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John Astley Cooper was born in Adelaide in 1858 but lived all of his adult life in England where he died in 1930.   He is listed in the Oxford Index as ‘a propagandist for athleticism’ and it is this role that affects the appearance of the British Empire Games.

 In 1891, John Astley Cooper proposed the establishment of a periodic festival to celebrate the industrial, cultural, and athletic prowess of the Anglo-Saxon race.   He publicised his idea of a sporting event that would include the British Empire and include the United States wherever he could.  Notably he wrote letters and articles in ‘Greater Britain’ of July 1891, a letter to The Times in October of the same year, and articles in ‘Nineteenth Century’ in September 1892 and July 1893, suggesting a Pan Brittanic, Pan Anglican Contest every four years as a means of increasing goodwill and understan’ding of the British Empire.   The scheme was one of many designed to strengthen links within the Empire, but its uniqueness lay in the fact that although he saw it as having three aspects – industrial, cultural and sporting – the athletic portion soon overshadowed the other two aspects, and Cooper’s Pan-Britannic Festival concept was the first detailed plan of a multi-sport gathering for the Empire to appear in print.

When Baron Pierre de Coubertin was working up the concept of the Olympic Games, he asked for ideas and comments from many people and in England he visited Much Wenlock and discussed their version of the Olympics, and also visited and spoke with Cooper.   But where Cooper’s Games were ethnic in nature and had the aim of strengthening and celebrating the Empire, de Coubertin’s Games were much wider in concept.

In 1911, the Festival of the Empire was held at The Crystal Palace in London to celebrate the coronation of George V. As part of the Festival of the Empire, an Inter-Empire Championships was held in which teams from Australasia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom competed in athletics, boxing, wrestling and swimming events.   Cooper’s ideas were known throughout the Empire and this was especially the case with Australia where Richard Coombes in particular advanced the cause.   Coombes had been born and educated in England and moved to Australia in 1886.   He was heavily involved in athletics, helping to found the New South Wales AAA.   He wrote many articles supporting the notion of a Pan Britannic Festival under several different pen-names and his version included rowing, running and cricket.   Katherine Moore of Queeen’s University, Belfast, in a paper entitled ‘One Voice in the Wilderness: Richard Coombes and the Promotion of Pan-Britannic Festival Concept in Australia, 1891-1911′ sad of Cooper’s letter to ‘The Times’ in 1891: 

The Times published a letter in which Cooper sought to present his concept in a more precise form. The industrial and culture sections of the proposal were outlined in some detail, but this article will concentrate on the sporting suggestions. The future relationship of the various portions of the Empire, wrote Cooper, rested chiefly in the hands of the young men of the Empire, including young England, young Australia, young South Africa, and young Canada, and an Imperial athletic contest would be very attractive to most Englishmen whether settled in the United Kingdom or resident  beyond the seas.  This certainly proved to be true in the case of Richard Coombes. The proposed athletic contests initially included rowing, running, and cricket, that great Imperial link. The argument for Cooper’s Pan-Britannic Festival was strengthened by his perceptive comment that the cultural, industrial and athletic links already were in existence, and he was merely identifying some funding schemes whereby those ties could be made firmer by coming together periodically for a celebration of Imperial achievements”

Moore’s paper is easily found on the internet and anyone with interest in the genesis of the Commonwealth Games should maybe read it.

Bobby Robinson of Canada took up the cause fter the 1930 Olympic Games where he was incensed by the behaviour of the Americans and Germans and is the one generally credited with starting up the British Empire Games.   When the announcement of these Games was made, Astley Cooper claimed much of the credit but his aim had been ‘to show through a Festival of sport and culture that Anglo-Saxons ruled the world.   Americans would have been invited, there would have been cricket matches, and an Imperial Holiday.’  [The quote is from Brian Oliver’s book on ‘The Commonwealth Games’ , 2014]

Oliver continues: “Robimson, three years old when Cooper wrote his letter to ‘The Times’ to set out his plans, would have been intrigued by a report in ‘The Observer’ in 1929 looking ahead to the Games in Hamilton.   ‘Mr James Astley Cooper is known in diferent parts of the Empire as the pioneer of this project,” wrote the correspondent after interviewing Astley Cooper, then in his seventies.   Astley Cooper then said “I am satisfied with indirect results, as far as they have been obtained.   Though my scheme did not attain in fulfilment … as I planned, I have done some spade work for the idea of the Imperial Games for the British peoples.  He made no mention of Canada or Bobby Robinson.

British newspaper readers were left in no doubt after the Games, Canada had ‘cut herself loose from the American orbit, and given a lead to the Empire that should inspire British sportsmen all around the globe.’.   Harold Abrahams, the British sprinter who won Olympic gold in 1924 before becoming one of the most influential voices in athletics in the first half of the twentieth century put the record straight.   “But for the unbounded enthusiasm and persistency of Mr Robinson”, he wrote, “the whole thing would never have started.”

Despite all the articles and discussions, Astley Cooper did not live to see his dream fulfilled – he died six months before the inaugural British Empire Games were held in Canada in 1930.

