had Tom Dobbin, a superb track athlete, winning from Mike Bradley who had an equally good career as a miling specialist.

The track championships were held on 21st June in 1964 and were, from the performances point of view at least, a great success.   

The 1964/65 county competition year began as ever with the cross-country relays, held again at Paisley, on 17th October and Bellahouston Harriers won again with Paisley Harriers in second.   Glenpark were third.   The brief  report only gave details of the senior race but there was enough to show that the Irvine/irving double act was largely to the benefit of the winning team.   It read:

Bellahouston won the Renfrewshire 10-mile senior relay championship at Paisley, beating Paisley Harriers by 18 sec., Glenpark Harriers were third, 4 sec behind Paisley.   The power of J Irvine and R Irving assured Bellahouston of victory over the second half of the journey.   Results:- 1.   Bellahouston (R Penman 16:08, B Goodwin 16:06, J Irvine 16:23, R Irving 15:40); 2. Paisley Harriers (M Bradley 15:44, E Bradley 16:15, J Simpson 16:37, P McAtier 16:39);  3. Glenpark Harriers (R Arthur 16:01, W Murray 16:03, J Spence 16:21, R Cox 16:34).   Fastest:- 1.  R Irving 15:40;  2. M Bradley 15:44; 3.  W Murray 16:03;  4.  B Goodwin 16:06.

Irving ran well in the relays and then, while still reigning county champion, he won the championship when it was held on 5th December on his home soil of Pollok Estate.   The short report in the ‘Herald’ reads:-

Into 1965 and the Track and Field Championships were held again at Moorcroft Park on Monday 21st June and the athlete of the meeting was probably Tom Dobbin of Glenpark Harriers who won the Junior 880 yards as well as the Senior Mile.   The standard was high across all events with HC Robertson, SSAA champion just two days before in the Schools championships, who won two events, as did Hugh Baillie of Bellahouston, and among the top performers with gold medals at the end of the evening,  were Hilda McCann of Bellahouston Harriers with a double in the throwing events, and Dick Hodelet of Glenpark.   

The Association was growing with more clubs in the county, more schools represented in the championships and more athletes coming through the age groups.   The future was looking bright.

Frank Sinclair, Greenock Wellpark Harriers, one of Scotland’s best milers and cross-country runners in the 1950’s

The County Associations did a lot for the sport in providing an extra layer of competition on the way from newcomer to national champion.   They also provided a natural progression for athletes at the start of the winter with road runners trying to sharpen up for the District and national relays and team building for the Edinburgh to Glasgow.   It was a phenomenon that seemed to be a particularly west coast thing with the east coast clubs taking part in their own league.   You can find out about that at   this link .

The Renfrewshire Association was a very active one, and grew with every year that passed to include men’s cross-country relays and championships, track and field championships for men and women as well as age group competition.  Of course it awarded medals for competition success: 

 You can read about it at the links below.

Renfrewshire AAA 1947 – 1954    Renfrewshire AAA 1955 – 1959   Renfrewshire AAA 1960 – 65   

Renfrewshire AAA 1965 – 70   .Renfrewshire AAA 1970 – 1978   Renfrewshire AAA 1979

   Renfrewshire  AAA 1980 – 85   Renfrewshire AAA 1985 – 1990

There was a boys and youths league organised by the four counties – Renfrew, Dunbarton, Lanark and Glasgow with track suit badges issued for that too:

Below: The Bellahouston team that won the Edinburgh – Glasgow 8 stage relay in 1958.

Back Row, from left: Des Dickson (7), Billy Goodwin (1), Hugh O’Neil (Team Manager), Jimmy Irvine (3), Bert Irving (6)

Front Row: Dick Penman (5), Joe Connolly (6), Harry Fenion (4), Ramsey Black (8)

Joe Connolly (B 1) to Des Dickson in the Edinburgh to Glasgow

In the absence of a copy of the constitution of the Association, we can look at the relevant part of the Ayrshire Harrier Clubs  Association dealing with its aims and objects.   This reads: 

“The objects of the Association shall be:

1. To further the interests of athletics by endeavouring to secure the formation of new clubs eligible for membership.
2. To encourage clubs by promoting individual and team competitions, county championships, inter-county contests and international matches.
3. To assist schools by encouraging the promotion of athletic competitions.
4. To assist youth clubs by offering advice to members and encouraging the promotion of area and inter district youth panel sports meetings.”

As far as Renfrewshire AAA is concerned, items 3 and 4 above are difficult to measure although we know that Renfrewshire did have teams competing in the Inter-Area Youth Services competitions with local meetings before them.   Items 1 and 2 are the ones we are mainly concerned with here and it is clear that the number of clubs taking part in the events confined to the county increased over the years.   In addition the events promoted by them included cross-country relays, cross-country championships, they played their part in the Inter-County Cross-Country events and for a time at least held a 10 mile road race.   There were also Track and Field Championships organised by the county.    There may well have been more but the details are not available at present.   

We are now looking at the cross-country events promoted in season 1954/55 and start with the cross-country relay of October 1954 which had 14 complete teams finishing from 8 clubs and Bellahouston emerged victorious winning a close run race by only 5 seconds from Greenock Wellpark.    

The championships were held on 15th January, 1955, and well though Bellahouston were running, the first two places on a cold and frost-bound course went to the Stevensons of Wellpark – Tom winning by approximately 600 yards.   The team race was a comfortable win for Wellpark’s team of T Stevenson, J Stevenson, J Cairns, G King, W Stoddart and D Anderson with 43 pts from Paisley Harriers (74) and Bellahouston (78).   Lots of names there that would become, if not legends, then very well known at least.      Bill Stoddart of Wellpark and Billy Goodwin of Bellahouston being the stand-outs.

Billy Goodwin of Bellahouston leading this group in the Edinburgh to Glasgow.

The next major promotion by the RAAA was the cross-country relays meeting held on 15th October 1955.  The results of the various county relays were mixed in together in the report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ of 17th October as below.   It should be noted however that although Greenock Wellpark won, they were without the services of Frank Sinclair who had been an important part of the winning team the year before.   Bellahouston, preparing for the Edinburgh to Glasgow in November, had two teams placed second and third with new boy Joe Connolly having third fastest time of the day.   Results:

*

The 1955/56 championships resulted in team and individual success for Greenock Wellpark’s strong team were held on 15th January, 1956, at Paisley and the ‘Glasgow Herald’ headline read 

BROTHERS DOMINATE COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY RACE:

Renfrewshire Championships

The County Track & Field Championships were mentioned at the top of the page and in 1956 they were held on Monday, 18th June which was just two days after the Babcock & Wilcox Sports at Moorcroft Park in Renfrew.   Local athletes had done well at that meeting with Bellahouston second in the overall competition for the Empire Trophy.   Results included I Leckie of Bellahouston winning the 220 yards, John Stevenson winning the Two Miles with Gordon Nelson (Bellahouston) third (Bellahouston won the team race), P McDiarmid (Plebeian) won the Mile and T Prentice of Bellahouston won the Ladies 220 yards.    Two days later, the County event was a success with records set in the Mile, the High Jump and the Ladies half mile.   Report below:

If we look at the events being covered here, then the aims of the Association are being seriously tackled – men, women, junior as well as schools being represented on the prize list.   Six clubs plus two schools are all there – coming so close behind the bigger Babcock’s meeting it was a good show.   Bellahouston were undoubtedly the best all-round club in the county and Emmet Farrell noted that in his ‘Running Commentary’ column in the ‘Scots Athlete’.

The first race promoted by the Renfrewshire Association in the 1956/57 winter season was the cross-country relays on 20th October at Pollok Estate when Bellahouston Harriers, running on home territory, were first and second teams to finish with Wellpark, minus John Stevenson, in third.   In addition, all three fastest times were recorded by their own atletes.

The Championships held on 14th January, 1957, had quite a few interesting names appearing for the first time.   The championship was actually won by Gordon Nelson from Harry Fenion with Wellpark’s George King third.  note that Billy Murray of Glenpark, who would go on to be a very good senior runner, won the Youths race from Harry McWilliam of Auchmountain Harriers – a well known and well liked runner – and the winning Glenpark team included the highly respected administrator and author of the SCCU Centenary history Colin Shields.   

Harry McWilliam (in front, dark vest) training with Auchmountain at Cappielow Park

The Track & Field Championships were held on Monday 9th June, 1957, at Moorcroft Park, again two nights after the Babcock meeting where many of the athletes had performed nobly.   Note the double success of Charlie McAlinden (Babcock’s)  who would go on to win the SAAA Marathon title in 1966 and the Three Miles victory of Joe Connolly in a good time on a grass track which had not had time to recover from the pounding of hundreds of feet on the Saturday! 

Charlie McAlinden (138) and Pat McAtier (Paisley 52)

The 1957/58 relays were held on 19th October and the report in the ‘Herald’ was  brief in the extreme and read “Bellahouston Harriers were never seriously challenged after the first relay of the Renfrewshire senior event in which J Connolly gave G Nelson a useful lead, and the race was virtually over when Nelson completed his run with the fastest time over the course.”   The result  was given slightly more space: Bellahouston won by a minute from Wellpark who were over two minutes up on Glenpark.   Interesting that George King was second fastest over the trail, faster than Connolly and Tom Stevenson and only 7 seconds down on Nelson.

If we remember the aims of the association, if they are similar to those of AHCA as set out above, then the Renfrewshire Association continued to work on these and in January 1958 they introduced a Boys race to add to the Senior/Junior and Youths races.   With six men to score in the senior race, Bellahouston supplied the first four finishers plus seventh and eighth placed men to win comfortably with 25 points from Wellpark who had 80 pts and Plebeian with 145.    

The Track & Field Championships were held on 9th June, 1958, as usual at Moorcroft Park on the Monday after the Babcock Sports and the results were as follows:

The standard was  still very high with internationals on the men’s side represented by Joe Connolly and on the women’s side by Helen Cherry (winner of the SWAAA 880 in 1962, and of the Mile in 1962 and 63) and Mary Symon (second in the SWAAA 100 yards in 1958 and champion in 1959).

