Edinburgh to Glasgow: Changeovers

If the rivalry and anxiety were intense throughout, they were nearest the surface at the changeovers:  This 1990’s group includes Hammy Cox, Glen Stewart and Frank Boyne and their expressions tell a story.

1937 changeover above

Emmet Farrell receiving the baton for Maryhill Harriers from ? : Possibly pre-1939

April 1949: J Ross of Shettleston to Eddie Bannon

George White, Clydesdale Harriers, handing over in the lead at the end of the first stage to Duncan Stewart in 1952

Gordon Dunn, Victoria Park, to Chic Forbes, last changeover, 1954

George White to Pat Younger, Clydesdale, 1954

John Stevenson to Tom O’Reilly at the start of the fourth stage in 1954

George Govan of Shettleston handing over to Clark Wallace at the end of the first stage in 1956

Graham Everett to Eddie Bannon, Shettleston, 1956

Terry Willcox (St Andrews University) to Ian Docherty at the start of six, 1959

1962 Dundee Hawkhill’s Duncan Cameron passing the baton to Dave McLean in the snow.

Tony Coyne to Billy Coyle (Shettleston)

Stuart Barnett to Frank McGowan (Victoria Park)

Frank Blackstock to young David Donnet (Springburn)

1985, Stage Two to Stage Three: Tony Coyne to Robert Fitzsimons (Bellahouston) & J Nzav to J Glidewell (The Kangaroos – a touring team from the USA: guests in the race.   They won but the trophy went to the first Scots team – ESH)

Above: Charlie Thomson (stage 5) to Alex Gilmour (stage 6) in 1986

Below: Steven Connaghan (Stage 5) to Lawrie Spence (Stage 6) for Spango Valley, also 1986

Aberdeen’s Fraser Clyne (6th stage) to Simon Axon (7th) in 1988 for the winning team

Alex McIndoe  to Jim Cooper (Springburn)

Dundee Hawkhill changeover under the watchful Danny Wilmoth

Johnny Ross to Joe Forte for Haddington ELP, mid 80’s, at the start of the third stage.

Colin Youngson for Matro Aberdeen passing on the baton: 1989.   Danny Wilmoth stewarding

Bill Scally to Les Menelly (Shettleston) in 1967

Dave Logue to Ian Young (EUH&H) in 1967

Davie Simpson to John Myatt (Law and District)

Steven Connaghan to Lawrie Spence for Spango Valley 1986

Davie Cameron to Nat Muir, Shettleston, 1985 Five to six

Charlie Thomson to Alex Gilmour, 1986, five to six

Jamie Hendry to James Austin (Clydesdale)

 

John Pentecost to Stuart Easton (FVH)

Spango Valley at last changeover, Barrachnie

ESH, 1987, start of third leg

1987 Falkirk Victoria Harriers, start of third leg

Edinburgh AC, Kenny Mortimer starting the last leg at Barrachnie

John Mackay (Shettleston) to Graeme Wight, Stage 1 to Stage 2, 1999

Glen Stewart from John Ross, 2000: Stage 5 to Stage 6

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Edinburgh to Glasgow: the programme

For the most complete of series of programmes for this wonderful event, go to the official SAL website at   http://www.salroadrunningandcrosscountrymedalists.co.uk/Archive/Road%20Running/EtoG/Programmes/1950s/E2G%201955.pdf

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Before the 1939-45 war, the programmes were as above with a rough, sturdy cover and all the details including route, etc, inside with no illustrations inside.   

PP six and seven are omitted for now because the original photographs are blurred but the programme of the period is well illustrated by what is here.

After the war, the whole original programme was printed on high quality, shiny, paper and the cover was in a buff colour: the front cover had the event, date, and a picture of the start of the race the year before.   Not all runners managed to be included in the photo – I ran it six times, had my photograph in there three times, myleft leg and elbow once,  and was left out of the frame twice.  The inside front cover had a description of the route to be followed on each stage

The first inside page listed the officials _ note the number and the distribution of jobs.

There were four inter-city relays in the country and the top two or three in each race were invited to contest the London-Brighton relay at the expense of the sponsoring newspaper.  

Then there were the clubs in the race, their runners and their previous best performances.

 

And, the high spot, the glossy photographs:

The back cover was always a plug for the News of the World – and they earned every penny of the publicity!   Sponsorship doesn’t come much better than that.

But the cost of the sponsorship – eight buses for athletes, limousines for officials, production of results en route, the meal and presentation at the finish and so on became too much even for the News of the World and the operation was scaled back in 1967.   The revamped programme lkooked like this and was printed on ordinary foolscap paper.   (Foolscap was about the size of a sheet of A4).

 

 

In 978 and 1979 following the withdrawal of News of the World sponsorship, the SCCU organised the race themselves without significant sponsorship.  The first of their programmes is reproduced here.

 

 

 

 

Edinburgh – Glasgow: The start

1937

The line up in 1949

Over the years, training methods changed, runners gear changed shoes in particular changed, the volume of traffic on the road changed but the atmosphere and the starting line nerves jangled as much every year as they had the first time the men lined up below the News of the World banner.   

 

 

 

1957 (above)

 

 

 

 

 

1964

 

15 J McNeil (Law), 4 Duncan McFadyen( Wellpark), 12 Derek Easton (FVH), 10 Iain Steel, 11 Graeme Haddow (EUH&H)

 

 

 

1983

1985

1986

 

 

1999

Edinburgh to Glasgow: Before the Start

Presentation of the baton in 1995 to the representative of the reigning champions, by Donald Gorrie, who had been an international half miler himself, representing the Lord Provost

One of the distinguishing features of the race was the gathering in the school before the start: the atmosphere was intense, tea and biscuits (sandwiches sometimes!) but for the officials only, nervous chatter but the programme was the thing.   My first E-G was one of the last that the News of the World sponsored: their big pantechnicon was outside with bundles of programmes – last year’s results, details of every team running this time round and, maybe most eagerly searched for, the photographs of last year’s race.   Were you in the select few  or, failing that, one of your team mates?  The runners changed, some had their own flasks and packets of sandwiches – they had been up from early and many would not be racing for another two or three hours or more so they had to eat something.   Once changed, they gathered outside, and started a lethargic warm-up.   The officials gathered – the representative of Edinburgh council, usually the Lord Provost, was there complete with chain of office, Ron Bacchus from the NoW and the SCCU officials.  Plus the photographers – professionals were there, semi=pros were there and lots and lots of athletes, friends and relatives with their own wee Kodaks.   Loads of cameras.   The baton was presented by the councillor to the first stage runner of last year;s winning team, the runners lined up, and the race was on.   The following photographs are from Des Yuill’s collection at the 1987 race.

Ian Clifton SCCU, Ron Bacchus, Lord Provost, 1987

The baton containing the message to the Glasgow Lord Provost is handed to the first runner of the previous year’s winning team,  Dave Duguid of Aberdeen.   It was a noble tradition – eg Bobby Calderwood of Victoria Park receiving the baton from Lord Provost representative  Willie Carmichael  in the 1950’s –

and still with VPAAC in the 50’s 

1960, Alastair Wood (Shettleston) receives the baton with Tom O’Reilly (Springburn) and Ian Harris (Beith) looking on

.. this time from the actual Lord Provost, Herbert Brechin while the Shettleston runner invades his space …

1982: 6 Jim Brown, 3 Graham Getty

 

The runners shuffle into position, last minute stretches are done (as if they’ll make any difference at this stage), shoe aces are checked, watches and the last T shirts are tossed to camp followers.   Instructions, which are not always clear, and which are not always listened to with care,  are given to the runners

photographers get into position, and – 

The race is on!

Athletes on Meadowbank

We can’t really talk about Meadowbank in the abstract without hearing what it meant to those who trained and raced there.   What follows are comments from some of those who benefited from the stadium and look at it with affection.  First up is Donald Macgregor.

Donald on the right with Jim Alder and Fergus Murray

[Just click on Donald’s name for a career profile: best remembered for the Munich marathon where he was a close-up seventh to Ron Hill and for his amazing domestic record on the track, over the country but mainly on the roads of Scotland.]