The above picture, taken on the boat across the Atlantic, has a caption that is a bit misleading: eg JF Wood is kneeling on the left, and Dunky Wright is kneeling on the right of the front row.   The very first Commonwealth Games squad to represent Scotland.  Ten other countries took part: England, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Wales, British Guiana and Ireland.   Teams are listed here in order of the number of medals won.  The Scottish medal tally was three golds, three silvers and five bronze.   This was across all sports.   The sports covered were Aquatics (Swiming and diving), Athletics, Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing and Wrestling.  While the Olympic Games used metric distances, the British Empire used (what else?) Imperial Measure Distances.

In the 100 yards, Canadian Percy Williams was first in 9.9 seconds while his team mate Fitzpatrick was third; they were split by an Englishman EL Page.  Roy Hamilton of Scotland was fourth in Heat two and did not qualify for the final, while team mate Ian Borland did not start.    Up a distance, in the 220 yards, the order was England (Englehart), Canada (Fitzpatrick), and South Africa (Walters) with Borland in heat three out of qualifying.   The quarter-mile Borland, third in the first heat, failed to get beyong the single race.   In the half-mile Tom Riddell failed to qualify and in the Mile, there was only Robert Sutherland who finished sixth.   Sutherland ran better in the Three Miles, finishing fourth and missing bronce by two fifths of a second.   Distance men are made of stern stuff and Sutherland was also fifth in the Six Miles, one place behind JF Wood for Scotland.   There were no Scots in the steeplechase, but Dunky Wright ended the medals drought when he won the marathon by over half a mile from England’s Sam Ferris.   There were no Scots in either of the hurdles races, nor were there teams in either of the relays.   In the field events, there were no representatives in the shot, discus or javelin but in the hammer Alexander Smith missed bronze by 6 inches and Archibald Murray was fifth, 5 feet further back.   There were no Scotsmen in any of the four jumps events.   The traditional Scottish strengths – distance running and hammer throwing with some sprinting – were to be seen in this, the very first Games.

The Greenock Glenpark Harriers crest

Everybody knows something about the sports meetings held by the big football clubs – Rangers, Celtic, Queen’s Park, etc, and there are works meetings such as the Babcock and Wilcox Sports at Renfrew and Dirrans Sports in Kilwinning but knowledge of the Greenock Glenpark Sports in the athletics community is strictly limited.   Held on the last Saturday in July, it was the start of three weekends of athletics meetings that drew big crowds.   Rangers Sports were on the first Saturday in August and Celtic on the second Saturday.   Held at Cappielow Park, home of Greenock Morton FC, they drew crowds of up to 11,000 spectators and attracted athletes from England, Ireland and even further field at times.   In the 1920’s such athletes as Eric Liddell were annual competitors at the meeting, but in the period before that the 1914-18 war made athletics difficult but the committee of the club did well and the meeting was held every year of the war.   We start this section in 1914 with a report from the ‘Glasgow Herald’.

“An unusually varied programme and the presence of several well-known competitors from England and Ireland attracted fully 5000 spectators to the athletic meeting of Greenock Glenpark Harriers at Cappielow Park on Saturday.   The weather was fair but cold, a strong breeze prevailing throughout the afternoon.   The wind favoured the sprinters and fast times were registered in the Heats of the 100 yards handicap, while the Final was won from scratch in a shade under 10 seconds.   The Irish champion, FRS Shaw, was a popular winner in this event and he also qualified for the final of the 220 yards, but to the disappointment of spectators, he was prevented by sickness from competing.   HJ Christie, who won his Heat easily, secured a narrow victory in the Final in which he improved his earlier time by a second.   In the three miles invitation handicap, FJ Ryder, Clonliffe Harriers, gave a fine exhibition of staying power and speed.   Starting from scratch, and conceding starts up to 280 yards, he gradually overtook a large field and won by 10 yards from W Brodie, Paisley YMCA Harriers, the winner of the two miles handicap at Ayr the previous Saturday.   Along with Ryder on the scratch mark, were GCL Wallach, ex-champion at four miles, and James Wilson, the ex-champion.   The trio kept together for fully two miles when Wallack fell back, and a little later Wilson also lost ground.   In the last lap Ryder made his effort, and with a fine burst of speed, overtook the field finishing strongly, as stated.   E Glover, Hallamshire Harriers, was entered for both the mile and the three miles but he did not compete.   Duncan McPhee. the Scottish half-mile and mile champion, was also an entrant for the three miles, but reserved himself for the shorter distance  in which he secured third place from AG Lang, Greenock Glenpark, and WP Brown, Glasgow YMCA Harriers.   Wallach also ran in the Mile, reserving 30 yards from McPhee but he was unplaced, securing however the prize for the first Glenpark man home after the three placed men.   The relay race proved an easy victory for the West of Scotland Harriers.   More than ordinary interest was imparted to the two miles walk by the presence of the English champion, R Bridge.   With the limit man 350 yards away, Bridge walked at a very fast pace throughout and finished half a lap ahead of the Scottish champion, Alex Justice, and finished in the very fast time of 13 min 57 3-5th sec, only 2-5th sec outside the Scottish all comers record.”

