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Picture from Gourock HG website

The structured inter-club competition fostered all summer was not totally selfless on the part of the Games organisers.   Almost every competitor in the events brought along at least one spectator, often two or three.   In addition a club requiring four runners in a team race, often brought at least one competitor who would not otherwise have been there.   So a club with teams in the two miles and the relay had at least eight runners plus 20 or ore paying spectators.   The club teams usually used seven or eight runners over the season – not all of the top four were always available – so more athletes were exposed to the hard fought, elbows-out-on-the-bends, competition which would help them considerably come the winter cross-country season.    It was a win/win situation.

Among the venues, the Clyde coast meetings were at the end of July and the start of August – Gourock, Bute and Cowal all on successive week ends.   The Gourock meeting was on the last Saturday in July at the picturesque Battery Park, high on a hill outside the town.   The views from the park at times were superb.   A at any of these venues, the track was short with something like 5+ laps to the mile.   It started outside the pavilion and the first bend was downhill into a short back straight with a wee climb up to the finishing straight which was also on a gentle up-slope.   But the racing was hard.   There were always good races there and in 1960 the top end of the team race featured Graham Everett of Shettleston Harriers, Steve Taylor of Aberdeen AAC and Eddie Sinclair of Springburn.   Bunched at half distance, they were split when Everett set off on his fast finish: he won by 15 yards from Taylor with Sinclair a further five yards back.   There was a tie for the team race but Shettleston was given the verdict over Springburn because their last runner was ahead of Springburn’s.   The distance events generally were well supported at Gourock and in 1960 the Mile was won by McNeil of Shettleston from McLatchie of Muirkirk and Ballantyne of Edinburgh Southern; Ian Harris won the road race from Lyall of Edinburgh Southern with George King of Greenock Wellpark third.   The relays at Gourock were a bit different in that they kept them for schools teams – one school pupil running often brought grans and grandads as well as parents and siblings along!

In 1961 the two miles was won comfortably by Andy Brown of Motherwell YMCA and his club won the team race with 12 points.   12 points is an interesting number – it can be made up of first, second and tenth, or it can be made up of first,  fifth and sixth or indeed in many ways but not one of them indicates and easy win for the club against the best of Shettleston, Victoria Park or any of the other clubs taking part in these events.   The 1962 Games were held in pouring rain – atrocious for the spectators but even worse for the runners.   The team race was won by Motherwell again, this time with 11 points, and the first three places were filled by Andy Brown (9:54.4), Bert McKay (Motherwell), and George Brownlee  (Edinburgh Southern).   That year, in addition to the schools relays, the meeting included a medley relay which was won by Victoria Park, the report saying that the lead given to them by Hugh Barrow on the first (880 yards) stage gave them no problem in winning the race from Bellahouston Harriers and Clydesdale Harriers in 3:47.3.   The road race was won by John Kerr of Airdrie from Ian Harris of Beith, with Peter McConnachie of Wellpark third.

On 20th July, 1963, the sun shone and records were set in many events on a good, dry track.   One of these was in the team race over two miles where Motherwell’s new boy, John Linaker, won from Andy Brown in 9:10.8 which took 0.4 sec from Graham Everett’s record of three years earlier.   Brown’s time was 9:13.8 and Everett, who was also running that day, was timed at 9:23.4.    Importantly though, the team race was won by Motherwell (with 7 points) for the third year in succession.    The medley relay (880 + 220 + 220 + 440) was won by Ayr Seaforth (Davidson, McCrindle, McCarvel, Stewart) in 3:39.3.   Victoria Park’s Hugh Barrow won the 880 yards won the junior half mile in 1:58.9 from a field of 15 runners, all of whom were give handicap marks ahead of him.   The Victoria Park team probably suffered from his absence on the afternoon.

On July 25th, 1964, Lachie Stewart (Vale of Leven) who had been the outstanding performer all summer on the longer track distances, won the two miles from Pat McAtier (Paisley Harriers) in 9:42.4.   Shettleston Harriers won the team race.   Bellahouston Harriers (MJ McLean, P Ritchie, R Rae and W Robertson) won the invitation medley relay from Glasgow University and Glenpark Harriers in 3:43.5.

The track for the 1965 Games was sodden but nevertheless half a dozen records were set on the ground.   One of these was by Vale of Leven’s Lachie Stewart who won the two miles in 9:03 – taking 7.8 seconds from the existing record and beating Andy Brown by 8.4 seconds.   Motherwell YMCA won the team race with 10 points.    Bellahouston again won the medley relay from Ayr Seaforth in 3:34.5 with a foursome slightly altered from the previous year – MJ McLean, W Robertson, P Ritchie and D Young to win the Auchmountain Trophy.   This relay had been won in the past four years by Victoria Park, Ayr Seaforth and Bellahouston Harriers twice, with Glenpark Harriers, Clydesdale Harriers and Glasgow University all featuring in the first three.   It was no easy race to win.

In 1966 the two miles record was broken once again – this time by Ian McCafferty who won in 9:01.2 from a genuine past master in Ian Binnie of Victoria Park.   A multi-record breaker in the 1950’s Binnie inspired Victoria Park to a team victory with 10 points.   It was the third different club to win in as many years – Motrherwell the previous year and Shettleston the year before that.    Ayr Seaforth beat Dumbarton AAC in the mile medley in 3:39.7.   The road race was won by Alex Wight of Edinburgh University from Andy Brown in 1:12:33.   Graeme Grant (Dumbarton – scratch) won the half mile Duncan Middletin (Springburn – 10 yards) in 1:54.1, Norman Morrison (Shettleston – 130 yards) beat Jim Johnstone (Monkland – 10 yards) in the Mile in 4:17.8.   The field events featured Crawford Fairbroither (HJ) and Douglas Edmunds (throws).

Gourock Highland is still pulling in the crowds – the date has changed: initially it went to the fourth Saturday in July and it has moved back in the calendar to May now -but it was always a favourite venue for the club against club battles and much was read into the victories.

Hannah Park, Shotts: Home of Shotts Bon Accord FC and the Shotts Highland Games

There were always two meetings in September that attracted the attention: on the first Saturday here was Shotts Highland Games in the heart of Lanarkshire where the welcome was warm, the prizes good, and the track poor.   The back straight was definitely downhill, the home straight was definitely, indisputably, uphill.   The track was of red blaes and in wet weather was heavy and clinging.   White vests needed the aid of the best detergents to remove it.   But it was a good meeting.   The second Saturday in September was always Dunblane Highland Gathering.   An altogether more douce kind of affair in a kind of natural amphitheatre with close cropped grass banks on three sides for spectators to sit and watch the events unfold.   It was a grass track and at times the start of the bottom bend had some big holes made by the shot putters best efforts.   Each had a 14 miles road race but Shotts had the team events that Dunblane lacked.    Club competition was one of the things at Shotts.

In 1961, the team race was won by JT Anderson of Saltwell Harriers in England from Graham Everett of Shettleston in 9:12.4.   The track was narrow and with five or six teams of four plus a couple of individual entries, the starting line was usually crowded – if you were not on the front two ranks, then you had no option but to start relatively slowly while those in front burst forth on the gun with a serious sprint for the first bend.   Bert McKay of Motherwell YMCA was third and the team race was won the the Englishmen from Saltwell.   Shotts at this time was also known for the quality of its relay racing, often incorporating an SAAA sprint or medley relay into the programme.   In 1961 it was the SAAA mile medley relay championship and the report read:

“One of the closest races at the Shotts Highland Games at Hannah Park was the Scottish Mile Medley Relay championship.   Bellahouston Harriers won by two yards in the good time of 3:38.3, but their success was by no means assured until the final lap.   With Bellahouston third and 12 yards behind the leaders, Ayr Seaforth AC, at the three-quarter mile mark, young R Greig made such good progress that he overtook and beat the two runners ahead of him, including JR Boyd (Ayr) the holder of the half mile record.   Some watches showed that Greig had returned his personal best time of 50.3 seconds.”

 In 1962, individual and team honours in the two miles team race again went to Saltwell Harriers: Anderson (9:08.4) and Hillen finished one-two, with Bert McKay and Andy Brown (winner of the 14 miles road race the previous year) in three and four.   The SAAA medley relay championship went to Victoria Park’s squad of Barrow, Turner, Johnstone and Ballantyne) who won in 3:34 from Ayr Seaforth and Bellahouston.   According to the reprt in the Herald, McLatchie beat Barrow in the opening half mile eg ‘by a good margin’ , and Seaforth retained the lead until the last 440 yards leg when ‘A Ballantyne (Victoria Park) ran one of the best races of his career and beat the junior quarter mile champion, JC Stewart (Ayr Seaforth) .’   There was also a women’s medley relay which ended as a contest when Bellahouston’s Helen Cherry gave them a big lead over the half mile.   Getting away from team races and club involvement temporarily, the Shotts 14 mile road race (featuring a couple of serious hill climbs) has something totally unique as a prize – it’s a silver groat.   A groat was an old Scottish coin worth fourpence and it is not something that most Scots have seen.   The race is usually well supported and the winner in 1962 was J Layburn of Jarrow in 1:14:34.    Among the winners in the open events was Ian McCafferty running off 120 yards in the handicap mile, Neil Donnachie of Edinburgh in the half-mile off 16 yards and in the field events Howard Payne of Birchfield won the hammer with an allowance of 3′.

On September 9th, 1963, it was a wet and windy day at Hannah Park and several invitees did not turn up but the club teams for the two miles race were there as usual renewing their rivalry.   This time there were no raiders from across the border and the race was won by Ian McCafferty in 9:34.6 from Jim Johnstone (Monkland Harriers) and Tom Brown (St Modan’s).   The team race was won, not by Motherwell as expected, but by Springburn Harriers whose team of Tom O’Reilly in fourth, Ian Young fifth and Moir Logie in seventh had 16 points.    The medley relay was the feature race that day with the title going to Ayr Seaforth’s quartet of J Davidson, C Stewart, R McCrindle and R Billson in 3:38.0 from Bellahouston and Octavians.   ‘Victoria Park were unable to field a satisfactory team as their leading half-milers were engaged elsewhere.’    Only five of the ten invited runners turned up for the invitation mile which was won by JR Wilson of Teviotdale Harriers from Fergus Murray.   The road race again went to Layburn of Jarrow from Donald Macgregor and Charlie McAlinden.

