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Grangemouth Sports Stadium is probably one of the best known – and best cared for – athletics arenas in the country.   When it was first opened in 1966 it was a bit of a trek to get there – train to the nearest station and then either take the bus or walk out to the venue.   Location has not changed but more people have cars and, thanks to the practice gained with getting teams to league matches, clubs are now more practised at getting athletes along.   It has hosted  international matches, championships (Scottish, District, Inter-Counties, Schools, Veterans), open graded meetings and specialist clubs (BMC, Hammer, Pole Vault).   The track and field facilities have been upgraded at least twice and unlike other facilities like Meadowbank and Crown Point it has not been demolished or down-graded.   The people of the area are well served in this respect.    The online Running Track Directory describes it thus:

Grangemouth Sports Stadium & Centre of Excellence
Kersiebank Avenue
GRANGEMOUTH
FK3 0EE

Type: Synthetic, 400m, 8 lanes, 8 lane straight

The stadium opened on 9th July 1966 at a cost of £72,000 and was the first full synthetic track in the UK. It was originally made of Rub-Kor as opposed to 3M Tartan which was used at Crystal Palace. It was upgraded to 8 lanes in 1996 and the surface is Polytan PUR. There is also an indoor athletics centre at the site.   

The photos of officials are from Alastair Shaw in the 1980’s : here because they show the layout of the track

The date of its opening in July, 1966 clashed with Ron Clarke breaking 13 min for 3 miles at the White City (12:58.2) in AAA’s championships and this, even in Scotland and even with a specialist correspondent at the Glasgow Herald minimised the coverage.   Scots at the AAA’s on the Saturday  included Ming Campbell (200m), Graeme Grant (800m),  JL Stewart ( steeplechase), Crawford  Fairbrother (high Jump), Hamish Robertson (long jump) and Mike Lindsay (Shot Putt).  All would have been big draws in Grangemouth.  In addition Alastair Wood won the Inverness to Forres Marathon in 2 hours 13 min 45 seconds, 12 minutes up on Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston).   However there was a report on the actual match in the following Monday’s “Glasgow Herald” and it is reproduced here in full.

“MISS SMITH’S SCOTTISH MILE REORD

New Stadium at Grangemouth

Miss A Smith (Mitcham) became the first woman to run a mile in under 5 minutes in Scotland when she won over the distance in 4 min 48.5 sec on Saturday at the first meeting in Grangemouth’s new sports stadium.   Miss Smith set tow new Sottish all-comers records during the race, for the mile and for the 1500m with 4:30.7.   Miss G Craig (Western) set a Scottish record for the metric distance with 4:49.4, and equalled the mile record with 5:8.4.   Miss M Kerr (Maryhill Harriers) was second to Miss B Bedford (Hercules) in the shot putt for the second week in succession.   Miss Bedford’s winning putt was 45′  5″, the best in Scotland but 2′ 2 1/2 inches behind her distance at the Women’s Amateur Athletics Association’s championships last week.   

English women won three other events – Miss M Fanden (Middlesex) the 100 yards in 11.1 seconds, Miss P Jones (Birchfield) the 80 metres hurdles in 11.1 seconds, and Miss D Watkins (WRNS) the 440 yards in 55.7 seconds; Mrs M Kyle, the Irish Internationalist, won the 880 yards and was second in the quarter mile.   Miss A Jamieson (Western) had two personal best performances with 20′ 1 3/4″ in winning the long jump, and 11.4 seconds in finishing third in the 80m hurdles.   Bothe were better than the Scottish records but were wind assisted.   I McCafferty (Motherwell YMCA) won two events – the mile in 4:20.9 and the Three Miles in 14:01.”   

There were further competitions at the venue that year starting with a League match on 23rd between Octavians (112) and Edinburgh Southern Harriers (82 points), and two weeks later Octavians took on Shettleston and recorded another win (124 to 47).    

Starter Joe Cameron on the infield at Grangemouth with track and raised stand clearly visible; people on the velo track in front of the stand too.

Photo by Alastair Shaw

The first full season for the new facility however was that of 1967.   Less than a year after its opening in July, 1966, Grangemouth held its first SAAA championships (24th June) and two weeks before that (10th June) it hosted the International meeting between the four home countries for the British Isles Cup.   The international was an unmitigated success.   The opening paragraph in the “Glasgow Herald” read: “A handful of records of various assortments, a brilliantly sunny day, and organisation on a level approaching perfection made the contest among the home countries at Grangemouth Stadium on Saturday the most outstanding International meeting Scotland has held.”   “To go on about organisation before recounting the many excellent performances may be getting priorities mixed up, but the truth is that for what may have been the first time in this country the field events performers were made to feel at least as important as the track athletes.”

These comments highlighted part of the reasons for the success of Grangemouth as a venue: first, the organisation was at the time almost top notch, certainly of a very high level; and second, it was realised that all athletes were equally important.   The meetings were organised for the athletes.   At one championship elsewhere in Scotland at the start of the 21st century, there was a slot in the programme marked “interval”.   When the athletes competing in the first event after that interval asked what time it would be complete, the reply from the Clerk of the Course was “We don’t know: we’ll try to hurry up the early events so that the officials have time for a cup of tea and a snack!”   Nobody was denying the officials who always work hard at these meetings their break, but surely a time table could have been worked out to everybody’s satisfaction?   That was not the case at Grangemouth at the very start of its long run as an international and championship venue.   But back to the performances on 10th June, 1967.   

The event was packed with top class athletic talent – Olympians, Commonwealth champions, national champions from all the home countries, record holders as well as crowd pleasing entertainers.   The meeting had everything.    A selection of the results.

There is enough there to indicate the quality of this first international held at Grangemouth.   There was really only one controversy at the meeting and that concerned Ian McCafferty, pictured below.   Let the “Herald” tell the tale.   

“McCafferty’s first defeat this season is by now well known.   He resented the fact that on a hot day DA Graham (Ireland) was unprepared to do any pacemaking over the twelve laps, but that should have been no excuse because the Scot’s finish is usually a reliable damper on an over-ambitious opponent.   Saturday’s last lap effort to shake off the redoubtable Irishman was of the damp squib variety and Graham well and truly outsprinted him in the last 100 yards.   These two meet again tomorrow at the White City, London in a two mile race.”

In the race at White City McCafferty won from Graham and also defeated Bruce Tulloh and Tim Johnston but that didn’t count for the match where the reality was that Graham had run a better race for his country.   

Alastair Wood, having won the 1967 SAAA Marathon, cheers on Don Ritchie finishing in second place

The season had really started on 22nd April with a triangular match between Forth Valley, Dundee Hawkhill and Dumbarton AAC where there was more evidence that it had a fast track.   In the half mile race, RR Campbell won in 1:54.6 from DA Martin and WH Barrow (VPAAC, running as a guest), and in the 440 yards, Graeme Grant defeated Duncan Middleton (Springburn, guest) in 51.4.   Having beaten both other clubs at this match, Forth Valley again won a triangular at Grangemouth on 6th May when the defeated Springburn and Teviotdale Harriers.   This time Duncan Middleton won both 220 yards and One Mile races.   The stadium was in use a week later for an inter-club between Edinburgh Southern, Billingham and Victoria Park.   The best race of the afternoon was the Invitation Mile where Lachie Stewart set a Stadium record of 4:06.   It had been a good race.   Hugh Barrow l;ed through the first lap in 60.3, Ken Ballantine took the field through half way with 2:03.1 and John Linaker pulled them to the three quarter mile marker in 3:05.9.   Stewart then took it on and won from Hugh Barrow (4:06) and Adrian Weatherhead in 4:06.6.   Ballantine went on to win the two miles in 9:09.   It was a star studded meeting with the likes of Justin Togher, Crawford Fairbrother, A Wood, Doug Edmunds and Dave Birkmyre all taking part.   The next meeting at the venue was the successful International on 10th June (reported above) which led nicely into the SAAA Championships on the 24th.   

These championships were well supported by the best athletes that the country had.   The names of the Senior champions included Duncan Middleton, Ian McCafferty, Lachie Stewart, Alastair Wood, Tony Hogarth, Bill Ewing, Hamish Robertson, Crawford Fairbrother, David Stevenson, David Walker and Laurie Bryce.   Even the runners-up were competitors of a very high standard – Les Piggot, Hugh Barrow, Graeme Grant, Hugh Baillie, Norman Foster and Gareth Bryan-Jones.   The Junior and Youth championships were also included in the meeting and here the names included some who would become household names – Ian Turnbull, Norman Morrison, Chris Black and Ricky Taylor among them.   There were also two national records set, one by Middleton in the half mile and the other by Walker in the long jump.  The marathon was maybe significant too for it was maybe the real starting point for a marvellous series of victories and medals of all colours in the event for Aberdeen men.  In 1967 Alastair Wood won in 2:21:26 from clubmate Don Ritchie who was timed at 2:17:48.   Edinburgh ‘s Alex Wight was third a minute further back.   It was  a massive meeting to organise three championships on the day in the compact Grangemouth arena but it was done and done well.  

The next major event there was the SAAA Decathlon Championships were held there on 1st July, albeit with only two competitors completing the event, and were a triumph for the Octavians club with a victory for PJS Burgess of the club with club mate DD Stevenson second.  

The fourth major meeting in 1967 was a six-sided women’s international on 9th September featuring Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Southern, Midlands and Northern Counties.   The first para in the report read: “The six-sided international contest …. proved a great success both from the point of view of the standard of the competition and, what is sometimes more important, the efficiency of the organisation.”   Southern Counties (203) won the team contest from Scotland (189) and Ireland (181). 

This completed the big fixtures for the 1967 with inter-club matches completing the programme.   Nevertheless the stadium had proved several things:

1.   The management knew how to organise an event;
2.    They had an efficient team of stewards who could carry out the many tasks required of them efficiently and without hassle;
3.     The track was a fast one and the field events met all the standards required to assist good performances;
4.      Athletes were prepared to travel to get there.

Alastair Shaw, a well known and respected official, spoke of the venue when he was officiating there and said: 

“Of the modern Scottish venues I do have a soft spot for Grangemouth.

At the average UK athletics meeting, and even these days at national championships, it can be very hard to generate any sort of decent atmosphere that spurs on the competitors.   With its tidy stand, and the encircling velodrome track I feel the venue is one of the best in Scotland for creating and keeping an atmosphere going at a meeting with relatively few spectators.   Certainly much better than the likes of Coatbridge or Glenrothes, or indeed Meadowbank which often seemed too soulless for anything short of a packed televised meet.