Held on 25th July, the sports were a great success with more than ten events plus the usual five-a-side competition in which Rangers beat Celtic 1-0 in the final.   The local club did well – in the relay they were second to the West team with Clydesdale Harriers third, the winner of the handicap mile, and finalists in almost every event.

GCL Wallach

By July 1915 hostilities had been joined and the war was well under way but a sports meeting was held organised by Glenpark on 31st July.   Under the heading of  Greenock Glenpark Harriers, the report read:

“An athletic meeting was held in aid of dependants of soldiers and sailors was held at Cappielow Park on Saturday afternoon.   The promoters were the Glenpark Harriers, and the meeting was under the patronage of Sir Hugh Shaw Stewart, Bart; the Lady Alice Shaw Stewart, the Provost, Magistrates and Town Councils of Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow; the Directorate of the Morton Football Club; the military and naval officers stationed in Western Renfrewshire, and a large number of prominent people in the district.   The programme embraced no fewer than eleven events, in addition to races for the Boy Scouts and the Boys Brigade, and the open and invitation events were supported by nearly all the Scottish runners and a number of well-known English and Irish competitors.    The military marathon race, for teams of twelve, attracted an entry of thirteen teams.   Competitors were required to cover a course of about 10 miles in miltary equipment, each team travelling and finishing as a unit.  The winning team proved to be one of those representing the 8th Provisional Battalion, HLI, who also furnished the runners-up, there being less than a minute in the times of the two teams.   In the two miles walking handicap, R Bridge the English champion gave a good exhibition of his unique talent, conceding starts of up to 350 yards, and winning by fully 200 yards.   Two of the invitation events, the quarter and the halfmile were won by G Dallas, Maryhill Harriers, who was followed in the shorter distance by GH Gray, of Salford Harriers, the winner of the hurdle race.   The latter event was over a distance of 220 yards, instead of the more usual 120, and the English champion was able to concede 16 yards to HD Soutter and won y a yard.

Fine weather prevailed and there was a crowd of 8000, the drawings at gate and stand amounting to about £300.   To this is to be added the sum of £45:1:9d, being the amount of a subscription amongst the workers in the Greenock Torpedo Factory.”

It is surprising that such meetings were able to be conducted thorughout the war period, albeit that the fields were a bit restricted because of the numbers on active service, but every did their bit and the money raised was put to good use.   The military marathon was a bit more of a challenge tha some of the events restricted to serving personnel – some were normal events (100 yards for soldiers only), others were more specific to the cause (‘stretcher races with a ‘body’ strapped to the stretcher), and some were simply displays.   On the same day there were sports at Tynecastle in Edinburgh ehere there were 11,000 spectators and drawings were £270 which went to the Red Cross Society

R Bridge appeared on the programme as  ‘London Walking Club and Glenpark Harriers’, and FJ Ryder, again from scratch, was second to a Glenpark runner to who he was conceding 295 yards.

James Wilson

The 1916 version of the Greenock Glenpark Sports was held on 29th July and instead of a report as such on the meeting, the ‘Glasgow Haerld’ commented at length in its ‘Notes on Sports’ column.

“It says much for the influence of Mr William Struthers, of Glenpark Harriers, that he is able to attract to the annual gala of his club so many visitors from England and Ireland.   The presence of such notable performers as Corporal Gamble of the Irish Guards, Bridge, the champion walker of England, Lieutenant Taylor, the rival of Applegarth, Gray, the famous hurdler, and Ryder of Ireland gave distinction to a full and varied programme.   Of those mentioned, only Gamble met with any great success.   He ran a magnificent race in the half mile and won on the tape after finding himself rather curtailed for room at the bend into the home straight.   He is a splendid specimen of athletic manhood, big of body and lithe of limb, and his pace and action are a delight to the eye.   Bridge did not feel too well after a night of travelling, and had to retires owing to that vexatious athletic infliction commonly known as ‘stitch’.   In any case he would have had to make a supreme effort to overtake the Scottish champion, Justice, who walked with great determination and pace and ultimately finished an easy winner.   Then Gray did not seem enamoured of the line of hurdles running diagonally across the pitch and did well to finish close up to Soutter of the promoting clubin the good time of 15 sec.   Wilson, the Scottish champion, a slim and graceful runner, had a splendid victory from scratch in the three miles handicap, in which he had more trouble in disposing of Lance Corporal Ross, the winner at Ayr, than in defeating such notabilities as Wallach and Ryder.   The dapper little Salford Harrier, Shelmardine, shone at the shorter distances.   A very nondescript Celtic five were defeated by Morton, and a team of Royal Scots Fusiliers, captained by the well-known athlete Sergeant Gutteridge, won the military marathon.   In view of the enterprise displayed by the promoters, it was gratifying to find the attendance of 7000 present, so that the local war funds will substantially benefit.”

The military marathon had been cut in half from the revious year, being held over only five miles in 1916.   The William Struthers mentioned was a hard working and highly respected official throughout Scottish athletics: he had been president of the SCCU in 1912-14 and would go on to be president of the SAAA in season 1922-23.

