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Walter J Gunn

Walter J Gunn, who was to win gold, silver and bronze medals in road and cross-country championships and win no fewer than six international vests at a time when the standard was very high turned out in his first Scottish National Championships in March 1926 when he finished 22nd to lead his club, Plebeian Harriers to fifth place.   The club had also performed creditably in November, 1925, when they were second in the first ever West District Relays for the Struthers Shield, held at Paisley, behind Shettleston with a team of Clark, Gunn, Allan and Tombe.   Allan was fastest club runner on the day with sixth fastest time overall.

The team was fourth in the District Relays in November 1926 with W Allan fastest Plebeian and equal third fastest on the day.  In the national in March 1927 two of the Plebeians best men – Allan and Gunn – were absent and this maybe accounted for the team, led home by Sammy Tombe in eleventh place, finishing sixth.

In the District Relays in November 1927, Plebeian had their first championship victory when they won over a course that was either very fast or a bit short!   The team consisted of SK Tombe (14:18), E James 15:28, M Rayne (14:47) and WJ Gunn (14:39).   In the National at Hamilton in March, Gunn finished  fifth (behind team mate Sam Tombe in fourth for the team that finished second) and was selected for the international where he finished 29th and a counting runner for the Scottish team.

November 1928 and the District Relay was won by Plebeian Harriers.   Sammy Tombe, their fastest man on the day with a time of 12:35 was third at the changeover but “by half distance Plebeian Harriers were in the lead thanks to a good effort by E James (12:49).   Monkland were now second and Shettleston third.   Garscube had moved up from seventh to fourth while the University had lost one place.   On coming round the third time, Plebeian (M Rayne) had doubled their lead while Shettleston were now lying second and Monkland third.  Maryhill (WH Calderwood) were now fourth, 45 seconds behind the leaders with Garscube fifth.   Chief interest now centred on the running of Maryhill’s final string, D McLean, the SAAA Mile champion.   but the task was beyond him.

The fourth Plebeian representative, WJ Gunn, continued the good work of his mates to win with something in hand by 150 yards.   Thus for the second successive year, Plebeian have won with the same four representatives running in the same order.   It was a striking victory for a quartet of young runners who were the only team in which each member finished inside 13 minutes.”    With Sammy Tombe missing the National in March 1929, Walter Gunn finished third (behind Suttie Smith and Tom Whitton and was selected to represent Scotland in the international for the second year in succession.    He finished 77th and for the only time in his six runs in the event was a non-scoring runner for his country

In the District relays in November 1929, the Districts had been rearranged and was now the Midland District.   However it was, Plebeian won for the third successive year despite the absence of their fastest man in the two preceding events, Sammy Tombe was absent.   In his absence, Walter Gunn ran the opening stage.   Let the ‘Record’ tell the tale.   “Plebeian Harriers A Team ran in brilliant style throughout to win a race which by no means provided the classic contest generally expected.   Right from the start Plebeian showed that they were not going to give any quarter and, despite the opposition from Frankie Stevenson, Monkland, and Donald McLean, Maryhill, WJ Gunn gave them a lead of thirty yards over the first circuit.   Over the next lap sped E James for Plebeian and he extended his club’s lead to a margin of 160 yards.   Monkland were still second but Motherwell YMCA made excellent progress by moving up from fifth to third place due to the fine effort of WH Gardiner.    Shettleston remained in fourth place.   During the third lap, Plebeian continued to open up the gap; Maxwell Rayne having no mercy on his rivals finished strongly to give A Ingram a long lead  over Garscube who came into the picture for the first time through RM Roxburgh.   The contest was now all over bar the shouting and Ingram got home to win a brilliant race by 53 seconds from Garscube.”      Gunn had the fastest time of the day (14:19), Frank Stevenson was second quickest (14:24) and Maxie Rayne was third with 14:24.   The question of where SK Tombe had got to was answered when we looked at the West of Scotland team where SK Tombe ran the last leg in 15:08 for the team which finished 14th.

The 1930 National was held on  1st March at Hamilton and after a hard race. Gunn was fourth behind Suttie Smith, RR Sutherland and F Stevenson.    The Plebeian team was third.  In the international, held that year in Royal Leamington S[a in England and he finished 20th.   The Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay had started in April that year and Gunn too his club from third to first on the fifth stage with the fastest time of the day and a course record.    The team won of course.