It is hard to think of an apparently more stupid decision than that of Edinburgh City Council to close Meadowbank.  My memories go back a long time.  Perhaps the first significant event was when I won the SAAA six miles championship in 1966 from Pat McLagan and Dick Wedlock.   Then I was a spectator in 1970 when reporter Jack Dunn missed Lachie’s victory. 

Of course there were also marathon victories in 1973, 1974 and 1976, the first for Fife AC.    In 1972 I was presented with a silver-plated tray by the late Ian Ross, and went on to come 3rd in the 5000m in my best ever time, 14:09.6, first lap in60 seconds.   It will be a sad day indeed when  the stadium closes – all too typical of the city which almost voted to refuse the 1970 Games.

Norrie Foster

(Norman was a member of Shettleston Harriers who was a superb decathlete – two Commonwealth Games appearances with fourth in the decathlon in Christchurch plus many medals of all colours at Scottish and British championship levels)

Although I too was a paying spectator on the cold night when Michael Johnston clocked his 19.85 for the 200M I think the real value of Meadowbank to Scottish Athletics was not the big set pieces but as a centre of excellence, as they call it now. 

I brought my squad through from Glasgow every Sunday during the off season. Not only could we use what were at the time the best facilities available but as a coach it was good being around all the best coaches of the day. I would often chat with John Anderson, Bob Inglis, Sandy Robertson, Bill Walker, Alex Naylor etc., etc. Who knows how many gems were passed on casually. 

The athletes got used to being around the best in Scotland without being overawed. I am sure the other sports catered for at Meadowbank shared these positive attributes. Official centralisation such as that employed by the British Olympic Cycling team paid dividends. Without being planned that was the benefit of Meadowbank. 

I hope that Scottish Athletics have a substitute. Meadowbank was a vital part of the pyramid, one step up from the clubs, that produces a constant flow of good athletes. Coaches working in a vacuum can produce great athletes but in the long term results in boom and bust cycles. 

Charles Bannerman

In the early 70s, Meadowbank was the place where this Highlander, as a student member of Bill Walker’s training group which also included stars like Paul Forbes and Peter Hoffmann, learned a vast amount that set me up for life about training and coaching.

However not all Meadowbank memories are happy ones.   At the 1986 Commonwealth Games I had to sit impotently in the stands watching one of my athletes, Scottish high jump record holder Jayne Barnetson, being carried out of the arena with a broken ankle sustained in an unfortunate plant on her first attempt at 1 metre 83. 

Meadowbank played an absolutely central role in what many regard as the most successful period in the history of athletics in Scotland.   Its function as a venue for the 1970 Commonwealth Games, the origin of the success of the succeeding decades, placed it at the very centre of what unfolded.   Also of major importance is Meadowbank’s legacy as a major training venue and the prime competitive venue during the years that followed, which also included its unique second hosting of a Games in 1986.

Its recent decline has been painful to watch and it is essential that as crucial a facility as this is restored as a major and accessible venue for our sport in Scotland.

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Willie Robertson

[Willie was ranked in Shot, Discus and Hammer in Scotland from 1969 to 2008, winning championship medals in particular in the Hammer.   British wrestling champion in 1971, ’72 and ’74 and represented Scotland in the 1974 Commonwealth Games.]

 I did several sports with varying levels of success. Having a sports centre like Meadowbank was essential.    It is interesting to compare the sporting facilities in Edinburgh before 1970.

The weight training club was an air raid shelter in the Meadows. The Dunedin club was the most widely venue for weight training.   In one section the weightlifters trained. The larger section was for body builders.   I remember pictures of body builders up on the wall.   They included Sean Connery who had won one of East of Scotland championship.

Tbe weight training at Meadowbank was a complete contrast to the old, unheated air raid shelter.   Several sports trained in the same venue.   There was a definite interaction between the strength conditioning of the various sports.

The multi sports venue allowed you to do two or even more activities on the same night. I would throw, then weight train: an option which wasn’t possible at the old venues.   There was a equipment store where you signed out the throwing equipment.   The storeman would also allow you to store overweight and non-standard implements.   I kept my games equipment there and had a caber.  

Another sport I did was wrestling.   Pre 1970 the wrestling club in Edinburgh trained at a spare room at a social club in London Road.   The club moved to Meadowbank. I would regularly do a throw, weight and wrestling session on one night.     

It was 1975 when the International Track Association circus came to Meadowbank.   One of the stars of these competitions was Brian Oldfield. They were looking for officials.   I was asked by George Halley from Blackford Games if I would help with the throws.   In addition to the shot there was a little exhibition of Highland Games throws: Bill Anderson, Lawrie Bryce and Doug Edmunds were involved in that.

It is hard to explain the effect Oldfield had on the shot put in the mid 70s. He had a best throw of 75 feet. This was a metre above the, then, world record. The other notably shot putter was Randy Matson. He was the 1968 Olympic champion and the first man over 70ft in the shot.

We watched Oldfield warm up. He had some massive warm up throws which were fouls. After the competition we measured them at over 80ft, 24.4m. He won the event with a throw better than the existing World record but not close to his 75ft.

Oldfield joined in the Highland games events, He had competed at Braemar the year previously: so he was acquainted with Bill Anderson.  

 

Peter Hoffman

[Peter was ranked nationally at 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m; won SAAA and AAA titles and competed at Commonwealth and European Games]

Peter felt that his views were best expressed by Aidan Smith who wrote an article on him when his book was published in September this year.   He said:  

You cannot tell Peter Hoffmann that Meadowbank was ever a thumping, grim, grey brutalist blot on the cityscape. After the (1970) Commonwealth Games at the start of that decade, the good people of Edinburgh got to play in the stadium, even scruffs like him from the Oxgangs scheme on the southern fringes. Meadowbank almost certainly saved Hoffmann, who had a difficult childhood …the first photograph in the book, A Life In A Day-A Postcard From Meadowbank, is of his Junior Membership card – No.2491 – for the tartan track and the rest of the swish-for-the-era facilities. “A life-changing moment,” reads the caption. For Hoffmann the card was the equivalent of a rich banker’s laminated pass to the VIP area of the most exclusive nightclub. Funnily enough, he ran with a future master-of-the-universe back in the day (Roger Jenkins)…Hoffmann’s story, is a love letter to 1970s Edinburgh, to Meadowbank and to the friends he made in the athletics community which met under the breeze-block structure. “Meadowbank was everything to me,” he says “Meadowbank transformed my life,”

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Noted coach Eric Simpson says ~

To me Meadowbank was athletics in Scotland from racing there in the New Year Sprint to watching my training partner George McNeil breaking the World Professional Sprint record . When I turned to coaching and the many great memories of my young athletes breaking the mould by producing championship performances in the colours of Fife Southern Harriers, a small but highly successful provincial club. The Edinburgh Highland Games to the many and varied Championships that took place their. All taking place in Scotland’s capital city where the  pride of Scotland had performed over the years.  My sadness is in the appalling way the The City of Edinburgh allowed the decline of the fabric of the building to continue to follow their own plans for profit by building houses. I was around ,working for the council during the property boom and indeed lost my place of work which was knocked down to make way for “town houses” just around the corner from Meadowbank.   

Lorraine Campbell

[Lorraine was a multi national championship long jumper and competed 25 times for Scotland]

Used to travel through to Edinburgh and train there Saturdays and Sundays with Norrie Foster, Rodger Harkins and Craig Duncan.   Ann and John Scott were great at letting me stay over at theirs so I could make both my training sessions on Sunday.   Won a few of my Scottish championships and competed in the Commonwealth Games there, among other internationals.   Very happy memories. 

Lorraine also sent the link to this excellent article by Doug Gillon:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/15538543.Farewell_field_of_dreams______/?ref=fbshr

Norrie Foster, Russell Walker, Doug Gillonm and Ross Hepburn

From Russell Walker, Glasgow University; Stirling University; PTT Montpellier; Shettleston Harriers; Kilbarchan Harriers:

 I first went to train at Meadowbank when I moved to Edinburgh in 1974. I had competed there as early as 1970 when the Scottish University Championships were held in the stadium as a “warm-up” for the officials preparing for that year’s Commonwealth Games. Our Glasgow team captain, the all-Ireland sprint champion, Ignatius O’Muircheataigh, won the 100 metres and may have been the first name on the electronic scoreboard – an innovation for us and for Scotland. When, later that day, he won the 200 m as well, his name was reduced to “I Moriarty”!