Duncan McPhee

There were three fixtures on 28th July, 1917 – Greenock Glenpark, Edinburgh and the professional meeting at Shawfield organised by Clyde FC.   As the war progressed so thenumber of events was reduced – partly because so many men were being sent to the front line to fight in the bloody battles of the 1914-18 War, partly because travel to meetings was difficult and partly because time was not available for training.    Nevertheless the Greenock meeting attracted a crowd of 5000 on a bright, sunny, July afternoon at Cappielow.   “Despite the absence of sporting celebrities from the fields of the south, the attendance was as large as ever and this was particularly gratifying in view of the subject to which the proceeds are to be devoted – The Greenock Sailors and Soldiers Families Association.   It was once more made evident that sporting interest does not so much depend on individual distinction as upon a certain equality of ability which ensures keen competition and engenders liveliness.   As so often occurs, members of the organising club figured prominently in the prize list: indeed they won three of the four open events.  LA Osborne was a double winner, and ran with great brightness and life in the hundred and furlong.   It was pleasing to find J Wilson, the Scottish four miles champion, successful in winning the half-mile, and for a time he looked like emulating Osborne’s feat by adding the two miles to the shorter distance, but a magnificnt finishing dash by Ross, the Edinburgh runner, deprived the local man of the double distinction.   Military items bulked largely in the programme, and as usual the aid of football was invoked to attract and entertain the crowd.   Our experience this season has been that these football tournaments are generally tedious because of their length, and uninteresting because of the incapacity of the average player to adapt himself to changed conditions. Most programmes would gain if the entries were limited to four or five teams as was the case at Cappielow. “

The programme was reduced to five events (heats for the sprints) plus the football, and the military marathon was now limited to the 3rd Royal Scots Fusilers, and run over six miles.   Winners were H Company, G Company and F Company; the five-a-sides were won by Celtic (1-0) over a Military Five, from Maryhill.

*

In 1918, still suffering from the exigencies of the war, the sports went ahead on 27th June.   There were several small scale meetings on that day and Glenpark’s was one of them.   “There was a large number of sports meetings promoted by a great variety of organisations.   For reasons connected chiefly with past history, the gala of Greenock Glenpark Harriers may be given pride of place.   It attracted a fine crowd, who were for the most part pleased that members of the home club figured so prominently in the prize list; for instance they monopolised all the laurels in the furlong.   It must be confessed that there is a tendency to sameness about athletic programmes these days – seldom is there any novelty in regard to the personel of the competitors or the nature of the competition, so that the appearance of GCL Wallach, a “pre-war Scottish champion” at Cappielow was a welcome variation from the ordinary. He ran well in the two miles but was unable to overtake Cuthbert, who finished in dashing style.   The Railwaymen’s Union had a successful gathering at Ibrox Park which should be of substantial assistance to the Orphan Fund.   The sport calls for little comment.”

There were five events (with heats in the 100 and 220 yards) and a five a side in which St Mirren beat Rangers 2-0.   The crowd totalled 8000 so the money raised for the families of serving members of the forces would have been considerable.   At Ibrox there were five events plus a tug o’war (won by Bargeddie and a five-a-side in which Vale of Clyde beat Benburb 3-0.   The Glenpark meeting with international runners taking part and lots of locals was clearly the meeting to be seen at.   It should be noted though that,as had been the case all along, the professional meeting at Shawfield, organised by Clyde FC had a much bigger crowd than any of the others with 20,000 in attendance on this weekend.   It also had the best five-a-side with Rangers beating Clydebank in the final by 2 – 0.

Cappielow Park, Home of Greenock Morton FC

After the war, on 26th July, 1919, matters were starting to get back to normal as was shown by the report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’.   Glenpark Harriers meeeting at Greenock on Saturday recalled some great athletic meetings of former days when the most famous amateur performers from England, Ireland and abroad came to the west of Scotland.   Among the competitors at Cappielow were two from New Zealand, one from Canada and several from England.   The presence of the Colonials in this country is, of course, due to the war, all three being members of the fighting forces, and it was an excellent idea of the Glenpark management to persuade them to compete.   Their running imparted distinction to the meeting, which otherwise could hardly have  reached the standard usually associated with Greenock.   The entries were not numerous, and some of the more prominent runners were engaged elsewhere but Sergeant Mason, Sergeant Lindsay, Sergeant Phillips and AM Nichols made amends for much and the meeting will stand out as one of the most interesting of the season.  Mason, who won the half-mile, is a commanding personality and a runner of exceptional ability.  

The first Heat had little more than started when it became apparent that none of the other runners could stay the pace he set.   He won as he liked in 2 min dead, and in the Final he improved to the extent of four fifths of a second, and left the impression that he could have done much better if necessary.   It is true that he was challenged in the straight by I Dobbie to whom he was conceding 35 yards, but the New Zealander found with no apparent difficulty the extra pace necessary to secure first position by a substantial margin.