In 1965 it was Ian McCafferty’s turn to win the team race ‘in workmanlike fashion’ from team mate Bert McKay in 9:09.6 with Motherwell taking the team race.   Lachie Stewart won the road race from Layburn by over two minutes in a new record time (1:11:20) but the race gaining all the attention was the other inter-club race – the invitation medley relay.   The report read: “Glasgow University, holders of the Scottish Mile Medley Relay championship title, even with BW Scobie, WM Campbell, J McGeogh and AB Kennedy, found Bellahouston Harriers more than a match for them.   MJ McLean, a junior, obviously instructed to have as big a lead as possible over the 880 yards first leg, never let up and Scobie found it impossible to get any nearer him than 20 yards.   Thereafter the race was as good as won for H Robertson, W Robertson and H Baillie made the most of this advantage and won by 25 yards.”   Dumbarton AAC was third and the winning time was 3:34.0.

More records were set in 1966, again Ian McCafferty won the two miles, but this time it was no ‘workmanlike’ job – not when he was racing Fergus Murray.   Murray dropped bck in the second mile and McCafferty’s winning time was 9:04.4 with a winning margin by the end of about 14 seconds.   The run erased the time set by John Anderson from Saltwell Harriers from the books by four seconds.   Motherwell (first, third and fourth) won the team race.    McCafferty almost won the handicap mile from scratch – finishing second to Mike Bradley of Paisley who was off 100 yards.   In the medley relay, Bellahouston Harriers won from Octavians with Edinburgh AC third.   Their team of MJ McLean, J Williams, HJ Carmichael and W Robertson were timed at 3:32.1.   Incidentally the 880 yards leg featured an excellent field including Graeme Grant, Adrian Weatherhead (Octavians), Stewart (Edinburgh AC) and Mike McLean with McLean comfortably beating the favourite, Grant.   In the open handicap half mile, Hugh Barrow (18 yards) defeated MJ McCarthy (Gosforth – 34) in 1:53.4.

In 1967 it was again McCafferty who won the two miles team race, this time in 9:10.0, and Motherwell won the team race.   The drama of the day was in the SAAA Medley Relay.   The report:

“One Scottish title was settled – the senior mile medley relay, but in the most frustrating manner possible for former holders, Bellahouston Harriers.  Victoria Park, having been second in the Amateur Athletic Association Championships earlier in the year, were favourites, even without P Hepburn, one of their 220 runners.   An unconvincing first leg (880 yards) by WH Barrow left Victoria Park with only a slight lead , and as the last leg (440 yards) was about to begin they had at the most, a yard in hand over Bellahouston – enough we thought for H Baillie (Bellahouston) to catch RT Laurie .   In a scrambled changeover, however, Baillie was knocked prostrate on the track by an incoming opponent, Laurie was gone, unaware of his rival’s bad luck, and he raced home a clear winner.   The blame really rests with an association which can award the holding of a national event to a meeting whose track has no lane markings and is approximately 17 feet wide instead of 24.”    The winning team was Barrow, A Wood, J Duguid and Laurie and finished in 3:06.8 with Edinburgh AC third.

Shotts was undoubtedly a good meeting with excellent athletes and, coming as it did a month before the winter season’s pipe-opener in the 4 man McAndrew Relay, was supported by the cross-country fraternity as an early lead in to the season.   Unfortunately in Scotland at the start of September, it seemed in retrospect, to have its share of rain!

Lachie Stewart and Norman Morrison at Cowal Highland Gathering

Of all the Highland Games meetings, Cowal was probably the best known among the general public and among athletes it was seen as a two-day meeting, a well sponsored meeting (they paid expenses for invited teams!), and the one with the biggest crowds by far.   Clubs took buses to Cowal – it was a long drive – and many athletes went by train to Craigendoran (at Helensburgh) and then went by boat to Dunoon.   The journey, whether in a busload of friends or by train and steamer, was part of the whole day.   And the quality of the athletics was always high.    When I started going there, there were only six teams invited to the two miles team race and one of them was always an English club.    We were sharing the dressing room and lining up with the best of Longwood and Saltwell Harriers, for instance.   Running at Cowal was a dream of a day for men who normally had to pay money and travel to England to race these guys.

If we look at the 1959 Cowal Games first …    They were held on the last weekend in August and the inter-club element was usually by invitation unless there was a championship relay being held.   “Three runners in the two miles invitation caught the eye – GD Ibbotson (South London Harriers), a former world record holder for the mile, GE Everett (Shettleston Harriers) the Scottish mile champion, and AH Brown (Motherwell YMCA), holder of the Scottish native record for the three miles.   The first mile was completed in 4 minutes 25 seconds with Ibbotson allowing Everett to make the pace.   The position was generally similar until the last lap when Ibbotson went to the front and opened a wide lead from Everett, who appeared to be tiring rapidly.   Brown made a strong effort to chase Ibbotson but the Englishman finished 10 yards ahead of him in 8:37.7 , Brown’s time was 8:59.4 and Everett was third in 9:15.2 – a time which he has easily beaten on previous occasions. “

Everett was out again in the medley relay where the Shettleston team won (Everett, McNulty, Meggat, Dewar) from Garscube and Ayr Seaforth.

Another Englishman won the event in 1960 – John Anderson of Saltwell Harriers winning from Bill Kerr (Victoria Park) and Eddie Sinclair of Springburn in 9:05.7.   Team victors were Victoria Park (15 points) from Bellahpouston (21) and Springburn (24).   The West District relay was included on the programme and as won by Victoria Park (Dunbar, Turner, Hildrey and Whitlock) in 42.3, a native record, from Larbert YC and Ayr Seaforth.   The medley relay was Seaforth from Bellahouston and Liverpool Harriers.   The inter-club component was important to the development of the athletes and the sport and to be representing your club before tens of thousands of spectator at what was an international gathering gave the athletes a real shot of adrenalin.   The Rangers Sports were still going strong but they had no inter-club element to them – they fulfilled another function.

The team race in 1961 was on a higher plane than for many years when Ibbotson, Anderson and Everett faced each other on the starting line.   It was a wet day and times generally were slow but the report read: “The two miles was a close race among JD Anderson (Saltwell), GD Ibbotson (Longwood) and GE Everett (Shettleston).   They finished in that order, in 9:11, 9:11.8 and 9:12.2.   Anderson had the edge for speed on his opponents down the finishing straight.   GD Ibbotson turned out in the open mile, and although he made good progress through the big field of handicap runners, he just failed to be placed.   JT McLatchie (Muirkirk AC) showed fine form and won from 45 yards in 4:11.8.”

The team race was won by Shettleston Harriers (20) from Bellahouston Harriers .   Bellahouston had their consolation when they won the medley relay from Liverpool Harriers and Seaforth AC.   Their winning team of Currie, LaPointe, Robertson and Greig was timed at 3:35.5.   The West District Relay was again won by Victoria Park whose team was Ballantine, Hamilton, Hildrey and Whitlock in 43.2 seconds.   The only other invitation event was the Youthe 880 yards which was won by Hugh Barrow (VPAAC) in 1:57.2 from Jim Johnston and Jim Finn (both Monkland).

On  the second day of the 1962 meeting John Anderson achieved a notable double when he won the invitation mile as well as the two miles.   The photograph in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ showed three men straining for the line – Anderson, Ibbotson and Jim McLatchie with times of 4:08.9, 4:09.9 and 4:09.9.   The Two Miles was another hard race between the two Englishmen with Anderson’s 8:56.6 beating Ibbotson’s 9:01.2 and John Hillen (Saltwell) in 9:01.4.   As they took the eye of the photographer and the spectating masses, there was a hard team race taking part which was won by Motherwell YMCA.   The Medley Relay was won by Bellahouston (Currie, McGaw, LaPointe and Greig) from a fast finishing Seaforth AC  and Liverpool Harriers in 3 min 31.7 sec.    Bellahouston (Mayberry, McGaw, LaPointe and Rae) also won the West 4 x 110 yards relay in 43.6 seconds from Seaforth and Clydesdale.   Ibbotson had enjoyed his previous experiences at Dunoon so much that he brought his wife Madeleine up in 1962 and she won a women’s invitation 880 yards from Scotland’s Georgena Buchanan and Ireland’s Maeve Kyle.in 2:16.0.

31st August, 1963,  was another good day for JP Anderson of Saltwell.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ report read: JP Anderson was one of the most successful competitors at the annual Cowal Games on Saturday at Dunoon.   He won the invitation two miles in the most satisfactory time of 8:54 on a track that had been made soft and heavy by continuous rain.   There was never ever doubt about Anderson’s ability, for when he decided to take control of the race all that was left was to see who was going to be second.    In the circumstances young I McCafferty (Motherwell YMCA) showed considerable ability, for in determined fashion he beat the more experienced JJ Hillen (Saltwell) for second place in 9:00.2 for his personal best and the best time ever shown by a junior.   Motherwell again won the team race with 15 points with the brothers AH  and  AP Brown the supporting members for McCafferty.   Bellahouston Harriers retained the Western District 4 x 110 yards relay championship.  Ayr Seaforth and Clydesdale were again second and third respectively.   

Saltwell Harriers was second in the two miles with 30 points and the medley relay was replaced by the SAAA junior medley relay which was won by Victoria Park (Laurie, Smith, Lappin and Wood from Edinburgh Southern and Seaforth.

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This was Anderson’s third year at Cowal, and Ibbotson had been there twice.   What was the attraction?   The arena consisted of an ash track round a very tight infield.   On the infield there was always (a) two pipe band circles, (b) a highland dancing platform, (c) a wrestling competition and the runners had to warm up around them, keeping an eye out for the pipe bands marching into the arena.   On the outside of the track there was a crowd of 40000 or 50000, so close to the track that the athlete in the outside lane could shake hands with the spectators.   It was a very intense experience.