Helen Cherry in second behind Barbara Tait in the SWAAA Mile Championship

The cross-country relays in 1958 were held in Pollok Estate and the results were hard to find bur Jimmy Irvine of Bellahouston Harriers came to the rescue with the details.  Bellahouston provided first, second and third teams but not, as Morecambe and Wise might say, in that order.   Result:

1st: Bellahouston A team (J Connolly 11-21,  W Goodwin 11-42,  H Fenion 11-26, D Dickson 11-35)

2nd: Bellahouston C team (Roberts 11-52, F Cowan 11-52, R Irving  11-26,  –  )

3rd: Bellahouston B team  (I Wilson 11-40, R Black 11-48,  J Irvine 12-00, R Penman 11-48)

A quite remarkable result because it is not often the case in any competition that one club provides all the first three teams.   Simply looking at the result, it is no surprise that the A team won the championship given the quality of all four runners representing the club: Joe Connolly, Harry Fenion and Des Dickson all ran for Scotland in the Cross-Country International in March that year, and Willie Goodwin won the SCCU Junior Championship for season 1958/59.   

The winning Edinburgh to Glasgow team receiving the trophy

Nor could we find the results for the 1958/59 Renfrewshire Championships until Jimmy pointed out that they were held on 13th December, 1958, instead of the traditional January of the next year.  He sent the results as follows: 

1st: H Fenion 33-32;  2nd:  J Connolly 33-37 ;  3rd:R Irving 33—39.   Team Result Bellahouston  1^st;  Wellpark 2^nd;   Glenpark 3^rd. and with six to count, the next three Bellahouston runners were  –  4^{t h}  W Goodwin;  5^th D Dickson;  7^th J Irvine .    With six men in the first seven, there was no way anyone else could win the race.

A comment on Jimmy’s help: many, if not most, runners kept a training diary and that was true of runners of whatever standard.   You can find extracts from such diaries in the biographies of all the top runners but good club runners, and even not so good interms of trophy-winning runners kept a note of their training, of their races and of anything else relevant – some kept their daily weight in them, others kept a note of what they ate, and so on.   But whoever they were, the diraries are like gold dust to historians be they sports historians, social historians or athletics historians of varying specialisms.   Jim has certainly given us assistance from his for this page. 

The ‘Glasgow Herald’ gave less detail than Jim on the senior race but included a bit on the younger age groups in their report:

Two interesting names in the results for the younger age groups – in the Youths age group, the winner was John Murtagh who became an actor in adult life and was one of the cast in the award winning film, “Braveheart”, while in the Boys’ age group, Brian Goodwin, Billy’s younger brother, won and after a good career as a runner became a well-known official and administrator working at international fixtures as well as local ones, and being President of the SCCU in 1976/77..

The club had a superb season in the winter of 1958/59 when they won – 

• The Midland District Relay (Dickson, Irving, Fenion, Connolly)
• The Renfrewshire Championship (Fenion, Connolly, Irving, Goodwin, Dickson, Irvine)
• The Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay (Goodwin, Irving, Irvine, Fenion, Penman, Connolly, Dickson, Black)
• Nigel Barge Road Race (Goodwin, Connolly, Dickson)

and were very close up in all the others.     Alex Jackson has sent the following link to a video clip of Bellahouston winning the Edinburgh to Glasgow in 1958.   Just click on the link.

Summary of the Five Year Period

The 1958/59 season finished with the Track and Field Championships, held again at Moorcroft park and the ‘Herald’ report is below and the spread of results shows how well the County Association was doing – Men’s events, women’s events, schools athletes all taking part, standards as measured by winning times continued to creep upwards and there was a new SWAAA champion in Morag Carmichael taking part.

.

Alistair Blamire leads Fergus Murray for Edinburgh University

The Scottish Universities Championship results for 1971 have been passed on to us by Alex Jackson and they make interesting reading.   The first six are Alistair Blamire, Alan Partridge, Frank Clement, Don Ritchie, Innis Mitchell and Colin Youngson.   Andy McKean didn’t make the half dozen and there are many good men in the field – Billy Cairns, John McHardy, etc.   Have a look.

One of the features of summer athletics meetings and winter season races in the 1960’s was a table covered with postcard-sized black and white photographs.   They were taken by JJ Millar of Leechlee Street in Hamilton, or so the stamp on the back of the picture said.   Every week he was there with his photos.   Taken without any of the modern aids they were all well taken at relay changeovers, at race finishes at critical stages of races and of athletes on all abilities.   This is a very small selection of what was available in the first half of the 1960’s (for 5/- each).

Les Piggott (1), George Rodger 8) in the invitation 100 yards at Babcock & Wilcox Sports

GAH Muir (31) George Rodger (26)

Ian Donald, Nigel Barge finish, Maryhill

JB Maclachlan, Nigel Barge finish

Iain Leggett, Nigel Barge finish

Allan Faulds finishing the Springburn Cup at Huntershill

Jackie Girvan and Allan Sharp (73) in the National at Hamilton

Hugh Mitchell (53), Charlie McAlinden (138), Pat McAtier (52), Bobby Calderwood, Brian McAusland, David Simpson (51)

, 

Roy Clark (68) and Pat Younger, National, Hamilton

Neil Buchanan to Brian McAusland, Midland Relay, Cleland

Brian McAusland to Bobby Shields, Midlands Relay, Cleland, just ahead of the next photograph …

Davie Kerr to Davie Martin, Garscube, Midlands Relay at Cleland

Bill Scally to Les Menelly, Shettleston, in E-G

Danny Wilmoth, Shawfield, Lanark Police Sports

Danny Wilmoth

Kenny Laverick, Tom Scott

A Lanarkshire track competition at Coatbridge with Alaister Russell (Law & District) leading Alex Chalmers of Springburn with Scottish Junior international David Donnet (Springburn) and J McLuckie (Larkhall) also clearly seen.

The Lanarkshire Amateur Athletic Association was formed in 1949 by a purely local initiative for the good of athletics in the County.   We have now reached 1980 in our review and it seems appropriate to do a recap of progress made.   

1.   It has organised athletic meetings with the annual county championships being the major one,
2. It was so successful that the number of member  clubs grew until by 1980 there were Airdrie, Bellshill YMCA, Clyde Valley, East Kilbride, Larkhall YMCA, Law & District AAC, Motherwell YMCA, Shettleston Harriers, Springburn Harriers and Strathclyde University. 
3. It has organised road relay championships in October and cross-country championships in December every year since then.   The championships were taken all round the county venues – Airdrie, Barrachnie, Bellshill, Carluke, Coatbridge, Larkhall, East Kilbride.
4. It has organised road races and
5. It has been responsible for selecting and organising the county team for the inter-counties championship.   
6. It has also been responsible for encouraging the young athletic talent brought into the sport by the clubs and given them a first taste of competition outside the club
7. It has also given its support to new athletes moving in to the area and competing for the clubs.   

The list below of athletes who have competed in the league between 1949 and 1980, the vast majority of whom have been brought up through the age groups and which is certainly impressive,  is almost certainly not comprehensive.

OLYMPIANS:  Paul Bannon (Shettleston), Frank Clement (Strathclyde University),  Ian McCafferty (Law & District), Tom McKean (Bellshill YMCA), Lachie Stewart (Shettleston):  FIVE

COMMONWEALTH GAMES:  Lawrie Bryce (Strathclyde), Graham Everett (Shettleston), Doug Edmunds (Strathclyde University), Norman Foster (Shettleston), John Graham (Motherwell YMCA and Clyde Valley), John Linaker (Motherwell), Stewart McCallum (Shettleston), Joe McGhee (Shettleston), Norman Morrison (Shettleston), Eddie Stewart (Cambuslang), Dick Wedlock (Shettleston and Motherwell YMCA), Graham Williamson (Springburn). ELEVEN

GREAT BRITAIN and SCOTLAND:  Ben Bickerton (Shettleston), Alex Brown, Andy Brown (both Motherwell YMCA  and Law & District), Jim Brown (Monkland and Clyde Valley), Alistair Blamire (Shettleston), Mike Bradley (Springburn), Adrian Callan (Springburn), David Cairns (Springburn), Ian Cloudslie (Shettleston), GM Craig (Shettleston), David Donnet (Springburn), Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang), Stuart Easton (Shettleston), Jim Egan (Larkhall YMCA), Hugh Forgie ( Law & District  and Larkhall YMCA), Hugo Fox (Shettleston), D Frame (Law & District), A Gibson (Hamilton), Alex Gilmour (Larkhall YMCA), George Jarvie (Springburn), Jim Johnstone (Monkland  and  Law & District), John Kerr (Airdrie),  Eddie Knox (Springburn), Alastair Macfarlane (Springburn), Pat Maclagan (Strathclyde University), Ron McDonald (Monkland and Clyde Valley), Bert McKay (Motherwell YMCA), John McLaren (Shotts Miners Welfare), David McShane (Cambuslang), Brian McSloy (Clyde Valley), Pat McParlane (Springburn),  David Marshall (Motherwell and Clyde Valley), Steven Marshall (Clyde Valley), Duncan Middleton (Springburn), Nat Muir (Shettleston), John Myatt (Strathclyde University and Law & District), Tom O’Reilly (Springburn), Alan Partridge (East Kilbride), Alaister Russell (Law  District) David Simpson (Motherwell YMCA and Law & District), Eddie Sinclair (Springburn), Tommy Tracey (Springburn), Jim Thomson (Law & District),  Iain Young (Springburn):  FORTY FOUR.

Eddie Sinclair winning the Youth Ballot Team Race in Clydebank

Of course for the athletes to develop there needs to be coaches and there are at least four who ran themselves in the Lanarkshire championships and are pictured on this page: 

•  Eddie Sinclair of Springburn had a very good career as an athlete with international vests and track championships before becoming the coach at Springburn responsible for all their young athletes teams as well as many top class individuals such as Adrian Callan, Graham Williamson, Iain Young and many more;
• Tommy Callaghan at Monkland and then Clyde Valley who also ran well in all the major Scottish championships and events (such as the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay) before coaching many talented athletes, notably Jim Brown and Ron McDonald;
• Tommy Boyle was a member of Bellshill YMCA who went on to coach many of the very best Scottish athlete Tom McKean, who also ran in the Lanarkshire promotions as a Boy and Youth athlete, and many more;
• And Alex Naylor of Shettleston, the Big Daddy of Scottish endurance running coaches who coached Nat Muir and many, many many more.  Not many people realise that Alex was a runner himself – he ran in championship races as well as open road races such as the Clydebank to Helensburgh 16 miles;
• There are many others who gave sterling service for years, like Bob Anderson at Cambuslang.   There are others like Alex Perrie at Larkhall YMCA who was a BAAB Senior Coach,helped many athletes perform to their best, eg Hugh Forgie, although he himself never ran in the League.