No fewer than three Scottish champions were among the competitors – Sergeant Phillips, J Wilson and AH Goodwin.   The Canadian, who gained championship honours at Parkhead two weeksa month ago, did not start in the half-mile handicap but he rendered useful service to Glenpark, of which club he is a member, in the relay race, and he won the invitation quarter-mile from scratch, beating Mason narrowly in the last ten yards.   It was a matter for regret that the latter did not start in the invitation mile, as his running in the half-mile suggested that he would have given a good account of himself.   AH Nichols of the Surrey AC, was also a non-starter but he was reserving himself for the three miles in which he out distanced the field in the early stages  and ran the last lap like a quarter miler.   James Wilson, the four miles champion, and GCL Wallach, an ex-champion, ran together for a time but  the latter tired early, and Wilson had to go on alone most of the way.   Of the home competitors the most successful was A Forrester, of the promoting club,  who captured the 100 and 220 yards open handicaps.   Maryhill narrowly beat Glenpark in the relay race, though but for a faulty exchange in the furlongs, the Greenock team might have had the better of the champions.   The meeting was well handled and finished ahead of schedule with the final of the football tournament a win for the home five sending the crowd home in a good humour.”

Sergeant Phillips of Canada ran in the 800m in the 1924 Olympics in Paris.   The initiative shown during the period of the war and in its immediate aftermath would be shown to good effect in the 1920’s and would culminate in a match between Scotland and Canada at the Glenpark Harriers Games.

Greenock Glenpark Sports, 1920 – 1929

The Greenock Glenpark Harriers Sports was one of Scottish athletics most respected, best supported and longest running meetings in the country.   It attracted not only club runners from all over Scotland but also international athletes, including Olympians and world record holders, from many countries outside Scotland.   Although a variety of clubs held sports meetings on the same day, none of them lasted for any length of time; the only meeting that lasted for any length of time on the same date as the Greenock meeting was the professional meeting organised by Clyde  FC at Shawfield which began in 1913.   This web page deals with the GGH sports for the years between 1920 and 1929.

Held on 31st July, 1920, the ‘Glasgow Herald’ reported on the sports as follows.  “The annual English invasion began at Greenock on Saturday when the names of no fewer than nine distinguished athletes from south of the Border appeared on the programme of the Glenpark Harriers Sports.    They were not all present and those of them who did compete were by no means impressive.   The most successful of the visitors was CE Blewitt, the Four Miles champion, who with a start of 20 yards finished second in the one mile handicap.   RA Lindsay qualified for the final of the one lap race but the winner turned up in a local man, W Wallace, who also won the 220 yards, in which the Blackheath Harrier was unplaced in his heat.   Another double winner was JG McIntyre who secured the mile and the half-mile.   As at Saltcoats the previous Saturday, the most interesting personality on the track was James Wilson, the Scottish distance champion, who seems to improve with each successive appearance.   In the Three Miles he started from scratch with Blewitt in attendance, the Englishman following him closely for about a mile, when Wilson’s superior speed told on his companion.   Wilson had another strong opponent in W Kerr, West of Scotland Harriers, but he too was eventually shaken off and the champion literally won as he liked.   On May 29th, Wilson was unable to do 15 min 52.2 sec, and three weeks later he was beaten in 15 min 7.4 sec, while on Saturday he won in 14 min 49 sec with no necessity for a fast finish.   These figures illustrate how Wilson has come on since the beginning of the season, and they encourage the hope that he will give a good account of himself in the Olympic Games.   At Antwerp he will compete in the 6000 metres and 10000 metres races, as well as in the cross-country championships.   He should be equally suited at both distances, and in the cross-country also he has a good chance of being in among the prize winners.”

The meeting was held at Cappielow Park and there were about 10000 spectators in attendance in fine weather and the times were generally good.   In the almost obligatory five-a-side football tournament, Morton won 2 – 0 against Ayr United.

James Wilson

If 1920 was a good meeting, 1921 was virtually a disaster.   The report on the meeting makes depressing reading about the sports held in the rain, with a ‘breeze’ and before a crowd o only 2000.

Glenpark’s Misfortune

Few places in Scotland escaped the rain on Saturday, and it is hardly necessary to say that Greenock was not one of them.   The Glenpark Harriers, who have hitherto almost invariably enjoyed good weather for their sports, were badly hit financially, the attendance being less than half what it would have been had the elements permitted.   They had an attractive programme and an entry list comprising all the eligible Scottish champions – that is to say, all for whom opportunities to compete were provided – and had the weather been fine it is safe to say that the capacity of the ground would have been taxed to its utmost.   As it was there were only a few hundreds on the open terracing, but the stand was filled.   The ground was sodden, and the combination of heavy rain, an east wind, and a holding track, seriously affected some of the competitors and accounted for the slow times returned.   Duncan McPhee, for example, found the conditions so unfavourable thatin the 1000 yards invitation handicap, the only event in which he competed, he could get no nearer the tape than 20 yards in 2 min 31 sec, while JG McIntyre, the four miles champion, was actually in arrears in the two miles  though he had a start of 35 yards.