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Cowal was always a two-day meeting with an incomplete programme on the Friday with most of the standard track events, then on the Saturday with a complete programme of events.  This enabled distance men to run two races, sometimes three, over the weeend.  On 29th August, 1964, young Hugh Barrow took the plaudits.  On the Friday evening he set a new SAAA record for the rarely run three-quarter mile distance of 3:00.5, just beating John McGrow on the line.   He would go on to equal this time twice – at Airdrie in 1968 and 1969 – but never to beat it.  Not content with that, he was out for his club on the Saturday in the two miles team race.   Second in the two miles to Derek Ibbotson, who won in 8:49.4, he set a personal best time by no fewer than 11 seconds when he ran 8:54.   Ian McCafferty was third in 8:59.4.   Glasgow University (McGeoch, Gibbons, Ewan and Campbell) won the Western District 4 x 110 yards in 43.1 seconds from Seaforth and Clydesdale.   The SAAA Junior 4 x 110 yards was won by Bellahouston  (Carmichael, Brown, Symeonides and Ritchie) from Edinburgh Southern and Victoria Park in 44.1 sec and in the SAAA Junior medley relay (440 + 220 + 220 + 440), Bellahouston (Baillie, Carmichael, Ritchie McLean) beat Ayr Seaforth and Victoria Park in 2:28.6.

Barrow (right) beats McGrow in 1964

Came 1965 and Edinburgh Southern Harriers were back at Cowal and led by  Kenny Ballantyne, they acquitted themselves well.  “The most absorbing contest on the track was the two miles in which R McKay, KD Ballantyne and E Knox ran in that order for most of the way.   McKay, the veteran of the three, was obviously trying to take the sting out of his rivals finish during the last two laps, and succeeded with Knox.   Ballantyne however had too much left and in the home straight fought past McKay and won in 9 minutes exactly. “

Bellahouston Harriers won all three relays that year – the West District 4 x 110 yards, the SAAA Junior 4 x 110 championship and the SAAA junior medley relay championship.

The 1966 Games 440 yards invitation race was a personal triumph for Hugh Baillie of Bellahouston Harriers who won in 48.7 but the two miles team race where the country’s top clubs faced each other was as hotly contested as ever.    Ian McCafferty (Motherwell YMCA) won from Hugh Barrow (VPAAC) by 17 seconds.   Only Barrow attempted to go with him and their times at the finish were 8:42.2 and 9:05.6.   McCafferty had come through the first mile in 4:21.   Motherwell won the team race, as they did at so many venues in the 1960’s, with 9 points (1, 3, 5).    In the relays, Bellahouston (Williams, Symeonides, Baillie and Carmichael) won the SAAA West District 4 x 110 yards in 43.4 seconds, and with a team of Johnstone, Wood, McAlpine and Wallace) the SAAA Junior 4 x 110 yards in 46.3.    Edinburgh Southern Harriers (Hay, Miller, Railton and Stewart)  however won the SAAA Junior medley relay in 2:32.2 from Bellahouston.

Alastair Shaw’s prize ticket from the mid-70’s: the prize was a cake stand

It is interesting to reflect on what effect all this head-to-head racing of runners of all standards at the various meetings had on standards generally in Scottish athletics.   It should be borne in mind that Cowal was not as easily reached as all the other central belt venues – Gourock, Ibrox, Shotts and the rest were all well attended and the top men, the clubmen and the young pretenders all faced their own rivals on tracks around the country week in, week out and although the times were not good the lessons in hard racing were learned and perfected.

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Star turn in 1967 was Lachie Stewart’s one hour run on the Friday evening in which he covered 12 miles 188 yards to set a new Scottish record.   He also ran in the two miles on the Saturday and although always up at the front of the field, he dropped back allowing Ian McCafferty to win in 8:59.4 seconds leading Motherwell to team victory with 8 points(1, 3, 4).   McCafferty also won the mile from Hugh Barrow in 4:03.1.   The relays?   The West District 4 x 110 was won by Garscube Harriers in 44.4 seconds after the ‘winning’ team from Victoria Park had been disqualified despite being well ahead at the finish, the SAAA Junior 4 x 110 yards was won by Shettleston Harriers in 44.8 seconds and the SAAA Junior medley relay championship was won by Shettleston in 2:32.2.

For some reason the Glasgow Herald correspondent took to reporting English fixtures at greater length about this time and the reports on Cowal and other Games and Sports dwindled and only winners were listed and, even less praiseworthy, the team events were not given their proper place.   In 1968, Lachie Stewart won the mile against Walter Wilkinson of Longwood Harriers in 4:05.7 as well as the team race in 8:59.6.   The West District 4 x 110 yards was won by Bellahouston and the SAAA junior 4 x 110 yards by Airdrie Harriers.   Shettleston retained the junior medley relay title in 2:34.0.   In 1969, the event went again to Lachie Stewart whose time was 8:52.6 and Shettleston won the team race; the West District 4 x 110 yards relay went to Victoria Park, thanks to a ‘splendid run by Andrew Wood, Victoria Park’s anchor man which enabled his club to win by six yards from Bellahouston Harriers .   Wood later ran from scratch in the final of the open 220 yards and won by two yards in 22.7.” 

Cowal continued to be  good meeting but the point has been made about the inter club element being an ifactor.   Man against man is what the sport is about but the club element where runners challenge themselves against their equals or betters for their club, when they would not do so for themselves, has always been an important factor in athletes development.

As an example of a typical meeting for the athletes we have extracts from the 1971 programme with all the results.

The meeting was still drawing the crowds in 1989 –

Unfortunately after many years as a model of how the light athletics (running and jumping events) should be incorporated into the programme, Cowal dropped all athletics events other than the heavies and the programme is less varied in other respects.   The only running event in the 21st century is a 5K road race (plus some schools races), and the arena events now look like this.   In the Stadium there are Heavy Events, Highland Dancing, Pipe Bands and Wrestling; and in the Performance Arena there is Axe Throwing.   This is a sad loss for the athletics community and for the local athletics fans in Dunoon.

Lachie Stewart (48) leading from Dick Wedlock (45) and Hugh Barrow (71)

Inter-club rivalry and competition did not stop with Tuesday or Thursday night matches but continued at Sports Meetings and some Highland Games during the summer season.   Many of these occasions were enhanced by the inclusion of a two mile team race and one – or at times two – relays at the end of the meeting.   Of course, athletes travelling to such meetings, would also enter individual races to maximise their pleasure or competition experience on the day.   It was not unusual to see a runner finish the team race and immediately change the race number for the one he would wear in the up-coming mile handicap; it was unusual to see – as we saw Gordon Eadie of Cambuslang do once – a runner win a 14 mile road race and then step on to the track for the two mile team event!   The sprinters in the 4 x 100 relay would as a matter of course also enter two of the 100 yards, 220 yards or 440 yards.   I remember at Cowal the relay came before the 220 yards handicap and since so few turned up for the furlong, it was decided to have a straight final.   After the decision was taken and the announcement made, the sprinters trooped across from the relay and it was discovered that there were almost two dozen runners for the straight final!   They went ahead with it and it made for a most interesting race.   But the thing is that the top men turned out in these races and with, say, Motherwell YMCA, Victoria Park and Shettleston facing each other almost every other week, the head to head racing that helped develop the top men, was the highlight of many a local sports day.

One of the most popular was that held at Babcock & Wilcox Sports in Renfrew at Moorcroft Park, on the third Saturday in June.  By then the runners were well tuned up having run  in the team race at the Lanarkshire Constabulary Sports at Shawfield on the first Saturday of the month and then as individuals in the Glasgow Police Sports on the second Saturday.   The Glasgow polis did not have a two mile team race at this point.   The track at Moorcroft Park was just good grass – it had no eccentricities (Cowal had a big hole on the inside of the second bend, Gourock had an uphill last bend and finish, and so on) , was easily reached by public transport and there was a trophy (the Empire Exhibition Trophy) for the club with the highest points for the afternoon..   In addition the prizes were of a good standard – eg we once had 54″  x  27″  fireside rugs for being second team.

In 1960 the race was won by Graham Everett in 9:00.2 at a time when he was SAAA Champion and GB Internationalist for the Mile.   To keep the inter-club theme going, Edinburgh Northern Harriers won the Medley Relay in 3:38.8.   1961 was also a close run thing in the team race – Graham Everett again won the two miles from two Bellahouston runners – Joe Connolly was second and Dick Penman was third but Bellahouston won the team race convincingly with 9 points to Shettleston’s 20.   Everett was out again in the medley relay and this time Shettleston won in 3:37.8.   The Empire Exhibition Shield went to a third club – Springburn Harriers who were closely challenged by Bellahouston and Victoria Park.   Nobody won anything unchallenged at Babcock’s.

Having come close in 1961, Victoria Park won the Shield in 1962 and possibly the two miles team race (the exact result is not available) but the Mile Medley Relay went to Larkhall YMCA who won in 3:38.8.   Came 1963 and it was Bellahouston Harriers’s turn to win the Empire Trophy and the match incorporated a match between Renfrew and London which was won by the home team.   The Two Miles was a clean sweep for Motherwell whose first three were Bert McKay (9:08.9), Andy Brown and Alex Brown with the team race being decided on these three places, with Victoria Park second  and Edinburgh Southern Harriers third.   The medley relay this time went to Maryhill Harriers from Dumbarton in second and Clydesdale Harriers in third.

In 1964 Lachie Stewart won the two miles in 9:6.8 while Motherwell again won the team race but the relays were the high point of the meeting.   The medley relay was won by Ayr Seaforth for whom Jim McLatchie, home on holiday from America, ran the first stage but an added attraction was the holding of the two SAAA championship relays over 4 x 100 and 4 x 440 yards.   The former was won by Glasgow University (McGeough, Gibbons, Ewan and Campbell) in 43 seconds, holding off Edinburgh Southern by a yard; and the students from Glasgow also won the long relay (Foster, Wilson, Hodelet and Campbell) in 3:19.1 by five yards.   The inter-club events added a great deal to the sports – coming just a week before the SAAA Championships didn’t hurt either.

