This page is mainly results and reports of these meetings to complete the story of Helenvale Park in the east end of Glasgow. The difference is that this page looks solely at the Glasgow Transport Sports and not at other meetings hosted by the venue. Despite checking various sources the results/reports for 1st July 1964 and 1st July 1969 are still not available.
The 1961 meeting was mainly notable for the double done by Graham Everett (above) : he won the half mile from scratch over W Morrison of Larkhall, and then later in the meeting won the Two Miles from Bert McKay of Motherwell. The only invitation event was the 880 yards won by Everett.
100 yards: R Whitelock, Victoria Park (1/2 yard) 9.9 sec; 220 : T Knox, Seafo rth, (14) 22.6 sec;
880 yards: HG Carson, Victoria Park, (48) 1:52.4; Mile: T Malone, Shettleston (110) 4:08.6;
Mile Medley: Victoria Park, 3:34.5 ; Two Miles Team: 1. G Everett 8:55.2;
High Jump: E Coyle Shettleston (8″) 6′ 4″ ; 5 a side: Celtic 2 (McKay, Hughes); Rangers 1 (McLean)
There were three highlights on 26th June, 1962 at Helenvale Park: Ayr Seaforth just failed to beat Bellahouston Harriers’ Scottish medley relay record, Bert McKay (above) won the Two Miles and although Ronnie Whitelock qualified for the final of the 100 yards he failed to catch JG Gibbons of GUAC.
100 yards: J Gibbons, Glasgow University, (3 1/2) 9.9 sec; 220: D McGhee, Clydesdale, (11) 22.4 sec;
880 yards: W Scally, Shettleston, (44) 1:54.1; Mile: J McHattie, St Modan’s, (95) 4:08.7;
Two Miles: R McKay, Motherwell YMCA 8:58.6; High Jump: CE Fairbrother, VPAAC (scr) 6′ 5″;
Junior one lap: JN Duff Ayr Seaforth, (10) 47.4; Youths 100: J Duguid, VPAAC, (6 1/2) 10.1
Five a side: Celtic 3 (Carroll 3) Partick Thistle 0
There were also some cycle races.
The Sports were held on 25th June in 1963 and the star of the show was undoubtedly Derek Ibbotson who won the Two Miles from Graham Everett (Shettleston) who had won the SAAA Mile just four days earlier. Ian McCafferty (Motherwell, above) set a new pb when he was third in 9:08. Motherwell won the team race.
100 yards: GP Will, Jordanhill College, (5 1/2) 10 sec; 220: D Stewart, Ayr Seaforth, (11) 22.7;
880 yards: RT Hodelet, Glenpark Harriers (12) 1:52; Mile: T Cochrane, Beith, (70) 4:10.5;
High Jump: E Coyle, Shettleston, (8″) 6′ 6″; Junior One Lap: RT Laurie, VPAAC ,(14) 46.1 sec
Youths 100 yards: DR Halbert, West of Scotland, (7) 10.2 sec
Medley Relay: Ayr Seaforth (Davidson, Duff, McCrindle, Billson) 3:32.3
5 a side: Partick Thistle 2(McParland, Duffy) Rangers 1 (Forrest)
Dick Hodelet
30 June, 1964: No report available.
Lachie Stewart
On 29th June, 1965, there was a lot going on at Helenvale. It was an entirely domestic field of competitors with no athletes from England, Wales or Ireland taking part in the proceedings. It is as well to quote the report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ in its entirety to get the flavour of the meeting.
I McCafferty (Mtherwell YMCA) Was in tremendous form last night at the Glasgow Transport Sports when he broke both the all-comers and Scottish national records for the two miles with a time of 8 min 42.2 sec – 3.4 sec better than the all-comers record held by MBS Tulloh and 4.4 sec inside the native record held since 1961 by GE Everett. JL Stewart (Vale of Leven) chased him hard until the last half mile. McCafferty then raised the pace and opened up a big lead – Stewart finished second in 8 min 58 sec. A Smith (Victoria Park) was third in a personal best of 9 min 0.4 sec.
Ayr Seaforth (R Billson, R McCrindle, N Duff and JC Stewart) took the medley relay in 3 min 34.1 sec, 4.1 sec outside their own Scottish record. Bellahouston and Dumbarton AAC were second and third. GD Grant (Dumbarton) led RS Billson (Ayr) by nearly three yards at the half-mile take over. Results:-
100 yds: J Williams, Babcock & Wilcox, (7) 9.8 sec; 220: Williams (16) 21.8 sec;
880 yds: JM Brown, Dumbarton, (20) 1:52.8; Mile: WS Morison, Perth Valley (95) 4 min 09 sec;
Mile Medley: Ayr Seaforth, 3:34.1; Junior one lap: G Millar, Victoria Park, (16) 46.8 sec;
Youths 100 yards: R Drummond, Forth Valley, (5 1/2) 10.1 sec
Five a side: Albion Rovers 2 (Grant, Rutherford) Partick Thistle 1 (Kilpatrick)
There were also of course some bicycle races.
Mike McLean (12) and GD Grant (3)
28th June, 1966 saw McCafferty and Stewart again head to head in the two miles at Helenvale Park on the Tuesday after the National Championships. I quote, “They broke clean away from the rest of the field , and each in turn took the lead, but when it came to the last lap, Stewart produced the speed and finished strongly down the finishing straight winning in the excellent time of 8 min 45.4 sec to McCafferty’s 8 min 50 sec. The winner’s time was only 2.2 sec short of the Scottish record for the distance set by McCafferty at the same meeting last year.”