Tom Callaghan as a young athlete

Without the Association’s unremitting work, 12 months a year, the valuable experience of those taking part in the races would have been harder to obtain. Without the races

• the coaches would have missed a very useful stepping-stone competition for young athletes and
• athletes using them as part of a rehab programme would also have been deprived.   
• The medals won always provide feedback to athletes of all ages and a measure of their progress but
• for those who do not win medals, The Association provided the Standard Certificates for notable performances in County events.  

The Lanarkshire athletes have a lot to thank the officials for.   These officials of course had almost all been runners themselves, they were now the ones who stood at the side of the finish line be it track or country, who took the entries, issued the numbers and laid the course for the races.   

These officials were also happy that so many top class athletes, so many good class club standard athletes and so many individuals supported their efforts by turning out in the races, so making their work worth while.

Alex Naylor taking the baton at Cleland Estate

The Association had indeed been well served by its committee members who all filled multiple roles – they were administrators, they were officials, they were starters/timekeepers/judges/stewards who were out in all weathers, and often enough they were runners as well.   They did not do it for any financial gain, they paid their own expenses and bought their own equipment.   They did not spend time raising big money to put on sporting spectaculars – they did it to promote the sport in their area and right well did they do it.   

Tommy Boyle   doing what he does best

… and looking ahead to a Lanarkshire championship in the early 1980’s 

Sam Wallace (36) … and look at the officials: Bob Peel, Harry Quinn, Alex Naylor, Brian Goodwin, Des Yuill … and look at the running action of number 16.   

Lanarkshire Track Championships:  Joe Small (7), John Graham (13) both Clyde Valley, Willie Drysdale (Law), Bill Yate (Maryhill (244), Pat Morris (22? Cambuslang), Dave Cooney (Cambuslang) and Bob Anderson (Cambuslang)

The Lanarkshire AAA had changed  since its formation in 1949.   There were more races held under its auspices, there were more clubs, there were at least two new clubs (Law & District from 1967, and Clyde Valley from 1974) and the quality of competition can be seen from the athletes who had taken part and in the fact that after the Shettleston hegemony in the 1950’s no club had an era of total dominance for as long – Motherwell YMCA was the nearest with almost six years at the top.   The county strength was seen in the almost unbroken series of victories in the Inter-Counties Championships over the country too.   The newest club, Clyde Valley AAC, an amalgamation of five good clubs was now so strong that anyone in Lanarkshire looking ahead for the next five years would have felt that their day as top dog was imminent.   

The task was a big one –

1. The number of clubs: Airdrie, Bellshill YMCA, Cambuslang, Clyde Valley, East Kilbride AAC, Larkhall YMCA, Law, Shettleston, Springburn, Strathclyde University; 
2. The quality of senior athletes in the competition; 
3. The talented youngsters coming up through the ranks – Nat Muir, Graham Williamson, and many more; 
4. The track and field athletes were also of good class.    

So how did 1976 go and did Clyde Valley justify the merger of the five clubs?

1976

In the 1976 Road Relay, Shettleston had more reasons to be cheerful than Clyde Valley did as far as the Senior Men’s race was concerned although Clyde Valley with a second in the ‘big’ race and victories in both Senior Boys event.   The report in ‘Athletics Weekly’ was written by Colin Shields.   “Lachie Stewart gave Shettleston an 80 yard lead after the first lap of the Lanarkshire Senior 4 x two and a quarter mile road relay championship at Motherwell on October 9th.   The lead however was short-lived as Jim Brown – now qualified after his Borough Road course and working at Coatbridge Outdoor Sports Centre – recorded the fastest lap at 9:29 to give Clyde Valley a 24 second lead which Nat Muir cut down to a bare five yards after the third lap.   Lawrie Spence gave Shettleston their second road relay victory in successive weeks when he outclassed first year Junior Greg Patterson.   

First year Youth, Graham Williamson of Springburn, outstanding last year in the Senior Boy category, was easily the fastest over the Senior course but his club had to give way to Clyde Valley who also won the Senior Boys title with Springburn gaining a consolation victory  in the Junior Boys event.”     1.   Shettleston (L Stewart 9:56, D Lang 10:05, N Muir 9:38, L Spence 9:59) 39:38     2. Clyde Valley (I Moncur 10:08, J Brown 9:29, J Graham 10:01, G Patterson 10:16)  39:54.     3.  East Kilbride (H Wilson 10:20, A Neal 10:18, A Partridge 10:03, K Tayler 9:47)  40:28.   4.  Springburn 40:37;  5.  Shettleston B 41:35;  6.  Cambuslang  42:01;  7. Law & District  42:44;  8.  Cambuslang B 43:04;  9.  Clyde Valley B 43:11.   

Any doubts about the quality of runner coming through the ranks in the county champions is quickly dispelled when we note that such as Eddie Knox, Jim Brown, Ron McDonald and now Graham Williamson are on the scene having started their career in much younger age groups.   

The Championships that year were held over a course that was becoming very familiar to Scottish athletes at Coatbridge on 4th December and the result was pretty well identical to the relays – individual glory for Jim Brown and a team triumph for Shettleston.   In the absence of Graham Williamson, Clyde Valley won the Youths and Senior Boys races.   Results:

Senior:   1.  J Brown (Clyde Valley) 33:24;   2.  L Spence (Shettleston)  33:32;   3.  N Muir (Shettleston)  33:39;   4.  S Easton (Shettleston) 34:26;  5.  D Lang (Shettleston) 35:26;  6. G Patterson (Clyde Valley) 35:28;  7.  J Martin (Springburn) 35:29;  8. K Tayler (East Kilbride) 35:49;  9. J Small (Clyde Valley) 36:13;  10.  H Forgie (Larkhall YMCA)  36:43;  11.  I Moncur (Clyde Valley) 36:53;  12. R Anderson (Cambuslang) 37:11;  13.  D Cooney (Cambuslang) 37:55;  14: T Patterson (Springburn) 38:10;  15:  P Preston (Cambuslang)  38:17.         Teams:  1. Shettleston  9;  2.  Clyde Valley 16;   3.  Springburn   37;  4. Cambuslang  40;  5. Shettleston B  42;   6.  East Kilbride  49

Youths:  1.  W McDonald (East Kilbride)  18:23;  2.  F Stewart (Clyde Valley) 18:27; 3. J Johnstone (Law) 19:04;  4.  J Young Clyde Valley) 19:28;  5. S Wood (Law) 19:38; 6. G Wilson (Clyde Valley) 20:07;  7. J Campbell (East Kilbride) 20:20; 8.  R Bias (East Kilbride) 20:26; 9. C Farquharson (Clyde Valley) 20:27;  10.  R Templeton (Law) 20:30.         Teams:  1.  Clyde Valley 12;  2.  East Kilbride  16;  3.  Law 20  

Senior Boys:  1.  I Doole (Clyde Valley) 8:18;  2.  G Band (Springburn) 8:37;  3.  P Martin (Clyde Valley) 8:43;  4. D Marshall (Clyde Valley) 8:45; 5. P Fox (Clyde Valley) 8:48;  6.  W Thomas (Clyde Valley) 8:49.     Teams:  1. Clyde Valley 8;   2.  Springburn  17;  3.  Clyde Valley B

If we now look back up at these results, we see a number of athletes who are new to the clubs that they were representing: Hugh Forgie of Law is here running for Larkhall, Peter Preston came from Monkland to turn out for Cambuslang, Jim Johnstone like wise came from Monkland but he is representing Law,  and of course ‘old timers’ like Lawrie Spence and Stuart Easton changed clubs when their location away from the track changed.

Another name to look at is the fourth finisher in the Senior Boys race.   Clyde Valley had two members called Willie Marshall, each had a son who became a Scottish representative as a runner – one was David (above) and the other was Steven.  

1977

The county road relay championships in 1977 took place as usual on the second Saturday in the month – a week after the McAndrews at Scotstoun – and there were the usual club selection difficulties, arguments about who would run in what team, and on which legs of the race.  There are times when such selection discussions can come up with the wrong answer.  This time it was the Shettleston team which came a cropper.   Ron Marshall was on the job with an accurate account of the afternoon.   “Shettleston Harriers, winners of the McAndrew relay earlier this month, surprisingly lost the Lanarkshire championship to Clyde Valley Athletic Club on Saturday at Motherwell.

Shettleston had three Scottish internationalists in the line-up, Nat Muir, Lachie Stewart and Stuart Easton, but their other internationalist, Lawrie Spence, was absent.   Clyde Valley positioned their men well with their top pair, John Graham and Ron McDonald, on the second and third legs.   This strategy paid off particularly when Shettleston kept their top man, Nat Muir, to the end when it was far too late.   The real damage done to Shettleston was done by Graham who was too strong for Lachie Stewart and handed over a good lead.   Brown went further away from Easton and Muir was left with far too much to do on the last leg.   He clocked the fastest time of the day – 10:28 – to bring Shettleston up to second place ahead of Law.

Result:  Seniors: 1.   Clyde Valley AAC 48:43;  2.  Shettleston  44:38;  3. Law  44:54.   Youths:  1.  Springburn  33:23;  2.  Clyde Valley 36:00;  3.  East Kilbride 37:39.   Senior Boys: 1. Springburn 23:47; 2. East Kilbride 25:25; 3.  Cambuslang 25:35.   Junior Boys:  1.  Springburn 26:23;  2.  Clyde Valley 26:58;  3. Cambuslang 27:28. 

John Graham

It was December before the Championships were held – the Association had taken them back to Bellshill in 1977 and the report was short, extremely short, too short in fact.   It was barely a report at all so we should be simply because there was one result available from four races. , but it was more than any other paper had.   It read.  “By all accounts conditions for the Lanarkshire championships at Bellshill were no better than elsewhere – in fact many runners decided against competing when they saw the state of the course.   Jim Brown (Clyde Valley) won the senior five miles in 24 min 01 sec, half a minute ahead of his club-mate John Graham.   Clyde Valley won the team race with 13 points, four ahead of Shettleston.