Lachie won the race in 1965 in 9:11.6 with Victoria Park taking the team race.   Dumbarton AAC went one better than in 1963 when they won the mile medley relay in 3:42.3.   In 1966 the weather was wet, the ground soggy and times generally slow but Victoria Park again won the Empire Trophy which they had won a year earlier and the race of the afternoon was reported to have been the two miles which was won again by Lachie Stewart in 9:24.8 while Bellahouston defeated Dumbarton to win the medley relay in 3:50.2.   Bellahouston won the relay again in 1967 in 2:31.8 and Lachie Stewart of Vale of Leven won the two miles in 8:58.

Thereafter the third Saturday in June – which had always been taken up with the Scottish Schoolboys Championships, the Scottish Schoolgirls Championships and Babcock’s Sports was invaded by more and more meetings and one of the most enjoyable meetings on the calendar disappeared.

The point made at the top of the page – that inter-club competition which was beneficial to the clubs, to the individuals and to the sport in the country was continued throughout the season in a variety of ways.   We can look at some of the other sports and games that included two miles team and relay races on another page.

Inter Clubs at Shawfield and Brockville    Shotts and  Gourock    Cowal 

The inter-clubs were in the main  organised by the clubs concerned and were often annual fixtures – for instance Clydesdale Harriers always had track matches with Vale of Leven, Greenock Glenpark Harriers and Springburn Harriers with others (Shettleston, Victoria Park, Maryhill, etc) being less frequent.   They should not be looked back on in a patronising fashion – they were far from being easy, wee social occasions – although there was always a social element present.    I have printed the results of the first one here had 16 events, including almost all field events, and others had eighteen events on the programme.   Bear in mind that they required all the hurdles on the track for both hurdles races, the uprights and other kit for the high jump and pole vault plus all the throwing equipment to be present and in a good condition and that track events usually went up to 6 miles and had both relays..

They were not contested solely by B string or C string athletes – note some of the names below – SAAA champions such as Ming Campbell, Joe Connolly, Tom McNab, Peter Milligan, Alan Dunbar, Mike Hildrey and so on all appeared in them.   Arranged before the season started, these matches were often written in to the competition before the season began.

This is just a sampling of the fixtures – those from the East Coast are not here, nor are many of the local meetings in the counties around Glasgow such as Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire or Ayrshire.   Not all results have been printed.   If you want any particular set added, it can be done.   Here we go.

Wednesday, 27th April, 1960:   “Bellahouston Harriers beat Shettleston Harriers by 117 points to 82 last night in an inter-club contest at Corkerhill.   R Sykes (Bellahouston) won three events,  the shot putt (41′ 9″), discus (126′ 4 1/2″) and the long jump (19′ 7”) and he was equal first in the pole vault.   Other winners:

100 yards: D Robinson (S) 10.7 sec;   220 yards: A McGaw (B) 22.9 sec;   440 yards: R Cairney (B) 51.6 sec;   880 yards: B Forrest (B)  2 min 9.3 sec;   Mile:   B Dickson (B) 4 min 32.3 sec;   Three Miles: J Connolly (B) 14 min 21.8 sec;   Six Miles:  J Irvine (B) 31 min 7.1 sec; 120 yards hurdles:  G Brown (B) 16.6 sec; 440 yards hurdles: Brown, 60.6.

High Jump: R Santini (S)  5′ 5″;   hop, step and jump: T McNab (B) 43′ 11 1/2″;   Javelin:  D Fraser (S) 149′ 8″;   pole vault: F McDonald and Sykes 9′;   Hammer:  T McNab (B) 79′ 1 1/2″;   4 x 100 yards relay:   Bellahouston (S Watson, R Sykes, S Wineberg, S McGaw)45.4 sec;    4 x 440 yards: Bellahouston (W Robertson, J Currie, A Forrest, R Cairney) 3 min 35.1 sec.”

Friday, 29th April:   Tomorrow there is a triangular contest at Barrachnie where Shettleston Harriers will have  Seaforth AC and Garscube Harriers as visitors.   Shettleston should prove too strong for both opponents as they have a much stronger team than that which lost to Bellahouston.”

Monday, 1st May:  Shettleston Harriers won a triangular match against Seaforth AC and Garscube Harriers with an aggregate of 89 points to 66 for Seaforth and 36 for Garscube.   J Meggat and T McNab (Shettleston) had doubles in the 100 yards and 220 yards  and  the long jump and shot putt  respectively.  

Results:   100 yards:  J McNulty (SH)  10.4 sec;   second race:  J Meggat (SH) 10.5 sec;   220 yards: W Stockton (SH) 23.6;  second race:  Meggat (SH) 23.6 sec;   440 yards: J Baird (SH) 53 sec;   second race: J Wilson (SAC)  53.2 sec;   880 yards:  J Young (SAC) 1 min 58 sec;   Mile: J Davidson (SAC)  4 min 35 sec; Three Miles:  I Donald (SH)  15 min 7.8 sec;   High Jump:  A Santini (SH) 5′ 3 1/2″; Long Jump:  T McNab (SH) 19′ 5 1/2″;  Shot Putt:  McNab (SH) 36′ 10 1/2″; 4 x half lap relay:  Shettleston  1 min 17.2 sec.

[There were also races for Youths and Boys]

Wednesday, 3rd May: “Bellahouston Harriers beat Jordanhill Training College by 108 points to 84 last night at Corkerhill.   G Brown (Bellahouston) won the 120 yards hurdles and 440 yards hurdles in 17.3 sec and 60 sec respectively.  Another notable performance was achieved by J Connolly (Bellahouston) who won the three miles in 14 min 13.5 sec, 2 sec outside his own personal best for the distance.”   

Friday, May 6th:  “Shettleston Harriers will meet Edinburgh University in what should be a very closely contested men’s inter-club match at Barrachnie.

Glasgow University should give a good account of themselves in a three cornered contest at St Andrews against the local students and Queen’s University, Belfast.    The Scottish Universities B Teams with Clydesdale Harriers will have a match at Westerlands.”

Monday, 9th May at Barrachnie:   “Edinburgh University beat Shettleston Harriers by 78 points to 64 at Barrachnie.   T McNab and RA Findlay, both of Shettleston, won two events.   McNab won the long jump and the hop, step and jump and Findlay the shot putt and javelin.   The students won 10 of the 15 events.”

Wednesday, 11th May:   “Bellahouston Harriers beat Victoria Park by 82 1/2 points to 78 1/2 points in an inter-club contest last night at Nethercraigs.   G Brown (Bellahouston) won both hurdles events, the 120 yards in 12.1 seconds and 440 yards in 57.4 seconds, and RC Sykes (Bellahouston) won the shot putt with 39′ 11″and the discus with 112′ 10″.   In the high jump, C  Fairbrother (Victoria Park) cleared 6’6″ but failed at three attempts at 6’8″.   

Friday, May 13th:  Springburn Harriers with 72 points won a triangular contest at St Augustine’s playing fields, Milton against Glasgow University (66 pts) and Garscube Harriers (45 pts).”

Monday 16th May, at St Andrews:   “One of the best performances at the triangular match between St Andrews University, Edinburgh Southern Harriers and Shettleston Harriers was the pole vault of 12′ 6″ by N Brown (Shettleston), beating the ground record by 9″.   St Andrews won the men’s contest with 95 points to Southern’s 62 and Shettleston’s 27.   Jordanhill Training College, with 39 points won the women’s contest from Southern, 36 and St Andrews, 33.    DJ Whyte (St Andrews) won three events – 100 yards (10.4 sec), high jump (5’11”) and long jump (22′  6 1/2 “)”

Wednesday, May 18th:   Glasgow University narrowly won an inter-club contest at Westerlands last night with an aggregate of 79 points.   Victoria Park AAC were runners up with 74, Jordanhill Training College third with 52, and Shettleston Harriers fourth, 38.   CW Fairbrother (Victoria Park) the British high jump champion, was one of the outstanding competitors with a jump of 6′ 7″, only half an inch outside the Scottish record.   G McLaughlan (Victoria Park) equalled the 120 yards native hurdles record with a time of 15.3 sec.

[This was a particularly interesting match with many top class athletes competing – eg Mike Hildrey won the 100 yards, Graham Everett won the mile, Joe Connolly won the three miles, Tom McNab won the triple jump and hammer, PeterMilligan won the pole vault and Fraser Riach won the shot, discus and javelin.]

Friday, May 20th:   Shettleston Harriers beat Glasgow University select by 71 points to 66 last night at Westerlands.”

Monday, 23rd May:   Edinburgh Southern Harriers beat Victoria Park AAC by two points at Fernieside.   Six ground records were broken and one equalled.     Bellahouston Harriers beat Ayr Seaforth by 71 points to 45 at Ayr.

Wednesday, 25th May:   “Glasgow University beat Bellahouston Harriers by 109 points to 78 last night at Westerlands.   R Sykes (Bellahouston) won the shot putt (41′ 8 1/2″), the discus (124′ 5″) and the pole vault (9′).   AM Miller (University) won the 100 yards in 10.4 sec and the 220 yards in 22.5 sec, and RR Mills (University) also won two events, the 120 yards hurdles (16.1 s) and the 440 yards hurdles (57 s).”

Friday, 27th May:   “Victoria Park AAC beat Glasgow University by 58 points to 40 last night at Westerlands.   I Binnie (Victoria Park AAC), holder of records from 7 to 12 miles, took part after a long absence from the track.   He won the two miles comfortably in 9 min 55.5 sec in heavy rain.” 

[June had most club championships, some county championships and a few open meetings – the big one was the SAAA Championships at the end of the month and the inter-clubs had been well used by most of the big names to get themselves in shape, often by running distances other than their usual but also some hard racing away in relatively private conditions against other top competitors. There were never many two or three club fixtures in June.    July was the ‘holiday month’ with all the various Fair Holidays – several had the first fortnight as their annual break, others had the second two weeks and and very few clubs could field a complete team at that time of year.  If you add in the AAA’s Championships with the best athletes competing there and having to prepare on their own for the week or two beforehand, the problem was exacerbated.   So June and July were relatively free of the inter-club fixture although there were a few.]