As you see from my photos, it’s hard to beat a sunny afternoon at Grangemouth Stadium to enjoy the sport with like minded folk, even with the occasional whiff from the towers, tanks and chimneys over the wall.   Falkirk District, were for many years very supportive of the stadium in terms of funding equipment and quite advanced in their thinking by providing quality Walkie Talkies at a time when they weren’t available elsewhere. This enabled frequent updates from the field and ‘flash’ times and results to be reported quickly to the announcers which helped them give timely updates to maintain the interest of both competitors and spectators.

The velodrome, which I’ve never seen used as such, has, of course, also been a limiting factor over the years particularly for those who advocate all championships should be held on 8 lane tracks. It also excluded them from some leagues which had 8 team divisions.   Nevertheless, I’d argue the venue actually suits the bulk of meetings held in Scotland.

Any venue depends on the quality of its staff and in my time I found them to be consistently about the best around, aided by the legendary groundsman Danny. If Danny didn’t rate you you’d never see the best equipment and be largely on your own if the weather turned bad. Occasionally, having been given a copy of the programme with a list of the officials in it and therefore knowing in advance who would be there, I found he’d actually wait until I arrived before unlocking the equipment store and/or dispensing the walkie talkies.

My soft spot perhaps extended a little too far as once, when wrapping up commentating at a meeting at Coatbridge, I felt a gentle tap on the shoulder from a colleague to point out I’d just thanked the ground staff of Grangemouth for all their assistance.”

Alastair mentions the velodrome track.   It still circles the track, even after modifications to the surface, to the number of lanes, layout of field events facilities, etc.   Made of what is virtually black tar and laid on a slope in towards the running track is is an ideal point from which to watch the athletics.   In the warm summer afternoons the back straight is where the young, and not so young, disport themselves in an attempt to top up their tan but it does enclose the track nicely and gets spectators right down beside the action which benefits the competitors.   Like Alastair, no one seems to have heard of any cycle races being held there.   There was another idiosyncratic feature of the arena.

The home straight had two starting lines, one at each end of the straight, and several finishing lines at each end of the straight – finish for the 80 metres, 100 yards, 110 yards.   The proliferation of lines could be confusing to any new boy or girl.   It was thus possible to give runners the benefit of  any following wind.   eg when  the SAAA Decathlon was held there, the 110 hurdles was held right to left as seen from the stand rather than left to right.   This was at the request of the decathlon national coach who pointed out that with so few decathlons being held in Scotland, with it being a Commonwealth Games year, the athletes needed/wanted the best possible points score and running into even a slight wind would not help.   There were other times when the sprint was held that way round but not many.   When the track was redone several years later, that facility disappeared and the normal finishing straight was in operation.

Alan Murray, 440 yards hurdles, 1968

The two major fixtures were again allocated to Grangemouth in 1968.   The international on 9th June and the championships were on 22nd of the month.   The international was a tremendous success – Hammer, long jump, shot, discus, hurdles, triple jump, steeplechase and sprint relay all produced national or all comers (or record equalling) performances, “such was the atmosphere and class of this meeting”, reported Ron Marshall in the “Herald”.   The star turn of the meeting was the defeat of Maurice Herriot in the steeplechase ( a rare happening in GB athletics) by Gareth Bryan-Jones of Scotland.   Jones had run for Wales in the Three Miles the previous year but now he was ‘the Scot who …’    He  really went for it leading for most of the seven and a half laps gradually wearing down Herriot to win in an all-comers record of 8:38.2 – which was the fourth fastest ever by a Briton.   There was now talk of him qualifying for the Olympics but he himself down played the prospect.   Any doubt about the quality of the track were removed.   There were stars everywhere: David Stevenson, Crawford Fairbrother, Ian McCafferty and the 4 x 100 relay team of Nottage, Turnbull, Piggot and Campbell were all winners for the home country, while England supplied M Hauck (220), CW Campbell (440), J Davies (880), RG Taylor (Mile), A Pascoe (sprint hurdles), P Warden (440 hurdles), P Reed (LJ), FJ Alsop (TJ), AH Payne (Hammer), J Teale (shot), W Tancred (Discus), and J Sanderson (javelin).   Records were set by D Walker in the long jump Scottish (national), and Bryan Jones, AH Payne, P Reed, and W Tancred.   An amazing afternoon’s athletics and something to inspire Scottish athletics.   

Note the banked cycle track with rail outside the running track.

The Scottish championships in 1968 were a real feast of athletics with Scotland’s finest in action everywhere you looked.   In the Three Miles for instance, Lachie Stewart won from Dick Wedlock with Alistair Blamire in third; Mike McLean beat Hodelet and Douglas in the half mile; Bryan-Jones defeated Ewing and Mullett; in the marathon it was again Wood from Ritchie with Don Turner in third.   The field events were equally well represented David Stevenson defeated Gordon Rule and Ian Dobson in the pole vault and although they were in different vests on this occasion they were all members of the Octavians club.   In the Javelin Mitchell defeated Birkmyre and Fowlie, Crawford Fairbrother won the high jump and so it went on.   There was only one wee controversy – it involved Ian McCafferty.   He turned up late for the final of the Mile and the programme was already running about 10 minutes late.   He appeared on the track when the race was well underway and at the end of the race the winner, J Wilson, was pretty well ignored as the reporters crowded round McCafferty and his father who were both indignant that the race had not been held up for ten or fifteen minutes so that he could run.   For the record Wilson of the RAF won from Norman Morrison and Adrian Weatherhead.   It had been another good day for competitors, spectators and organisers alike.   

The British Isles Cup contest was held on 7th June, 1969, and again there were nail biting finishes, quality performances and a controversy that did not involve Ian McCafferty.  Lachie Stewart was known for his fast finishes – a year later Ron Clarke would find out for himself at Meadowbank – but this time it was the ‘Big D’ .   Derek Graham of Ireland faced Lachie Stewart in the 5000m and after Fergus Murray had done a lot of work early on it  was down to these two: coming in to the bell, Lachie slowed the pace and Graham allowed him to do so and just sat on his shoulder.   One of the biggest mistakes he ever made.   The sprint finish gave it to Lachie and as the report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ said, he could hardly keep a smile away in the last ten yards.   His time was 14:04.2 while Graham was 14:04.6.   Other talented winners were Ron Jones (W 100m), D Halliday (S 200), A Wood (S 400m), Dave Cropper (E 800m), Storey (E 110 hurdles), Bryan-Jones (S Steeplechase), Crawford Fairbrother (S HJ), L Davies (W LJ), Geoff Capes (E Shot), W Tancred (E Discus) and AH Payne (E Hammer).   Also competing were athletes like John Boulter, Mike McLean, Hugh Barrow, John Bicourt, Bill Ewing, Hamish Robertson, Laurie Bryce and Mike Lindsay.   Now for the wee controversy.

It involved the quiet, likeable, polite Crawford Fairbrother in the high jump.   Let the report tell the story.   “Within the next two days authorities on the interpretation of  athletics rules will be consulted after a disagreement on Saturday in the British Isles Cup at Grangemouth.   The offending event was the high jump.   The International Federation rule applying to ties (ie  jumpers clearing the same height but failing the next one) has a recommendation – and that is the key word in the dispute – which says that rules for deciding ties ought not apply in international matches and that the points for places concerned should be shared.  Saturday’s high jump ended with Crawford Fairbrother and Mike Campbell, England, both clearing 6′ 7” and failing one inch higher.   All afternoon the Scot had been getting over first time and Campbell almost always needed more than one attempt.   In normally accepted circumstances there would have been no doubt that Fairbrother was the clear cut victor. but consternation arose when the jumps referee decided that, following the recommendation in the ties rule, he would have the points shared.   “The decision was preposterous,” said Fairbrother, “Ask any world class high jumper how this should be interpreted and it certainly won’t be the way the referee did.   His reading of it means that in international matches jumpers could then be free to fail two of their three attempts at every height and still share the points with another man who cleared every height first time.   

The jury of appeal was convened and their decision was that the recommendation ought not to be applied and the Scot was given the winner’s points and Campbell placed second.   Fairbrother has said he will write to Arthur Gold, honorary secretary of the AAA, for clarification and an interpretation is being sought from the IAAF.”

Quite a story and there was another mini disagreement in the pole vault where the four vaulters (including Mike Bull of Northern Ireland) refused to compete saying the strong cross-wind made the vaulting too hazardous.  The state of the pit, foam rubber chunks with no covering,  also gave cause for concern.   There was no pole vault in the results.   It should maybe be noted that the pole vault landing area was no different from any other in the country at the time – the foam rubber chunks which had replaced sand as the preferred landing surface were indeed often held in place with a surround of wooden railway sleepers.    But for the two jumps for height, it had been a very good meeting indeed with records being set an top talent on view in every single event.

SAAA Championships, Grangemouth, 1969: Hugh Barrow leads Ian McCafferty. 

The championships were held in Grangemouth on 28th June in 1969 and the race of the day was the steeplechase.   Not a usual happening but the GB selectors had picked Alistair Blamire for the team against Czechoslovakia and were greeted with raised eyebrows.   In the championships he was up against Gareth Bryan-Jones, Britain’s number one ranked for the event that summer.   It turned into a real trial of strength with noth men being clear of the field after only one lap.   Over the final water jump Bryan-Jones was leading by about five yards – the clever money was on him.   But Blamire was hauling him in and at the finishing line no one could separate them but the judges gave the verdict to Bryan-Jones.   Both runners had the same time – 8:46.2 – and Blamire was now second fastest Briton over the steeplechase that year.   The 100 metres was another top race in 1969 with Halliday beating Nottage (both on 10.6) and Piggot (10.7).   Other winners included Mike McLean in the 800m, Craig Douglas in the 1500m, Lachie Stewart in the 5000m, Hogarth in the 110 hurdles, Fairbrother in the high jump, Stevenson in the pole vault, Hamish Robertson in the long jump, Vic Mitchell in the javelin and  Laurie Bryce in the hammer.   

It should be noted that Scottish steeplechasing was on a high at the time – Bryan-Jones topped the British lists with a time that he had set at Grangemouth at the end of May in the East District Championships.   He had run 8 minutes 41 seconds to be well ahead of Aberdeen’s Bill Ewing (9:08.4).   Blamire had run in the 5000m that afternoon and was second to Fergus Murray but ahead of Don Macgregor in 14:97.2.   By the end of the season between them they had 18 of the top 21 performances by Scotsmen.  Four of these times were done at Grangemouth.   