1978

At the 1977 LAAA Relay championship the Glasgow Herald’s Ron Marshall was mildly critical of their team selection and positioning.   In 1978 he was scathing.   He reported as follows: 

TEAM BOSSES BLUSHING

The Shettleston Harriers team selectors would, on their record so far this season, be welcomed with glinting eyes by any casino manager.   They ought to shy clear of Russian roulette as well.   Last week in the McAndrew relay they watched with pained expressions as their lead-off man in the first team, Stewart Easton, came in all of 20 seconds behind their third team choice, Ian Shaw.   That mis-selection cost them the race.   Again on Saturday, in teh Lanarkshire four by two and a half miles relay championship at Bellshill, although appearing to do the sensible thing the selectors dropped Stewart to the reserves and – yes, that’s right – Easton delivered the goods, taking first place on the opening leg while young Ian – a recruit from the now disbanded West of Scotland Harriers, scarcely earned his spurs by placing fourth nearly 30 seconds behind.    

Fortunately for Shettleston, none of the 21 other teams was able to mount a threat throughout the four legs, although Clyde Valley pitched in manfully when Brian McSloy, a junior, took them to the front at the halfway stage.   Allan Marshall established Shettleston’s supremacy on the third stage, handing over a lead of 29 seconds to Nat Muir, and no one in the field can give him that kind of start.   Nevertheless on that same leg Jim Brown moved Clyde Valley up from fourth place to second, and in the process nudged Muir out of the award for the fastest individual by clocking 11 min 49 sec, a second faster than Muir.   Springburn Harriers were third, a further half minute behind Clyde Valley.

Results:   1.  Shettleston (S Easton 12:07J Burns 12:39, A Marshall 12:28, N Muir 11:50) 49:39;  2. Clyde Valley 50:07; 3. Springburn 50:48

Nat Muir winning the Junior National in 1976

The 1978 Championships were scarcely covered at all in the Press – national or local.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ again gave more than anyone else but what it gave was scanty this time.   The entire coverage is below, note that more space was given to an East District League match than to all the county championships put together.   There are three League matches each year but only one County Championship per county.

1979

David Marshall

Clyde Valley won the Road Relay in October 1979 when it was held at Coatbridge.   The results below say that they won from Cambuslang and East Kilbride – the highest ever finish in these championships for the club –  with Shettleston fifth.   Results:

Senior:  1.   Clyde Valley (N Agnew  12:10, B McSloy 11:33, D Marshall 12:28, C Farquharson 11:51) 48:02;  2.  Cambuslang 49:02;  3. East Kilbride 49:25.   Fastest Time:  B McSloy (Clyde Valley) 11:33.   Youths:  1.  Springburn  37:36; 2.  Shettleston 39:23;  3.  Springburn 39:25.   Fastest Time:   A Callan (Springburn) 12:02.   Senior Boys:  1.  Springburn 25:51;   2.  Cambuslang 26:22;  3. Law & District  26:36.   Fastest Time:  D McShane (Cambuslang) 8:23.   Junior Boys:  1.   Shettleston  27:51;  2.  Springburn 28:08;  3. Shettleston B 28:42.   Fastest Time: M Kerr (Springburn)9:03.

And just with a swift look over the results, you can see that the Lanarkshire League had produced two more outstanding talents in Dave McShane of Cambuslang who would win championships and representative vests for years to come, Adrian Callan of Springburn would be a sub-four minute miler, an SAAA champion and win many international vests.   As a stepping stone from club to district and then on to national honours the LAAA more than served its purpose.  

Adrian Callan as a Senior wins the BMC Strathkelvin Street Mile

The Championships in December were held at Coatbridge and the club won the team title.   The report from the ‘Glasgow Herald’s Ron Marshall reads as follows.   

Jim heads quality field in tune-up for Crystal Palace 

 “Jim Brown (Clyde Valley) won the Lanarkshire senior cross-country title on Saturday at Coatbridge without the slightest trouble andimmediately declared himself in good shape for the big Crystal Palace race this coming Saturday.   He was also encouraged by the turn out of runners after several years of dwindling fields.   The quality was certainly there with internationalists Brian McSloy and Graham Williamson finishing second and third.   Brown’s time for the four laps (six miles) was 31:18, 24 seconds ahead of McSloy, who in turn was 12 seconds clear of Williamson.   Jim Thomson (Law & District) was fourth and it was good to see Ronnie McDonald back for Clyde Valley after three and a half years of persistent Achilles tendon trouble.   He was fifth.   Other Coatbridge results:   

Senior team race: Clyde Valley 25 points; Cambuslang 26; Springburn 35.   Youths Team Race: 1. A Callan (Springburn) 16:03; 2. S Gall (Clyde Valley) 16:13.   Team:  Springburn 10 pts.   Senior Boys: P McManus (Clyde Valley) 10:43.   Team Springburn 17 pts.   Junior Boys: B Scally (Shettleston) 13:24   Team: Shettleston 7 pts.   

It is a pity that we don’t have full results if  only because the number of young runners who have come through is so high and should be noticed.   But unfortunately it was a time when results of Scottish races were hard to come by – even ‘Athletics Weekly’ had stopped having a special Scottish Results section listed at the start of the magazine, it often had only brief reports and Colin Shields’s reports on County Championships were up to six weeks late in appearing in the magazine.   Track results were even harder to come by.   None – or very, very rare – reports of County Championships were being published at this time in AW and the Scottish Press, both National and local, paid little more than lip-service to them.   However, back to the relays – note Brian Scally’s win in the Junior Boys race.   Brian would be third in the Scottish Marathon Championship in 1993 and win it in 1996 and win medals in the senior indoor 3000m championships as well as medals in different age groups.   

1980

Doug Frame (35 Law & District) leading Nat Muir (Shettleston, with headband)

This time round, the Road Relay was another victory for Clyde Valley.  Eddie Devlin led off on the first stage but was fifth behind leader Nat Muir whose 11:12 was the fastest of the day, before the trio of Colin Farquharson, Jim Brown and Ron McDonald took them wo a winning finish, more than a minute in front of Cambuslang Harriers.   The winning time was 45:30.   In the younger age groups, Springburn won the Youths  and  Senior Boys races but lost the Junior Boys race by one second to Shettleston Harriers.

Into December and the title went to Cambuslang Harriers with Graham Williamson winning the race in 28:40 from Law’s Jim Thomson (28:45) and Doug Frame (29:10).   The team race was won by Cambuslang Harriers from Springburn Harriers by only two points, 15 to 17.   The Youths Three Miles was won by C O’Brien (Shettleston) in 16:31 from M Taggart (Shettleston) 16:38 and T McKean (Clyde Valley) 16:40.   Team:  Shettleston 11 points.   Other results:

Senior Boys: 1.  D Russell (Law & District) 9:34;  2.  S Marshall (Clyde Valley) 9:57;  3.  B Scally (Shettleston) 10:10.   Team: Springburn 21 pts.

Junior Boys: 1.  M Kerr (Springburn) 10:25;  2. A Swan (Shettleston) 10:35; 3. Russell (Law & District) 10:35.   Team: Springburn 12 pts.

If we look at this set of results, limited as it is, we see several names to add to the conveyor belt of talent rolling through the Lanarkshire AAA championships.   We’ve already seen middle distance stars like Graham Everett, Ron McDonald and Adrian Callan and from the class of 1980 we can add Tom McKean (Commonwealth, Empire and Olympic Games plus World Championships indoor and out; we have seen distance runners like Eddie Bannon and Ian McCafferty and to them we can add Alistair Russell – medals (plural) of all three colours in the SAAA Championships plus Scottish international representation on the track as well as over the country.   We mentioned the two Willie Marshalls in Clyde Valley and we have already noted David as a successful athlete, the ‘other Willie Russell”s son Steven is noted here as a Senior Boy.   The Lanarkshire Association has done a sterling job in assisting the emergence of young talent, it has also of course helped seniors prepare for bigger meetings (see Jim Brown’s success above) and to start or continue a come-back after injury.

Graham Williamson

Jim Brown of Monkland Harriers running at Coatbridge in the snow.

The years of Motherwell dominance had passed, the transition was complete and apparently Lanarkshire hegemony had returned to Shettleston Harriers.   But had it?   There were new kids on the block, kids to be reckoned with, and these kids were ambitious.   The next five years would tell the true story – or would they?   

The Track Championships were held on Saturday, May 8th, 1971 at Loch Park, Carluke in what were described as ideal weather conditions.   The results of the Senior Competition were interesting.   Seniors, Juniors and Youths results, first two noted.   

100 yards: 1. M Norval, Strathclyde U, 11.3;  2. S McCallum, Shettleston, 11.3;   200 metres: S McCallum, Shettleston, 23.3; J Jackson, Strathclyde U 24.3;  400 metres: 1. D McBain, Larkhall, 51.7; 2. A Reczek, Monkland, 52.0;  800m: 1. D McBain, Larkhall, 1:56.4; 2. A McLellan, Springburn, 1:57.6;  1500m: 1. J Graham, Airdrie, 4:04.4; 2. H Gorman, Springburn, 4:04.5; 5000m: 1. T Patterson, Shettleston, 15:18.8; 2. R McKay, Motherwell, 15:21; 1600m Medley Relay: 1. Shettleston 3:37.4; 2. Springburn 3:48.6; 3. Larkhall 3:49.8;  High Jump: 1. M Norval, Strathclyde U, 5′ 8″; 2. W Haddow, Strathclyde U, 5′ 4″;  Triple Jump: V Wilkie, Shettleston, 12.07m; 2. M Norval, Shettleston, 12.94m;  Long Jump: 1. M Norval Strathclyde U, 6.15m; 2. W Haddow, Strathclyde U, 5.06m.

Juniors (17-19): 100m: 1. J Russell, Dalziel HS, 11.4; 2. G Young, Larkhall, 12.0;   200m: 1. J Russell, Dalziel HS, 23.6; 2. J Toner, East Kilbride, 24.9;  800m: 1. J McLuckie, Larkhall, 2:02.2;  2. A Trench, East Kilbride, 2:02.4; 1500m:  1. S Gillespie, Springburn, 4:08.4; 2. J McLuckie, Larkhall, 4:10.4 

Youths:  100m: J Scott, Motherwell YMCA, 11.5; 2. V Topping, Law, 11.6;   200m: J Scott, Motherwell YMCA 24.0; 2. V Topping, Law 24.3; 400m: 1.  A Scott, Springburn, 54.4; 2. D Kane, Monkland, 55.9;   800m: K McBride, Springburn, 2:05.7;  2. G Reid, East Kilbride, 2:06.0; 1500m: 1. J Lawson, Springburn, 4:15.7; 2. A Gilmour, Larkhall, 4:16.