 Tuesday, June 14th:   “Garscube Harriers beat Springburn Harriers by 108 points to 102 last night in their inter-club contest at Knightswood.   MM Campbell (Garscube) won the 100 and 220 yards in 10.4 sec and 23.6 sec and E Sinclair (Springburn) won the mile in  4 min 33.5 sec, and the two miles in 9 min 33.1 sec.”

Friday, 12th August:   “Shettleston have a contest against Edinburgh Southern Harriers tomorrow at Scotstoun.   Shettleston, who have already beaten Victoria Park and Glasgow University, out to be more than a match for Edinburgh Southern.   The Glasgow club will be without GE Everett, who will be competing at the British Games at White City, London, but Southern will be more heavily handicapped through the absence of RB Cockburn in the sprints, KD Ballantyne in the middle distance events and D McKechnie in the jumps.   These three are included in the Scottish side who are due to compete in the Belfast Highland Games.”

Monday, August 15th:   “Edinburgh Southern Harriers beat Shettleston Harriers by the narrow margin of four points (95 – 91) in their inter-club event at Scotstoun.   Each club won 9 of the 18 events.   K Skilder was a triple winner for Edinburgh Southern in the shot putt, discus and pole vault.   F Davidson (Edinburgh Southern) and R Stephen (Shettleston) each won two events.   Both relay events were won by Shettleston, W Stockton, the Scottish quarter mile champion, paving the way for his club’s win in the 4 x 440 yards.”

Monday, August 22nd:   “Bellahouston Harriers beat Springburn Harriers by 58 points to 32 in their inter-club contest at Nethercraigs.”

From Runners World:

Merv Lincoln, Miler Who Was Always Second Best, Dies at 82 | Runner’s World 

Received from Hugh Barrow, this one is on how to be the very best distance runner you can be.   As he says, it is by one who has been over the course.

I received this one yesterday – it is what it says it is and I don’t need to recommend a document signed by the eight people at the foot.   Four of them are Scots.   Read on.

Open letter to everyone who cares about athletics:

Track and Field Athletics; The Facts

In the last 30 to 40 years athletics has changed from being run largely by volunteers (3 paid professional administrators and 9 National coaches under the British Amateur Athletics Board prior to 1991) to having 220 administrative and coaching staff costing over £10 million per annum. Since funding for performance began in 1999 more that £300 million has gone to athletics governing bodies, of which more than 50% has come from lottery or public funds.

Many people who have been directly involved in the sport during this transition in both voluntary and professional capacities are deeply concerned that the present powerful, rigid and very expensive structure masks overwhelming but officially denied decline in track and field athletics. The facts are:-

Participation
The latest Active People Survey 2013 (APS) states that 140,000 people over the age of 16 take part in track and field athletes as their prime sport. But analysis of results on the governing body’s own website shows that, in fact, approximately only 7000 over 16s compete in the sport 5 times per year or more. If the APS figures were correct around 1000 athletes would be found on each track in the country on training nights. Observation suggests that the real figure is around 50, which is compatible with the 7000 who are known to compete. The number of senior athletes declined in 2013 from 2012. The APS overstates the figures by a factor of 20.

Elite Performance
When elite funding was approved in 1998 the only objective KPI was to increase medals at Olympics and World outdoor Championships. The target for athletics at the Olympics was set at 6 medals for 2000 (matching the 1996 total) rising to 12 in 2012. The total achieved in 2012 was 6, no increase after 14 years of funding. In the World Championships in 1997 Great Britain won 6 medals and in 2013 Great Britain won 6 medals, again no increase.

Coaching
In a letter to an MP in Dec 2012, the head of Sport England stated there were 42,000 active coaches in athletics. The latest figures from Sport England, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act in 2013, gives 14,111. More than 50% of this number are not designated as coaches but ‘leaders’, having obtained this qualification by merely attending a one or two day course. Analysis of qualified coaches from 2008 to 2012 suggests the number has declined by 50%. The number of active qualified coaches is now around 3000.

Officials
It is very difficult to obtain accurate information on officials, but the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. At all levels below elite, meetings are being run without sufficient qualified officials. The majority of officials are not registered and more that 50% of all meetings could not take place without using these officials. A meeting a Loughborough (an athletics Centre of Excellence) to select athletes for an international meeting was cancelled through lack of officials in March this year.

Summary
A lack of transparent, consistent whole sport performance measures hides the fact that £300 million since 1999 has resulted in just 7000 16+ track and field participants and 3000 coaches in 2013. Only 6 medals per global championship have been achieved, as opposed to the 12 targeted when performance funding started – and 5 of the 10 individual medals have been won by athletes who live and train abroad with foreign coaches. There has been no Olympic Legacy other than decline, a situation that demands urgent enquiry.

Gwenda Ward, Olympian, coach; Rob Whittingham, Track Statistician and author; Tom McNab, ex National coach, author and playwright; John Anderson, ex National Coach; Bill Laws, Chair, ABAC: John Bicourt, Olympian, coach; Hamish Telfer Ph.D coach, author and academic. Frank Dick Ph.D Former Director of Coaching, British Athetics Federation.

Probably the most successful Scottish club of the 1950’s:

A Victoria Park group taken at Milngavie

1955 was as different from 1975 as chalk from cheese: 1965 was different but there were many similarities and these will probably show up.   It was a decade that had an interesting mix – domestic fixtures and also many wonderful international stars appearing in Glasgow and Edinburgh every year at the various ‘Sports’.   It was still quite close to the war and the real austerity years so the number of domestic meetings was lower that it would come to be in the 60’s.   The Universities played a big part in the athletics of the day with inter-varsity meetings, university sports having open races included, university championships being major meetings in their own right; the various police forces had their meetings – three are mentioned below – with the Glasgow Police meeting in early June being the largest and featuring international stars; and there were the meetings promoted by local factories such as Babcock & Wilcox, Saxone and Singer’s which were regular fixtures.   Track Leagues which were a key part of the sport in 1965 had not yet appeared on the scene.  Another difference from today, was the coverage given to the ‘Britan  v  ….’ internationals.   The coverage given to meetings such as GBV France, GB v Hungary, GB v Russia and so on with two men per event, (no guest races and very,very seldom was there ever a guest competitor in any of the races) was comprehensive, at times lavish.   Maybe surprising when there was seldom more than two or three Scots in the team but it was very soon after the war in which all four British countries had fought side by side and there was no question of us not being British.   Anyway, what follows is a snapshot of Scottish athletics in 1955 and it should be compared with 1965 and 1975.

The summer season starts as ever at the end of April and start of May.

On 18th April, Victoria Park competed in the London to Brighton Road Race where they finished ninth with Shettleston sixteenth.   Ian Binnie (VP) was third fastest over the seventh stage and Graham Everett (Shettleston) was sixth on the next stage.   At home, Cyril O’Boyle (Clydesdale Harriers) won the Balloch to Clydebank 12 miles road race from Alec McDougall (Vale of Leven) in 66:05.   The penultimate weekend in April, 1955 was when Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities held their open meetings.   At Glasgow the star man was Alan Dunbar in the 100 yards which he won in 10.5 on the grass track at Westerlands, JGR Robertson won the 220 yards in 23.5.   The press report noted that Robertson was 6′ 1″ and 14 stone and also won the shot putt with 34′ 5″ as well as finishing second in the 100 yards.  JM Finlayson won the mile and three miles in 4:29.2 and 15:38.8 with Peter Ballance second in both.    L Barr won the women’s 100 yards (12.7) and 220 yards (29.9).    In Edinburgh, at Goldenacre, KA Robertson won the 100 yards in 10.4 seconds, JV Paterson won the 220 yards and the 440 yards in 23.6 seconds and 51 seconds and Adrian Jackson won the mile in 4:18.   The big event on 30th April, 1955, was the Victoria Park AAC meeting at Scotstoun. The report read: “A very successful outing for school youths and juniors was held by Victoria Park AAC at Scotstoun Showground on Saturday.   The feature of the school events was the fine performance of G Watson of Whitehill Secondary School who, in the 100 yards for boys 15 – 17, clocked 10.6 beating J Craig, John Neilson School, Paisley, by three yards.   V Reilly, last year’s Scottish Youth champion, won the Over 17 race in the same time.   Both Watson and Reilly returned the same time as did R Quinn who won one of three Victoria Park club races.   Quinn beat G Robertson, the Scottish schoolboy champion by half a yard in 10.6 in the club sprint, but over the furlong Robertson beat Quinn by a yard in 23.5 seconds.   I Binnie, the holder of records from two miles to one hour’s running, ran in a three mile race and won as he liked  in the good time of 14:27.4 beating his nearest rival, J Russell, by over half a lap.   Binnie ran the first mile in 4:33, and the second in 4:29. ”   Among the other schools winners was CW Fairbrother, John Neilson School, who won the high jump with 5′ 7″.

On the first Saturday in May there were four events, including an attempt by Ian Binnie on the ground record at Meadowbank in an invitation three miles at the Edinburgh Trades Council meeting.    He won by almost a lap from Stan Horne of Garscube Harriers in 14:15.3.   On the same day, his club defeated Heriot’s FP and Edinburgh Southern Harriers quite comfortably in a triangular fixture at Goldenacre.   Results: 100 yards W Breingan (VP)  10.7 sec; 220 yards V Hamilton (VP) 23.8;  440 yards:  R Quinn (VP) 50.8;  880 yards  D Henson (VP) 1:2:01.8;  Mile G Everett (Shettleston) 4:23.6;  High Jump  W Piper (VP)  6′, equalled ground record; Long Jump T Macnab (S) and G McFarlane (VP) 20′ 8″;  Hop, Step and Jump  T Macnab (S) 46’8″;  Shot J Donnelly (VP)  38′ 02″;  Discus  J Donnelly (VP) 118′ 6″.    Victoria Park also won the 4 x 110 yards relay.   The Victoria Park men’s road and cross country team was winning almost everything on the roads and many of the country races at this time, but their track and field team was not too bad either.  Meanwhile at Craiglockhart, Edinburgh University was beating a Glasgow University team by 68 points to 50 in the men’s match and 48 to 20 in the women’s.    In the B competition between the same two university teams, Edinburgh beat Glasgow 48 to 40.