In 1974 I found the stadium still alive with athletes and sportspeople. Anyone looking for a coach, or a team, or a quality place to train knew that was the place to go in Edinburgh, indeed in Scotland. I found my coach – Donny Cain – and a new group of athletes, many of whom remain as friends more than 40 years later. At Meadowbank I had the privilege of training with a (later) Olympic Gold Medallist for a number of years and a young man who would be a world record holder within a few years – I even persuaded the latter that good high jump training involved running to the top of nearby Arthur’s Seat as a warm up. Other friends went on to become District and Scottish champions and international competitors.

Meadowbank was unique in Scotland as a place that brought such a wide range of athletic talent together in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Although it was hard work, it was also fun. I recall the end of training football kick-abouts where Commonwealth games medallists would join in with the many 9 and 10 year-olds who also trained there. Young athletes thrived through the Meadowbank experience which allowed them to see what they too might achieve. It will be a sad day if the Stadium should now disappear into history.

Fergus on the left

Fergus Murray , Olympian, Scottish international runner on the track, on the road and over the country, Scottish champion many times over, says: 

By the time Meadowbank was completed, my running had started to decline from a track aspect and more concentrated on “road”.
Clearly the abiding memory is the Commonwealth Games in 1970 with Lachie Stewart’s epic 10000m win. Competing in the Marathon along with Jim Alder and Don McGregor, I had hoped to be along with the front of the race for some distance but Ron Hill’s amazingly fast pace made this a suicidal option (several well-known named did suffer this fate). He did 2hr9min which 50 years on, is still a significant time.

Another race. this time on the track, was the Scottish 10,000m Championship in, I think 1972, when at the shoulder of Alistair Johnston when the hammer came out of the circle and broke his leg……….needless to say, this rather took my mind off the race !!
I attended/participated in some evening meets under floodlight and the spectacle was very enthusing……………I had some great memories of running similarly at White City. There is something different about a floodlight meeting. 
An amusing anecdote from this time, although with potential to be far graver today, was at track meet when a team-mate arrived late and gave a welcome shout of “Bomb” to one of us (we all had nicknames in those days……….this one refering to a reference to food).

Ross Hepburn (below) was a very talented and successful young high jumper who set world age bests at age 13 (1.88m) and 14 (2.04m) and represented Scotland at the tender age of 14 years 334 days, and then went even better and represented GB when he was 15 years 316 days.   

He says:

“Although years ago now, l spent probably the most intensive years of my life at Meadowbank Stadium (aged 12 – 17), from winter 1974 until winter ’78. I left Scotland in March ’79.

Whenever I returned to Meadowbank, roughly every 1-3 years, echoes of my time there always revolved around in my head. My few years of intensive athletics have followed me all my life, and I imagine it’s the same for everyone else who trained there to. That’s one reason why this great loss of the place, and all its facilities for 20-odd sports, for the people of Edinburgh who did them, simply hurts!

Many interesting Meadowbank contemporaries flow through my head, people lost and missed from time to time. In no particular order – for they are all one: Tom Drever, Anne Clarkson, Stuart Togher, Willie Robertson, Ian Duncan, Paul Forbes, Allan Wells, Bill Walker, Andy Bull, Mike Bull, Brian Hooper, Brian Burgess, Stuart Gillies, Moira Walls, Helen Golden, Norman Donachie, Peter Hoffman, Eric Fisher, Donny Cain, Peter Little, Elaine Douglas, Chris Black, Paul Buxton, Sandy and Liz Sutherland, Gavin Gilliot, Russell Walker, Tom Woods, Wattie the grumpy storeman, Dick Williamson, doorman Tom Evans, Anne Littlejohn, Roger Jenkins, Fiona and Catriona McAulay, Drew McMaster, Jake Hynd, John Rush, Andy Pollock, George McNeill, Bruce Livingston, Berty Oliver, Cameron Sharp, the cantine staff, John Scott, Frank Dick, Colin Sutherland, Hamish Davidson, Gus McKenzie, Niall McDonald, Bill Gentleman, Margot Wells, Doug Gillon, Faye Nixon, Daley Thompson, Barry Craighead, Meg Ritchie, Claude and Nigel Jones, Colin and George Sinclair, Jim Alder, Norman Gregor, Liz and Janet Leyland. And, sadly, some faces I can still see but can’t put a name to.

Having now lived nearly 40 years in Germany, it is incredible to count 16 Tartan tracks in Stuttgart city alone, near where I live, not to mention the vast number of other sporting facilities.

We were lucky in Edinburgh with our one Meadowbank. It fired determination in many, brought pleasure to all, created success and changed the lives for the better of probably all who used it. And that including people who lived outside the Edinburgh boundary! This loss needs to be recaptured, and not only with a scaled down model!

Our society needs such facilities – simple! We shouldn’t accept what’s told and sold to us by point-collecting vote-obsessed politicians who have never “hand on heart” recognized the incalculable loss and destruction that will be caused when Meadowbank is gone!”

 And below is one of Ross presenting the winner’s medal at the Scottish age group championships on a visit back to Scotland.

 

 

Scottish internationalist and highly esteemed all round endurance runner Steve Taylor (leading above) spoke about his memories of the arena to Colin Youngson, who says:

Aberdeen’s Steve Taylor, a Scottish International Athlete on track and cross-country, raced frequently at Meadowbank Stadium.  Between 1959 and 1966 he won seven SAAA Championship medals there at One Mile, Three Miles and Six Miles, including victories in the Scottish 3 Miles Championship in 1961 and 1962. FOR HIS FULL PROFILE, CLICK HERE.

The journey down from Aberdeen in those days took longer, partly because there was no dual carriageway and mainly because there was no road bridge across the Forth, so AAAC runners had to take the little ferry from North to South Queensferry. The journey took twenty minutes and if a boat was missed, then Meadowbank might be reached too late for the race!

The track surface (before 1969) was composed of very rough cinders. Longer races tended to be scheduled later in a meeting so the track would probably be churned up. Frequently there was a strong headwind, but that was still the case after 1969.. Outside the athletics arena was a motorcycle speedway dirt track, composed of red blaes. Steve recalls that, after a hard windy race, he might be coughing up dust for days!

Friday nights often featured heats for the Mile or the Six Miles final; with the Mile and Three Miles finals on Saturday afternoon.  In 1962 Steve ran a personal best time in the Mile, not long before he retained his 3 Miles title!

In retrospect, Steve enjoyed his Meadowbank contests, and Scottish International track fixtures elsewhere, against runners like Graham Everett, Mike Beresford, Kenny Ballantyne, Graham Stark, Bert Mackay, Alastair Wood, Fergus Murray, Lachie Stewart, John Linaker and Bill Ewing, as well as top athletes from other countries, including Derek Ibbotson, Laszlo Tabori, Gordon Pirie, Bill Dellinger and Albie Thomas.

The picture below is Meadowbank under construction

 

 

Meadowbank

Meadowbank Stadium has had several incarnations but has been a vital part of Scottish athletics for over a century.   The local authority has decided to pull it down and provide alternative facilities.  This ha not met with universal approval.   Colin Youngson comments on the past and present at the Stadium

There have been numerous newspaper and internet articles on the future of Meadowbank Stadium as well as many lengthy forum threads on the topic of Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium’s imminent demise.   It is timely then to have a look at what the arena meant to so many generations of runners.   Colin Youngson’s statement on what Meadowbank meant to him follows. 

No need for research on this topic – memories, good and bad, flood back instantly. Apparently, the famous Edinburgh stadium is to: close soon, be rebuilt and modernised and re-open in 2020. The plans sound impressive; but how did the current Meadowbank fare?

