Author: The Author

Ian Leggett, Brian Goodwin and Jim Irvine (latter two both Bellahouston stalwarts):  Taken at the Scottish Civil Championships at Irvine in March 1970.   The team won the team race with Goodwin 1st, Leggett 2nd and Irvine 5th

The reports on athletics in Scotland in the two papers of record in Scotland – the “Glasgow Herald” and “The Scotsman” – were getting shorter as the months went by and this will be seen in the extracts reproduced below.   The Sports Editors frequently printed long articles on the running of Brendan Foster or Ian Stewart on a Monday at the expense of domestic results.   It is a value judgement that they were entitled to take but it often left gaps in the coverage of long standing events on the Scottish calendar.   

The cross-country relays that marked the start of the Renfrewshire Association’s winter 1965/66 season season took place on 9th October, 1965, and the short report read as follows.   “Sixteen teams took part in the unofficial Renfrewshire 12-mile relay championship at Paisley where Bellahouston Harriers retained the title, beating Wellpark Harriers by over one minute in 69 minutes 10 seconds.   Details:- 1.   Bellahouston Harriers (MJ McLean 17:39, J Irvine 17:10, B Goodwin 16:28, J Wood 17:53) 69:10;   2.  Wellpark Harriers (J Bottomley 17:40, W Stoddart 17:15, K Shepherd 18:03, M Pollard 17:15) 70:13;   3.   Glenpark Harriers (I Hopkins 18:13, T Dobbin 17:33, J Spence 17:27, R Hodelet 17:17) 70:30;  4.   Paisley Harriers (E Bradley 17:30, M Bradley 16:48, R Price 18:39, P McAtier 17:50) 70:38.”

Unfortunately there are no results for the younger age groups but we can note that Mike McLean of Bellahouston who ran the opening leg for the club was to be a Scottish 880 yards champion and internationalist who went on to be a senior administrator in Scottish athletics.   One of his fiercest opponents was of course Dick Hodelet of Glenpark who ran the last stage for his club – 22 seconds quicker than McLean.   

Mike McLean wins a half mile at Hampden from Dick Hodelet (2), Hugh Barrow (5) and Graeme Grant

The championships for the 1965/66 season were held at Greenock in December 1965 and Brian Goodwin (Bellahouston) defeated the two local runners Hodelet and Pollard.   The brief report reads: B Goodwin (Bellahouston) beat RT Hodelet, a former Scottish half-mile champion, by 70 yards in the unofficial Renfrewshire six-mile championship at Greenock.   M Pollard (Wellpark H) was third, more than 200 yards behind Hodelet.   The team race was won by Glenpark Harriers with 61 points, and Wellpark and Paisley Harriers filled second and third positions with 77 and 105 points respectively.   Bellahouston, the holders, had the unusual experience of not being in the first three, but they had a weakened team.”

There is not a lot to be learned from that particular report – no team members others than those who finished first, second and third – but the Association continued to put on the events and the clubs and runners continued to support them, and they filled their necessary part in the athletics programme.

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There were no reports on the Renfrewshire Track and Field Championships in June but they were held and, as ever, the athletes continued to compete well in events all over Scotland.   In the SAAA Championships for instance, Hugh Baillie of Bellahouston was third in the 220 yards and first in the 440, Dick Hodelet was second in the 880, Mike McLean was third in that event, Charlie McAlinden of Babcock’s won the marathon and Bellahouston won the 4 x 440 yards Relay plus the Medley Relay.   

The Cross-Country Relay for 1966/67 was held on 10th October 1966 at Paisley.   “Bellahouston Harriers, as was expected, won the Renfrewshire relay championship ove a course from the headquarters of Paisley Harriers at Paisley beating Glenpark Harriers, Greenock, by more than 200 yards in 57 min 03 sec with Wellpark Harriers, Greenock, third, a similar distance behind Glenpark.   B Goodwin had a lead of more than 120 yards at the half-way stage and thereafter there was no doubt as to who would be the ultimate winners.   Details:- 1. Bellahouston (J Wood 14:14, B Goodwin 13:51, M McLean 14:20, J Irvine 14:38) 57:03;   2. Glenpark (R Hodelet 13:47, R Love 14:25, J Spence 14:33, T Dobbin 14:53) 57:38; Wellpark (M Pollard 14:15, J Bottomley 14:53, K Shepherd 14:50, W Stoddart 14:15) 58:13.   Fastest Individuals: 1.  R Hodelet 13:47, 2.  B Goodwin 13:51; 3. M Bradley (Paisley Harriers) 13:55.”