Several interesting names there – eg Alex Gilmour who would become a regular and reliable member of the very good Cambuslang Harriers team of the 1980s and 90s.

*

The Road Relays were held at Bellshill on 9th October, 1971 and were full of drama – even more than usual.   

• The runners were all there (no complaints about the quality this year).   Lachie Stewart, Mike Bradley, Eddie Knox, Jim Brown, Ron McDonald, Paul Bannon, Dick Wedlock …  were all present.   
• The previous year Shettleston had been first and second teams, this year they tried to do it again and failed.   
• There was also a runner knocked down during the race.   The entire ‘Herald’ report is reproduced to do the event justice.   Now read on.

In December, 1971, the championships were back at Cleland Estate.   The reigning team champions were Shettleston with Dick Wedlock the individual men’s champion.   1971 had a different tale with different heroes to tell.   Ian McCafferty was making his season’s cross-country debut in what described as one of the toughest and most competitive in the country.   There was a three lap two-mile course and reigning champion Wedlock lead through the first lap but by the end of the second, there were only two men in it – McCafferty and Jim Brown of Monkland.   Brown came out on top beating McCafferty by 100 yards or so.   Monkland had hopes of the team title with Brown first and McDonald  fifth but with Willie Drysdale twelfth, they were second by only two points with Springburn third.   But there is a twist in the tail of this tale!!!   Law had declared McCafferty as a second team runner.   Had he been in their first team, they would have been third.   

Results:  Senior/Junior Race:  1.  J Brown (Monkland) 28:17;  2. I McCafferty (Law) 28:41;  3. R Wedlock (Shettleston) 29:06;  4. N Morrison (Shettleston) 29:11;  5.  R McDonald (Monkland) 29:37; 6.  E Knox (Springburn) 29:42.     Team: 1.  Shettleston (3, 4, H Summerhill 9) 16 pts;  2. Monkland 18 pts; 3. Springburn 29 pts          Youths:  1.  J Thomson (Law) 15:54;  2. A Gilmour (Larkhall) 16:11;  Team: 1.  Springburn (J Buntain 3, J Lawson 4, J Martin 9) 16 pts;  2. Shettleston 24 pts;  3. Law 33 pts.   Senior Boys:  1.  M Watt (Shettleston) 7:35.   Team:  1.  Shettleston (1, R Drummond 3, N Muir 11) 15 pts; 2.  Springburn 26; Motherwell YMCA 29.   Junior Boys: 1. A Renfrew (Springburn) 8:38.   Team: 1. Springburn (1, A Sprang 4, J Gillespie 9) 14 pts;  2. East Kilbride 28 pts;  3.  Cambuslang 31 pts. 

1972

The Track and Field Championships were held at Carluke on 13th May in 1972 with the normal fairly full programme.   Unusually there were five runners who won two events.   Ian Russell (Law) won the senior 100/200m double, , Jim McLuckie (Larkhall) won the Junior 800/1500m in 1:58.7/4:2.4 [?], A Deans (Law) won the Youths 100/200m in 11.8/23.7,  and I Callender won the Senior Boys 100/200m with times of 12.2/24.9, R McMcKim won the Junior Men’s 800/1500 double, in 2:05.2/4:22.   Despite all that however, the star of the show was Ronnie McDonald (Monkland) won the 800m with a powerful run  over the last 300m to win in 1:56.1 from the 12 other competitors in the race.   There was also a tremendous duel in the 1500m between John Graham of Airdrie and Jim Brown of Monkland.   Graham made most of the running and was able to hold off Brown at the finish although reports say there was less than a foot (ie 12 inches) separating them.   Other winners:

Senior:  400m: W Logie, Monkland, 53.5s; 5000m:  E Knox, Springburn 14:52.2; Medley Relay: East Kilbride, 3:43.4.   Juniors:  100m: S Lloyd, Monkland, 12.1; 200m: B Cook, East Kilbride 24.2.   Youths: 800m: F McCann, Airdrie, 2:00.6; 400m: D Kane, Monkland, 54.5; 1500m: J Thomson, Law, 4:08.4.   Senior Boys: 400m: J Bodie, Bellshill, 58.5; Junior Boys: 100m: E Ritchie, East Kilbride, 14.3; 200m: G Scott, Larkhall, 29.3; 800m: D Henderson, Cambuslang, 2:27.2; 1500m: S Cameron, Cambuslang, 4:59.5

*

We had to go to the Wishaw Press’ of 20th October for the result of the road relay championships on 14th October 1972, to the Law & District report, which read: The club won the Senior Men’s Race in the Lanarkshire Relay Championship at Coatbridge on Saturday.   Members of the winning team and their times were T McCann 12:03, AP Brown 12:13, AH Brown 12:16, D Simpson 12:26.   T McCann was third fastest in the event.   The combined efforts of J King, J Rowley, R Benyon and A Struthers gave another Law team 16th place.   Law’s other entrants T Miller, E Laverty, R Brown and G Gallacher took 18th place.   The Senior  Boys were runners-up in their event.   Runners and times were:-K McCartney 8:26, W Dickson 8:55, W Smith 9:15, J Milligan 10:27.   K McCartney was the fastest in the event.   The Youth team finished fourth.   Runners and times were H Forgie 12:52, W Nelson 13:17, R Milligan 13:45, J Struthers 13:57, W Struthers 14, 56.   The Junior Boys were tenth in their event.   Runners and times were P O’Neill 9:37, J Young 10:09, J Fenwick 10:39, J O’Neill 10:44, W McCafferty 10:53.” 

The above report is a bit confusing in that it lists five runners for the Senior and Junior Boys teams.   No surprises in the senior team but note the appearance of a young Hugh Forgie in the Youth team – Hugh would go on to be well-known good quality endurance runner who would run for Scotland on the track.   There were some things missing from the report above which can be maybe supplied from the Motherwell YMCA report – also in the Wishaw Press – on the same race.   A section from the start of that report reads: “Conditions were perfect for the 248 runners from all over Lanarkshire taking part.   Sixteen-year-old Motherwell Harrier John Graham won the Youths race in a time of 12:06.  ….  In the Seniors race, Bert McKay clocked 11:46 to be runner-up, while W Marshall with 12:55 was sixth.”

The Law & District team that won the District Relay in 1980: Hugh Forgie second left

The usually reliable ‘Glasgow Herald’ was more selective in reporting the LAAA Cross Country Championship, although the ‘Wishaw Press’ was fortunately more forthcoming for the Championship in December 1972.  Their report below is in full.

“Lanarkshire Cross Country Championships were held at Cleland Estate on Saturday.   The most exciting events were in the junior boys and youth events.   Law amateur athletic club were in the honours with a win by K McCartney in the senior boys, and they also provided the winners in the senior event.   RESULTS.

Junior Boys: D Connacher (Springburn) 9:47; J Ross (Springburn (9:48); S Cameron (Cambuslang) 9:49).   Team result: 1.   Springburn;   2.  Cambuslang;  3.  East Kilbride.   Senior Boys: K McCartney (Law) 8:45; W Muir (Shettleston); M McKenzie (Shettleston) 9:05.   Team Result: 1.  Shettleston;  2. Law;  3. Springburn.

Youths: M Watt (Shettleston) 17:19;  J Graham (Motherwell) 17:25; J Fleming (Springburn) 17:46.   Team result 1.  Springburn; 2. Shettleston;  3. Monkland.

Seniors: J Brown (Monkland) 33:48; T Paterson (Shettleston) 34:37; A Partridge (East Kilbride) 35:08.   Team result:   1. Law;  2. Monkland; 3. Springburn.   The winning Law team included T McCann 5th, Alec Brown 6th, D Simpson 7th.

1973

May 12th was the due date for the Lanarkshire Championships which were again held at Carluke.   Before any comment, look at the results as published in the ‘Glasgow Herald’.  Note, too, that there was not a single Shettleston runner in the 5000m.

Again we have to say, look at the quality coming through: Junior Boys including Jim Egan from the unheralded Larkhall YMCA who would win a Junior Boys National Championship and then a few years later win a Junior Man’s international vest and a trip to New York; and is J Archibald really Ian Archibald who won the Senior Men’s 1500m title?   John Fleming of Springburn was another talent unearthed by Eddie Sinclair at Springburn.   The absence of anyone from Shettleston in the 5000m was not really that big a deal.

The Road Relays again produced what was, but maybe shouldn’t have been, a bit of a surprise when neither Shettleston, nor Law won, nor did either Springburn or Monkland.  None of the masters won but the students did – Strathclyde University turned the tables on the more established teams.   The report read:  “Strathclyde University had a comfortable victory in the Lanarkshire road-relay championships on Saturday at Coatbridge.   They finished about 150 yards ahead of Monkland Harriers with Springburn Harriers third.   Frank Clement made his first appearance of the  cross-country season and could hardly have had a softer initiation.   He began the fourth and last leg with a lead of about 100 yards, one that had been built up largely by Laurie Spence and Pat Maclagan and he was never pressed.   Shettleston fielding a grossly under strength team were never in contention.”   And that was the report from the ‘Glasgow Herald’.   No times, no team places, not other races on the day.   Oh, and who was the fourth runner for Strathclyde University?   We know from the Shettleston Harriers centenary history that their ‘grossly understrength team’ consisted of Stuart Easton, Henry Summerhill, Clark Wallace and Bill Scally.

Pat Maclagan, a member of the Strathclyde University winning relay team in 1973; photograph from 1970

“Ronnie McDonald felt disinclined to take too much credit for his victory on Saturday in Lanarkshire’s cross-country championships run over the white fields of Cleland Estate.   That he ran at all says much for his loyalty to an event that is in danger of becoming just another obscure winter run-around.   It is hard to know which attitude to adopt over this and similar country championships.   From the athletes point of view it could be – as McDonald suggests – that many of them are reluctant to run at the “tuppence-ha’penny meetings for a thru-penny medal” now that so many otherwise indifferent road races are offering generous prizes.   If county associations could find the money to combat this, then maybe the stars of cross-country could see their way to showing their faces more often.   Perhaps too the battery of officials required to run these meetings would consider the time so freely given more profitably spent.   