Times in the sprint, which was run against the breeze, were slow, the best recorded being 10 4-5th sec, which was also the time of the final.   Another feature of the meeting was the non-success of the champions.   GT Stevenson, the quarter-miler, was second in the furlong.   EH Liddell, the sprint champion, had nothing to show for a strenuous afternoon’s work: he was third in the 100 yards invitation handicap, but trhere were only two prizes.   WA Hill won his heat in the open 100 yards handicap, but did not reach the final.   Kenneth Smith, the high jump champion, was unable to concede the starts asked, and did not compete in the pole vault, at which also he won the championship in June last.   RA Lindsay, the ex-Scottish champion, ran in the 300 yards invitation handicap without success.   There was an entry of six teams for the relay race but in view of the depressing circumstances, the event was abandoned.    As the afternoon advanced, some of the competitors became disinclined to turn out.   The 300 yards invitation handicap, for example, had an entry of 16 and was intended to be run as two heats and a final.   When the heats were called, only seven responded and no final was needed.   Again, in the 220 yards a single runner turned out for the third heat, and in the pole vault a total of two competed for the two prizes.   It would be unfair to censure those who called off, for competition in such circumstances was more heroic than pleasurable.   The drawings will not cover the expenses of the meeting, and with a view to making up the deficiency the club propose to hold an evening meeting next week.”

In the five-a-side final, Morton beat Rangers by one corner to nil.   There was no report in the papers the following week of a supplementary meeting the next week.   That doesn’t mean that none took place – it was probably that only local athletes would take part.   Such athletes as Eric Liddell, Lindsay and the rest would have found midweek travel difficult at that time.   It says a lot for the Committee however that they had managed to put together such an attractive programme in the first place.

JG McIntyre

1922 was a bit better though.  The weather in the morning was threatening, but it cleared up and there were just over 5000 spectators at Cappielow to see the meeting.  “Greenock Glenpark Harriers scored another success with their sports meeting at Cappielow Park on Saturday.   No records were made, but competition reached a high level, particularly in the 100 yards handicap, in which even time was returned in both semi-finals and then again in the final.   The runners had the advantage of he wind but even so, the performances of Liddell and Gardner were very meritorious, as the breeze was, though favourable, not materially helpful.   The outstanding feature of the meeting was the two miles walk in which Colin McLellan, the Scottish champion, was matched against Robert Bridge, ex-champion of England.   It was understood that the latter had designs on the Scottish record.   He did not come near the long-standing figures of EJ Webb, who at Ibrox Park in 1909 completed the distance in 13 min 57 1-5th sec, but he gave a fine exposition of the walking art and left the Scottish champion far behind.   The absence of Duncan McPhee from the half-mile was a disappointment to many of the spectators.   The champion reserved himself for the 1000 yards in which he was unable to get a place, retiring 40 yards from the tape when he realised that further effort was hopeless.   EH Liddell also disappointed, standing down from the 300 yards invitation and the open furlong.   He won his heat and semi-final in the 100 yards but was beaten in the final by PR Gardner  who had the further distinction of winning the 220 yards.”   

The relay went ahead with Glenpark finishing third behind Maryhill Harriers and West of Scotland Harriere and Morton upheld local pride with a 5-3 victory over Alloa in the five-a-sides.

*

28 July, 1923 was the date of the next meeting when a ‘satisfactory’ crowd of 4000+ witnessed a meeting with Liddell, McPhee, McIntyre, Smith, McLellan and Jamieson all took part.   Liddell was a great favourite and competed all over Scotland every summer, always giving his best despite being probably the best sprinter in the country at the time; McPhee, on the other hand, often disappointed the crowd by entering two or three events and then only running one, on at least one occasion leaving the arena without telling anyone and even leaving the ground altogether.   He was a very good athlete indeed, the top man in the country for many years, but did not always leave the spectators happy with his performance.

“The recollection of EH Liddell’s achievements on the same field a year ago, and the glamour of his running at Stoke, must have been the cause of the satisfactory crowd which patronised the Glenpark Harriers meeting at Cappielow on Saturdayfor under no other conditions could the atmospheric conditions be said to be enticing.    The champion, who has been taking things easily since the International, was also probably affected by the depression, and his running ;acked much of its usual fire.   He won his heat in the open hundred in 10 3-5th sec, but a bad start in the semi-final saw him a good yard behind the winner who returned a fifth faster.   In the invitation 100, the winner of which, DE Duncan of Maryhill Harriers, was given as doing 10 2-5th off the four yards mark, Liddell was unplaced, although close up.   No doubt however he will be properly tuned up before the arrival of our visitors next week-end.   The open 100 was won by JG Scott, with nine yards, and this runner also won the furlong with greatest ease, as with a concession of 18 yards, he finished with at least five yards in hand.

The other champions present, with the exception of R Jamieson, met with as little success as Liddell.   Duncan McPhee, who ran in both the open half-mile and the mile invitation, never got on terms with his men, while JG McIntyre, at scratch in the three miles event, has also been seen to better advantage.   The distance events, despite the failure of the back-markers, were all interesting.   ME Anderson, of Shettleston Harriers won both the half-mile and mile, and the feature of his running in each race was the reserve whch he possessed when it came to the finishing straight.   It was his extra bit of pace there that secured him the verdict in each case.   J McFarlane of Maryhill, now approaching the veteran stage, ran the mile in something nearer his old form than he has displayed this season, and was unfortunate to be against such a strong finisher as Anderson.   The three miles race attracted a good field, and D Wright, the cross-country champion, and W Neilson, the West of Scotland Harrier, who has done so little since his breakdown in Paris, was much too hot for the rest, and the race lay between this pair.   Wright, who has had the tantalising record of finishing second so frequently, got home by a yard after an exceptionally interesting race.   C Freshwater, the youthful Clydesdale Harrier, took part in this event, and ran well, but it did not seem good management on the part of his mentors to allow him to compete over this distance in such company.   It must have been an extremely punishing experience for such a young runner.”   