Although it hosted the 1969 Scottish Marathon Championship (won by Bill Stoddart, who was to be a World Champion many times as a veteran), the stadium, styled ‘New Meadowbank’ was only half-completed at the time. The previous track had been ‘Old Meadowbank’, so the 2020 one should be ‘Newest’, perhaps.

From 1967 the revolutionary Rub-Kor black track at Grangemouth hosted most athletics championships; and other races took place on a variety of surfaces – blaes, cinders, lumps of coke, smooth or bumpy grass. So the New Meadowbank ‘Tartan’ track  felt great.

‘The Friendly Games’, as the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh was named, was a fantastic, unforgettable event. Don Ritchie (the future ultra great) and I spectated at every athletics session. Tickets were cheap and easy to get (how unlike Glasgow 2014.). The crowd cheered everyone in every event. Scottish athletes did really well. Lachie Stewart out-sprinted Ron Clarke in the 10,000m; and Ian Stewart out-toughed Ian McCafferty in the 5000m. Wonderful races – just a pity that I was cheering for the silver medallists. Rosemary Stirling won the 800m. England’s Ron Hill produced a superb European record of 2.9.28 in the marathon, with defending champion Jim Alder (2.12.04) hanging on to second place despite total exhaustion and a charging Don Faircloth closing fast. 47 years later, this remains the fastest marathon ever run in Scotland; and Jim’s time the fastest by a Scot in Scotland. The Athletes’ Parade as the Games closed was joyous.

Between 1971 and 1999 I competed at Meadowbank – not every year, but this was the venue for umpteen personal landmarks.

In 1971 the Scottish 10,000 championships took place on the hallowed track and I felt it a real privilege to race there. In the main SAAA champs, I ran the steeplechase, and was in a clear third place with two laps to go, when suddenly my right leg collapsed – since I had pulled the main muscle and every tendon from Achilles to hip – and that was the end of that race, and my one-season steeplechase ‘career’!

1972 brought me a silver medal well behind Andy McKean in the SAAA Track Ten Miles. During the GB v Poland international match, the Scottish 10,000m took place. Jim Brown won but my Victoria Park AAC club-mate Alastair Johnston, in the form of his life, was battling for silver when a stray hammer bounced onto the track and smashed his left tibia. I could not believe it, when I ran past not long afterwards and saw my friend in agony. Hammer ‘cages’ had not yet been invented, alas.

Personal bests for 5000m, 10,000m and marathon were set at Meadowbank. The first narrowly broke 14.30; the second (29.33) led to Scottish selection for my only track international over that distance v Iceland in Reykjavik – my team-mate Allister Hutton won and I was second; and the third was the best performance of my life, leading to my sole GB selection (for a small team at the Antwerp marathon, where I finished second, my colleague third and we won the international team award.)

My first SAAA title was gained in 1974 at Meadowbank – the 10 Miles Track against Martin Craven in a gale. In 1975 I set a championship record of 2.16.50 when winning the Scottish marathon.

In all, I secured ten SAAA medals there – three gold, four silver, three bronze – and ran eleven marathon championships out and back from the stadium. The worst three were: in 1972 when I ‘hit the wall’, lost second place on the track and Albie Smith timed my last sleep-walking 200 metres at 80 seconds; in 1978, when I was mad enough to try a new pre-race diet by drinking half a pint of cream half an hour before the start, felt sick as a dog and finished eleventh in a personal worst time; and in 1983, when a stomach upset induced embarrassing pit-stops but somehow I finished no worse than second after leading for more than twenty miles. Horrible but definitely memorable!

Especially for Edinburgh Southern Harriers, I ran Scottish and British Athletic League matches there, even winning one 5000m after being tripped and crashing to the track on the first lap. Two East District 10,000m titles were secured at Meadowbank.

The day after my 1975 marathon win, 100 ESH runners each raced one mile in a vain attempt to break the world record for such a relay. I had to shuffle about warming up for ages, trying to get the post-marathon ‘concrete’ out of aching legs before managing a respectable 4.29.

After I moved back to Aberdeen in 1981, and concentrated mainly on local races, my visits to Meadowbank became fewer. However three further races there stand out.

In 1984 Sri Chinmoy AC organised a road race from Meadowbank to George Square, Glasgow – 50 exhausting miles. One of the organisers was my contemporary (also born 1947) and acquaintance Alan Spence, the poet, short story writer and novelist, who ran a few marathons himself and even wrote a short story about one of them. In September 2017, Alan was named Makar of Edinburgh (i.e. City Poet and Writer). Back in 1984, I finished a distant and knackered third but my brilliant team-mate Don Ritchie won by twenty minutes and Aberdeen AAC were first team.

In 1999, when I was 51 years old, my two final visits took place. The British Veterans Track and Field Championships were held at Meadowbank and I won the M50 10,000m – my only outdoor track success at that level, while my beloved wife Susan spectated by reading a book. The stars that day were the Three Amigos of Scottish Veteran Athletics, World Masters record breakers Emmet Farrell, Gordon Porteous and Davie Morrison, each winning medals in over-80 categories.

To round things off appropriately, I completed my very last 26 miles 385 yards that autumn. The Puma Edinburgh Marathon (which was also that year’s Scottish championship) started in Dunfermline and the route went over the Forth Road Bridge and then, via devious small roads and tarmac tracks, emerged near Haymarket before heading straight up Princes Street and down past Holyrood Palace to finish on the Meadowbank track. For me it meant the end of thirty years running sub-three hour marathons.

In retrospect, I have many reasons to be grateful for the existence of Meadowbank. Without it, I would have lost so many experiences and running adventures, plus convivial pints at the Piershill Tavern. Imagine – no Meadowbank – the careers of thousands of athletes would have been spoiled.

Of course, the Meadowbank Velodrome, despite being exposed to the rain as well as steep, slippery, wooden and splintered, played a vital part in the early training and racing of one Chris Hoy, now Sir Chris because of his six Olympic gold medals! The Newest Meadowbank will have a great deal to do, if it is to emulate its illustrious predecessor!

That’s what Colin has to say – now read what some other athletes have to add about the Stadium which has played a significant part in their careers.   Find their thoughts  here

Below:   Meadowbank being taken apart.   Almost heartbreaking – the site of the first Commonwealth Games to be held in Britain and not a plaque left to commemorate it.   Dreadful.

 

1974 Christchurch

The 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games.    This was the second time that they had been held in New Zealand – the 150 version was in Auckland – and they had twice been in Australia – 1938 in Sydney and 1962 in Perth.   They were all held in what would normally have been the Scots winter season with virtually no track racing at all and no permanent indoor facility either.   They also came two years after the Israeli athletes had been kidnapped and murdered at the Munich Olympics and the tenth Games was the first big sports meeting to place the safety of spectators and participants as arguably its top priority.   The Village was surrounded by security gards, police and the military had a highly visible presence.   Despite all of that, however, many athletes from several countries decided to emigrate to New Zealand on the strength of their welcome and what they saw of the country. 

The Games were officially named “the friendly games”. There were 1,276 competitors and 372 officials, according to the official history, and public attendance was excellent. The main venue was the QEII Park, purpose built for this event. The Athletics Stadium and fully covered Olympic standard pool, diving tank, and practice pools were all on the one site. There were always, whether the general public were aware of the fact or not, a theme tune for the Games – Edinburgh in 1970 had had three songs!   The theme song this time was “Join Together”,  sung by Steve Allen.   The Games were held after the 1974 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Dunedin for wheelchair athletes.   

Ron Marshall tells us in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ that Lachie Stewart was the standard bearer as Scotland the parade into the stadium wearing their white hats, blue blazers and white trousers.    More interesting were the comments of Dr Roger Bannister on the topic of drugs and doping.   He is quoted sas saying that the drug takers were safe at these Games.   “Nobody will be banned from these Games but afterwards they can look out.   A change in detection methods is being developed but not quickly enough to be brought into action. ”   “The rules of international federations at the moment still need a degree of proof which at the moment isn’t possible.   The improvement in testing methods coupled by firm action by the federations will put an end to this evil in th very near future.”  