McDonald at least made it worth their while.   He stayed with the field for the first half-mile but from that point stretched himself  enough to open an ever-widening gap.   By the finish he was more than half a minute in front of Shettleston’s Stuart Easton, himself almost as much ahead of the third man.   For the first time in his athletics career Ronnie McDonald finds himself thinking as much about success in cross-country as on the track.   One of his biggest ambitions is to win the national title – “that may seem strange coming from a miler, but it’s true” – and with continued improvement over the next few months he has every hope of being in Scotland’s team for the International Championships in Monza in March.   Another of his desires – to see his club win the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay.   Now that really would be something.

The club of the afternoon was undoubtedly Springburn Harriers.   They swept away the opposition in all four age groups and Iain Murray gave them an individual victory in the senior boys race.    Leading results:

Senior/Junior: 1.   R McDonald (Monkland) 33:44;  2.  S Easton (Shettleston) 34:18; 3. A Miller (Law) 34:42.   Team:  1. Springburn 29 pts; 2. Law 37; 3. Monkland 38.

Youths: 1.  N Muir (Shettleston) 16:57; 2. J Burns (Monkland) 17:13;  3. J Graham (Motherwell) 17:19.  Team:  Springburn  17 pts.

Senior Boys:  1. I Murray (Springburn) 9:05.   Team: Springburn 9 pts;  Junior Boys: J Aitken (Larkhall) 9:34; Team Springburn 18 pts.

Maybe the comments by the writer about the nature of the meeting and the way to attract top class runners shows a misunderstanding of what the County Championships – any County Championships, not just the LAAA version – are about.  These are not meant to be one of the very top class events to rival the Dairy Crest or British Airways spectaculars.   In the era we are talking about there was a logical ‘stairway’ through which an athlete could progress his fitness – club, county, district, national and British,    and then for international class athletes there were the Commonwealth, European and Olympic Games.   Domestically, the District Championships were part of a gradual intensifying of the competition for club athletes, used by top class athletes coming back from injury, and as a club supported event where young athletes could be introduced to competition higher than that available at schools or club level.   

1974

Jim Brown and Lawrie Spence (Strathclyde University)

The LAAA Track and Field Championships were again held on the second Saturday in May, 1974, and were best covered by the ‘Wishaw  Press’ of 24th May.  By ‘best covered’ we mean that all the results were there.   Correspondence from two different journalists of their poor results service resulted in comments saying that they had to apply ‘journalistic standards’ to their athletics reporting as they would in any other branch of their occupation.   My response is that they can be as ‘journalistic’ as they like six days in the week but what we want/need on a Monday is a reporter.   Would they skip some football results  on a Monday for a ‘journalistic’ article on say the ethics of the sport  or a bigger match being played in Brazil?   Results are the life blood of the sport.  The results below give food for thought.

Among the results is Jim Egan winning the Senior Boys 1500m, Kenny McCartney winning the Youths 1500m, Hugh Forgie winning the Junior 1500 (in a pb of 4:01.5), Nat Muir winning the Youths 3000m and John Graham winning the Senior 5000 from Alan Partridge – every one to be a Scottish internationalist.   Note too the first County medal for Alastair Macfarlane of Springburn Harriers who had be reinstated from the professional fold.   Alastair would go on to be a sub 2:19 marathon runner, who would run in four SAAA marathon championships and win a medal in every one of them including victory in 1979.    There were no field events listed – either because there were not any or because of an editorial decision.

Nat Muir winning the Youths National in 1975

In 1967 the Lanarkshire athletics scene was transformed by the arrival of a new club – Law & District AAC – which was a breakaway from the successful Motherwell YMCA club; in 1974 there was another surprise new club formed in Lanarkshire – Clyde Valley AAC.   This time it was an amalgamation of five existing clubs and the story of how it came about can be followed by reading Tom Callaghan’s account at this link.   The main advantage  competitively in the short term was the formation of a team that included  Ronnie MacDonald, Jim Brown, Alex Gilmour, John Graham, Bert McKay, Roy Baillie  and Ian Moncur.   The test would be whether they could develop younger generations to run in the club colours.   There was no doubt that the stronger team would be a challenge for the rest of Scotland’s clubs.

The ‘Wishaw Press’ covered the story:

The Road Relays were held on 12th October at Coatbridge and the new club was quick to establish its credentials with a win in the Senior event.   ‘Athletics Weekly’ reports the results:   “Senior Men:   1.  Clyde Valley (E Devlin 12:10, J Graham 11:35, J Small 12:01, R McDonald 11:36) 47:22;   2. Shettleston (S Easton 11:59, N Morrison 11:39, L Stewart 12:03, J Burns 11:57) 47:38;  3.  Springburn (E Knox 11:44, J Lawson 12:08, H Gorman 12:39, T Patterson 11:59) 48:30;  4.  Strathclyde University ; 5. Law & District AAC.   Fastest Times: 1. Graham  11:35;  2.  R McDonald 11:36;  3.  Morrison 11:39.

The new boys had come good with a team that was composed of two of Scotland’s finest with two good quality solid club runners rather than four ‘star athletes’.   Joe Small, one of the members of the first Clyde Valley team to win medals in the LAAA Championships is pictured below running in the Nigel Barge Road Race in third place

There was another name on the trophy at the Lanarkshire championships in 1974 – Lawrie Spence, formerly of Greenock Glenpark Harriers, was running in the colours of Strathclyde University.  Challenged initially by John Graham (Clyde Valley) and Alan Partridge (East Kilbride), he dropped Graham on the second lap, then  used Partridge as a wind shield until he felt it appropriate to go on and win the race by 18 seconds from the East Kilbride man with Graham in third.   Spence was one of the most talented endurance runners the country has produced with top class times ranging from sub-4 for the mile to 2:16 for the marathon.  Partridge was a Scottish international and John Graham would have a stellar career as a marathon runner with sub 2:10 to his name.      There was also a name that would be familiar in the years to come when Nat Muir won the Youths race.

Result:   Senior: 1. L Spence (Strathclyde University) 35:01; 2. A Partridge (East Kilbride) 35:19; 3. J Graham (Clyde Valley) 35:27.   Team: 1.  Shettleston 19 pts;  2. Strathclyde University 19 pts   Shettleston had third better counter.   

Youths:  1.  N Muir (Shettleston) 17:00; Team: Springburn 13 pts.   

Senior Boys:  1.  S Cameron (Cambuslang) 9:15; Team: Law & District 20 pts.   Junior Boys:  1. I Doole (Clyde Valley) 9:37. Team: Springburn 9.

1975

Tommy Callaghan, Monkland, a very good coach who worked with many top class athletes at the club including Jim Brown and Ron McDonald

The ‘Glasgow Herald’ had a reporter at the LAAA track and field championships but they only mentioned the result of the SAAA 10 miles championship which was incorporated into the meeting and nothing was said about the championships.   The meeting was covered in the ‘Athletics Weekly’ though and we have their selection of the principal results .   

Senior Men: 100: A Deans (Law) 11.0;  400m: H Stewart (Shettleston (50.9);  800m: 1. K Taylor (East Kilbride) 1:54.8;  2.  A Marshall (Shettleston) 1:54.9;   1500m:  R Baillie (Clyde Valley) 4:01.0;   5000m: (one lap short?) 1.  J Graham (Clyde Valley) 13:27.8;  2.   A Partridge (East Kilbride)  13:30.0:  3.  J Burns (Shettleston) 13:30.8.   

Juniors:  100:  J Curry (Law) 11.2;   800/1500m: H Forgie (Law)  1:57.0/4:03.0.     Youths: 100/200m: M Cherry (Clyde Valley)  11.4/23.0; 400:   F White (East Kilbride) 52.5; 800m: I Murray (Springburn) 2:00.2;  Senior Boys:  400m: J Sharkey (Clyde Valley) 55.6; 800/1500: G Williamson (Springburn) 2:03.3/4:33.3

Names of promising youngsters?   Look no further than the 800/1500m winner in the Senior Boys age group – Graham Williamson.    He would not be burnt out – he went on to be one of Britain’s top milers and one of Scotland’s all time greats.

The road race formerly held in conjunction with the sports was still being held but had moved away from the county championships to a midweek slot.   By 15th May, 1975, it was held over ten and a half miles.   Report below is from ‘Athletics in Scotland’.

October was the month for all the relays – McAndrew at the start of the month with County, District and National in the following weeks.  Lanarkshire Road Relays were held on 11th October, 1975, at Coatbridge.   Colin Shields wrote the report in the ‘Athletics Weekly’.

‘On their home ground at Drumpellier Park, Coatbridge, Clyde Valley won the Lanarkshire Road Relay thanks to a last lap from Ron McDonald who took the lead in the last mile from Shettleston Harriers.   Springburn H were the leaders for the first two laps with Shettleston leading Clyde Valley by just 4 seconds in third place.   A resurgent Lachie Stewart took Shettleston into a 14 second lead on the third lap and Ron McDonald set off after first year junior, Nat Muir, the youngest ever athlete to represent Scotland in the International Junior Cross-Country Championships.   Well though Muir ran, McDonald was in top class form and ran home a clear winner with 11:08, the fastest lap of the day, 4 seconds ahead of Lawrie Spence of Strathclyde University (11:12) who jumped from sixth to second on the second lap.   

A victory from Clyde Valley in the Youths relay race stopped a clean sweep of the younger age group races by Springburn H who nevertheless provided the fastest individual in the three races.   Springburn, always famed for the strength of their teams in Youths and Boys age groups thanks to sterling work by coach Eddie Sinclair, must now start favourites for the inaugural National Young Athletes Relay title in Edinburgh next month.   Results:   Senior:  1.  Clyde Valley AAC (E Devlin 11:57, J Graham 11:34, J Small 12:00, R McDonald 11:08) 46:39;   2.  Shettleston Harriers (J Burns 11:34, D Lang 11:57, L Stewart 11:50, N Muir 11:39)  46:49;  3. Strathclyde University (D Leitch 12:11, L Spence 11:12, S Snekkvik 12:30, J McLean 12:18) 48:11;  4.  Springburn H 48:27;  5.  Law & District 49:06;  6.  East Kilbride 49:21;  7.  Cambuslang 50:10; 8.  Shettleston B 50:18; 9. Cambuslang B  50:18; 10. Law B  50:23.   Fastest:  1.   R McDonald 11:08;  2.  L Spence  11:12; 3. T Patterson 11:30;  4.  N Muir 11:32 ; 5. D Burns 11:34;  6.  J Graham 11:34.   