The individual and team championships for 1966/67 were back in Greenock on the first Saturday of December and the first two home were the very same runners who had fastest times in the Relays back in October.   The brief report read –

The County Championships were held on Monday, 20th June, 1967, and as usual at Moorcroft Park in Renfrew.   The report is reproduced below.

It was back to the country again on the second Saturday in October for the 1967/68 season.   Again it was edited down to the bare essentials of the senior men’s race.  “Bellahouston Harriers retained the Renfrewshire 12-mile championship, beating Paisley Harriers by 70 yards in 1 hr 12 min 41 sec.   The fastest individual over the three-mile course was M Bradley (Paisley Harriers) in 17 min 14 s.   Results:- 1.  Bellahouston (B Goodwin 17:37, I Kerr 17:17, J Adair 18:29, M McLean 18:18) 1-12-41;  2. Paisley Harriers ( P McAtier 19:20, M Bradley 17:14, J Simpson 18:19, G McEwan 17:59) 1-12-52;  3. Glenpark 1-13-25;  4. Wellpark 1-13-37; 5. Bellahouston B 1-15-20;  6. Paisley B 1-15-33.

Mike Bradley (4), Lachie Stewart (3) leading Mike Tagg and his team mate in the AAA’s Inter-Counties 1969

The 1967/68 County Championships in December was one of a series of County titles, all with their own tale to tell which was printed below coverage of the Lanarkshire championship taking more space than all the others put together.    Renfrewshire is fourth below but we do have results from all age groups.   The winner of the Senior Boys race was the youngest of the Spence brothers from Greenock – Lawrie – who was being coached by big brother Jim and would go on to be arguably the best ever all-round endurance runner Scotland ever produced with marks raning from sub-4 minutes for the mile to 2:16 for the marathon.

Duncan Middleton (149)

The counties all did their own thing and were independently organised but there was another tier to Scottish athletics that appeared from time to time and that was the Inter-Counties championship.   held more often over the country, there was from time to time a track meeting too.    There was one held in 1968, June 10th to be exact.   There were ten teams forward for the event – the well organised and traditional counties like Ayr, Dunbarton, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Renfrew with some less familiar ones, namely Angus, Perth, Stirling, Moray and Midlothian.   Midlothian did turn out teams for the cross-country races but did not have a standing organisation that anyone we approached knew about.   The quality of athlete taking part was high with many Scottish internationals in action.   Names like Ricky Taylor, Duncan Middleton, Colin Martin, Dick Wedlock, Adrian Weatherhead, Alex Wight, Alex Brown, Norrie Foster, Crawford Fairbrother, David Stevenson, Dave Birkmyre, Doug Edmonds and Lawrie Bryce were all there competing for their county.    Report:

Dick Wedlock, between Lachie Stewart (317) and number 386

The winter 1968/69 season’s relays were held at Greenock and the winning team was Greenock Glenpark Harriers.   Again coverage was scanty with editorial judgment deciding that the Lanarkshire relay championship merited more than twice the coverage of the other three counties.

Two months later the Renfrewshire County Championships on 7th December were reported on as follows.

Unfortunately the report does not say who the second and third teams in the senior race were but it does tell us that Paisley Harriers provided the winner with Mike Bradley defeating Brian Goodwin for the title and that Bellahouston won the team race.   Lawrie Spence again won the Senior Boys race this time by 15 seconds although the Paisley team took the title.   Paisley were staring to appear more and more in the list of prize winners and the Johnstone High School was also becoming a regular feature of the county results sheets, both individual and team.

Lawrie Spence  (78) leading Lachie Stewart and Alistair Blamire

The 1969/70 relays were held on 13th October at Paisley and were won by Bellahouston with a remarkable display of packing with only 10 seconds between fastest and slowest club members, defeating Glasgow Police by a minute with Wellpark third.