There were many other sports meetings held that Saturday – apart from 10,000 spectators at the professional Clyde FC Sports, these were held at West Calder, at Strathallan (the Cadet sports), Lochmaben, Shotts and Newtongrange – but Glenpark had the best of them.

CB Mein

Glasgow Herald, July 28th, 1924:   “Chief interest in athletics in Scotland on Saturday centred in the international contest at Greenock, where the Candians beat the Scottish representatives by five events to four.   A new Scottish all-comers record was established in the pole vault by VW Pickard.   EH Liddell ran in the 100 yards, the quarter-mile and the relay race, and had an easy win in the quarter.” 

Yes, the greatest coup of the summer programme in Scotland was Greenock Glenpark Harriers getting an international match against the ever-popular Canadians incorporated into their meeting.    The team was returning to Canada from the 1924 Paris Olympic Games and, although other sports meetings attracted individual athletes from the Games, Glenpark was the only one to have a team contest an international fixture where the home crowd could get behind their athletes.

“In bringing the Canadian Olympic team to Scotland the Greenock Glenpark Harriers Club showed commendable spirit of enterprise, and it is satisfactory to be able to state that the public so far appreciated it that they turned out in sufficient numbers to make the international meeting a financial success.   The team chosen to represent Scotland was the best at the Scottish Association’s call, and if the range of events was somewhat limited, the test was productive of some keen racing.   Of the nine events on the programme, Canada won five – the 100 yards, furlong, high jump, pole vault and two laps relay-  while the home successes were gained in the quarter-mile, half-mile, mile and mile relay.   Two of the victories secured by the visitors went to CR Coaffee who won the 100 yards in even time, and the 220 in 23 2-5th sec.   The Canadian champion, who has been credited with equalling world’s record over the shorter distance at home, is no stylist.   He runs the first half of the distance with a peculiar crouching gait that is very deceptive, for at this point he had gained an advantage that he held to the tape.   In this case, the challenge came not from Liddell as expected but from Scotland’s second string, Crawford, who developed a  great finishing burst to finish a yard behind the winner.   Liddell’s specialising over the quarter has evidently robbed him of his pace in the sprint, as though he hung a little on his mark to beging with, he was fairly and squarely beaten by both Coaffee and Crawford.

Liddell did not oppose Coaffee in the furlong, and here the Canadian ran a much better race than the time gives him credit for.   He had the heels of Hester and McLean and on a good track can do much better.   In the quarter however we had a glimpse of the real Liddell and this, judging by the interest round the ropes, was the event in which the crowd most wanted to see the Olympic champion do his best.   His chief opponent here was AT Christie, the Canadian, who impressed as being a good man over the distance; but when it came to the finish, Liddell passed his man as if he were standing, and had nearly 15 yards in hand at the tape.   He has done better in Scotland than the 51 1-5th sec returned, but the experience which he has gained during the past month or two was manifest in the manner in which he ran his race.   He moved with confidence in his power to win that left a profound impression on the crowd.    Good as was his race in the quarter, his effort in the one mile relay race was better.   Here bad changing over on the part of the home men left him with a leeway of 10 yards to make up, but he made light of this handicap, and wiped it off, enabling Scotland to win this event by four yards.   In the relay, Liddell was clocked to have run 445 yards in 50 1-5th secand his appearance on the Ibrox track next Saturday should be a memorable one.

In the half-mile, the two Scottish representatives finished in front of the Canadian Harris.   There was however a surprise here, as CB Mein defeated McRae for first place, thus reversing the championship placings.   McRae however does not take kindly to running on grass, if we can judge by his appearances since the holiday meetings began.   WR Seagrove, as expected,  finished first in the mile although the time, 4 min 48 3-5th sec, represents an amble, but the Cantab was always running well within himself.   A new all-comers Scottish record was created in the pole vault, the two Canadians, VW Pickard and JE Francis, easily outstripping the home men in this event.   The first named cleared 12 feet 4 1/2 inches which is over a foot better than EL Stones’ championship effort made as long ago as 1889.

In the open events, J Crawford, running from three yards scored his second sprint success within six days and it is clear that the Board of Control made a mistake in interfering with the handicapper’s method of dealing with the Queen’s Park runner.   His time on Saturday was a yard worse than evens, and as he clocked even time when running at the Police and Partick Thistle meetings, it would require something like a world record beater over the distance to to give him a concession like this.   Certainly Liddell on present form cannot do it.”

The last named, Crawford of QPFC, won the open hundred by half a yard from a mark of 3 yards from Bernstein of West of Scotland who had a mark of 8 yards.   The Canadian sprinter Coaffee was an interesting character – born in Edmonton in London, his family emigrated when he was eight years old to Canada.   He ran in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics and in  between times tied the world record of 9.6 seconds.