Youths:  1. Clyde Valley (G Patterson 12:10, A Smith 13:48, B McSloy 12:31) 38:29;  2.  Springburn (D McLeod 12:45, I Murray 12:08, J Ross 14:14) 39:07; 3.  Shettleston:  (T Shields 13:28, A Smith 12:14, S Summers 14:22) 40:04; 4. East Kilbride 40:44;  5.  Larkhall YMCA 41:03; 6. Clyde Valley B 42:40.   Fastest:  1.  Murray 12:08; 2. Patterson 12:10; Smith 12:14

The LAAA Cross Country Championships were held at Coatbridge in pretty poor weather conditions on the first Saturday in December, 1975.   The results were in the ‘Wishaw Press’ .    Junior Boys:  1.   P Martin (Clyde Valley); 2.  P McIntyre (Springburn);  3. A Callan (Springburn).   Team: 1. Springburn;  2. Clyde Valley;  3.  Shettleston.        Senior Boys:  1.  G Williamson (Springburn); 2.  A Martin (Springburn);  3. I Doole (Clyde Valley).   Team:  1.  Clyde Valley;  2.  Springburn;  3.  Shettleston.         

Youths:  1.  I Murray (Springburn);  2. B McSloy (Clyde Valley);  3. A Smith (Shettleston).   Team:  1.  Clyde Valley;  2.  Shettleston;  3.  Springburn.

Senior:  1.   J Graham (Clyde Valley);  2.  I Stewart (Shettleston);  3.  A Partridge (East Kilbride.   Team:  1.  Shettleston;  2.  East Kilbride;  3.  Springburn.

Lachie and Mike Bradley in the AAA Inter-Counties, 1969

There was no real dominant club in the 71-75 period other than Shettleston in the Team Championship where they had three in five years.   The Road Relays were even less predictable with three clubs winning in the four year period but because of the poor coverage – or rather lack of coverage – there are 4 gaps.  We continue looking for the gaps to be filled – any help would be welcome.   Most successful individual was clearly Jim Brown with two wins and one fastest time while Lawrie Spence had one of each, won in two different vests.   The big talent to emerge over this short spell was clearly either Jim Brown, international junior cross-country champion or John Graham of Motherwell YMCA and Clyde Valley.

Dick Wedlock and Lachie Stewart after the SAAA 10,000m in 1970

The table at the end of the 1961-66 page compared with the one above tells us a lot.   All bar one team title won, all bar two fastest individual to Shettleston Harriers.   The only Law & District AAC team and individual victories were at the very start of the four years.

1.  First, that Motherwell lost its dominance of the County athletics scene in favour of Shettleston.   If the pattern of Shettleston winning the championships is to continue into the 70’s, the Motherwell period will seem like a brief moment in time, a hiccup.
2. Second, where is Motherwell YMCA?   Nowhere to be seen.   It seems to be right off the map.
3. Ian McCafferty is listed as ‘Law & District AAC’.   It starts to become clear.   Law & District is a new  club set up from the successful Motherwell YMCA club of the 1960’s.   
4. Then why is Law & District not as successful as Motherwell YMCA was?   There are a couple of reasons:  first, not all members went to Law, Bert McKay, one of the top club members that they had started with, and who returned when their spell of business in Motherwell ended to stay with his club and there were others such as Willie Marshall who also stayed.   Second they lost several members such as John Linaker and Dick Wedlock who returned to their original club when their business took them back from Motherwell.
5. Shettleston’s team was strengthened by the return of Wedlock and Alistair Blamire, a very good runner indeed and a Scottish and British internationalist, who had started as a Boy with Shettleston rejoined the club after being at Edinburgh University.   And of course they would be strengthened further when Lachie Stewart signed up.

Lawrie Spence, 78, of Greenock Glenpark Harriers who would join Shettleston after leaving Strathclyde University, Lachie Stewart, 127, and Alistair Blamire.

This page will be relatively brief and will take us up to 1970, Empire & Commonwealth Games year.   It the first ten years could be called the Shettleston Years, and the 1960 – 66 could be the Motherwell YMCA Years, maybe the 1967 – 70 period could be called the Transition Years.   Or the Emigration Years when the Browns, McCafferty, Simpson and the rest emigrated to a new club and so creating a split in what had been a successful team.   It may have been good for the sport in the long run, but in the beginning the effect on the club was not a good one.   

1967 started normally with Ian McCafferty (Motherwell YMCA) winning the Nigel Barge Road Race.    Andy Brown was fourth, Alex Brown eighth and Bert McKay tenth.   Motherwell won the team race.   McCafferty then won Grangemouth’s Round the Houses the following weekend in the same vest.   The ‘Wishaw Press’ of Friday 20th January reported that the same result – McCafferty wins, Motherwell YMCA wins the team race – was the story at the Springburn Cup race.   He then won the Midlands Cross-Country Championship.   Scottish athletics was expecting another year of the Lanarkshire club’s dominant position.   

The Inter Counties Championship was held at Cleland in February, 1967 and Ron Marshall reported on it as follows in the ‘Glasgow Herald’.

The County Track and Field Championships on 30th May at Barrachnie turned out to be a low key affair if printed results are to be taken as a guide.   The diminished report in the ‘Herald’ reads: The winners in the Lanarkshire Amateur Athletic Championships last night at Barrachnie were:- 440 yards: A Robertson (Motherwell) 52.5 sec; Two Miles: H Gorman (Springburn) 9:02; High Jump: E Coyle (Shettleston) 5′ 3″; Long Jump: S West (Shettleston) 18′ 10 1/2″; Triple Jump: S West 39′ 3″; Discus: D Edmunds (Strathclyde University) 136′ 7 1/2″; Hammer: L Bryce (Strathclyde University) 196′ 1 1/2″; 12 Mile road race: AT Brown (Motherwell) 61 min 04 sec; Javelin: Coyle 143′ 3″

Where were all the Motherwell men?   No McCafferty, No McKay, No Simpson – other than AT Brown (a third one or just a misprint) there was no sign of the usual Motherwell presence.   Note though the appearance of two mighty throwers from Strathclyde University on the scene – both international men, multi medal winners and two who added to the lustre of the championships.  Even at the Cowal Games on the last Saturday in August, McCafferty, Andy Brown and Bert McKay were running as team mates and winning the Two Miles team race, while Alex was winning the 41 miles road race at Shotts.

Doug Edmunds

All seemed as before in the open Games that summer.   BUT … 

at the end of the summer season, the traditional winter start in the McAndrew Relay at Scotstoun, there was a new club calle15:12d Law & District AAC.   Shettleston won the relay with Victoria Park second.   Ron Marshall commented on the new club thus:   “Meanwhile, how were Law and District managing, the new club who had secured the voluntary transfer from Motherwell YMCA of McCafferty and the Brown brothers?   Not at all well, it must be said.   After one leg, Greenshields, a runner of little acclaim but normally good enough to have handed over in about fortieth place, trudged home in sixty-fifth position, 3 min 13 sec behind Scally   [Bill Scally  of Shettleston had led the field at the end of the first leg].   Andrew Brown grabbed the baton and took 40 scalps before sending Alex, his brother, for some more.   He brought Law into ninth place and McCafferty, in running13 min 38 sec, the fastest of the day, rushed his club into third place, an astonishing finish after a soul destroying start.”

But what about Motherwell?   The ‘Wishaw Press’ enlightens us.   There was no mention of the new club or any of its runners in the weekly column by CRUACHAN.   It tells us that the ‘depleted’ first team was Willie Marshall 15:04, J Jones 15:37, Bert McKay 14:56 and Peter Duffy finished 15th of the 77 teams entered.   The B Team was 68th being made up of M McInulty, Grant, S McGarry and T Gallagher, and the C Team was 68th with R Kennedy, T Matthews, R Cook and L Devon.  Nor did the new Law and District AAC report mention the ‘older’ club, preferring to mention the performances of some younger athletes at a track meeting in Grangemouth, and Ian McCafferty’s up-coming tour of Mexico. 

The following week, second in October, was the Lanarkshire AAA Road Relay Championships and Shettleston won with Law in fifth place and Motherwell YMCA in ninth.   McCafferty was absent for Motherwell and with Wedlock now running for Shettleston, there was never ever any doubt about the result.   The Springburn production line kept on turning out good runners and their team, which finished second, now had George Jarvie and Alan Beaney in the four.   Their Youth team had John Cherry who would become an outstanding half-miler before joining Shettleston and Ian Picken.   Law introduced a new talent in Jim Thomson as an 11 – 13 Boy – he would go on to be a genuine talent as a Youth and Junior ,and a good senior too.

Alistair Blamire (30) running for Edinburgh University before returning to Shettleston Harriers

Came the County Championships on 2nd December and there was a new name on the trophy.   Not the individual winner – the engraver had had plenty of practice with the name I McCafferty – but the team was new to him.   McCafferty, winner with a time of  35:27 was only five seconds up on Eddie Knox of Springburn but led the Law team to victory beating Shettleston by 13 points.   There were other new names to be reckoned with for instance John Myatt running for Strathclyde University, whose team qualified by having their cross-country headquarters at Cambuslang, finished sixth this time.   Larkhall won the Youths team race and Springburn the Boys.

John Myatt taking over from Albert Smith for Strathclyde University in the LAAA Road Relays

The Lanarkshire team won the Inter-Counties Championship at Dundonald Army Camp in Ayrshire on 3rd February in 1968 when five counties contested the senior race.   Result: 1. Lanarkshire  33 pts; 2. Dunbartonshire  121; 3. Renfrewshire 142; 4. Ayrshire 183; 5. City of Glasgow 220.   The individual order of finishing: 1. J Linaker (26:19); 2. AP Brown (26:25); 3. AH Brown (26:43); 4. P Maclagan; 5. G Skinner; 6. B Scally; 7. W Allan; 8. H Summerhill; 9. T Patterson.   Lanarkshire won the Youths race from Ayrshire and Dunbartonshire.   The Boys race was also won by Lanarkshire from Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire.