In the District Relay at Hamilton, Plebeian “had to relinquish their title to Motherwell YMCA” but the news was that Sammy Tombe was back in the ranks.   Staying with Gunn for the first stage which he had won the previous year, Plebeian were in the lead at the end of the first stage, Tombe dropped one place to Motherwell on the second, R Clark was the slowest man in the side and dropped a bit further behind and Ingram kept the position to the finish.   Gunn had the fastest time of the afternoon and Tombe was eleventh overall.   The National for season 1930/31 was also at Hamilton and after a hard race, Gunn was third behind Suttie Smith and RR Sutherland.   That earned him his third international vest, this time in Ireland at Baldoyle Racecourse.   Gunn was 21 and a counting runner in the team which finished second, so taking a silver medal to go with his two bronzes from the Scottish Championships.      He then completed the set with gold in the Edinburgh to Glasgow in April when Plebeian won the race and he had fastest time on the 6th stage.

Gunn had the day’s fastest time in November 1931’s Midland District Relay.   On the same trail at Hamilton he was four seconds faster than the next man and the club won by 51 seconds from Shettleston.   Gunn went in front on the first lap (13:38), Alex Armstrong, the former Clydesdale Harrier, extended the lead (14:08), Sammy Tombe extended it still further (14:00) and finally Max Rayne had no problems to cross the line well clear of the chasing runner.   There was a second Edinburgh to Glasgow in 1931 and Plebeian Harriers won that one two to make it

The national in 1932 was held on 5 March at Hamilton and Maxie Rayne led the team home when he finished fifth.   Sammy tombe was outside the first ten and Alex Armstrong was their third counter.   Where was their star man?   The Daily Record tells us that “Plebeian felt the loss of WJ Gunn who who was compelled to retire fairly early owing to the aftermath of ‘flu”      He was nevertheless selected on form and ran in the International in Brussels where he was 24th  and a member of the team that finished third.   Rayne was 33rd and the Scots last scoring runner.

Walter Gunn took the lead-off leg in the Midlands relays for the fourth successive year and came home second, one place behind McDonald of St Peter’s AC to hand over to Alex Armstrong.   Armstrong was ahead of Jim Flockhart of Shettleston who had a very good run indeed to come from 13 seconds behind the leader to 13 seconds in front at the end of the stage.   Then came SK Tombe who ‘was the only runner to offer any challenge’ to Shettleston’s men.   He had a great run but O McGhee could not make any further impression on the Shettleston team who ran out winners.   Tombe had fastest time of the day, 11 seconds clear of McDonald of Plebeian with Flockhart a further three seconds down and Gunn fourth swiftest just two seconds down on Flockhart.   Gunn and Tombe were fast becoming a formidable double act.    In the National on 4th March 1933 at Hamilton, the team was fourth and Gunn was twenty sixth.   Onm 8th April, though, the team won the first of two Edinburgh to Glasgow races to be held that year.   Walter Gun ran on the first stage and was first man to pass the baton on – four seconds ahead of Tom Blakely of Maryhill.   The team was never headed and won by almost three minutes from Dundee Thistle.   Of Gunn’s run, the Glasgow Herald had this to say at the start of its report: “EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW ROAD RACE.   PLEBEIANS FINE VICTORY.   The Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Race was run on Saturday in favourable conditions.   The runners, however, were faced by a headwind.   Thirteen teams took part and all finished Plebeian Harriers as in the previous two races, proved good winners.   They led from the first changeover at Maybury Cross until the finish, and each man pulled his full weight.   Max Rayne, opposed to D McN Robertson, the mrathon champion, on the section to Broxburn showed that he has got back to his best form, and WJ Gunn defeated T Blakely, the four miles AAA champion, in the first sector.”

Although the race was run again in November that year they had to win it without Gunn who did not run.   In the Midland Relay, he won his gold medal as part of the Plebeian team which won at Hamilton Park.   He ran on the last stage where he just sat on the leader, Littlejohn of Shettleston, and sprinted clear in the finishing straight.   The National in 1934 was held on 3rd March and the unusual result was a dead heat for first between Plebeian and Dundee Thistle.   Tombe was the first club runner home in fourth, McGregor was eighth and Gunn finished twelfth.