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On 31st July 1926, there was a considerably good counter-attraction for the athletics aficionado in the form of a match between the brand new Atalanta Club, which was a team selected from the four Scottish Universities, competing against a full strength Achilles club.   There were 4000 spectators at Cappielow but 5000 at Hampden for the Universities meeting.    The report read:

“The annual sports meeting of Greenock Glenpark Harriers at Cappielow Park on Saturday in brilliant sunshine and before an attendance of fully 4000 spectators.   The backmarkers met with little success, but in the half-mile there was a keen struggle between NJ McEachern, Clonliffe Harriers, the Irish champion, and TM Riddell, Shettleston Harriers, the Scottish mile champion for second place.   Neither of them could match McHattie ,of Mauchline Harriers, who had a handicap of 30 yards, but the Irishman managed to secure second place three yards ahead of Riddell.   In the quarter-mile invitation race for the Eric H Liddell Trophy, JD Hope, West of Scotland Harriers (the holder) only managed to secure third place after a splendid race.”

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Glasgow Herald, 1 August, 1927:

“The heavy rain caused the sports meeting of the Greenock Glenpark Harriers to be postponed.”

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If the rain in 1921 was bad, and the weather in 1927 was serious enough to have the meeting postponed, there was no such problem in 1928.   There was however another problem!

“Glenpark Harriers meeting at Greenock provided capital sport, but there was perhaps too much of it, as it was close to seven o’clock before the programme was completed.    Chief interest was attached to the race for the Liddell Trophy over 440 yards, and this produced a rare contest.   Fraser, who won last year, was forward to defend his title, and JM Miller, the Scottish quarter mile champion, was also a starter but the winner was found in Calder of Beith Harriers, who at the meeting promoted by his own club a week ago won the quarter and half-mile championships of Ayrshire.   He was off six yards and at the crucial part of the race it did not seem likely that he would win.   Calder however had something in reserve and with a final effort he won by a narrow margin.   Miller did not finish when he saw he had no chance of winning.

Donald McLaren also found his handicap too much for him and retired from the two races – the open half-mile and the two miles – in which he started.   The first named race was won by WH Calderwood of Maryhill Harriers, who, like Calder, showed fine judgment in making his effort and won cleverly.   It was a thrilling finish.   R Hamilton, winner of the 100 yards; F Green in the Youths half-mile; and DF McKechnie in the two miles, were others who distinguished themselves.   The Renfrewshire team race justified its inclusion for the first time, but the cycle races took up too much time, and with the football helped to prolong the meeting.”

So you can have too much of a good thing.   Despite reading so much about athletics history, I still find it difficult to come to terms with the notion that, if you’re not going to win, you just drop out.   It was a habit with some runners of talent and was usually noted.   In the five-a-side competition, Rangers defeated Morton B by one goal to nil, and still had a team out at the Clyde FC professional meeting where they also won, defeating Celtic by three goals to nil.

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The headline after the Greenock meeting in 1929 told a different story.

SPORTS AT PORT GLASGOW

The athletics season in Scotland has almost run its course.   Next Saturday, when Rangers FC present their usual varied programme with many of the Scottish and English cracks competing will mark the close as far as the amateurs are concerned.   Saturday was a quiet day for them, the only meeting of importance being that run at Port-Glasgow under the auspices of the Renfrewshire Cross-Country Association, including Auchmountain, Greenock Glenpark and Wellpark Harriers Clubs.   At this meeting all  the events, with the exception of the Eric Liddell Trophy quarter-mile handicap races, were County championships, or scratch contests open to members of county clubs.  

Six events constituted  the list of flat championships.   Roy Hamilton, the Scottish furlong champion, was a competitor as a Glasgow Harrier in the 100 yards which he won without difficulty in a slow time, due largely to the condition of the track.   Hamilton did not take part in the 220 yards championship, a race which fell to his clubmate, JM Bryans, in the slow time of 26 seconds.   

Glasgow Harriers won the one mile relay race in 4 min 7 sec, but this success was due to the great running of Roy Hamilton in the second furlong.   He wiped out a deficit of six yards and converted it into a lead of ten yards.

The Eric Liddell Trophy race failed to attract more than three competitors.   The back-marker was TJ McAllister, Beith, off six yards.   The winner was W McLaughlin, Springburn Harriers, who returned 53 1-5th sec from 14 yards – comparatively the best performance of the meeting.”

And there you have it.   From hosting the international against Canada in 1924 to a purely local meeting in 1926.   There was no report of a meeting at Greenock in 1930.  On 25th July 1931 however the Renfrewshire Cross-Country Association held their track and field events championships at the St Mirren FC ground in Paisley and it seemed to go well.   In 1932, 30th July, the 77th (Highland) Field Brigade, Royal Artillery held their annual regimental sports at Cappielow Park and among the athletes taking part were several members of Glenpark Harriers.  There were no reports of athletics meetings in Greenock on the last Saturday in July after that – at least none on a regular basis which was a real loss to Scottish athletics.