There were several domestic meetings on 23rd May as well as meetings south of the border with Scots taking part.   Glasgow University ‘did not experience any problems’ in beating Aberdeen University at Westerlands despite the absence of several sprinters.   In the Mile, where Glasgow’s J Finlayson was expected to give a good account of himself, A Wood of Aberdeen won ‘as he pleased’.   In the Bonnybridge meeting, Miss J Herman ran a very good 200 yards in 27.4 seconds despite the ground conditions, Willie Drysdale of Monkland won the men’s mile in 4:27.   Edinburgh University defeated Stewart’s College at Craiglockhart and Clydesdale Harriers was the strongest club in the ne Dunbartonshire Championships with the two best performances of the day – by WS Linton (ex-Braidburn) in the 880 yards in 2:01.5, and John Hume in the 440 yards in 53.7 seconds.   Other winners were George Rodger (Clydesdale in the 100 yards) in 10.8, Bob Steele (Vale of Leven) in the 220 yards in 24.4, Stan Horne of Garscube in the Mile in 4:34.4, Gordon Dickson, also Garscube, in the Three Miles in 15:26.    Looking at that group, we note that Dickson moved to Victoria Park for several years before going back to Garscube, Bob Steele moved to Edinburgh, joined Edinburgh Southern Harriers and became administrator for the Scottish endurance squad and Willie Drysdale is still running in 2014 as a veteran, albeit for Law & District.   Ian Binnie ran at the Caledonian Games at the White City where he set the pace for the first mile before fading and finishing down the field.

On 28th May, Alan Gordon finished fourth and just outside four minutes for the Mile at White City.   In the Glasgow University championships, JGR Robertson defeated Alan Dunbar in both 100 and 220 yards in 10 sec and 22.5 seconds.   His 100 yards time was new ground record but at the Edinburgh University championships a new Scottish native record for the javelin was set by DWR McKenzie with a throw of 214′ 11″ but the athlete of the meeting was JV Paterson.  Paterson ran 50.3 seconds for the 440 yards and a half mile record of 1:57.8.   Adrian Jackson won the Three Miles in 14:58.9, considerably quicker than the Glasgow equivalent.

Athletics attention was firmly on the Glasgow Police International Athletic Gathering – the 72nd of the series – on 5th June, 1955.    Athletes from Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland were all there providing good competition for the athletes, excitement beyond the ordinary for the spectators and good publicity for the sport.   The report:

“High winds affected performances at the 72nd Glasgow Police International Athletic Gathering on Saturday at Ibrox Stadium, where the attendance was below expectations.   Two records were accomplished – both in one race, the three miles.   R Dunkley, a former outstanding AAA’s Junior miler, made a superb last lap effort to beat the Scottish champion, I Binnie (Victoria Park), by 30 yards in the new all-comers record time of 13:50.3 – some 4 seconds better than the previous record of F Mihalic (Yugoslavia) at the Glasgow Highland Gathering last year.   Binnie clocked 13:54.8, a new Scottish native record.   Binnie in his customary manner set the pace for the field of seven entrants.   Before he reached the two mile mark he held a lead of 80 yards, clocking 4:31.4 for the first mile, and 9:12.4 for the second.   F Herman (Belgium) lay second, closely followed by Dunkley.   Just before the last lap the Englishman left Herman, cut down Binnie’s lead by the bell to 40 yards, and sped past him a furlong from the finish.   Binnie, as he himself said afterwards, had no answer to the effort.  

The other chief features were the win of AS Dunbar (Glasgow University and Victoria Park) in the special 100 yards, in which he beat Continental and English opposition in the fine time of 10.1 seconds, and the brilliant running of W Henderson (Watsonians) in the furlong for neither J Carlsson (Sweden) nor W Ferguson (AAA’s) could hold the Edinburgh sprinter who had to make all his own running in the outside lane.   He clocked 22.3 seconds and wn by a yard and a half.  

Local athletes achieved results better than normal.   In the open high jump W Piper (Glasgow Police) with a half inch allowance cleared 6′ 3″ – a fine feat in the conditions.   R Quinn (Victoria Park) won the open 220 yards from the back mark of one yard in 22.5 seconds  – one of his best achievements.   G Everett (Shettleston Harriers), a former Hutchesons Grammar School boy, won the open ‘half’ as he liked in 1:55.9.   He should be seen to advantage in the coming national Mile championship at New Meadowbank.”

Results of invitation events:

100 yards:   1.   AS Dunbar   10.1;   2.   J Carlsson (Sweden);  3.  W Ferguson (AAA’a).         220 yards:   1.  W Henderson  22.3;  2.  W Ferguson;   3.  J Carlsson

440 yards:   1.  FP Higgins (AAA)  50.2;   2.  JJ Hogg (Switzerland);  3.  H de Kroon (Holland).         880 yards:  A Boysen) Norway 1:53.7;  2.  DCE Gorrie (AAA’s);   3.  RD Henderson (AAA’s).

Mile:  1.   J Ericsson (Sweden) 4:13.3;  2.  J Disley (AAA’s);   3.   FL Wyatt(AAA’s).   Three Miles:   R Dunkley (AAA’s)  13:50.3;   2.   I Binnie (VPAAC);  3.  F Hermann.

440 yards hurdles:  1.  TS Farrell (AAA’s)  53.8;  2.  H Kane (AAA’s);   3.  PB Hildreth (AAA’s).   Pole Vault:  1.  R Lundberg (Sweden) 13′ 3″;   2.  NGA Gregor (AAA’s);  3.  R Petitjean (AAA’s).

There were also 7 senior events, 3 youth events and, of course, three events confined to the police.

The Scottish Universities Championships at Westerlands were also taking place that afternoon and Edinburgh was the top dog there.   JGR Robertson won the 100 and 220 yards but had some wind assistance when he recorded 10 seconds for the 100.   JV Paterson won the 440in 51.4, AS Jackson the three miles in 15:11.8.   CAR Dennis of Edinburgh won both hurdles races in 15.5 and 59.3 seconds, and also won the discus ith just over 109 feet.

Seven days later, 12th June, and the big British event was Oxford and Cambridge  v  Harvard and Yale at the White City.   But back at home in Scotland, another University fixture caught the headlines – Atalanta (a Scottish universities select team) was competing against the Christie Club (Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester Universities) and won by 60 pts to 45.  The top results were in the throws where Mark Pharaoh’s discus throw for Christie) and ECK Douglas of Atalanta’s hammer were better than their English counterparts.   Pharaoh’s discus was 160′ 9.5″ and Douglas’s hammer effort was 176′ 2″ to set a new ground record.   DWR Mackenzie threw the javelin 199′ 10″ which was also a ground record.   JV Paterson set a new record for the 440 yards with his run of 50.1 seconds.   RJ Beecroft (Christie) also set a new ground record – in the Mile with 4:15.1.   A Wood of Atalanta who was third ran anew personal best of 4:16.   The SWAAA Championhips were also held on that afternoon and the best results were by Pat Devine, just up from London, who won three events – the 100 yards (11.8), 220 yards (26.4) and the long jump (17′ 11″).   Aileen Drummond (later Lusk) of Maryhill Harriers also won two events – the 880 yards (2:30.8) and the mile (5:42.3).   There were also meetings at Motherwell & Wishaw and Madderty in Perthshire.   The annual Goatfell Race was also decided:  Stan Horne of Garscube defeated Pat Moy of Vale of Leven and Gordon Dickson of Garscube.   The winner’s time took 10 minutes from the record and the first five finishers were all inside the previous record.

On Saturday, 18th June, the headlines were all about a meeting at the White City in which no Scots appeared to be taking part – this was not uncommon as the reports tended to start with the biggest meeting and make their way down the page to a three line report on a wee local meeting.   Below that came the Scottish Schools Boys championship and Scottish Schools Girls championship held respectively at Goldenacre and Westerlands.   The girls event trophy for the performance of the meeting, the Frances Barker Shield, went to M Bain (Aberdeen Grammar School) whose time for the 80 metres hurdles was 12.3 seconds which was only one tenth outside the Scottish native record.   She also equalled the high jump record with 4′ 11″ but finished second in that event to another Aberdeen girl, P Bellamy (Albyn), who created a new meeting record of 5′ 0″.     Aberdeen High School also won the Paisley Shields for most points.   These trophies for a points aggregate were not uncommon at the time and were a variation on specific inter-club fixtures for such awards.  There were only two age groups at the boys championships – 15 to 17, and 17to 19 but there were eleven new meeting records set.   The name most familiar to the present generation ius that of Crawford Fairbrother (John Neilsons) who added 2.25″ to the high jump record by clearing 5′ 10″.   At the time the feat of the day was the pole vault record of 11′ 3.25″ by PB Hall of Fettes.   The 100 yards was won in 10 seconds flat by E McKeating, the Heriot’s cricket and athletics captain.

In the Lanarkshire Police Sports at Shawfield, home of Clyde FC, JGR Robertson of Glasgow University won the 100 yards handicap from one and a half yards in 9.8 although he only just made the final with 9.9 against Victoria Park clubmate J Semple by a foot.   TA Logan (Renfrew and Bute Police) won the shot with 46′ 1.25″ but the ball was found to be at least a pound short of 16 pounds and so it could not be a record.   Among the other results was John Stevenson (Greenock Wellpark) winning the two miles with 9:25.9, Victoria Park won the team race, W Piper (Glasgow Police with a half inch allowance in the high jump) winning his event with 6′ 1.5″.    This meeting clashed with the Babcock & Wilcox meeting at Renfrew and both suffered slightly in consequence but there was good sport there too with AS McManus of the host club winning the 220 yards in 22.4 off 7 yards and Bill Black of Maryhill off 15 yards winning the mile in 4:17.6.   J Campbell of Paisley won the 14 mile road race in 1:28:29.   The Empire Exhibition Trophy for the team with most points over seven named events went to Clydesdale Harriers whose medley relay team of John Hume, George Rodger, Willie McDonald and Bill Linton won the invitation event.   Robert Clark was substituted for Willie MacDonald and the team won the SAAA 4 x 400 championship later that year.

