Phil Dolan
Phil Dolan (87) running in the Saltcoats Road Race
Phil Dolan, having been Clydesdale Harriers club president, secretary and captain was a very good endurance runner indeed who set records on the road as well as in the fearsome Mamore Hill Race at Kinlochleven, who ran well on the track with two Scottish vests at 10000m and over the country has several Scottish appearances to his credit has this to say of Brian.
“Brian has a great love for grassroot sport and in the late 90s would write an occasional letter to the Glasgow Herald, illustrating his passion. In 1998, after having participated in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay, he was somewhat disappointed in the lack of coverage of the Clydesdale Harriers performance by the then Athletic Correspondent, Sandy Sutherland. Accordingly, he wrote a letter gently chiding the report for said lack of a mention for the Clydesdale performance finishing in the top 12 teams out of 20 and thus guaranteeing their invite for the following year. Brian Edridge is a true advocate for grassroot sport in and a great ambassador for Clydesdale Harriers in particular!”
[ I had not remembered this letter of which Phil speaks but write it Brian did. Reproduced below for interest]
Glasgow Herald, 21st November 1998. “Letters to the Sports Desk”
HAVING run in the Barr’s Irn Bru Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay yesterday, I enjoyed reading Sandy Sutherland’s report on the event published today.
However, I was disappointed to see no mention of Clydesdale Harriers who finished twelfth, good enough to qualify automatically for next year. None of our depleted team which included four veterans (two over 50 including myself) lost a single place. We are immodest enough to believe we put up a good showing.
Please keep on reporting athletics at club level – your readers are interested.
Brian Edridge
Ross McInroy
“I first met Brian at work (KPMG formerly Thomson Mclintock) and at an social event in the 80’s we realised we had a mutual interest in hill racing. He was instrumental in me joining Clydesdale as Helensburgh was mainly focused on road running. We were at many of the hill races in that period and took part in club training in the Campsies as well weekend training runs. A circuit from Callander round Stuc a Chroin and Ben Vorlich sticks in my memory. We competed in the 1992 & 1993 Scottish Islands Peaks races ( 3rd in boat class 1992, 3rd runners 1993). Brian moved on to sailing around 2000 and we lost touch thereafter and I moved back to the Helensburgh club.
Brian was a very competent mountaineer as well as a good runner plus he was also a excellent sailor He was good company on the long races and a much more confident navigator than me, A very calm person!”