The Edinburgh to Glasgow that year was held at the start of November and Plebeian was fourth.   Walter Gunn ran on the fourth stage and pulled the club from fifth to fourth when he ran the second fastest time of the afternoon, only Adams of Dundee Thistle being faster.    In the District relay, the team was third and Gunn was third quickest individual.   Came the National in March 1935, and Gunn finished thirteenth to be first Plebeian home with the team third.

In the 1935 Edinburgh to Glasgow in November, Gunn did not run in the third placed team.   He did run in the District Relay, though, on the first stage where he was third on the first stage for the winning team.   In the National at the end of the cross-country season, he finished seventh and booked his trip to the international for the sixth time at Squires Gate in Birmingham where he was 48th.

In the Edinburgh to Glasgow, 1936, Gunn ran on the sixth stage where he took over in third, handed over in third for the team which finished third .    He missed the Midlands relay where the ‘new man’ in the team, running last, faded badly for the club to finish seventhe – their lowest ever in the race.   In the National at Redford Barracks in March 1937, he was back in fifty fourth position for the team which finished fourth.         He did not run in the National ever again.    Or in any other country or road relay either.

Of course, Walter Gunn ran on the track as well as over the country.   If we look at some of the high spots of his career from mid-1928 it will illustrate that his talent here was as great as over the less predictable surfaces of grass and mud.

The first time his name appeared in the SAAA Championships was in June 1927 when he was noted as an ‘also ran’ in the Mile where team mate SK Tombe was thgird.  At the beginning of June, 1928, Walter Gunn finished third behind club mate D McLean and his Plebeian clubmate H Combe  in the Three Miles Team Race.   And then on 16th June, at the Glasgow Police Sports at Shawfield, Gunn won the One Mile (First Class) race from club mate SK Tombe in 4 min 27 3-th sec.   Running off 65 yards with Tombe off 70 yards, he only won by two yards.

On 1st June 1929, he won a race that he was maybe not expected to win.   The report on the Two Miles handicap race at the Queen’s Park Sports, read, “Chief interest in the meeting arranged by Queen’s Park FC lay in the attempt made by J Suttie Smith upon the existing Scottish record for the two miles.   A special handicap had been framed for the occasion and had the champion been able to head WJ Gunn, who ran off 85 yards, he might have accomplished it, the Plebeian runner’s winning time being 9 min 32 1-5th sec.   As it was, Smith failed to do this, his time for the distance being 2 3-5th sec worse than McLean’s existing figures 9 min 31 sec.   The winning margin was noted as only 3 yards.   On 8th June, Gunn, referred to as ‘that improving runner WJ Gunn’,  was first across the finishing line in the Invitation Two Miles Team race at the GUAC and Maryhill Inter-Club meeting in 15:31.8.   In the Glasgow Police Sports at Ibrox on 15th June, he was second finisher in the three miles: “In the Mile, WJ Gunn of Plebeian Harriers, was the most prominent back-marker.   He ran into second place and may give just give some of  the more fancied candidates something to think about when it comes to the championships.”  He was only five yards behind the winner, TJ Goldie of Shettleston Harriers, who was timed at 4 min 25 2-5th sec.   Unfortunately when it came to the SAAA Championships a week later, he may have chosen  the wrong event since he was unplaced in the Four Miles.

His first race in 1930 was the Two Miles team race for Harrier clubs at the Edinburgh University Championships on June 2nd.   The report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ read: The tit-bit of the three club meeting held at Tynecastle was undoubtedly the Two Miles Team Race for Harrier clubs.   This was the first race of the kind on the track this year and, as expected, turned out to be a keen contest between  our leading teams, Maryhill, Dundee Thistle and Plebeian, who finished in the order named.   Maryhill finished in fourth, fifth and seventh  places, an indication of their strength in distance races.   The Scottish distance champion, Suttie Smith, was in excellent form.   He forced the pace throughout and although his great rival, Frank Stevenson, disputed with him the leading place in the early stages, Smith gradually drew away from the Monkland man in the final stages to win by 30 yards.   There was a very interesting race within a race in the struggle between WJ Gunn of Plebeian and WH Calderwood, the former just beating the mile champion in the sprint for the tape.   Should Gunn, Calderwood, TM Riddell, RR Sutherland and D Mclean all compete in the Mile at the Scottish championships, it will be a race worth seeing.”