The Clydesdale Relay Team

The SAAA Championships were held on 25th June – the last Saturday in June being the traditional date for the fixture, everyone knew what the peak of the season would be and could prepare for it.   The report was headlined McGHEE’S FINE PERFORMANCE IN THE MARATHON” and went on

“In the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association’s sixty third annual championship meeting at New Meadowbank on Friday and Saturday, 13 competitors retained their titles and there were nine new champions.  The drawings for the meeting were up by as much as £200.   Three double event winners emerged – I Binnie (Victoria Park) won won the three and six miles, CF Riach (Jordanhill Training College) who won the discus and javelin, and CAR Dennis (Edinburgh University) who won the 120 and 440 yards hurdles.  

Without doubt the performance of the meeting was achieved in the gruelling marathon race in which Empire Games champion J McGhee (Shettleston Harriers) outstripped his rivals and won in the new championship best time of 2:25:50.   He beat GC King (Wellpark Harriers) by about one and a half miles in a race which he controlled from the start.   Although the award of the Crabbie Cup is in abeyance, it is clear that McGhee has an excellent chance of winning the award.   As many as 15 of the 18 who finished the marathon received standards all of them finishing within three hours for the testing course.   They were however favoured by a following wind.

Five runners finished within 4:21 for the mile on a track that was not in the best condition for fast times.  In addition the wind was a handicap.    The performance of GE Everett (Shettleston Harriers) in beating AS Jackson (Edinburgh University), the holder, by 15 yards in the fine time of 4:13.2 suggests that we have a fine miler capable of distinguishing himself in better company.   His judgement was beyond reproach for he contented himself with remaining within easy reach of the leaders until 300 yards from the finish and then finished so strongly that the holder could not cope with him.   The most thrilling race of the afternoon was the quarter mile .   The favourite, JV Paterson (Edinburgh University) who had a distinct advantage on entering the home straight, found R Quinn (Victoria Park) alongside him on the finishing line and the latter’s determined effort succeeded by inches in the good time of 49.6 seconds.  

The defeat of DWR McKenzie in the javelin was the surprise of the field events.   On many occasions he has beaten his latest 187′ 4.5″. “

That’s where the report ends – not a mention of Fraser Riach’s throw of 189′ 9″ which won the event!   It was the tradition until fairly recently that no permits were issued on the days of Scottish championships – track & field of cross-country – and it meant bigger entries and usually more spectators.

“Conditions at Westerlands are rarely ever ideal for athletics, and Saturday was no exception on the occasion of the Scottish junior and youth championships.”   was the first sentence of the report in the Glasgow Herald of 4th July.   The meeting incorporated the SAAA 4 x 440 yards relay championship and the Clydesdale Harriers squad of Linton, Rodger, Clark and Hume beat the favourites, Victoria Park, in 3:28 with Shettleston Harriers separating them in second..   So convinced was one of the Glasgow papers that  their photographer took a picture, which was published, of Bobby Quinn finishing as one of the victorious team.   In the championship itself, top performance was RR McDonald (Heriot’s) in the half mile where he set a new record of 2:05.3 and A Hannah (Athenians and Preston Lodge) set a new 220 yards hurdles record of 24.2 seconds defeating WG Montgomery (Cambuslang Harriers) who had just equalled the record when winning the 120 yards hurdles in 15.8 seconds.   At Stevenston in Ayrshire at the Ardeer Sports Club event Tommy Mercer (Bellahouston) won the handicap half mile off 38 yards in 1:56.8, and Molly Ferguson (later Wilmoth) won the women’s 220 yards off 9 yards in 28.5.

Many of the Sports meetings at this time were sponsored by local businesses – Babcock’s has already been mentioned – and the Saxone shoe company had a meeting at Kilmarnock called the Saxone Welfare Association Sports in the second weekend in July.   The competitors were mostly from local clubs such as Beith, Muirkirk and Irvine but there were athletes from wider afield including a sprinter from Belfast, T Mills of 9th Old Boys, who won the 100 yards.   The professional Border Games was also being held and the outstanding talent was Mike Glen from Bathgate who won the Two Miles Handicap  –  but there were 28 heats of the £200 Jedforest 120 yards handicap.   Back among the amateurs Joe McGhee repeated his win over George King in the 12 mile road race at the Dundee North End Sports in a record 1:06:24.   On the track top athlete was Miss P Bellamy (Aberdeen Amateurs) who won the 100 (off 7 yards, 11.3) and 220 yards (13 yards, 25.9).

CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD BY SCOTTISH JUNIOR  RELAY TEAM

Though the victories by BS Hewson and CJ Chataway, two of England’s four-minute milers, in the mile and four mile events received the greatest applause at the AAA’s Championships at the White City, London, on Saturday, there was no more impressive success than that of the Victoria Park AAC who won the junior 440 yards relay title in new record time of 43.8.   V Reilly, one of five athletic sons of a well-known Glasgow medical family, laid the foundation of the victory with a splendid first “leg”, and D Struthers, W Burns and R Beaton carried on the good work.   I suggest however that no one did more to win the title than and gain the record than the one who trained those boys in baton changing.   They were well practiced and confident.   Shettleston Harriers won the event two years ago and it seems as if Scotland have the youngsters to uphold their prestige in the future.  

The small Scottish representation won two more titles at the meeting, the others being the hammer and the high jump.   Dr ECK Douglas  won the hammer throw on Friday night, and a Glasgow police constable, W Piper, won the high jump on Saturday.   He cleared 6′ 3″ as did O Okuwobi (Cambridge University) but the Scot, who won a AAA junior title, the pole vault, in 1949, had fewer failures at lesser heights.   Piper has established himself as first choice for the British teams who have matches against Germany and Hungary and a visit to Moscow this year.  …. “

After Glasgow and Lanarkshire, the Edinburgh Police had their sports on this Saturday – 16th July – too.   Held at Meadowbank, Edinburgh Southern Harriers won the SWAAA 4 x 110 yards relay title, while Clydesdale Harriers won the men’s invitation medley relay.   Top athlete in a purely domestic field was Mrs JG Herman who was only 0.2 seconds outside the Scottish record when winning the 440 yards 58.5 seconds.   In the North, Alastair Wood set anew north  record for the two miles at Forres Highland Games taking 12 seconds from the old record.   Unfortunately the winning time was not included in the report of the meeting.   There were six starters in the 15 miles organised by the Broughty Ferry and District Development Association’s Sports, half of them dropped out and George King won the event in 1:39.04.

On 23rd July at the Aberdeen Corporation Sports at the Linksfield Stadium, JV Paterson equalled the Scottish half mile record when he won the event in 1:53.6.   Paterson and Bobby Quinn (VPAAC) were both off scratch in the 440 yards but Quinn won in 49.5 seconds with Paterson finishing third behind D Martineau (Aberdeen).   Piper was in the news too when he won the British Police high jump (6′ 5.5″) and pole vault (11′ 6″) at their championships at Liverpool.   There were six Scottish victories at the event.   The 100 yards was won by A Stewart (Lanarkshire) in 10.6,  the shot TA Logan (Renfrew and Bute) with 44′ 6″, the long jump by AM Law (Renfrewshire) with 21′ 1″ and Miss I Plenderleith (Edinburgh City won the 100 yards in 12.3 seconds.

There were also meetings at Elgin and Lochearnhead but the junior men again distinguished themselves at the AAA Junior Championships at Reading.   E McKeating of Heriot’s took first place in the 100 yards in 10 seconds, and A Hannah (Preston Lodge) won the 220 yards hurdles in 23.4seconds.   There had been doubts raised at the quality of the time keeping or course measurement after he ran 24.2 seconds at the Scottish Schools meeting, but this time was eight tenths quicker so putting all doubts to rest.

Piper’s reward was not long in coming – the next week on Saturday 30th July he competed at White City the following week and defeated the German W Puell with a clearance of 6′ 4″ at his second attempt, Puell needed three.   There were comments that Piper had started to jump wearing just one shoe, ‘a technique that is becoming more popular with British High Jumpers.’   At home there was another football club involved in the promotion of athletics – a joint Falkirk FC/Falkirk Victoria Harriers meeting at Brockville produced a two mile record from Alex Breckenridge (Victoria Park) – but then it was discovered that the course was short and the time, which came out of an intense duel with Graham Everett, could not be recognised.    The course was a lap short – I remember the same thing happening at Brockville when I ran there several years later – the lap had to be short to fit the space available and all distance races had more laps than elsewhere.   At this meeting there was some good athletics, though.   Neil Donachie (Braidburn) won the 880 yards off 10 yards in 1:56.3; Jim Irvine of Bellahouston won the Mile in 4:15.3 off 140 yards.   Among the professionals, Jay Scott won eight events at Dingwall – what a sportsman he was.

… and on the first Saturday in August it was, as ever, the Rangers Sports at Ibrox.

GREAT HALF MILE RACE AT IBROX STADIUM

Two New Middle Distance Records

Rangers Football Club have every reason to be pleased with their 69th annual sports meeting at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday when a crowd of 50,000 saw several splendid races, two of which – the half-mile and mile – produced new Scottish all-comers records.  

Never has so brilliant a half-mile been run in Scotland – eight yards covering the first four three of whom returned times inside the previous all-comers record of 1:50.   T Courtney (USA), BS Hewson (AAA) and DJN Johnstone (AAA) and A Boysen (Norway) have all been in record breaking form in recent years, so when the first lap with S Oseid (Norway) in the lead ended in 52.8 seconds and Boysen, holder of the record, went to the front a stirring finish was inevitable.   Only over the last 30 yards did Courtney gain the lead and despite determined efforts by Hewson and Johnson, the American held on and won by half a yard in the marvellous time of 1:49.2.   His performance is rated even better than the time indicates, for a troublesome wind faced the runners in the finishing straight and the track was very loose – factors that may well have added two seconds to the time and deprived Courtney of a world record.  