The championships were held on 6th December, 1969 and the report reads: “Willie Stoddart, the Scottish marathon champion, scored a convincing victory over Brian Goodwin (Bellahouston) in the Renfrewshire six and a half mile championship.   Stoddart completed the Lochinch course well clear of the holder but Bellahouston had the supporting runners and won the team championship comfortably.   Results:-

1.   W Stoddart (Wellpark Harriers) 39:10;  2. B Good win (Bellahouston) 41:17; 3. D Lang (Glasgow Police) 41:26.   Team Race:  1.  Bellahouston (B Goodwin, W McLean, J Irvine, J Adair, A Yates, M McNaught)  54 pts;  2.  Wellpark 67; 3. Glasgow Police 107.   Youths Three-Mile Race:  1.  L Spence (Glenpark) 14:55.  

Below: Bill Stoddart winning the Scottish Marathon in 1969 in the Meadowbank Stadium under comstruction for the 1970 Empire and Commonwealth Games.

The tenth collection of photographs, cuttings, etc from Hugh contains some real gems.   

Alex Breckenridge, ex-VPAAC, American Olympic marathon runner, now aged 91 years of age.   This one was sent to Hugh by Ian Binnie’s daughter who now lives in Canada.

The next three were taken at the unveiling of the World Heritage Percy Cerutty Plaque with Herb Elliott and Seb Coe present along with other contemporaries and such as Derek Clayton, marathon runner.

The wonderful Herb Elliott and Aussie Rules football

New Year’s Day, 1965

Back to the days when football and running mixed and had a good relationship.

Some Historical Documents

Hugh, like many of us, is interested in the history of our sport and the back ground to events and meetings.   There are several fascination documents below.   

In the beginning of amateur athletics in Scotland many football clubs had their own sports, and their players  competed regularly in the meetings.   When the SAAA was established, the two disciplines mixed easily and amicably.   One of the earliest teams to do so was St Mirren FC.

The AP Findlay of Ayr mentioned above was the first winner of the Scottish Cross-Country Championships in 1886 and again in 1888 as a member of Clydesdale Harriers.

The pretty comprehensive programme for the Sports at the new Westmarch Stadium

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We all need a wee smile now and again: Hugh is also a rugby aficionado and this is a comment on the number of ex-South African players in the Scottish team.

…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bertie Irving to Jim Irvine in the Edinburgh to Glasgow

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

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

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

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

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

Dick Hodelet, Greenock Glenpark Harriers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 You can read about it at the links below.

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

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

   Renfrewshire  AAA 1980 – 85   Renfrewshire AAA 1985 – 1990

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The objects of the Association shall be:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BROTHERS DOMINATE COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY RACE:

Renfrewshire Championships

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The winning Edinburgh to Glasgow team receiving the trophy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summary of the Five Year Period

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

.

Alistair Blamire leads Fergus Murray for Edinburgh University

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

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

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

GAH Muir (31) George Rodger (26)

Ian Donald, Nigel Barge finish, Maryhill

JB Maclachlan, Nigel Barge finish

Iain Leggett, Nigel Barge finish

Allan Faulds finishing the Springburn Cup at Huntershill

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

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

, 

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

Neil Buchanan to Brian McAusland, Midland Relay, Cleland, 1964/65

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

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

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

Danny Wilmoth, Shawfield, Lanark Police Sports

Danny Wilmoth

Kenny Laverick, Tom Scott

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eddie Sinclair winning the Youth Ballot Team Race in Clydebank

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

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

Tom Callaghan as a young athlete

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

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

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

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

Alex Naylor taking the baton at Cleland Estate

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

Tommy Boyle   doing what he does best

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

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

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

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

The task was a big one –

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

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

1976

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1977

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

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

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

John Graham

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

1978

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

TEAM BOSSES BLUSHING

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

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

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

Nat Muir winning the Junior National in 1976

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

1979

David Marshall

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

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

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

Adrian Callan as a Senior wins the BMC Strathkelvin Street Mile

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

Jim heads quality field in tune-up for Crystal Palace 

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

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

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

1980

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

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

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

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

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

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

Graham Williamson