1970 was of course Commonwealth Games year and just about every important event took place at Meadowbank.   Everything centred on the big event.  The new stadium was opened on 2nd May, 1970, by the Duke of Kent who stated the obvious when he said the new stadium would be an asset to Scotland.   But the qualities of Grangemouth were not forgotten.  The SAAA Decathlon was held there at the very end of May with nine entrants with the second day being one of strong winds and heavy rain.   It was won by Dave Kidner, Loughborough College) from IC Grant of Octavians with reigning champion Peter Burgess of Octavians down the field after a back injury.       Norman Foster (Shettleston failed to record a height in the pole vault, held when the weather was at its worst.   Nevertheless it was a national championship but not the last to be held at the venue in Commonwealth Games year.

But first, a quick word of explanation.   Up until 1970, the SAAA and SWAAA championships were separate – different dates, different venues.   The Men’s championships included Juniors (U20) and Youth (U17) championships; the women’s included Intermediate and Junior championships.   In 1970 the men and women held joint championships for the first time ever at Meadowbank on 6th June; there was a joint Junior/Youth/Junior/Intermediate championships at Grangemouth.   These first U20 and U17 men’s and women’s were held at Grangemouth on 27th June.   It was a great success and there were many excellent performances.   Look at the names of some of the winners – David McMeekin (800m), Ronnie McDonald (Junior 1500), Lawrie Reilly (Youths 1500m), Evelyn McMeekin (J 800m), and Myra Nimmo (I hurdles).   All exceptional athletes of whom we would soon hear much more.   Another first for Grangemouth.   

Then just before the big one at Meadowbank, there was an ‘odd distances’ meeting at Grangemouth on 11th July which attracted athletes from all over the Commonwealth.   Names like Pam Kilborn and Ben Jipcho were on the programme.   It was a miserable day with plastic macs well in evidence but the report read as follows.    Distances raced included the 3000m (won by Dick Quax of NZ from Ben Jipcho of Kenya), 75 metres (Alice Anum of Ghana) and among the Games events Keino won the 10,000m, Canada’s Jay Dahlgren won the javelin, New Zealand’s Les Mills won the shot and Robin Tait took the discus.     

After the Games there were still championship events to be held and on 15th August there was a Scottish relays championship at Grangemouth which  had events for all age groups. for men and for women, was probably a bit of an anti-climax for athletes and spectators.   

In addition to the various championships and glamour events, the Stadium hosted the usual run of events, eg. even in mid June (20th) there was a meeting involving Edinburgh Southern Harriers, Edinburgh, Octavians, Victoria Park, Bellahouston Harriers and Shettleston Harriers which was won by ESH from VPAAC.   It had been another very good year for the Falkirk citizens.

Into 1971 when athletics was on a high after the very successful Games for the host country and Grangemouth started the season’s big meetings with a women’s international between Scotland and Northern Ireland on 8th May which included Senior, Intermediate and Junior age groups.   Senior event winners – 100m and 200m: Helen Golden; 400m:  A Lynch (I); 800m: Sandra Sutherland; 1500m: Christine Haskett; 100m and 200m hurdles: Myra Nimmo; High jump: Moira Walls; Long Jump: Jinty Jamieson; Shot, Discus & Javelin: G Porter (I); 4 x 100m relay: Scotland (Jamieson, Pringle, Golden, Sprigg); 4 x 400m relay: Scotland (Bennie, Pringle, Munro and Lyall).   Not surprisingly Scotland won which set the example for the men’s team in the British Isles Cup on 13th June.  

Between the two internationals, the Scottish relay championships took place on 6th June.   It was a much bigger event than the previous year and the Edinburgh clubs won six of the titles, Maryhill Ladies two, Bellahouston and Grangemouth Olympiads one apiece.   

The men’s international suffered greatly from being held on the same day as the British Games at Meadowbank which attracted all the top men from Scotland and England.   The Grangemouth meeting lost out on spectators as well as athletes although, despite losing most of their top men, England retained the trophy.   The only Scottish winner on the track was Adrian Weatherhead in the 5000m which he won from Mike Beevor in 13 min 58.6 – a winning margin of over 6 seconds.   That was one event more than was won in the field events.   Nevertheless the spectators did get the opportunity to see John Sherwood, Geoff Capes, Bill Tancred, Dave Travis and Howard Payne as well as top Scots Gareth Bryan-Jones, Norman Morrison, Alan Murray, Les Piggot and Hamish Robertson.

The age group championships again took place at Grangemouth on 3rd July with a whole host of top talent on display.  For instance, in the Junior Men’s 1500 Jim Brown, Frank Clement and Ronnie McDonald all started with McDonald winning in 3:49.3.   The McMeekins made a day of it with Dave winning the Junior 800m and his sisters Evelyn and Christine taking first and second in the women’s equivalent.   The decathlon championship was held again on 24th July when Stewart McCallum won and set a new Scottish record of 7116 points for the event.   Graham Barclay won the Junior event and on the first day, in the women’s pentathlon was won by Felicity Strong.   The inter and junior girls  were won respectively by C Black and P O’Neill.   

Although it was now almost two years after the Games and the athletes were flocking to the open graded meetings, etc, held on the all weather tracks, Scottish authorities and governing bodies were slow to provide them.   There were tracks at Meadowbank and Grangemouth and on 30th May, 1971, the RubKor surfaced track was opened at Bellahouston in Glasgow.   It was completely open to the elements, and although close to the Sports Centre, was not part of it.   No lights other than those on the main road beside the track and from the Sports Centre which was some distance away.   And that was it. It wasn’t suitable for major meetings or championships.  The Olymprene track at Coatbridge was not opened until 24th April. 1976, and Crown Point in Glasgow only appeared on 7th September, 1984.   Although Grangemouth remained the track to go to it lost the British Isles Cup until June, 1991 although there were to be internationals in 1975, 1979 and 1989.  In fact the British Isles Cup disappeared from the schedules, and was not contested until it appeared in Cwmbran, Wales, in August 1975.  The national track & field championships had been moved from Grangemouth to Meadowbank only returning in 1979 and 1982.       Between its opening and 1970 no fewer than 19 Scottish native  and 2 national records were set on the track.

The second part of the Grangemouth story will take up the period from 1975.

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1980’s

.John Robson leading Eddie Stewart and George Braidwood

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The Sports Centre at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow was an attractive venue for athletes from all over Scotland and was one of the reasons for the fall in popularity of the Nethercraigs Track on the south side of Glasgow.   Both were served by the Corkerhill Railway Station and were on  several bus routes but the difference was on the track surface.   Following the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1970, any new track with any kind of synthetic surface was where they all wanted to train and on which they wanted to compete.   The Bellahouston Park track was synthetic, 400m in distance ( as opposed to 440 yards), had 6 lanes and was open pretty well all the time.   It had field event facilities and a water jump inside the track.  There were two ‘all-weather’ tracks in the country, both in the east, at Meadowbank where the surface was red tartan and at Grangemouth where it was  black Rub-Kor.   This surface is coloured black and is a mix of rubber and a kind of bitumen and on first glance looks like tarmac. Athletes were totally forbidden from using any spikes longer than 5mm on it.  It looked like an ordinary road or pavement on the track and the restriction on the length of spikes made it a better surface for distance runners than for sprinters as the times performed on it showed.     Although it was beside the Sports Centre, it was theoretically separate but with the field events equipment stored there.   There were no lights on the track but running alongside a fairly busy road, the street lights made it possible to use it in the dark.   There was also some dim light spilling over from the Sports Centre itself.

The Running Track Directory website tells us that it was opened on 30th May, 1971.   Bellahouston  v  City of Glasgow Ladies  v  Victoria Park  v  Law & District  v  Babcock & Wilcox  v  Greenock.   Unfortunately the fixture clashed with the two men’s district championships and the ‘Glasgow Herald’ published only selected results:

800m:  1. S Latimer (Law) 2:31.8;  2. M McKenzie (CoG)  2:32;  3. A McKenna (2:32.4).   1500m:  1.  M O’Boyle (VPAAC) 4:51; 2. P Spence (Greenock) 4:57.   Discus:  Seniors: L King (Belllahouston) 115 ft;  Juniors:  I Munro (CoG)59 ft.   Girls 800m: 1. J McGoldrick (Bellahouston) 2:42; 2. C Harvie (Babcock) 2:43.     The match was won by City of Glasgow with 335 points with Bellahouston second on 295 points.   These were very selective results but note that none of them were sprints.   

That first season was quite successful with good times and distances being performed in a range of events – 800m, 1500 m and high jump were the ones that appeared most often in the national ranking lists at the end of the year.   That it was a fast track for endurance runners was shown when on Wednesday, 11th August, in a 10000m race contained in a meeting organised by Victoria Park, the winning time was 29:44.0 by Gareth Bryan-Jones from Pat Maclagan of Victoria Park (30:04.8). Alex Wight (30:23.2) with Jim Wight and Alan Partridge also recording fast times in fourth and fifth.   Even later in the year on 14th September in another midweek meeting, Junior Frank Clement recorded 1:52.8 for 800m in a close finish with Mike McLean who was timed at 1:52.4.   

Jack McLean racing on the track at Bellahouston.  

It was used for many SAAA meetings over the years and particularly by the Scottish Veteran Harriers Club.   Bellahouston Harriers’ Jimmy Irvine says:    “The track at the Bellahouston  sports centre was quite a good track to race on.  It was a funny surface kind of Bitnumen, a  bit harder than tartan more like road surface, I liked it . I managed to win the Scottish vets 10k on it 33:20 beating John Barrowman of Garscube . But it has now been made into a cycle track and  has been taken over by them.   I remember it was used a few times for the Western District championship, so it was well used by the athletics associations .”

The track was not exclusive to those from Glasgow: as already mentioned it was used by the Scottish Veteran Harriers Club (who also used the Sports Centre for changing, presentations, etc, for road races.   Indeed the World Vets 10K and Marathon Championships were held from there with athletes from all over the world competing.   The Dunbartonshire AAA Six Miles and then 10000m championships were also held on the Rub Kor track at Bellahouston.   There were open graded meetings, inter-club fixtures, league matches and of course it was for a time the go-to for training for ambitious runners.