A 2:20 first half almost ruled out the prospect of a mile record until the native record holder, AD Breckenridge (Victoria Park), shot to the front.  but what a race developed round the last lap.   Neither Seaman (USA) nor Ken Wood (AAA), however, could hold the easy-running G Nielson (Denmark) who beat Wood by five yards in the new all-comers record of 4:08.9.   Had this race been run differently, two or three more seconds would have been lopped off.     R Blair (USA) was a commanding figure in the 120 yards short limit handicap.  He won the final splendidly yet had little to spare for B Shenton (AAA), often guilty of beating the gun, was very quickly off his mark, so the big American had to pull out something special over the last 20 yards to win.   His time of 11.4beat the all-comers record but it cannot be recognised because the following wind was well over the permitted maximum.   Blair also won one of the special 220 yards races in 21.8, 0.9 sec over his best time for the distance.   In the 220 yards hurdles race, PB Hildreth returned 24.3 sec – only 0.2 sec worse than his own British record established at the White City, London, four years ago.  

Results of Invitation Events

There were also eight open handicap events, two cycle races and the inevitable five-a-side where Hibernian lost to Celtic 2-0 in the final, goals scored by Fernie and Peacock.

There were no other amateur events on in Scotland on that particular day although there were a couple of professional meetings.

There was another major meeting at the White City just one week later – the GB  v  Hungary match which Hungary won comfortably.   ECK Douglas was the only Scot in action on  the Saturday and was placed third (first Briton) with a hammer throw of 181′ 11″ behind Czermak’s 193′ 2″.   There were several disappointing runs by British runners – Chataway (2nd) and Ibbotson (4th) were beaten by Tabori in the Three Milles where he won in 13:44.6.   Chataway had the same time but the judges gave the verdict to the Hungarian.   Brian Hewson won the 880 yards from Szentgali and Roszavolgyi in 1:48.6 which was a British all-comers record, and John Disley and Eric Shirley had a 1-2 in the steeplechase with the winning time being 8:55.4.

 Back in Scotland DWR MacKenzie (Edinburgh University won the javelin contest at Nairn Games with a new ground record of 200′ 5.25″.    There was also a professional meeting at Taynuilt in Argyll where the highlight was new high record set by Jay Scott of Inchmurrin – he also won the pole vault and long jump.      But there was no shortage of action the following week when Edinburgh Highland Games brought a touch of international athletics back to the domestic scene.

Just two weeks after the Rangers Sports, we now had England, Belgium, Luxemburg, Australia, South Africa, Eire and Switzerland sharing Murrayfield with Scottish handicap racers.  The report read:

“Two all-comers records were broken and one equalled at the ninth Edinburgh Highland Games at Murrayfield on Saturday.   The new all-comers records were achieved by K Wood (AAA) with 4:08.8 in the Mile, and Miss T Hopkins (Queen’s University, Belfast) with 5′ 6” in the high jump.    The equalled all-comers record was 25.1 sec for the furlong by Miss M Francis (AAA) the British record holder for the 100 yards.   The Games records were of course broken in these events and other Games records were achieved in the marathon, inter-city relay, 220 yards and Two Miles.   E Kirkup (AAA) won the marathon in 2:31:03 – 7 minutes better than the previous best of the late Donald Robertson four years ago.   J McGhee retired at 15 miles.   He has not fully recovered from an injured foot.  

Wood had a runaway win in the Mile.   He was content to lie behind the pace maker, AD Breckenridge, but entering the last lap he never gave his rivals a chance to get on terms with him.   His time was one second better than G Nielson at Ibrox  Stadium which is awaiting approval.   Miss Hopkins was an easy winner, beating the present all-comers record in the high jump of D Walby (Glasgow University) by 4 inches. She attempted 5′ 8.5″ , hopeful of beating the world record but failed.   The best race of the day was the two miles in which P Driver and BT Barrett fought out a terrific last lap, the latter losing by a yard in the good time of 8:57.7.   The Scottish champion I Binnie tried to keep with the leaders but he evidently cannot cope with the powerful finishes of the English runners.”  

Results of invitation Events: Men   Page 4!

*   Games Record         ** Scots team was DC Gorrie, JG Robertson, W Henderson, R Quinn       *** Glasgow team was D McDonald, JG Robertson, R Quinn, R Stoddart

Women

* Equals Games Record       ** All Comers Record

It really was an excellent meeting – an attempt on a world record, Scots ‘interfering’ in contests between world ranked athletes (Bobby Quinn in the quarter mile, Neil Donachie in the 880, Andy Brown in the two miles, Peter Milligan in the pole vault) – even beating them (Piper in the high jump), men and women competing before a big crowd and it all happened at home in Scotland!   Something that will probably never ever be reprised.

The  other big (-ish) meeting that day was the Bute Highland Games at Rothesay where Miss JDM Webster from Leith set a new Scottish record in the women’s mile.   She recorded a time of 2:23.4.   U O’Connor of Eire cleared 11′ 6″ in the pole vault for a new ground record and TD Logan (Glasgow Police) broke the ground record for the shot putt with 45′ 9″while, having a very good year, the Clydesdale Harriers team won the relay.    Clubs represented among the event winners were Bute Shinty AC, Ardeer Recreation Club, West Kilbride, Inverness Burgh Police, Lanark Constabulary and Glasgow Police – as well, of course, as Shettleston, Victoria Park, Bellahouston, Wellpark and Clydesdale of the more traditional clubs.   Jay Scott won six events at Abernethy Highlanders Games, St Ronan’s Games were held at Innerleithen and Glenfinnan Highland Games attracted a crowd of over 2000.   It would have been interesting to have seen Jay Scott at Murrayfield, would it not?

There were always two trips down the Clyde at the end of August.   Rothesay was first, then at the very end of the month – Cowal.    The biggest crowd of the summer outside of the Rangers Sports and Edinburgh Highland Games and except for the Throws an almost entirely domestic field.    In 1955 the top man was high jumper  W Piper, the AAA High Jump champion in the handicap competition.   Conceding generous starts to the opposition he cleared 6′ 6″ which was a personal best and equalled the four year old record set by Alan Paterson.   “Encouraged by that effort  Piper then attempted to clear 6′ 7.5″ and beat the native and all-comers record held by Paterson.   One of three jumps went very near to clearing the height but his elbow brought down the lathe.”   There were only two invitation events – the 880 yards for men and the 440 yards for women.   In the former R Boyd of Glasgow University ran the first quarter in 56.8 and at the finish had won in 1:55.0 but failed by only 0.7 seconds to beat the record held by Donald Gorrie.   R Stoddart of Bellahouston was second and Bill Linton of Clydesdale third.   In the women’s race, which was specially arranged for Miss J Herman (Edinburgh Southern Harriers) she found that Pat Devine of Dundee’s  Q Club too good for her.   Devine, best known as a sprinter had gone to live in London for a time to improve her athletics and had run for the WAAA at Edinburgh, won in 58.5 seconds – 0.2 outside the record held by Hermen who was beaten by several yards.   It was also on that weekend that it was announced that there would be a combined East and West German team for the 1956 Olympics with the only real point of discussion being which anthem to use!

That just about finished the summer’s athletics.  Piper was in action in both of the following two weeks for Britain  – one week later against France in London where he equalled the winning height (6′ 3″)but had to take second on countback, and two weeks later against Russia in Moscow where he was third after clearing 6′ 2.75″.   ECK Douglas was fourth in the hammer in Moscow.

At home it was the Shotts Highland Games on 3rd September where Graham Everett and Alex Breckenridge had a tremendous duel in the two miles before Breckenridge won in 9:33 leading his club to victory in the team contest.   Andy Brown (with a ‘rather generous allowance of 50 yards’) won the invitation mile from Alastair Wood who had foregone his handicap of 20 yards to run from scratch.   He justified the decision and was third at the end in 4:22.2 – not at all bad on the Shotts track with the downhill back straight and uphill home straight!   .   The Ben Nevis race was won by Eddie Campbell of Lochaber for the third time in four years in 1:50:05.   “Miss Kathleen Connochie, aged 16, the daughter of a Fort William doctor was debarred by the SAAA because of her age, but she made the run unofficially and was awarded a special prize.”   On 10th September it was the popular Dunblane Highland Games held on a grass track in a natural amphitheatre with fairly high grass banks for the spectators on the home straight and first bend.   Joe McGhee won the 14 mile road race in a new record time of 1:12:14 with George King and Hugo King both inside the old record as well.   Andy Brown gained his third mile race in as many competitions, this time off 45 yards, Joe Connolly won the 880 yards, and the sprints went to Breingan (VPAAC – 100 yards off two and a half in 10.2) and W Reville (Shettleston off 13 in 24 seconds).   The Pitlochry Games were also held with S Hogg (Cardenden) winning three events.  The final road race of the season before the cross-country and road running fixtures took over was the Scottish Marathon Club’s 20 miles event at Cambuslang.   Joe McGhee won in 1:45:09.   Hugo Fox was second (1:450:15), George King third (1:50:36), David Bowman (Clydesdale) fourth (1:59:02), T Phelan (Springburn) fifth 1:59:59) and Bob Donald (Garscube) sixth (2:05:14).

And so the season finished.  After the regular start with County and District championships at the end of April and May, interspersed with University fixtures and open meetings, the summer came to life with the Glasgow Police Sports and then the SAAA Championships, and accelerated even further in July and August with the ‘biggies’ being the Rangers Sports and Edinburgh Highland Games where the greats of the sport shared the track with club and university athletes, before ending with the Highland Games at Bute, Cowal, Shotts and Dunblane.   To some of us, it was maybe the best decade for Scottish athletics – we all had agood conceith of ourselves, not an arrogance but a confidence and knowledge of our place in the sport and the place of the sport in our lives in general.

Scottish Athletics has changed a lot over the past fifty or sixty years, particularly over the past twenty or thirty, and it is maybe a bit more difficult than is usually recognised to see the changes.   Running gear and the surfaces raced over – even the country raced over in winter – have changed and that can be seen without trying too hard but other changes have maybe been too subtle and too gradual to be noticed so this section will look at the differences in a number of different ways.   First of all, under the title of ‘A Year In The Life’ , we will have a look at one year in each decade to see what a typical season in the 50’s 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s  was like.

[ A Year In The Life: 1955 ]  [A Year In The Life: 1965 ] [ A Year In The Life: 1975 ] [ A Year In The Life: 1985 ]