The Road Relays took place at Law on 12th October and resulted in a victory for Shettleston.   After Bill Scally, after a head to head battle with Alex Brown, gave them a 4 second lead at the end of the first lap, they were never headed.   New man Lachie Stewart was followed by Ian McCafferty on the second leg but the Law man’s pursuit was in vain as Dick Wedlock for Shettleston took over 23 seconds ahead Andy Brown and their final runner, Martin McMahon was 15 seconds quicker than David Simpson for Law.   The Springburn quartet of Alan Beaney, Harry Gorman, Ian Young and Eddie Knox ran well to be third.    Team contest result:  1.  Shettleston 53:31; 2. Law & District 55:04;  3.  Springburn 56:13;  4.  Shettleston B 56:39; 5. Strathclyde University 57:40; 6. East Kilbride;  7. Springburn B;  8. Cambuslang;  9. Shettleston C;  10: Motherwell YMCA.     Fastest Times: 1. JL Stewart (Shettleston) 12:53;  2. I McCafferty 13:16;  3.  W Scally 13:19.   The gap between Stewart and McCafferty’s times is larger than one might have expected but Bill Scally running only 3 seconds slower than McCafferty is really amazing and a quite superb run.   

The Youths race was won by Shettleston from Larkhall YMCA and Monkland Harriers and the fastest time was by D Nee of Monkland.   In the Senior Boys (13-15) race, Shettleston won from Springburn and Larkhall, fastest time was by Joe Mulvey of Shettleston and in the Junior Boys (11-13) race, Shettleston won again, this time from Springburn and Shettleston B.   

John Myatt to Innis Mitchell for Strathclyde University

The County Championship in 1968 was held on 7th December at Cleland Estate and again the title went to Shettleston.   Lachie Stewart running in his first LAAA Championship won comfortably from Dick Wedlock with John Myatt third and Bill Scally fourth fastest time.   The Shettleston team won from Law  by 23 points (7 points to 30) with Shettleston B third on 32, Strathclyde University with 34 and Springburn with 36.   Fastest times were by Stewart, Wedlock, Myatt, Scally and Summerhill saw four Shettleston runners in the first five.   Complete results

The inter-counties championship of 1969 took place on 1st February at Cleland Estate and resulted in a second consecutive win for John Linaker who won in 33:12 ahead of Ian Leggett (Clydesdale Harriers and Dunbartonshire) who recorded 34:00, and Henry Summerhill (34:06), J Johnstone (34:09), Harry Gorman (34:13) and B Morrison (Ayrshire 34:15).   Lanarkshire were clear team winners with 45 points; 2. Dunbartonshire 1117:  3. Renfrewshire 123;   4. Midlothian 125;   5. Ayrshire 206;   6. Roxburghshire 235;   7. City of Glasgow 333.

In the younger age groups, Lanarkshire won the Youths team title with the winner being Willie Burns (L) in 19m 10s who was followed home by Ronnie McDonald (L & Monkland) in 19:12 and Jim Brown (L & Bellshill YMCA) in 19:19.   Second in the team race was Stirlingshire (15 points behind Lanarkshire’s 11) with Dunbartonshire third on 66.   The county also won the Senior Boys race (14 points) ahead of Ayrshire (40) and Midlothian (66).   The individual winner was J Mulvey (L & Shettleston 9:12) with R Rowan (Ayrshire ) and J McLuckie (L and Bellshill).   J Thomson (L & Law) followed by D Stevenson (L) and J Fairlie (L).

The appearance of Ronnie McDonald and Jim Brown in the Youths race must be commented on.   They would both become Scottish and British international runners as well as team mates at Monkland Harriers coached by Tom Callaghan.   McDonald was a top drawer miler while Brown specialised in longer distances and their own intra-club rivalry was keen.  

Ronnie McDonald (71) finishing neck-and-neck with Dave Moorcroft (21) in the AAA’s Junior Championships (1971)

The Road Relays were held on October 11th, 1969, at Larkhall and resulted in Shettleston retaining their title from Law and Springburn, with ‘new boys’ in the championship, Strathclyde University finishing fourth.   Report and results below.   There were 400 yards between Shettleston and Springburn and a further 300 to Law.   There were a couple of the ‘top guns’ , Lachie Stewart for Shettleston and Ian McCafferty for Law, missing but young Eddie Knox had a superb day for Springburn and ran the day’s fastest time.   Knox gave Springburn a lead on the first stage but at halfway, Wedlock took over for Shettleston and they went into a lead that was never lost thereafter.   In the Youths race, Monkland won from Bellshill with Bellshill’s Jim Brown having a time 16 seconds faster than Monkland’s Ron McDonald.   Details:-

Jim Brown

The Championships were held as usual on the first Saturday in December, with Shettleston keeping a tight hold on both team and individual results.   Report and results below

Bellshill hosted the Inter-Counties Championship on 31st January, 1970 to bring the County’s own promotions for the winter season to a close.    The result was another team victory for Shettleston and an individual win for Lanarkshire’s Dick Wedlock who led from start to finish.   It was an interesting race altogether – second placer (all of 350 yards back) was the West District’s Junior champion, Jim Ferguson from Ayrshire, with Alistair Johnston of Victoria Park and City of Glasgow who was only about 30 yards adrift of Ferguson.   With 6 in the first ten finishers Lanarkshire won the team race without too much difficulty – but they won every race on the card that afternoon in January.   Youths, Senior Boys and Junior Boys titles all found their way back to the county.   Results: 

Senior Men: 

Individual:   1.   R Wedlock 30:32; 2. J Ferguson 31:41; 3. AA Johnston 31:56;  4. H Summerhill 31:56; 5. H Gorman (L) 32:02; 6. AP Brown 32:08. 

Team: 1.  Lanarkshire (1, 4, 5, 6, W Burns 7, AH Brown 8) 31 pts;  2. Midlothian (9, 12, 17, 19, 24, 25)  106 pts; 3. City of Glasgow (3, 20, 21, 29, 30, 39)  142 pts.   

Youths:  1. J Brown (L); 2. F Clement (R  16:12);  3. Stewart Gillespie (L) 16:15).   Team:  1. Lanarkshire (1, 3, 5, 6)   2.  Renfrewshire (2, 4, 8, 15);  3. Midlothian (9, 14, 15, 20)

Senior Boys:  1. J Mulvey (L);  2. L Reilly (CoG);  3.  J Buntain (L).    Team Lanarkshire 8

Junior Boys:  1. M Watt (L); 2. I Kerr (A); 3. J Fleming (L).   Team: Lanarkshire 8

Dick Wedlock (U1) racing Fergus Murray (M17), pursued by Hugh Barrow (Z1) and cheered on by Lachie Stewart in the 1969 Edinburgh to Glasgow

The Lanarkshire Road Relay Championship held on 12th October, again held in Bellshill, was another two team triumph for Shettleston Harriers their first team won in an aggregate time of 43:06 with the B team second in 43:12, Springburn was third in 44:25, Larkhall fifth in 46:08 and Shettleston C sixth in 46:26.   They also had the fastest two times when Lachie Stewart clocked 10:12 and Norman Morrison ran 10:16.   Springburn’s Harry Gorman was third quickest with 10:46.   In the Youths Relay Springburn’s four of K McBride 11:52, Jim Martin 11:53, Stewart Gillespie  11:48 and Johnny Buntain 11:23 defeated Shettleston’s quartet of G Crossan 11:53, P Bannon 11:04, J Springett 12:53 and J Mulvey 11:33.    The Senior Boys race went to Law & District who won from Shettleston and Springburn, while the Junior Boys went to Lesmahagow AC who were followed by Monkland Harriers and Shettleston in third.  

Note the re-appearance of the name Bannon in the Shettleston ranks – we will see it again and again.   Paul ran well for the club and for Glasgow University before emigrating to Canada and representing that country in the Olympic Games marathon.

Interesting is the number of clubs competing – Shettleston, Springburn, Monkland, Larkhall, Law, Bellshill and Lesmahagow and we know that others such as Airdrie, Strathclyde University, Motherwell YMCA and Cambuslang have been in the frame in the past – the Lanarkshire Association has done well in gaining strength and encouraging clubs to make it one of the very strongest counties in the land as far as endurance running is concerned.   In this context their performance in the Inter-Counties is a good marker of that progress.

The cross-country championship in 1970 was held on 5th December at the Dalziel HS playing fields at Cleland Estate.   It was the day that Dick Wedlock had probably dreamed about for several years – he defeated Lachie Stewart.   Only by 6 seconds, but a victory is a victory and some taste a wee bit sweeter than others.  He took it out from the very start and Lachie held on until about half way when he fell back.   Tommy Patterson in third place made it three fastest times of the day for Shettleston.   The result of the team race was Shettleston first with six points (only three runners to count) from Springburn (M Bradley, E Knox, T O’Reilly) and Law in third (AP Brown 11, D Simpson 15, AH Brown 17).   In the Youths race, Springburn won form Shettleston and Larkhall with J Mulvey the winner, J Buntain (Springburn) second and J McLuckie (Larkhall) third.  J Thomson won the Senior Boys race from Jim Lawson (Springburn) and Mark Watt (Shettleston) and the team race went to Law from Springburn and Shettleston.   The Junior Boys event was won by Lesmahagow from Monkland and Springburn with J Weir of Lesmahagow leading the field home.   

Note Mike Bradley running for Springburn Harriers – Mike was one of three brothers who ran for Paisley Harriers but when he moved to the area, he joined the local club – Springburn Harriers.   An international class mile and three mile runner, he is pictured below (4) running with Lachie Stewart (3) for Scotland in the AAA’s Inter-Counties in 1969 with Mike Tagg (5) in third.

The standard of athlete was at an increasingly high level – the increasing involvement of Strathclyde University brought runners like John Myatt, Innis Mitchell, Albert Smith into the fold, newcomers like Lachie Stewart and Mike Bradley, returning club members like Alistair Blamire and field events athletes like Doug Edmunds, Lawrie Bryce and David Cairns all added quality as well as quantity to the entries.  The quality of competition could only be good for the younger developing athletes like Alex Brown, Eddie Knox, Jim Brown and Ron McDonald.   We will see them develop over the next 10 years.   

But if 67 – 70 was a transition from the Motherwell Years, what was it a transition to?   More Shettleston success or were there other clubs with designs on the Lanarkshire championships?