But then along came the red surfaces such as Olymprene for running tracks and what had been a state-of-the-art track was surpassed by more modern developments elsewhere.  Just as Bellahouston had done for Nethercraigs, so such as Coatbridge and then Crown Point did for Bellahouston.   The track was still used but it was used less and less until the rullers all but deserted it.    

A recent note of facilities on offer at Bellahouston Park read as follows:

Sports facilities

• Cycling Activity Centre
• Two Bowling Greens:  These are seasonal facilities and are subject to opening times.
• 18 Hole Pitch and Putt Course:  These are seasonal facilities and are subject to opening times.  Pitch and putt equipment can be obtained at the Bowling Green area.
• Orienteering Course
• Bellahouston Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool
• An “All Weather” Hockey Pitch
• An “All Weather” Running Track

Note at the foot of the list that there are both a running track and a cycling track with no indication that they are one and the same.   Bearing in mind what Jimmy said in his comments, the following extract from the instructions for a Fun Run:

.At other times the course passes by the mixed parkland and ornamental gardens that have been a highlight of Glasgow’s Premier Public Park for over 100 years. The start/finish area is located with the cycle track of Bellahouston Park which is located on the south/west side of the Park. Please note that the route may be subject to change.

 It is now in a pretty bad state of repair. The surface has been chewed up and definitely won’t take a spike. The lane markings are faded but at least six distinct lanes are visible all the way round with no extra lanes in the straight. Apparently the surface was damaged when the Sports Centre swimming pool was constructed. The earth they dug out was dumped in the centre of the track which is now a large grassy knoll although it was a redgra pitch.

To which Jimmy comments: Although it is chewed up and ‘won’t take a spike, it is referred to as ‘the cycle track of Bellahouston Park’.   The track is used almost entirely by cyclists now in the twenty first century but that does not take away from the history of the track which was used by many, many top class athletes.

Read a bit more about Nethercraigs (pictured) via the link below.

   Nethercraigs     

.Picture courtesy Hugh Barrow

(Aberdeen Press & Journal: by Neil Drysdale)

He was the Aberdeen athlete who kept racing against the clock, setting new milestones and proving that age is just a number.

And he was also the man with the initials MBE – Meldrum Barclay Edwards – who ended up receiving an MBE for his services to sport and charity.

When his son, Myles, was married just last month, Mel Edwards, who has died of cancer, aged 76, found the inner strength to attend the wedding in Aberdeenshire, where he delivered a “powerful” speech.

Mr Edwards was born in the Granite City in 1942 and graduated in civil engineering from Cambridge University.

He subsequently enjoyed a prodigious international career, locking horns with many of the greatest names of his generation, including Commonwealth medallists Lachie Stewart and Ian McCafferty.

Renowned for his intensive training regimes of around 100 miles per week, his marathon personal best time of two hours, 18 minutes, 25 seconds would still place him high in the contemporary British rankings.

During a running career which spanned half a century, it was estimated Mr Edwards covered more than 100,000 miles and represented his country at distances ranging from six miles to the marathon.

Even when he was diagnosed with Myeloma in 2006, he refused to let the gruelling hospital treatment grind him down and, whether tackling charity challenges, coaching youngsters or pouring himself into new initiatives, his fellow athletes described him as an inspirational figure.

His international athletic colleague, Colin Youngson, a three-time Scottish marathon champion from Aberdeen, said yesterday: “When he became Meldrum Barclay Edwards, Member of the Order of the British Empire (or MBE squared, as he called it) no one could have deserved the honour more. Everyone admired and liked him.

“When he first contracted cancer, I visited him in his hospital ward and we laughed our way through my collection of Alf Tupper – The Tough of the Track – photocopies.

“I could add so many more memories. His tales of dawn jogging at Rubislaw, saying hello to the fox that trained there at the same time; so many charitable ventures into which he poured his heart and soul. The laughs, the exhilaration for life.

“He’s gone at last, but unforgettable. I was very fortunate to know him.”

In 2016, at 73, Mr Edwards raised £8,000 by running 100×100 metres in two locations in his home city.

The money will be used to buy specialist EyeGaze technology for Woodlands School in Aberdeen.

He had set himself the task of raising a greater sum than when he accumulated £7,500 for Friends of Anchor in 2012 by undertaking a 70-minute run on his 70th birthday.

He said later: “It was a very satisfying experience. This will help to purchase life-changing equipment for the wonderful children and teachers at Woodlands School.

“It has been a privilege to be involved. In my life, I would say I had two main challenges. The first was to make the Olympic Games marathon (I missed out by two places), and the second was not to be defeated by cancer in 2006.

“Now there is a third. And that’s to ensure I do my best to provide life-changing facilities for children with severe problems.”

Mr Edwards spent the final weeks of his life at Roxburghe House.

He is survived by his wife Kareen and Myles.

Myles, Mel and Karen Edwards, Mel in Queen’s Relay baton uniform

(Athletics Weekly, by Roger Robinson and Mel Watman)

Perhaps the world’s most zestful lover of running, and an old and dear friend, Mel Edwards of Aberdeen, died last week. In tribute, I ran a session of 16 x 2 minutes, the nearest I can now manage to the intense 16 x 800m we used to do in Cambridge in our twenties. Here is a written tribute, from which “Athletics Weekly” published excerpts, with my contributions supplementing the expert obituary by Mel Watman.

Mel Edwards, December 2, 1942 – November 8, 2019

by Mel Watman (former editor of “Athletics Weekly”) and Roger Robinson (friend and training partner since 1964)

After a long and courageous fight against myeloma (a blood cancer), the Scottish marathon runner and cross-country international Mel Edwards died on November 8, aged 76. Born in Aberdeen in 1942, son of a sports journalist, he was inspired as a child by reports of Emil Zatopek, and then by watching the 1960 Rome Olympics on television. He started with the 440 yards, clocking 51.7 that year. He gradually moved up in distance, and defeated future greats Ian McCafferty and Lachie Stewart for the Scottish Junior Cross-country title. He also achieved personal best times of 4:11.8 for the mile and 13:48.6 for 3 miles.

A Master in Civil Engineering from Aberdeen and Cambridge Universities, and a member of Aberdeen AAC and Thames Valley Harriers, he placed second in the annual Cambridge v Oxford cross-country. Famed and feared for his hard training, he was a colourful leading member of an outstanding Cambridge vintage, which included the late Mike Turner, Tim Johnston, Roger Robinson, and fellow-Scot Alasdair Heron. His college room was decorated with a big banner, “Kingston or Bust,” expressing his goal of making the Scotland team for the 1966 Commonwealth Games.

Injuries intervened, and he transferred to the marathon, making a notable debut in 1967, winning the Harlow event by nearly five minutes in 2:18:25, which remained his best. That time ranked him fourth Briton (and Scot), behind Jim Alder, Alastair Wood and Donald Macgregor that year, and he also posted his fastest 6 miles time of 28:27.0. His ambition was to make the 1968 Olympic team. He ran well to finish second to Japan’s Kenji Kimihara (who would win the Olympic silver medal in Mexico City) on a sweltering day in the Windsor to Chiswick Polytechnic Marathon in 2:19:32, but he hadn’t recovered sufficiently to place higher than seventh in the Olympic Trial in Cwmbran six weeks later on another hot day in 2:21:09.

After a layoff for a major injury, Mel became a major figure in hill racing, as well as continuing to race cross-country well enough to add Scottish Masters titles to the Scottish Junior one he won at 18. He also became an outstanding coach, meeting organiser, and all-round inspirational figure, widely admired in the Aberdeen region.

He was the regular coach with the “Run the Highlands” weekend courses that introduced many beginners to running. He covered more than 100,000 miles of running, many of them for fund raising in his later years. To mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of his happy marriage to Kareen, he ran the New York City Marathon, watched by their son Myles, who went on to become Scottish 1,500m champion and founder of the Gathimba-Edwards Foundation that helps Kenyan children.

Mel’s response to the diagnosis of incurable myeloma in 2006 was typical. He resolved that while others would fight cancer as well as he did, no one would fight it better. He set records around his hospital bedroom, and later established and attacked a series of PSCR (Post-Stem-Cell Replacement) records on courses around Aberdeen.

Mel was much loved for his zest, irrepressibly positive attitude, and generous encouragement of all runners. He was described as setting out for each run “like a golden retriever that has just been let out of the car.” (Roger Robinson in “New Zealand Runner”). Aberdeen friend and notable runner Colin Youngson described him to the “Aberdeen Press & Journal” as “a marvellous human being, one-of-a-kind: relentlessly optimistic, enthusiastic, energetic, dedicated, determined, uncomplaining, brave, and encouraging to many others.” In his lifetime career in road traffic engineering, specialising in accident prevention, Mel showed as much fervour as with his running, and took pride in returning to work the moment he came out of hospital for life-threatening stem-cell replacement.

Appropriately for a man whose initials were MBE (Meldrum Barclay Edwards), he was honoured with an MBE (Member of the British Empire), for services to athletics and charities. Even better, Mel finally achieved his ambition of participating in the Commonwealth Games, when he was chosen among other sports celebrities to take part in the Queen’s Baton Relay (equivalent of the Olympic torch relay) for the Games in Glasgow in 2014.

(The Scotsman: by Jack Davidson)

Mel Edwards Obituary
Born 2nd December 1942
Died 8th November 2019

Mel Edwards who has died aged 76 was a highly successful and extremely popular Scottish distance runner in a career spanning more than fifty years. Such was his lifelong passion for running that it would have been fitting had the song ‘Born to Run’ been penned with him in mind. A member of Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club for many years, he garnered a haul of honours on the track, on the roads and hills and over the country. By 2005 he had accumulated over 100,000 miles of documented running in competition and training.

He figured in the Scottish ranking lists between 1960 and 1969 at all distances between the quarter mile and six miles, as well as the marathon. The latter event was arguably his strongest as he was 2nd reserve for Great Britain in the 1968 Mexico Olympics having set his best time of just over 2hrs.18 mins. in his debut run in 1967, placing him 4th in the British rankings.

He also won silver and bronze medals in the Scottish Championships at six and three miles respectively and won the English Universities three miles event in record breaking time. In 1964 he won the Scottish Junior Cross-Country title defeating rivals of the calibre of Lachie Stewart and Ian McCafferty, earning a Scottish vest for the International Cross-Country Championships. Later he also did long distance hill and fell running which augmented his honours collection including winning the Scottish Veterans’ Hill Running Championship and setting a record for the 28-mile Cairngorm Munros event that stood for 23 years.