The Glasgow Herald reporter for the Games was Ron Marshall (whom we all thought had been the newspaper’s reporter for the last two Games although he had only had a byline for the Edinburgh Games) who made a very good job of it.  

The first day was 24th January and the report began:

“Mary Peters, the Olympic champion, and Scotland’s Myra Nimmo had the distinction of getting to their marks this morning in the first heat of the first track event of the Commonwealth Games, the 100 metres hurdles of the pentathlon.   Northern Ireland’s supporters were disappointed with Miss Peters’ winning time of 13.9 sec, which gave her 873 points, but the Scottish girl who finished second to her in 14.1 sec for 847 points proved to be fourth fastest on a chilly, dull morning.   This was undoubtedly a promising start for the Uddingston girl and put her well into the medal reckoning.”

The heats of the men’s 100 metres brought a satisfying result in Scotland’s favour.   Don Halliday, the AAA’s champion,  looking extremely confident as he sped home inches behind the title holder, Don Quarrie (Jamaica), although I thought the Scot was unfairly treated in getting a time of 10.6, a tenth behind the winner.   In the next heat Les Piggot, given the toughest draw of them all, battled tenaciously for a fourth place behind a formidable trio- George Daniels (Ghana), Lennox Miller (Jamaica), a Munich finalist. and Greg Lewis (Australia).   From the results so far, it looks as if Piggot has the precious fourth fastest time, 106, good enough to put him intomorrow’s semi-final.   

David Jenkins, bidding for a second major championship to add to his European 400 metres title, had little difficulty in winning his first round heat in 46.9 sec, one of the slowest qualifying times.   Drawn in lane six he led all the way but was hard pressed towards the tape by the New Zealand record holder, Bevan Smith.  Jenkins’s main rivals for the title, Julius Sang and Charles Asati, both from Kenya, qualified with even more ease, and Jenkins has no simple task ahead of him”.

Unfortunately it was also the end of Myra’s pentathlon hopes as she failed to complete the five disciplines and ended ‘dnf 847 pts’, but the outlook was promising.   After the successes of Edinburgh in 1970, confidence was high in the Scots camp.    Myra was coached by team coach Frank Dick whose stock was high after 1970, and she still had her specialist event, the long jump to come.

The decathlon finished on Sunday 27th, a day christened ‘Black Sunday’ by the ‘Herald’.  After the real Black Sunday in Munich two years earlier it was maybe a bit tasteless: the two events could not have been more different, but it was undoubtedly a bad day for the sport in Scotland. Going in to that day we had Stewart McCallum and Kidner in the decathlon, Halliday in the 200m  heats, Alison McRitchie in the 200m (two rounds – heat and semi-final on the same day), David McMeekin in the 800m semi-final, and others like Rosemary Wright, Margaret Coomber, and Norman Morrison all in action.   The report was honest  and direct, almost to the point of brutality, and read:

“Black Sunday would not be too dramatic a way to describe the few hours Scotland’s athletes spent on a sun-drenched track here today.   They virtually walked into a wall of superior opposition and never knew what hit them.   It was distressing to witness.   One of our major hopes for a gold medal, Stewart McCallum, saw his decathlon bid crumble as he failed three times at his opening height in the pole vault.   That in itself was bad enough but for that height to be two and a half feet below his best turned out to be typical of our efforts from the morning to the early evening.   Although he still had two events to take part in,  Stewart called it a day and sped off to the Village.   There was little reason to be hanging about after having gifted varying amounts of points to his opponents.   ….  Latterly it was David Kidner who carried Scotland’s decathlon flag with some distinction.   Having ended the first day in seventh place, he buckled to with courage this afternoon and vaulted 14′ 1 1/2” , his highest ever.   But, as usual, his 1500m looked painfully pedestrian.   There was nothing he could do in this last event to save the second place he had so painfully reached.   

Tonight he wanted to rebut the criticisms he always hears about his 1500m.   “People keep talking about that bit of my decathlon.   What they forget are the other bits I’m good at – pole vault, long jump, high jump and so on.”   He was placed fourth with 7188 points.   But how near he had been to climbing on to the medal rostrum.

But back to the Black Sunday tag.   In brief it reads like this – Don Halliday out in the 200m heat, Alison McRitchie out in the 200m heat, Helen Golden out in the 200m semi-final, David McMeekin out in the 800m semi-final, Margaret Coomber and Rosemary Wright fail to make the 800m final, Norman Morrison ninth in 5000m heat.   

Frank Dick, the national athletics coach, could hardly be blamed for trudging wearily out of the athletics stadium.   His reasons for today’s disaster are worth recording.   “We under estimated the opposition.   We came out here totally unaware just how advanced some of these countries are but we know now – only too well.”   He shook his head as if in disbelief.   “I can’t describe how disappointed I am   – it’s been an awful day’s athletics for Scotland.”

But before the picture is painted irredeemably black, it should be added that there were bright patches.   David Jenkins crossed home in his 200m heat clocking 21 sec, a tenth behind the Ghanaian speedster George Daniels.   The Scot earned himself an extra cheer for assisting the African off the track after he had seemed to injure himself at the finish.   Ian Stewart qualified easily in his 5000m heat but a few grandads might also have squeezed through, bearing in mind that in the two heats the first six qualified.   Only two  had to be discarded in Stewart’s heat won by an over-exuberant Kenyan, Joseph Kimeto, who appears to have taken this contest for the final.   Others did it the easy way.”

Frank Dick’s comments were simultaneously typical in their honesty and shocking in their content.   There were those who attributed the Scottish athletic successes in 1970 at Meadowbank to John Anderson’s influence: he had been Scottish national coach until late 1969.   However that may be, 1974 was all Frank in terms of preparation and it must have hurt him to say what he did.   It didn’t happen again.   The results that Marshall referred to:

Men’s 200m:   H1: 2nd D Jenkins  21.0;  H5: 4th D Halliday  21.7

Women’s 200m: H3: 5th  A McRitchie 24.4;  H5: 2nd  H Golden 23.9

Women’s 200m: SF 1:  5th H Golden  23.9

Men’s 800m:  H3:  4th  D McMeekin  1:49.1      SF 2:  5th  D McMeekin 1:48.1

Women’s 800m: H1:  R Wright  3rd  2:06.3;   H2: M Coomber 5th 2:06.5    

Women’s 800m:  SF 1:  M Coomber 5th  2:05.9;  SF 2:  R Wright  5th 2:05.7

Men’s 5000m:  H1:  2nd I Stewart 13:57.2;   H2  N Morrison  9th  14:40.6

Shot Putt Women:  R Payne  7th  14.07m

David Jenkins was one of the Scots in action the next day when he was second to Australian Greg Lewis in the semi-final of the 200m but then could finish no better than sixth in the final in a time of 21.5.   Ian Stewart went one better in the 5000m to be fifth in 13:40.4 in a race won by Ben Jipcho of Kenya in 13:14.4 with Brendan Foster second in 13:14.6.   Kenya also won the 800m Kipkurgat won in 1:43.9 from Mike Boit, also of Kenya, in 1:44.9.   That was it for the day as far as Scots were concerned – no high or long jumpers, no javelin throwers and no race walkers or hurdlers had been entered.   

30th January was a rest day as far as athletics was concerned but it gave the reporters time to devote to other sports where Scotland was performing nobly – Willie as a bowler and David Wilkie in the swimming pool – but Ron Marshall took the opportunity to look forward to Lachie Stewart running in the marathon on the following day.   Lachie had carried the standard on the opening day and then stood out in the centre of the arena for the duration of that ceremony: many questioned th wisdom of this the day before his specialist event of 10000m.   In that race he did run below his usual to finish tenth in 29:22.6 while Ian Stewart was sixth in 28:17.2 and Norman Morrison was fifteenth in 30:25.8.   The selectors had also entered him in the marathon – a distance he had never tackled seriously before, if in fact he had ever tackled it.   The furthest most had seen him run was the 16 miles of the Clydebank to Helensburgh road race.   Under the heading of ‘Lachie tackles marathon’ he wrote

“Scotland’s Lachie Stewart will make his marathon debut in the Commonwealth Games at Christchurch today and is a quiet tip to upset the fancied English and Australian gold medal hopes.   Stewart is better known as a 10,000 metres runner and proved his class by winning that event in Edinburgh in 1970.   