Other notables at the event were Les Piggott (Garscube) winning the 100 yards from A Wood (Victoria Park) by inches, Bellahouston won the medley relay in superb fashion with a team of M McLean, W Carmiuchael, H Robertson and H Baillie). Their time of 3 min 29 sec was only 2.2 sec outside their own Scottish record. Results
100 yards: L Piggott, Garscube, (1/2 yard) 10.1; 220: RW Moncrieffe, West Kilbride (10) 22.1;
880: M Simpson, Paisley Harriers, (30) 1 min 53.4 sec; Mile: R McKay, Motherwell, (20) 4:07.7;
Two Miles Individual: JL Stewart; Team Victoria Park AAC; Relay: Bellahouston Harriers
High Jump: E Coyle, Shettleston (7 1/2″) 6′ 3 1/2″; Junior one lap: RP Wallace Bellahouston, (19) 46.7
Youths 100 yards: J Blue, Bellahouston, 10.3 sec.
The medley relay had been a feature of the Transport Sports meetings for many years and on 27th June 1967, a new record for the event was set – not by Bellahouston or Ayr Seaforth but by Victoria Park AAC whose quartet of Hugh Barrow (880), AT Wood (220), PB Hepburn (220) and RT Laurie (440) was timed at 3 min 26.6 sec. Bellahouston was disqualified following a faulty changeover between their two 220 yards men. Other highlights included Les Piggott winning the 100 yards in 10 sec from scratch, and Alex Brown beating Eddie Knox in the two miles in 8:54.8 against Knox’s 8:57.6. Results:
100 yards: L Piggott, Garscube, 10.0; 220: HC Robertson, Glasgow Uni (5) 22.5 sec;
880 yards: C McIvor, Strathclyde Uni, (26) 1:52.9; Mile: M Bradley, Paisley Harriers, (60) 4:06.5;
Two Miles: Individual Alex Brown (Motherwell) 8:54.8; Team Motherwell;
Mile Medley: Victoria Park 3:26.6 (national record); Junior one lap: I Walker, West of Scotland (9) 46.8
Youths 100 yards: L Wright, Airdrie, (5 1/2) 10.3 sec. High Jump: D Beck, Jordanhill (6 1/2) 6′ 7 1/2″
Ian Young to EDDIE KNOX
Results for 25th June were all that were published in 1968 with no comment at all and were as follows:
100 yards: WJ Bell, Ayr Seaforth, (5) 10.1 sec; 220: GJ Johnstone, Bellahouston, (13) 22.4 sec;
880 yards: E Knox, Springburn (22) 22.4; Mile: R Wedlock, Shettleston (60) 4:09.2;
Two Miles: Individual J Brennan, Maryhill, 9:05.6; Team Shettleston Harriers;
Medley Relay: Bellahouston Harriers (M McLean, J Turnbull, J Williams, R Wallace) 3 min 29.4 sec
High Jump: CW Fairbrother, Victoria Park, 6′ 3″
*
1969 1st July
Lachie Stewart beats Norman Morrison at Cowal
1970 was THE Empire and Commonwealth Games year in Scotland but only four days after the SAAA Championships no fewer than three of those selected ran at Helenvale: Lachie Stewart, by now the UK record holder for 10,000m, ran in the 3000 metres race, Mike McLean won the 800 metres from scratch and Les Piggott won the 100 metres from scratch for his third successive sprint win at Helenvale Park. Results:
100m: L Piggott, Garscube, 11 sec; 200m: JG Cherry, Springburn, (9) 22.3 sec;
800m: M MacLean, Bellahouston, (scr) 1:54.4; 1500m: AH Partridge, East Kilbride, (100) 3:50.4;
3000m: 1. JL Stewart, Shettleston, 8:15; 2. Norman Morrison, Shettleston, 8:16.4, R Wedlock, Shettleston, 8:17.8. Team Shettleston.
Medley Relay: Garscube Harriers (AB McDonald, WS Ritchie, L Piggott, R Carmichael) 3:37.2;
High Jump: R Fisher, Victoria Park, (7 1/2) 6′ 2″
Five a side: Clydebank 2 (Doyle, Jackson) Motherwell 0.
*
There is a wee puzzle attached to the Sports report for the meeting held on 29th June, 1971. The report for 1970 said that it was his third successive win at the meeting in question, but the report of 1971 tells us that this was his fifth successive victory. No matter really, he did win. The coverage of the meeting was getting less and less, there were generally fewer big stars appearing and the profile of the Transport Sports was lower. This year, apart from the paragraph on Piggott, there were just the bare results printed.
1oom: L Piggott, Garscube, (scr) 10.7; 200m: AB McDonald, Garscube, (14) 22 sec;
800m: I Scales, Airdrie, (16) 1:53.2; 1500m: D McBain, Larkhall, (80) 3:51.2;
Medley Relay: Bellahouston, (Jackson, Johnstone, Williams, Wallace) 3:37.4
High Jump: NJ Hancock, Garscube, (3 1/2) 5′ 6 1/4″
Junior one lap: A Hunter, Hutcheson’s Grammar, (14) 47.4; Youths 100m: G Loney, Garscube, (6) 11.3
There was no 3000m reported for the evening.