These are only some highlights of a career during which he also found time to be race organiser, coach and mentor to runners of all standards while contributing articles to various publications.

After his diagnosis with multiple myeloma in 2006 he vowed that cancer would not defeat him and in the intervening years raised significant sums for cancer care charities through sponsored runs and related activities. Another important aim was to contribute to ‘improving life changing facilities for children with severe problems,’ which he succeeding in doing by raising valuable funds for Woodlands School in Aberdeen.

Blessed with a good sense of humour and warm outgoing personality, he was a truly inspirational figure for whom the award of an M.B.E. in 2014 for ‘services to athletics and charity’ was richly deserved. His good friend, former marathon champion Colin Youngson recalled, ”No one deserved the honour more, everyone admired and liked him, he enjoyed a laugh and had an exhilaration for life.”

Meldrum Barclay Edwards was born in Aberdeen where he was brought up in Beechgrove Terrace, the only child of Freddy and Joy. Given his initials, he used to refer to himself jokingly as ‘M.B.E. squared.’

His father was a headmaster at several Aberdeen schools, an all-round sportsman and in retirement became a sports journalist. Before marriage his mother was a clerkess. Mel could remember being inspired after listening on the radio to Emil Zatopek’s feat of winning three gold medals at distance events in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the start of becoming hooked on running. Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, the third of four generations to attend there, he set his sights on winning races at the annual sports, and in his final year achieved a clean sweep at quarter mile, half mile and mile.

His career was under way as a member of Aberdeen AAC when he began his studies in civil engineering at Aberdeen University which he also represented at cross country and athletics, winning a ‘blue.’ From Aberdeen he went to study for a Master’s degree at Cambridge University where he ran on the track and over the country, earning a double ‘blue.’ Thereafter he completed post graduate studies in transportation at Newcastle University and undertook a research post at Southampton University before earning his livelihood as a road safety engineer.

Other running successes included East of Scotland titles at three miles on the track and at cross country, a highly creditable 4th place in the prestigious Morpeth to Newcastle Road Race and as the highest scoring member of the Aberdeen club team pipped by one point for the Scottish Cross-Country title. He also contributed fastest stage times in the iconic Edinburgh to Glasgow road race relay.

His mileage reached over 100 miles per week as he concentrated on the marathon in his attempt to reach the Olympics. With leg injuries hampering road running he continued with cross country enjoying success at veterans’ level and began hill running, completing arduous races including the Ben Nevis, Lairig Ghru and the Swiss Sierre to Zinal 28 km. event.

In 2012 on his 70th birthday he ran ’70 minutes at 70’ for the Anchor cancer charity and in 2016, 100 x 100 metres in two Aberdeen locations to fund equipment for Woodlands School. He felt particularly honoured to run the Queen’s Baton relay in Aberdeen for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

In 1972 he married Kareen Anderson, a social worker/psychotherapist, with whom he enjoyed 47 years of happy marriage in Aberdeen during which they had son Myles, also an accomplished runner. Through Mel’s running connections, Myles and Gideon Gathimba, a Kenyan athlete, founded the GathimbaEdwards Foundation to help disadvantaged children in Kenya, a cause close to Mel’s heart.

Although he will be deservedly well remembered for his running feats, he has an extra special place in the hearts of many for his unremitting fight after his diagnosis to better the plight of others in similar circumstances, especially children. His family has been extremely touched with the extent of tributes from people whose lives he impacted positively. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter in law Mary and granddaughter Dahlia.

Glasgow has always been fortunate in the number of running tracks and athletics facilities available to the population.   The really big ones that held National and other championships plus top class international meetings were of course Hampden, Ibrox and Celtic parks.   The track at Helenvale in the east end of the city saw some top class action, while in the West the two top tracks were Westerlands and Scotstoun which both held Scottish Universities and Scottish Schools championships as well as good invitation international events.   Then there were the tracks that were used for club training, maybe open graded meetings – Knightswood, Barrachnie, Toryglen and Nethercraigs.   That is not a completely comprehensive list but gives a fair demonstration of how seriously the local authority took the sport and provision for it.

Nethercraigs track, located at 355 Corkerhill Road in the south of the city, was a track with a good reputation,  decent changing facilities and handy for bus and train travel.   When I first went there in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s it was used for such meetings as the Ladies Inter District Meetings as well as for inter-clubs organised by Bellahouston Harriers.   At the start of the twenty first century it was described on Tim Grose’s Running Track Directory as follows:

“Cinder, 400m/440y, 7 lanes, 7 lane straight

This red blaes track is in the locality of Corkerhill and was at one time the home track of Bellahouston Harriers. It was considered to be a fast track and staged Inter County and County Championships in the 1960s and 70s. It was well provided with field events facilities, changing rooms and a weights training area but now most of the field-event facilities have been removed. There is a sand pit for the jumps, but the runways are made out of tarmac as opposed to grass or redgra. The HJ area also consists of tarmac. As of Sep 2001 there were faint lane markings but overgrown grass has made the first lane pretty useless. The infield is a rugby/football pitch.”

The ‘redgra’ description is an English one: it was a red blaes track (ie made of small red stones (blaes) packed tight together to make a firm and absorbent surface).   The comment about the runways being made of tar is interesting because that was the pattern on other tracks – a tar approach for long, triple jumps as well as pole vault.   It meant that national track & field matches could be held there.

As can be seen from the advert in the ‘Scots Athlete’ from September 1947, Bellahouston Harriers started off training at the Academy playing fields, but it was not long after that that they moved their HQ.   For many years the home of Bellahouston Harriers was Nethercraigs: it became the venue for many an inter-club match with many of the top Scottish athletes taking part  in league matches: the club was one of the very best in the country and hosted such as Victoria Park, Shettleston and  Edinburgh Southern.  Jim Irvine tells us that “at the start, the track was very good ,and at the beginning there was not any out building just wooden huts were we stripped in no showers . Once the dressing rooms had been added it was very good and I enjoyed training on a very firm track,”    

For inter club fixtures, 1960 was a fairly typical year and although not all matches were reported in the local Press, the following all appeared in the ‘Glasgow Herald’.

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.”

*

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.”  

*

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″.   

*

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

Scottish records were also set at Nethercraigs.   On 22nd April 1967 Lawrie Bryce hurled the hammer to a new Scottish native record of 194′ 4 1/2″ in a Strathclyde  v  Edinburgh and Dundee Universities.  

Fixtures were held all summer but as time went on and other more up-to-date tracks were laid and opened, training and fixtures gradually switched to these venues. There was an additional problem for Nethercraigs.  A quote from a descriptive brochure:

Nethercraigs Playing Fields used to serve local schools needs for outdoor sports. In recent years, the site had become under-utilised as demand from both schools and the community had reduced. Some of the pitches had become derelict. This project seeks to upgrade and safeguard its continued function as a valued amenity space in the south west of Glasgow, providing opportunities for childrens’ play and outdoor sports in a safe environment.

Under-utilised because, with the Commonwealth Games coming to Scotland in 1970, an all weather track was laid at Bellahouston Park: the track was fine but it was open to all the elements with no shelter at all other than the Sports Centre which was just too far away to provide any cover to those training on the track.   Nevertheless it was used a lot since it was the only such track on the west of Scotland: the east had Meadowbank and Grangemouth but this was the only one in the area.  Consequently most athlete who had formerly used Nethercraigs, went to Bellahouston Park.

That was the main reason for the track being unused but the situation was  further complicated by the ‘unsafe’ aspect mentioned above.   it is referred to in this extract from an exchange on a Glasgow community forum:

“QUOTE (Jim @ 25th Jul 2013, 02:27pm)

However, the sports complex was still there and had to be used.   From a Glasgow City Council document:

Nethercraigs lies adjacent to the Corkerhill residential area and is largely occupied by the Nethercraigs Sports Complex, which was formerly the home ground to Glasgow Gaelic football side, Tir Conaill Harps and was later used by the Glasgow Caledonain GAA as their home ground and training pitch.

The sports complex, built at a cost of £3.7 million, was opened in 2005 by Sir Alex Ferguson. It has a 3G astro pitch for 11-a-side football or three 7-a-side pitches, a separate 5-a-side pitch, two hockey pitches, gym, dance studio, running track, grass rugby pitch, three grass 11-a-side football pitches and a skate park. There are also areas for various athletic sports such as shot put and high jump. The 11-a-side, 5-a-side, hockey and rugby pitches are floodlit, as is the running track.

It is good to know that the venue still has a place in Scottish athletics in the twenty first century.   It is however used by other sports including rugby.    Glasgow Hawks moved there when they were evicted from Lochinch by Queens Park FC in 2021 and it is now used as a training venue and home for their second XV.    Read about it at  https://www.glasgowhawks.com/news/nethercraigs-2722679.html    It is a good venue and, I am told, the staff are both friendly and co-operative.  

Running is the most marvellous sport at any speed you can manage. Get outside and enjoy fresh air, nature and the joy of moving!
ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL – One Mile v Aberdeen Academy 1965 at Rubislaw grass track. 3rd but personal best.
After slow-twitch muscles ensured total failure in primary school sports day sprints, secondary school introduced 880 yards, which was more suitable. Then the Mile, which was even better. Eventually I won the Senior Mile; and competed over the distance for my school versus another, which featured two harder-training, faster athletes. Revenge was to be mine before long, however. Moral: when young, find your event, do some proper training and improvement is almost certain!

ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY HARE & HOUNDS – team photo 1969, outside Kins College Pavilion. Captain.
Although running is essentially an individual experience, physically and psychologically, it can be enhanced by (inevitably competitive) training and socialising with team-mates. But not too often! Learn to train mainly on your own: recovery sessions or harder ones.

VICTORIA PARK AC – Turku, Finland 10,000m 1972. Finished second but personal best.
Pekka Paivarinta in the cap. World XC champion in 1973! Same track where Chris Chataway paced John Landy to break Roger Bannister’s One Mile record in June 1954?
If you are young and running well, but a superior athlete is coasting along behind you, really push the pace and at least make them work harder. Front-running is exciting and you may record a good finishing time, even a personal best. In the future, you may well gain revenge on ‘classier runners’ when, inevitably, they have a bad day. Wait long enough, and anyone beats almost everyone at least once!