He has never run a competitive marathon, byt Scotland’s team manager Peter Heatly states, “Lachie doesn’t say very much, but we know he is extremely fit.   He has been doing plenty of hard cross-country running the last few months and we think he has had the marathon at the back of his mind for some time.   He is such a determined fellow, and he would not go in the marathon unless he thought he could give a good account of himself.”  

The way Stewart ran in the 10000 metres last Friday suggested he had high hopes in the marathon,   He finished 10th.   

The marathon favourites are the Australians Derek Clayton and John Farrington, and the defending champion, England’s Ron Hill.   ….   Hill, sixth in the Munich Olympics, has the best time of the strong British contingent with 2:09:26, although he was beaten by Ian Thomson (Luton) in the October trial.   Scotland have two other contenders besides Stewart in Donald Macgregor, a teacher and university lecturer, and Jim Wright, a student.   Macgregor has the better time, 2:15:06.”

It is possible that the reporter was being a bit over optimistic about Lachie’s chances in a new event – especially over the 26 miles of the marathon and in the Christchurch temperatures.   He certainly damns his run in the 10000 with faint praise.   And it was possibly a bit hard on Donald Macgregor – after all, he was only one place behind Ron Hill in the Olympic marathon in 1970, and had actually been in front of him when they came on to the track with only ab out 400m to go at the end of the race.

As it turned out, Ian Thomson won the marathon for England in 2:09:12.2.   In the course of a longish report on the event, the Scots only got one paragraph.   “Donald Macgregor was Scotland’s first man home in the marathon in sixth place and he recorded his fastest time – 2:14:15.4.   Both Lachie Stewart and Jim Wight pulled out of the race, Stewart after halfway and Wight not much further along the route.”   The experienced Macgregor who had run in Commonwealth and Olympic marathosn with distinction, who had won Scottish titles over the distance proved to be the best of the three over the distance.   

Other events that day included the women’s 1500m in which Ian Stewart’s sister Mary qualified for the final when she was third in her heat in 4:15.3, the women’s long jump where Myra Nimmo was fourthwith a best leap of 6.34m, only 4 cm behind the third placed Reid of Wales.  

The final day of athletics was February 2nd when there were Finals of the men’s 1500m (no Scots were entered), men’s 4 x 400m in which no team was forward, men’s shot putt (no Scot taking part), men’s javelin (no one entered) and women’s 4 x 400m with no Scots entered.   On the other side we had representatives in the men’s 4 x 100m relay (5th in 39.8), men’s triple jump (W Clark 11th), women’s 1500m (Mary Stewart 4th  4:17.4), women’s 4 x 100m (7th in 46.5) and women’s high jump (Ruth Watt 4th  1.78 – missed bronze by 2 cm).    Over the piece there was only one medal for the Scottish team, silver in the women’s discus from Rosemary Payne (53.94m).    

Ron Marshall’s review of the Games included the following:

“One silver medal from a corps of 27 athletes is a particularly poor return from what we were calling the best prepared team to travel to any major competition.   Perhaps we did too well in Edinburgh.   Perhaps that is the subtle burden placed on every host.   It will be interesting therefore to see whow New Zealand , one of the successful nations here, fare in Edmonton four years from now.   No explanation, no rational one anyway, has come from any of our team leaders.   If blame lies anywhere, is it with the athletes themselves or their own coaches, or the team coaches and officials?   I find it hard to fault team management, if they erred it was on the side of leniency.

One comment from Frank Dick, national athletics coach, early on in the week, keeps coming back: “we under estimated the opposition.”   Mr Dick is abreast of world progress in athletics – he obviously knew what to expect.   Clearly the competitors did not.   Talk of an inquiry when the team comes back is just that – talk.   No amount of discussion will produce a solution to what happened.   But one answer will be to send a much smaller athletics team next time round.   Feelings, not to mention thousands of pounds, will be spared now that Scotland have no obligation to fatten up the team just for the parade and the opening ceremony.   We will not march first into the stadium in Edmonton.”

One silver medal was indeed a disappointing return from the team but I think maybe the reporter was being a bit easy on the officials.   For instance, the management of Lachie Stewart’s Games was seriously badly thought out.   The notion that he should be the standard bearer and stand in a draughty arena for hours on end the night before his 10,000m race was a bad one.   He should maybe have missed the parade altogether.   Then to add in his marathon debut – debut – against the best in the Commonwealth only a few days later was a bit lacking in judgment.   If there was a desire to give him two races, then the 5000m or the steeplechase would have been better bets.   Myra Nimmo was an outstandingly good long jumper with a chance of a medal – surely that should have been the target rather than greedily going for two medals?   And if ‘we’ under estimated the opposition, who was in charge of the group team meetingsand get-togethers for the four years leading up to the Games?   If Frank Dick was really up on the world situation,should the information not been impressed on the athletes before the Games?

Other events that day included the women’s 1500m in which Ian Stewart’s sister Mary qualified for the final when she was third in her heat in 4:15.3, the women’s long jump where Myra Nimmo was fourthwith a best leap of 6.34m, only 4 cm behind the third placed Reid of Wales. 

The final day of athletics was February 2nd when there were Finals of the men’s 1500m (no Scots were entered), men’s 4 x 400m in which no team was forward, men’s shot putt (no Scot taking part), men’s javelin (no one entered) and women’s 4 x 400m with no Scots entered.   On the other side we had representatives in the men’s 4 x 100m relay (5th in 39.8), men’s triple jump (W Clark 11th), women’s 1500m (Mary Stewart 4th  4:17.4), women’s 4 x 100m (7th in 46.5) and women’s high jump (Ruth Watt 4th  1.78 – missed bronze by 2 cm).    Over the piece there was only one medal for the Scottish team, silver in the women’s discus from Rosemary Payne (53.94m).   

Ron Marshall’s review of the Games included the following:

“One silver medal from a corps of 27 athletes is a particularly poor return from what we were calling the best prepared team to travel to any major competition.   Perhaps we did too well in Edinburgh.   Perhaps that is the subtle burden placed on every host.   It will be interesting therefore to see whow New Zealand , one of the successful nations here, fare in Edmonton four years from now.   No explanation, no rational one anyway, has come from any of our team leaders.   If blame lies anywhere, is it with the athletes themselves or their own coaches, or the team coaches and officials?   I find it hard to fault team management, if they erred it was on the side of leniency.

One comment from Frank Dick, national athletics coach, early on in the week, keeps coming back: “we under estimated the opposition.”   Mr Dick is abreast of world progress in athletics – he obviously knew what to expect.   Clearly the competitors did not.   Talk of an inquiry when the team comes back is just that – talk.   No amount of discussion will produce a solution to what happened.   But one answer will be to send a much smaller athletics team next time round.   Feelings, not to mention thousands of pounds, will be spared now that Scotland have no obligation to fatten up the team just for the parade and the opening ceremony.   We will not march first into the stadium in Edmonton.”

One silver medal was indeed a disappointing return from the team but I think maybe the reporter was being a bit easy on the officials.   For instance, the management of Lachie Stewart’s Games was seriously badly thought out.   The notion that he should be the standard bearer and stand in a draughty arena for hours on end the night before his 10,000m race was a bad one.   He should maybe have missed the parade altogether.   Then to add in his marathon debut – debut – against the best in the Commonwealth only a few days later was a bit lacking in judgment.   If there was a desire to give him two races, then the 5000m or the steeplechase would have been better bets.   Myra Nimmo was an outstandingly good long jumper with a chance of a medal – surely that should have been the target rather than greedily going for two medals?   And if ‘we’ under estimated the opposition, who was in charge of the group team meetings and get-togethers for the four years leading up to the Games?   If Frank Dick was really up on the world situation, should the information not been impressed on the athletes before the Games?