EDINBURGH SOUTHERN HARRIERS – after the 1975 Scottish Track 10 Miles at Carluke in the rain. Second but personal best.
Colin Youngson, Doug Gunstone, Martin Craven.
Try to race over all sorts of distances – explore the sport. As your experience becomes greater, you will find the events which suit you best. Do consider having a go at District and then Scottish Championships!

ABERDEEN AAC – Jogle 1982. With Don Ritchie; and team at Land’s End. Event Record broken.
Road Relays, especially utterly exhausting, multi-day events, are tough, surreal, weirdly hilarious and memorable. Team bonding (via individually-experienced but mutually understood suffering) may lead to respect and friendship which can last for decades. Testing physical and psychological limits can be a significant aspect of distance running; although it is a great relief that most races are much shorter!

ABERDEEN AAC: 1982 Scottish Marathon Championship gold – last straight at Grangemouth.
Not many long-distance runners possess a genuine sprint at the finish. However, especially in a successful marathon, even without close competition, a hard push for the tape can be mustered, when a decent time seems possible. Tactical surges in the final quarter of the event can also lead to breaking away (or overdoing the effort and hitting the no-glycogen ‘wall’!)

ABERDEEN AAC – 1985 Aberdeen International Marathon lead group. Finished second.
As a proud Scot, to represent my country in an international marathon, was always important. Never managed an individual victory but counted in several winning teams. It was always good to meet runners from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Eire or the Continent. For Male and Female Veterans/Masters, the annual 5 Nations Cross-Country event is the greatest fun. ‘Reborn’ every five years, with a fresh chance to make the team: what an incentive to get fit!

ABERDEEN AAC.

Even compared to the Scottish Marathon Championship, the dramatic Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay was my favourite race – I was lucky to take part 30 times, with triumphs, good or mediocre runs and disappointments. This photo is of the last stage – ‘the Glory Leg’ – in 1986, when my age was 39. The baton was passed, along with an uncomfortably small lead, but I enjoyed one of those rare days when everything clicked and, with that year’s fastest Stage 8 time, came home well clear, to ensure Aberdeen’s second victory.

METRO ABERDEEN R.C. / VETERAN – British Veterans XC M45 gold 1995 at Beach Park, Irvine.
Reaching the age of 40 opened a new dimension to my post-peak but still keen running career. It can do the same for anyone. There are Scottish Masters championships in cross-country, track and field and road running. If you do well in some of those, maybe experience British, European or World Masters competition. Just as much ‘tough fun’ as personal best racing, but somehow less serious and therefore friendlier. A runner is a runner, fast, slow or medium: this sport is for everyone! For some athletes nowadays, post-40 (or even post-70) may actually be your peak, especially on the age-graded tables.

FORRES HARRIERS – Scottish Veterans 5000m M60 gold in 2010 during a gale at Pitreavie.
As the decades pass, distances you can actually push hard over (rather than plodding round carefully, trying to avoid injury) become shorter and shorter – maybe 3k, 5k or 6k cross-country. Track events may hurt, if personal worst times are avoided. In a gale-force wind, it can be worth the effort, especially if age-group rivals are ‘blown away’!

FORRES HARRIERS – after the 2019 ‘Run for Hamish 10 Miles’ in Nairn.
Nowadays, although I am nearly always keen to get outside and try, it all depends on the state of knee, hip, sciatica, lower back, calf, Achilles: niggles or injuries. But after resigned acceptance that any more ‘athletics’ will be shuffling at best, so far I find that ‘hard jogging’ may, now and again, still be possible. Parkrun, 10k, short cross-country or a longer road race. It is always a pleasure to meet old runners and my clubmates from friendly Forres Harriers. So keep going as long as you possibly can!

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Glen Fruin, 1980’s

Bobby on the first leg at Sutton

Brian Campbell on the second stage at Sutton

Pete Cartwright at Sutton

Coverage of the Sutton Relay in 2006

The magazine’s portrayal of King Bobby!

Hamada leading the group in the SAAA Championships at Meadowbank

Hamada first came to the attention of the Scottish running public on 17th January, 1981, at Livingston where he ran in the District Championship.   The individual race was won by Fraser Clyne of Aberdeen with his former teammate Colin Youngson – running for Edinburgh Southern Harriers – second.    Youngson led ESH into first place but a very short way down the field, Hamada was eighth and first Edinburgh AC runner to finish.   The team was third with the other runners being Doug Hunter (9th), Nigel Jones (11th), Steve Laing (23rd), Lindsay Robertson (24th) and Robin Morris 25th.   It was a good run and a fairly successful introduction to the Scottish scene.   

He was further up the field on 7th February when, in the Edinburgh District League, he was second to Ian Elliott (Edinburgh Southern), 50 yards up on Evan Cameron of ESH, to lead the team home again – this time to second place behind Southern.   A week later and Hamada was representing the club in the Edinburgh University 10 Miles Road Race against some of the best that Scotland could put forward.   Nat Muir (Shettleston) won the race in a new record time from Jim Brown.   Hamada ran in third place for most of the race but had to settle for fourth after Jim Dingwall finished strongly.   In the team contest, Colin Youngson in fifth again led ESH to team victory.

These races were leading up to one thing: the national cross-country championships of Scotland to be held on 28th February at Callendar Park in Falkirk.   In a race dominated by the duel between Nat Muir and Allister Huttn (two seconds between them at the finish) with Jim Brown and Lawrie Spence not far behind at all, Hamada was 17th, and third scoring runner for EAC: Alder 8th, Weatherhead 14th, Hunter 20th, Gourley 24th and Robertson 38th were the other counting runners for the team that won from  Edinburgh Southern Harriers with the relevant points totals being 121 and 133.   Had Hamada not been running, EAC would have had to add another 42 points to the total and they would have been second to ESH.   As for his finishing position – the two runners immediately in front of him were Dave Logue (15th) and George Braidwood (16th) and following hard on his heels were Rod Stone (18th) and Colin Youngson (19th).   All considerably good athletes.

*

The last major team race of the 1980/81 season was on 14th March and was the  Six Stage Road Relays  Edinburgh AC was second team.   Hamada ran on the fourth stage, the second of the three long six mile stages.   He ran very well to turn in the fastest EAC time for the stage and fourth fastest overall behind Muir, Hutton and Spence but ahead of all the others including such talents as Jim Dingwall.

Some of us are never clear whether the Tom Scott 10 is the last race of the winter or the first race of the summer but Hamada ran in it on 4th April, 1981. Hamada ran in the classic Tom Scott 10 miles road race at Motherwell and it was reported under the Glasgow Herald headline of  “Jap pips Brown for Treble”  as follows: “Despite a brave effort to score his third successive success in the Tom Scott Memorial 10 Mile Road race from Law to Motherwell on Saturday, Jim Brown (Clyde Valley) was outpaced by Japanese 10000m champion Yasunori Hamada of Edinburgh AC.   The race quickly developed into a two man affair, with the leaders breaking clear of the 185 man field early in the race.   Each took a turn of leading and they were under the course record at half distance but the hot afternoon took its toll of the tiring runners and the pace dropped on the hilly approaches to Motherwell.   As the runners turned into the final 200 yard straight, Hamada was fractionally ahead of Brown.   The Scot sprinted to be repelled by the leader, and the lead changed hands as the rivals passed and re-passed each other.   Hamada’s final lunge gave him the verdict in the closest finish in the 23 year old history of the race.   

Results: 1.   Y Hamada, Edinburgh AC  47:39;   2.   J Brown, Clyde Valley AC   47:40;   3.  C Farquharson, Clyde Valley AC, 49:46.    First Veteran: R McKay, Clyde Valley,  54:43.   Team:  1.  Edinburgh AC 14 pts;  2.  Cambuslang Harriers  32;  3.  Bellahouston Harriers  36.”    It would be his best ever performance and listed as such on the ARRS website.

*

His summer season competition diary was also a very full one with competitions at club and championship level.   On 26th May he was in serious action at Grangemouth where he was third in the 1500m in  3:49.5 ( only 9 Scots were faster that year); and two days later at the same venue he was third in the 3000m in 8:07.0  (only Robson, Hutton and Clement were quicker in summer 1981).   In that particular race the winner was Nat Muir won in 8:00.9 and Frank Clement was second in 8:07.0.   

*

Then only two days further on, on 30th May, he stuck to Allister Hutton like the proverbial limpet in the East District Championship 5000m at Meadowbank.   Hutton’s winning time was 13:59.5.   It had been a very hard race and Hutton speeded up considerably in the last four laps –  one in 62 seconds – to shake his rival off. He eventually did so to good effect and Hamada’s own time was 14:13.19.   Nevertheless it had been a terrific week’s racing with season’s bests at 1500, 3000m and 5000m.

*

Of course the biggest championship of the summer was the SAAA on 20th June.   Hamada was there, and in the 5000m against some very good runners.    It was not a day for particularly good times but in a good field, Hamada finished third in 14:16.61 behind Lawrie Spence (14:14.51) and Allister Hutton (14:15.06).

*

The winter season began again in October and Hamada seems to have left the country by then.   He had run well, added to the Scottish scene although it was quite late in his career it did give him one of his personal best times in career terms.   We can finish with some statistics.   First of all, the figures for his year in Scotland.*

Yasunori HAMADA [JAP] (25.03.46) Edinburgh AC  

 Scotstats

1981 15003.49.5

1981 30008.07.0

1981 5000 14.13.19

CR: Sco: 3 5000 ’81.

There is no doubting his quality.   The ARRS website lists his pb’s and venues as

After his running career was over, Hamada stayed in the sport as a very successful coach in his native Japan.  

Nigel Jones to Brian Kirkwood

Kheredine Idessane (1.12.69) Edinburgh Southern, Cambridge University, Arizona, City of Edinburgh, Clydesdale Harriers)

800m: 1.48.62 1991; 15000m: 3.48.06 1991.

Kheredine was a very talented young runner, who became a Scottish International athlete at 800m and 4x400m. In the 1996 Scottish Indoor Championships he won 800m silver and 1500m bronze. He featured in the annual Scottish rankings between 1988 and 1998. Kheredine was more than a track runner – he also ran well cross-country and on the roads. After his racing career, it was a natural sideways step into sports broadcasting.

Robert Inglis, Cambuslang Harriers

Bob was a good club standard runner who represented Cambuslang in all the major road and cross-country races in the programme.  winter and summer he represented Cambuslang.   In the Edinburgh to Glasgow, he had six appearances – 1970, 72, ’73, ’74, ’75 and ’76 being a member of the team that won the Most Meritorious Medals in 1972.

James P Irvine [Bellahouston Harriers] – see full profile

6 Miles: 31:07.1 1960; Marathon: 2:36:52 1969

Jim featured in the annual Scottish rankings between 1960 and 1974.

With Bellahouston, he won Junior National Cross-Country Team medals (1954 bronze, 1955 silver, 1955 gold); plus Senior National team silver medals in 1957 and 1958 as well as bronze in 1959. In the E to G, which he ran 13 times between 1955 and 1974, he secured team gold in 1958 and silver in 1957. As a veteran, he won many medals in the Scottish Masters Cross-Country championships, from M40 bronze in 1974 and 1979 (when Bellahouston finished second team); to becoming M50 champion in 1987 (and adding silver and bronze in that age group); plus M55 silver in 1991. For Scotland in the British and Irish Masters Cross-Country International, he contributed to M60 team gold in 1995; and M65 team silver in 2000.

Leslie Irvine [Cambridge University, Corby Town]

1500m: 3:57.2 1970; 3000m: 8:37.0 1970; 5000m: 14:47.8 1971; 10000m: 31:47.8 1971

Sam Irvine [Glasgow Police]

10000m: 31:54.0 1972

Robert Irving [Bellahouston Harriers] – see full profile

Scottish Cross Country International three times, in 1959, 1960 and 1962.   The story was that Bert, who lived down in the far south west of Scotland and trained on his own, ran only three races in the winter: the E-G, the national and the International.   As a club runner, Bert won several team medals in the Scottish Senior National Cross-Country: 1957 silver, 1958 silver, 1959 bronze (when he was first home for Bellahouston in third place) and 1960 silver (5th individual). He ran for Scotland three times in the International Cross-Country Championships (1959, 1960 and 1962). In 1959, he was part of the team which won the Midland Cross-Country Relay. In the E to G, Bert won team silver in 1957, gold in 1958 and silver in 1959.

Harry Fenion (A1) to Jim Irvine (A7)

James Jack [Teviotdale Harriers]

One Mile: 4:22.4 1959; Three Miles: 15:18.0 1959; 3000m S/chase: 9:45.6 1960

In the E to G, which he ran three times, James was in the Teviotdale team which finished 6th and won ‘most meritorious’ medals in 1959.

George Jackson (Forth Valley, St Modan’s)

George was a good athlete but never seemed to reach the heights for which his talent suggested he was destined. A hard, tough runner he ran for Forth Valley in the summer and St Modan’s in the winter, later changing to Falkirk Victoria.

Adrian Jackson [Edinburgh University]– see full profile

Mile: 4:14.4 1959; Two Miles: 9:28.8 1959; Three Miles: 13:52.2 1959

Adrian was a top-class athlete, who ran very well on track, road and country. He wore the Scottish vest twice, racing over One Mile and Two Miles. He won the Scottish One Mile title in 1954 and the 3 Miles championship in 1956, as well as gaining 3 Mile silver medals in 1958 and 1959. In the E to G, his finest performance took place in 1956 when he smashed the record on prestigious Stage Two. In the International Cross-Country Championships, Adrian ran for Scotland three times (1958, 1959 – when he finished 30th – and 1961).

Jimmy JARDINE, Octavians AC, Lochaber AC
Jimmy was a Scottish hill-running legend who completed countless races, including the Ben Nevis Race 40 times. The last time was 2013, when he was over 70. In 1974 he won the first downhill-only race from the summit to the foot of the mountain – beating Bobby Shields and Eddie Campbell in an amazing time of 23 minutes! He acted as race starter; wrote memorable humorous poetry about the race; composed a Scottish dance tune (“Up and Down Ben Nevis”); and in 2006 put together a fascinating book (published in aid of Cancer Research) called “Up the Ben wi’ Eddie” (Campbell).

C. F. S. JARVIE Cambuslang, Lochaber

1966 6M 31.12.6

Charlie was a good cross-country and hill runner (including the Ben Nevis Race) who eventually settled in Fort William. Much earlier he put in good performances in Cambuslang club championships. He was Junior club champion in 1964 and 1965 and Senior champion in 1967 and 1969. He ran the E to G in 1970; in 1972, when 12th place won Cambuslang the ‘most meritorious’ medals; and in 1973.

George JARVIE ,Springburn Harriers

George was one of noted coach Eddie Sinclair’s excellent runners at Springburn with many individual and team successes to his credit. He was a team counter (32nd) for Scotland in the 1969 Junior International Cross-Country Championships. This was after two successive team silver medals in the 1968 and 1969 Junior National Cross-Country, where his best finishing position was sixth. He ran the E to G for Springburn in 1968.

David Jeffrey [St Andrews University]

Three Miles: 14:49.6 1961

Archie Jenkins [Mid-Annandale, Morpeth, Edinburgh AC, Hunters Bog Trotters] – see full profile

800m: 1:1:55.5 1976; 1500m: 3:58.2 1976; 3000m: 8:17.6 1984; 5000m: 14:29.3 1976; 10000m: 30:42.5 1976; Marathon: 2:29:37 1982 3000m S/chase: 9:02.95 1984

Archie, a hard-training and racing, very sociable enthusiast, and a fine team man too, appeared in the annual Scottish ranking lists between 1970 and 1997. In 1968 he was second to David Jenkins in the Scottish Schools 440 yards. In the E to G, which he raced many times, he won 1982 silver with EAC – and gold in the 1984 Scottish Six-Stage Road Relay. With the Trotters, he secured a ‘most improved’ medal in 1990 and bronze in 1996. After moving to Alnwick and joining Morpeth Harriers, he won a bronze medal in the North of England 3000m Steeplechase; then ran his personal best guesting in the England v Spain v Sweden International at Gateshead. He won the 1987 North East Counties track 10,000m title.

Archie had tremendous success as a Veteran (or Master), winning a great amount of Scottish and British titles, as well as European and World medals, breaking Scottish indoor track records, and running the 5 Nations Masters International for Scotland, year after year. In addition he has put a lot ‘back into the sport’ as a British Masters official and team manager.

Robert C Jenner [Aberdeen University]

Marathon: 2:38:11 1967

Bob, a good cross-country runner, trained hard on his own for the 1967 Shettleston Marathon (in which he finished a very respectable 6th). In preparation, he completed the AU half marathon course twice in a single unaccompanied run, which included a lap of the King’s College field (next to the changing rooms) at half way, before dourly heading out again. He was part of the AU 1964 E to G team which won ‘most improved’ medals.

Alistair Johnston [Victoria Park, Strathclyde University] – see full profile

Two Miles: 9:19.6 1968; Three Miles: 14:24.0 1968; Six Miles: 30:23.4 1968; 3000m: 8:37.6 1969; 5000m: 14:11.8 1972; 10000m: 29:59.4 1970; Marathon: 2:19:31 1970

Babcock’s Sports: Alastair Johnston (53), leading Bill Stoddart and Joe Reilly, Ian Leggett 26, Allan Faulds 27, then Cyril O’Boyle

Ian Johnston [Falkirk Victoria, Enfield]

800m 1.54.16 1987; 1500m 3.48.3 1990; 3000m 8.13.84i 1991; 3000m Steeplechase 9.31.7 1991; 5000m 14.34.0 1995.

In the 1991 Scottish Championship indoor 3000m, Ian finished second. He was a Scottish International athlete at 3000m and One Mile. In the E to G

Much later he became a very successful veteran athlete.

Victor Johnston [Dundee Hawkhill]

Marathon: 2:37:19 1982

Ian JOHNSTONE

Aberdeen, Cambuslang, Inverness

1977 5000m 14.50.1; 1977 3000 Steeplechase 9.41.0.

Ian ran the E to G for Aberdeen in 1977. He trained very hard and suffered many injuries but made an impressive comeback as a Veteran, winning Scottish age-group titles.

Hamish Johnstone [Heriot Watt University]

800m: 1:56.5 1972; 1500: 3:58.5 1972

James R Johnstone (Monkland Harriers, Law and District AAC]

880y: 1:58.0 1961; One Mile: 4:11.2; Two Miles: 8:58.0 1966; Three Miles: 13:43.6 1966; 5000m: 14:59.2 1969

He ran for Scotland twice in the International XC Championships: 1964, when he was a team counter; and 1966. His highest position (for Monkland) in the Senior National XC was 6th, in 1966. He ran for both his clubs in the E to G; and in 1963 was fastest on Stage One, setting a record. In addition, he was a good long-distance road runner.

RC Johnstone [Greenock Wellpark]

Marathon: 2:49:21 1976

Raymond Johnstone [Pitreavie]

1500m: 3:59.1 1971

Ronald Johnstone [Victoria Park]

Marathon: 2:37:18 1982

Nigel Jones: [Edinburgh AC]

800m: 1:53.59 1982; 1500: 3:46.2 19881; One Mile: 4:03.0 1982; 3000m: 8:25.21 1982; 5000m: 14:23.6 1982; 2000m S/chase: 5:55.6 1977; 3000m S/chase: 8:25.81 1982

SAAA 300m S/chase: 1st 1981, 3rd 1982, 3rd 1983

Nigel was a very talented young athlete who was successful on track, road and country. He won the 1981 Scottish Steeplechase title and, in the same event, two bronze medals in 1982 and 1983.

He ran for Scotland in the 1978 World Junior XC Championships. On the track he ran eight times for Scotland, in 1500m, 3000m, and 3000m Steeplechase.

In the E to G, Nigel ran in eight races and won three silver medals. In the Senior National Cross-Country, he contributed to 1983 EAC team bronze. He was also a valued member of team in other relays, helping his team to gold and silver : in the Scottish Cross-Country Relay and in the Six Stage Relays.

Campbell Joss [Bellahouston Harriers]

10000m: 33:20.4 1978; Marathon: 2:28:34

Consistent 2.30 marathon runner 79-82. A very good clubman he supported the club in every type of race. For instance, Campbell ran in 9 consecutive Edinburgh to Glasgow Relays between 1973 and 1981, then when it looked as though he was out of the team altogether he was picked to run in 1990. A good veteran runner who works hard as an official with SVHC.

Philip Judge [St Andrews University]

One Mile: 4:16.8 1961

From the Press & Journal, 2nd December, 1935.