Finally we have some thoughts from Willie Robertson who competed in these Games as a wrestler.   He was also a nationally ranked throws athlete with several SAAA hammer throwing medals and three times GB wrestling champion.   He says:

I realised I had to win the British title at wrestling to be sure of selection.   I checked the English results and the 100Kg plus weight group looked easier than the 100kg.   I won the Scottish title at 100Kg beating Ian Duncan, a team mate.   My plan was to win the British and ask for selection to the team at the lower weight group.  At the British I won the title at 100Kg+, however Ian Duncan won the 100Kg.   So they picked Ian at 100 and me at 100+.    Yes, the best laid plans.    At the games two of the wrestlers were struggling to make the weight and were on a strict diet.   I had the opposite problem.   Because I was on full time training I had to eat large meals to maintain my weight.

There was a squad day for the better NZ hammer throwers who did not make the Commonwealth team.   Bryce, Black, myself and the weightlifter Grant Anderson took on the NZ second team  It was decided on an aggregate score would be used.   Howard Payne acted as judge.  We were beaten.  Grant threw an impressive 40m with a standing throw.   Bryce suggested I should not be suggesting he tries the Highland Games.   Of course he won the Scottish professional title a couple of times.

I met up with a Samoan trying to throw the hammer.   I gave him some coaching and he got on to a one turn throw.   He said he was a decathlete and the head of sport had contacted him and said he should enter all the throws.   I went along to the stadium to watch the hammer.   Chris Black was in with a chance of a medal.   There were nine competitors which meant one would be eliminated.   Chris had two narrow fouls in the first two rounds.    He was forced to do a two turn throw for his third to get another three throws and beat the Samoan.   If the ninth thrower had not been there Black would have had an extra counting throw.   He might well have won a medal.    Bryce was last in the final.   The problem was the technique had moved on.   It is interesting to compare the 1970 and 74 standards.    Bryce was coached to drag the hammer: every other thrower in the final was on to a using two straight arms.

One of my great memories of the athletic was the 1500m.    Filbert Bayi was a front runner and lead from the start.   The only runner who looked that he might catch him was John Walker.    Not only Bayi had broken the World record, Walker had had also beaten the old one   I was sitting beside Bryce who remarked that he wondered how Frank Clement would have done in that race.

The athletes were aware they were receiving some bad press for their performance.   After the 1970 games there was great expectation of a number of medals. There were a few ‘near misses’   I remember seeing Jenkins in the last leg of the 4x100m relay making the school boy error of looking behind him when receiving the baton. They should have won a medal. Our best decathlete no heighted in the pole vault.   Frank Clement, our lead middle distance man had missed the games for University exams.   Lawrie Bryce, with his usual wit, paraphrased the words of Churchill: Never in the history of the Commonwealth Games have so many, went so far to do so little.

The team met up at the Royal Scot hotel in Edinburgh. After dinner and some speeches we wrestlers were told to go to bed by our coach.   Half an hour later Lawrie Bryce knocked at the door and demanded I went for a drink with him.   Bryce had not reached the qualifying standard in the hammer for selection but had been added later.  This was his third games. He wasn’t expecting to do well.   He more or less saw the trip as a wee unexpected holiday at the end of his throwing career.    You must also remember the games were held at the end of the Heath government with the three day week, power blackouts and TV closing at 10.   It was a great time to have a month in the sun.

I went with Black and Bryce to visit Duncan Clark, a former Empire games gold medallist and Scottish record holder?   I believe he liked New Zealand when he attend the games and decide to emigrate there.   I think Euan Douglas did the same thing.  He competed at Perth Games and decided to emigrate there later.      

 

 

Graham’s Programmes

Graham MacIndoe is very fortunate that his Dad, who lives in Bathgate, keps an eye out for athletics memorabilia – there have been several wonderful ‘finds’ in the past such as old E-G programmes and then there was the collection of Andy Forbes programmes, not to mention the items that may well have belonged to Alastair Wood.   This latest collection of porgrammes and magazines, of which we only have the covers here, includes the 1952 English national programme, that was the year that Victoria Park won, plus the back page with the signatures of all the VP men who ran that day including all the non-scoring runners.  Have a look and enjoy them.

AAA’s Championships 1952

1952: With Victoria Park AAC team

 

 

 

 

 

Walter McCaskey

Walter (M80) heading for 2016 British Masters 5k gold

That fine Scottish sports journalist, Doug Gillon, wrote an article about Walter in January 2015; and here are several excerpts.

In the Scottish Masters Cross-Country Championships at Kilmarnock, one of the hardy stalwarts is Walter McCaskey, making his first appearance in the over-80 age group for which three men line up.

He began by accident, running the 1982 Edinburgh Marathon to help raise funds for an exercise pool. ‘I trained for four months,’ he recalls, ‘and finished in four hours four minutes.’

‘I didn’t think 26 miles sounded a lot, but it was a long way on a wet, cold day and there was no chance of stopping. You just kept going. But I enjoyed it and got the bug.’

‘I have now run more than 50 marathons, but none for the last few years. I was advised not to because of osteoarthritis in my left knee. I did Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, with just a fortnight between each. It was just about having fun.’

‘I only started pushing it at 70, started training with a pal. We did the 10k together and had a real tussle. I managed to win the Scottish Veterans Championship, and then the British. I’m amazed. I never thought I was any good at running.’

His best marathon time was in Glasgow aged 53 (2.59). ‘But now I focus on cross country and shorter stuff.’

Today he defends the Scottish Masters title he won 12 months ago at Hawick, and he completed the 12k course of the Scottish National at Falkirk last year (first in his age group) in a very creditable 67.12.

He was sixth in the British and Irish Masters International cross country at Nottingham in November, second Scot as they won team bronze.

He says he has no sporting pedigree or history. ‘I played a little football when I was younger, in the street, up the park, and perhaps a wee bit in the Army in Hong Kong.’

He tried bowl, but in a reversal of the perceived norm, chucked it for running. ‘I am really hooked on it. I only do about 20 miles a week now since I have stopped marathons, but I go down to the gym and I swim a bit.’

‘If anyone tells me I’m getting on a bit, I just ignore it. Obviously you know you’re getting older – you’re not running as fast – but I don’t dwell on the subject. Get on with life, enjoy yourself.’

The mud threatens to be difficult today, but having spent a chunk of his life working with bulldozers and other plant machinery, Walter says he is prepared.

(Ed. An inspection of sporting records reveals that Walter won Scottish Masters XC medals at M60: bronze in 1996 and silver in 1998. He won his first titles at M65 in 2001 and 2003, plus a silver medal in 2004 and bronze in 2000. There ensued four successive M70 golds between 2005 and 2008; and he was second in 2009. In the M75 category, he won in 2010, 2011 and 2014; and was second in 2013. Naturally he won the M80 titles in 2015 and 2016! Walter is an inspiration to all SVHC members!)

QUESTIONNAIRE ANSWERS:

Walter McCaskey (born 11th August 1934).

Club: City of Edinburgh A.C.

I began running in 1982. It was at my daughter’s wedding and, after a few drinks, I promised to raise some money for charity by joining my brothers, who were training for the Edinburgh Youngers Tartan Marathon. Little did I know what I had let myself in for.

After marathons at Aberdeen and Glasgow, in the 1984 Black Isle Marathon I came first M50. After setting my fastest time in the 1986 Glasgow event I did not improve, probably because I was doing so many races and using them as social events, just going away for long weekends. It was about this time that I joined EAC and started doing cross country. Alex McEwan got me thinking about how I was running. He told me that I had too much energy left at the finish of races! The next event I tried much harder and won gold at Aberdeen.

It was Bert McFall that got me to join the Scottish Veteran Harriers and it was the start of a great friendship. We had some really good training sessions and the rest is history. I made it into the Scottish Masters team, thanks to Bert and, along with the rest of the age-group team, we had several good races. I really enjoy running. It has given me the chance to make so many good friends and has really helped me to get on with my life

[Ed. In the annual British and Irish Masters International XC, Walter has represented Scotland at least nine times since 2004, winning individual M70 silver in 2005 to improve on bronze the previous year. His M70 team won silver medals four times, including one loss to the Auld Enemy by a single point. Then in 2014, aged 80, he contributed to M70 team bronze!  In M75 contests Walter’s team won silver medals in both 2015 and 2016 (when he was 82). Amazing!]