16th February, 1935: HARRIERS RACE FOR CALEDONIAN CUP.  Six teams to compete in stiff test.   The fifth annual race for the Caledonian Cup will be held inder the auspices of the North Eastern Harriers Association today at 3:00 pm.   The competition is open to all amateur clubs within the area covered by the NEHA.   Teams are of twelve runners each with six men home counting for places.   Teams are forward from ‘Vatsity, ‘Shire, Aberdeen YMCA, Gordon Highlanders (2 teams) and Elgin YMCA Harriers.   The course is from South Esplanade West to Craiginches to Harper’s Works, striking off to the left to take the fields over to the road at the railway cabin, and thence back to the finishing point in South Esplanade West.”    Club teams were listed, with the Aberdeen YM squad being J Youngson, J Young, J Findlay, S Kennedy, J Crombie and G Duthie.   

18th February, 1935: “TEAM TITLE FOR ‘VARSITY.   YMCA Man first home in Harriers Event.   Varsity won the NE Harriers Association three mile junior team championship which was decided over a course at Torry on Saturday afternoon.   A field of sixty runners took part. … From the start AR Hewitt and NR McLean (Varsity) forced a stiff pace with J Youngson (YMCA) five yards in the rear.   Taking the country, McLean went to the front with Hewitt and Youngson on his heels.   Midway over the country the three leaders were having a tousy duel, the Elgin team being well bunched together for the team award.   Coming on to the road again, McLean was clinging to a three yard lead from Youngson and Hewitt, with H McDougall (Varsity), J Riddell (Elgin) and M Grant (‘Shire) ten yards behind.   

In the last 200 yards Youngson came away with a terrific burst of speed to pass McLean and carry on to win his first individual honour by twenty yards in the good time of 16 min 35 1-5th sec.   An exciting duel took place between McLean and Grant for second place, the former just getting the verdict by inches at the tape.”   The result of the team race was a victory for Varsity from Elgin YMCA with Gordon Highlanders A team third.   The YMCA did not have a counting team.    There is also a very good picture of the start of the race in that edition of the paper. 

7th March, 1935: Not strictly relevant but at an Elgin YMCA fund raiser, the speaker “congratulated the Elgin branch on their enterprise and sportsmanship in sending a Harriers team to Aberdeen for the first time in their history.   They had – to the honour and glory of themselves and the city of Elgin – taken second place.”

13th April, 1935: “The YMCA Harriers will decide their four miles handicap for the vice president’s cup this afternoon.   The start is at 3:00 pm and the course is:- Start on the South Esplanade West, and out to Bridge of Dee via Abbotswell Road, and in Riverside Road to finish at Victoria Bridge.   The following are the runners and handicaps:- A Milne (scr), G Milne (2 sec), A Walker (13 sec), A Lobban (15 sec), Geo Brown (20 sec), F Warman (25 sec), JA Walker (48 sec), G Smart (1 min), W Craig and J Meldrum (1 min 32 sec), G Mathers (1 min 54 sec), K Gray (1 min 56 sec), S Kennedy (2 min 30 sec), Wm Brown (4 min 5 sec).   Officials:- Starter and Timekeeper: CG Howie; judges: A Silver and D Yule; Handicapper: D Yule.”

23rd May, 1935:   NE HARRIERS MILE TEAM RACE AT LINKS.   Duncan M Annand of the Aberdeen University Hares and Hounds created a new record in the North Eatern Harriers One Mile Team Race which was decided at The Links last night.   Annand’s time was 4 mins 30 4-5th secs, compared with the previous record accomplished four years ago by HM Gray, University Hares and Hounds, of 4 mins 33 1-5th sec.   From the start W Whyte, WE Fraser  and DM Annand forced a hot pace.   At half distance they were joined by the brothers Milne and F Yeoman who were running with grim determination.   About 400 yards from the finish, Annand went to the front, being closely pursued by A Milne and Yeoman.   In the last 100 yards, Ananand came away brilliantly to create a new record.   There was a great duel between Milne and Annand for second place with the former winning by a yard.”   The team race was won by ‘Shire from Varsity with YMCA in third (2, 4, 11, 14).

30th May: 1935:  “Teams from Aberdeen University Athletic Union, Aberdeenshire Harriers, YMCA Harriers and Aberdeen City Police took part in a series of inter-club track and field events at King’s College Ground last night.   The outstanding men were WG Brown (Gordonians), AR Hewit (‘Varsity) and JA Robbie (‘Varsity).   The best event was the two miles team race.   Four men , WE Fraser (‘Varsity), G Milne (YMCA), L Davidson), and J Youngson (Gordonians), ran neck and neck until the last 300 yards, when Youngson took the lead, and although stioutly challenged by Milne and Fraser, won by three yards from Milne with Fraser a similar distance behind for third place..”   The results followed and YMCA runners placed were 880 yards: T Craig 3rd; two miles team race: G Milne  2nd, Team Race  YMCA – Milne, A Walker and G Mathers;  hurdle race: R Riddell 2nd, F Warman 3rd;  high jump: A Lobban 3rd; Relay Race: YMCA 2nd.   

13th June, 1935: NE HARRIERS ONE MILE RELAY.   ‘Varsity retain Coronation Trophy. The ‘Shire Harriers won the trophy, contested over a 4 x 440 yards relay, for the ninth time in succession with the YMCA team third.

19th June, 1935:  Athletic Meeting in Polo Park, Hazlehead.   Placed YMCA athletes:  100 yards:  3rd  D Yule;  220 yards: 2nd J McFarlane, 3rd D Yule;  880 yards  2nd C Raich; Two Miles: 2nd team.  Relay Race  2nd team;High Jump:  1st J Findlay, 2nd A Lobban.

20th June, 1935: “A large crowd attended Boroughbriggs Park in Elgin last night when the Elgin YMCA held their first sports meeting since the inauguration of the club.   The feature of the sports was the five-a-side tournament in which five Highland League clubs took part.   Runners from Aberdeen University, Aberdeenshre Harriers, Shamrock and Aberdeen YMCA also played a prominent part in the success of the sports.   WG Brown, Aberdeenshire, won every event for which he entered.”   In addition to the five-a-side and the cycling events there were seven running events and the YMCA placed athletes were as follows:- Inter club relay race:  1st Aberdeen YMCA; Two Miles Race:  2nd J Youngson.

1st July, 1935:  “It was rather unfortunate that the competitors for the first and second class standard awards in the NEHA trials meeting at King’s College Grounds on Saturday had to contend with a strong headwind.   Only three men gained first class standards – WJ Brown (Aberdeenshire Harriers), WJG Meldrum (Aberdeen Grammar School) in the 440 yards,  and JA Robbie (Aberdeen University) in the high jump.    It must have been disappointing to the twin brothers, Alex and George Milne (YMCA) , who in the one mile gave a thrilling display, to discover that their time was four seconds outside second class standard 4 min 45 sec.”

22nd July 1935:Forres Amateur Athletic Association’s annual sports before a few hundreds.   Cycling and heavy events as well as running.   There were good performers from Elgin YMCA and  Inverness YMCA. 

5th August 1935: Just as Glasgow had the Rangers Sports on the first Saturday in August, Aberdeen had the Pittodrie Sports which were also a big occasion.   “Annual amateur sports held under the joint auspices of Aberdeen Football Club and the North Eastern Harriers Assoication at Pittodrie Park on Saturday.   Stan Johnston (Heaton Harriers gained victories in the 880 yards and mile events.   Johnston, who hails from Newcastle, is thefirst English runner to compete in the amateur sports at Pittodrie.   In the Mile he had a thrilling duel with A Hay, North of Scotland Two Mile Champion.   Entering the last two laps Hay had a slight lead, but 400 yards from the tape, Johnston put in a great finish to win by 5 yards.    The meeting attracted and entry of over 100 competitors and, favoured by ideal weather conditions, the sport generally was of a high standard.   It was disappointing therefor that the crowd numbered only 4000.”   The YMCA results were: G Milne  two miles  2nd; D Yule  440 yards Final  3rd;  Putting the Weight  3rd.   

October 1935: “PITTODRIE RACE WON BY A FOOT.   Before the start of the football match at Pittodrie Park on Saturday, the North Eastern Harriers Association decided their annual two miles open novice championship.   Twenty runners faced the starter, and right from the pistol HR McDougall (‘Varsity) forced a hot pace, closely followed by R Milne (YMCA) and AR Kellas (‘Varsity).   These three held together for over half a mile, when Kellas went to the front with McDougall and A Walker (YMCA) about two yards in the rear.   At half distamce Kellas was holding to a lead of 10 yards from Walker, who had displaced McDougall for second place.   The latter seemed to be feeling the effects of the gruelling pace he had set in the early stages, and it was no surprise when he retiredshortly afterwards.   At the end of the mile and a half stage Kellas was grimly clingig to a3 yards  lead from Walker, who appeared to be keeping a trifle i hand for the latter stages.   Third place was occupied by W Grant (‘Shire) who was 15 yards behind the leaders.   Entering the last lap Kellas had a two yeards advantage, and coming down the back “straight” tried desperately to shake off Walker, but the latter was not to be denied, for, coming away strongly, he got onlevel terms with Kellas 100 yards from the tape.   It was a thrilling sight to see these two battling for supremacy, the crowd yelling encouragement, and when it looked as if the race would finish with a dead heat, Walker in the final two yards, managed to ease away to win by a foot in the splendid time of 10 min 48 sec.”

23rd December, 1935: Unique Event In Aberdeen Five Miles Race.   YMCA CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT.   For the first time in the history of amateur athletics in the north of Scotland twin brothers – Alex and George Milne of Aberdeen YMCA Harriers – finished in a dead heat in a club championship event.   This unique performance was accomplished in the YMCA’s five miles road championship which was decided on Saturday afternoon.   The course started at the foot of Menzies Road, thence past the prison at Craiginches to Nigg Church, striking off to he road that leads to Bridge of Don, thence to Riverside Road, finishing at a point near Victoria Bridge.    .

From start to finish the twins engaged in a grim struggle that ultimately ended in a dead heat.   Although their time was over a minute outside the course record, consideration must be given to the treacherous ice bound road that prevailed on Saturday.   One of the competitors who competed, RGG Milne, sustained nasty cuts to the hands and shulders when he slipped heavily on the road coming down to the Bridge of Don.   Another feature of the race was the welcome return to form of KA Gray who finished 40 yards behind the brothers Milne.   Result:-  1.  Alex and George Milne; 2.  KA Gray; 3. A Lobban.”

Start of Race on 16th February: See above