I can say that the best races that come to mind are firstly the 2005 Scottish Masters XC Championships at Bellahouston Park, when I came in first M70 only two seconds in front of Bert McFall. It was a great contest and Bill McBrinn reckoned it was the finest contest of the day. The only thing I did not like about it was having to beat my friend Bert! Secondly, the following week I travelled to Bangor and came in first M70 in the British Masters XC Championships. The worst race was rushing to catch the bus in Glasgow to join the Scottish team! By the time I reached it I was really done in. I have only one ambition and that is to keep on running.

As for my other activities, I bike to the gym and do some work on the rowing machine and the cross trainer. I do some speedwork on the treadmill and then finish with a little swim. My training is a mixture of road and grass running. I do hill reps in the park. Each week I run 15 to 20 miles and probably a little bit more when building up for a race. Running has made me a more responsible person, and given me time to think about other people and the good they do. By joining SVHC I gained one big family of friends.

George Sim

NAME George Sim

CLUBs Moray Roadrunners/Scottish Veteran Harriers Club

DATE OF BIRTH 23 January 1950

OCCUPATION Retired

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE SPORT?

There was a local 3 mile race taking part in a nearby village and myself and my brother in law decided to give it go. I went for 3 training runs before the race and won it with my brother in law coming 2nd. I then heard about a running group that the council had set up trying to get the community active so went along. This is where my enjoyment of running through the woods started at the age of 35 and Moray Roadrunners were formed.

HAS ANY INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP HAD A MARKED INFLUENCE ON YOUR ATTITUDE OR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE?

No, I just enjoyed the company and started to enjoy the improvement of my own running.

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU GET OUT OF THE SPORT?

The feeling of fitness, racing and the camaraderie of other runners and supporters. I then started coaching juniors and this helped improve my own performances and gave a great sense of satisfaction.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST EVER PERFORMANCE OR PERFORMANCES?

My most memorable best performances are winning 3 British Track Masters Golds in MV50 one weekend in July 2000 in Bedford. The first gold came in the Saturday in the 1500m in a time of 4.27 followed by the 5k in 16.20. Then the 10,000m on the Sunday winning in 33.18.

Also in 28 degrees in Riccione Italy, in the World Vets Track in September 2007, I was 5th in the MV55 5k in a time of 16.57, 4 days after I took the Silver medal in the 10,000m in a time of 35.10.

All my Scottish and British Masters X Country medals but always behind Mike Hager (England).

I was also pleased that in September 2006 at the age of 56 I ran 33.37 in the Dyke 10k and a week later did 75.44 in the Great North run.

Personal Best performances:

5k 15.32 aged 45

10k 31.45 aged 45

10mile 52.06 aged 45

Half Marathon 69.53 aged 41

Marathon 2.32 aged 40

 

YOUR WORST?

I cannot remember ever having a really bad race. I only get out of the racing what I have put into the training.

WHAT UNFULFILLED AMBITIONS DO YOU HAVE?

I don’t really have any. I just want to be able to keep running and remain injury free.

OTHER LEISURE ACTIVITIES?

I thoroughly enjoy my golf now that I have retired, trying to reduce my handicap which is currently 16. I also enjoy a bit of coaching, travelling and gardening.

WHAT DOES RUNNING BRING YOU THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE WANTED TO MISS?

Lots of lasting friendships, fitness and enjoying watching friends/athletes in various competitions.

CAN YOU GIVE SOME DETAILS OF YOUR TRAINING?

 

Typical training week aged 40 – 45
Monday. – 1hour steady in woods
Tuesday – track, 4x4x 400m in 70 sec, 50sec recovery. 3min between sets
Wednesday – steady wood run 50/60 mins
Thursday – 6x 1000m in 3.10, 200m jog rec
Friday – rest/golf
Saturday – 3x4x400m in 66sec, 1 min rec, 3 mins between sets
Sunday – steady 14-16 miles.
(Week before my 31.45 I did 20 mile run on Saturday and GTVLeague on Sunday – 3000m in 9.20!)

Typical week aged 50 before BMVTrack – 3 golds
Monday – steady wood run 60 mins
Tuesday – 8x400s in 70, going every 2 mins. 6min jog x 2 sets
Wednesday – club run usually eyeballs out with great training group
Thursday – 16x200s in 31/32sec walk back rec
Friday – rest/golf
Saturday – steady wood run 60mins
Sunday – 12/14 miles steady

Typical week training aged 55
Monday – steady 45/60 mins
Tuesday – 2×4 600s in 1.52 4mins rec, 8mins between sets
Wednesday – club night usually hard run 50/60 mins
Thursday – steady 59 min wood run
Friday – rest / golf
Saturday – rest
Sunday – Tom Scott 10 mile race 1st M55 vet, 4th vet overall – 55.36

Nowadays I’m happy if I can get out and just run! Injury has prevented me from proper training over the last 3 years so training is not as serious as it was 10 years ago. The body is not quite willing any more.

There is no set pattern to my training now. These days it consists of runs in the local woods that I have run in for 33 years. Usually 6/7miles steady.

Fartlek and speed sessions with the MRR.

I also try to fit in dreaded hills reps that I know have to be done!

The Editor added the following.

George Sim is renowned for being an elegant, graceful athlete who makes nearly all of the rest of us look bad by comparison! He has a great deal of talent and, as his training above shows, worked hard and intelligently to carve out a very successful running career. In addition, he has always been modest and extremely casual about his many successes.

When we first met in 1990, before the Scottish Veterans Cross Country Championships in Dumfries, I knew that my Aberdeen AAC clubmate Graham Milne (a former Scottish marathon international) had been training with George and rated him as extremely promising. Graham lived in Elgin and had convinced George, a near neighbour, to join AAAC since we had a good veteran team. George made an immediate impact by finishing 7th and we won team gold medals for the third year in a row.

George had just turned 40, having started running five years earlier. I was running quite well by 15 and so for a while, due to more background, had the edge on my new clubmate, who is more than two years less old. However his improvement was rapid – in fact it took him little more than three years to relegate me to the also-rans.

A few significant races illustrate this process: a ‘Veterans’ Mile’ in July 1991 on the posh Aberdeen track, when George was right behind me with half a lap to go but I tried extra hard while he glided in just behind my 4.38.8; a month later he thumped me in the Aberdeen Half Marathon; then the 1992 Scottish Vets Cross Country in Troon when I got some revenge by finishing second to his fourth and AAAC won the team title again; the 1992 Alloa to Twechar 8-Man Relay when team victory was almost assured because George rolled right away from Fife AC on Stage Six (the great Don Macgregor was impressed, saying ‘A classy runner’); in late 1992 I finished a couple of places ahead in the Forres 6. The last time I managed to beat him was in August 1993 when I almost gave myself a heart attack in the Aberdeen Half Marathon, eventually finishing five seconds ahead of George, with Shetland’s Bill Adams another seven seconds down. This three-way battle was for the SAF veteran gold medal at that distance. By 1994 the contest was over for me: George Sim was different class. I could only admire the stylish supremacy of such an athlete and make the most of races when he was in a younger age group or running elsewhere!

In his answers to the questionnaire, George did not mention title successes in the Scottish Masters XC: gold medals at M45 (1996), M50 (2003), M55 (2007) and M60 (2010). He did not run the British and Irish International until 1995 in Dublin, when he was 5th M45. By 2016 he had run for Scotland nine times in this most prestigious of events; winning many team medals (including M55 gold in Belfast 2007); plus individual M50 bronze in 2002; three silver (M50 in 2000, M55 in 2005 and 2007) and two fourth places as well. Yes, England’s Mike Hager (a frequent record-breaking World Veteran champion, after all) often had a slight edge on him but justice was served when, in Falkirk 2006, George Sim won the M55 age group.

It was good that, despite many injuries, George was fit enough to be part of our M65 outfit in the 2016 Glasgow International, contributing to team bronze. Hopefully he will regain full fitness and go on to further fully-deserved successes.