At the Queen’s Park FC Sports the following week, he was second to D McLean in the Two Miles Team race, one place in front of Calderwood.

In the SAAA in June, Riddell won from McLean and Calderwood after a very fast start which ‘spread eagled ‘ the field, and among the also rans were WJ Gunn and his clubmate SK Tombe.   By the way, ‘also rans’ is not a put down on my part – the results of the time always gave the first three runners and the listed the others under the title ‘also ran:’

In 1931 he had a series of three two mile races in eight days which resulted in the following report on the Queen’s Park FC Sports:

“The keen rivalry which exists at the moment between the evenly matched teams of the Maryhill and Plebeian clubs is tending to elevate the two mile scratch races for Harrier clubs into the chief events of each programme in which they appear.   At the Monkland Harriers Sports last Saturday, at Firhill Park on Monday and again at Hampden Park on Saturday, the racing in this event transcended everything else on the programme.   

This was due as much to the personal duel between WJ Gunn of Plebeian Harriers on the one hand, and WH Calderwood and D McLean on the other, as to the struggle for supremacy between the two club sides.  In all three races run during the past ten days, Gunn has had the measure of the ex-champions and as each of the three has been run through in  different fashion, the Plebeian Harrier can claim that both in the matter of tactics and of pace he is the best man in the district at the moment over the distance.   His victories at Coatbridge and Firhill were of the narrowest, but on Saturday he defeated Calderwood by a good five yards  and at the finish was travelling as fast as at the beginning, a tribute to his stamina as his opponent carries as powerful a finish as any of our distance runners.   Gunn’s time, 9 min 38 4-5th sec is the best he has done in public so far.Under something of a cloud last season because of a physical handicap he is improving with each appearance.    The result of the team race was Maryhill winning by 11 pts to 13 and they now two victories to one over their rivals.”    For Plebeians, Tombe was fourth and Rayne eighth.

Although this report was at the start of June, there was no mention of Gunn in either of the two big meetings to follow, ie the SAAA Championships at the end of the month, and the Rangers Sports at the start of August.

In 1932, Gunn did not run at Monkland and both Gunn and Rayne were absent from the team to contest the two miles event which ‘reduced the team race to a struggle between Shettleston and Maryhill in which Maryhill won by 21 points to 23.     Gunn was also absent from the SAAA Championships.   It may be that the reference above to his missing a season ‘because of a physical handicap’ was a reference to a chronic injury or a recurring illness: whether it did or not, he certainly missed several championship races on the country as well as on the track.

1934 was a much better year for him.   At the Atalanta v SAAA match at the end of May he was second in the Mile behind GA Smith of Atalanta and ahead of old rival WH Calderwood. On 26th May at Hampden he was second to Tom Riddell in an estimated 4:25, on the heels of Riddell until the final straight and finished 25 yards down.   Then at Celtic Park on 16th June, he won the one mile team race in 4:33.     How would he do in the SAAA?    Would he go for the Mile again?   In fact he won the first ever SAAA Steeplechase championship in June 1934.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ report read: “In the other new event, the steeplechase, WJ Gunn (Plebeian) won comfortably.”    His winning time was 11 min 0 sec.   In 1937  he again contested the event and finished second to RR Sutherland.

Alex Wilson says of the steeplechase event:

Given that the first Scottish 2  miles steeplechase championship was held in 1934 and won by Gunn, it`s  interesting to note a handicap 2 miles steeplechase run in conjunction with the  Queens Park FC Sports at Hampden on 26 May. Backmarker John Suttie-Smith of  Edinburgh H. (20 yards) won by 50 yards in 11:15.4 from C.T. Thompson of Garscube (180 yards). The Scotsman wrote “he was the only real fencer on view”. The handicap eight lap steeplechase (about 3000 metres) had been a  feature of the Rangers Sports  since its introduction in 1926. Suttie won  it in 1933 in 9:23.6 off 130 yards, his third win after 1929 and in 1931.
I  have no idea why it took so long to introduce the steeplechase, not to mention  the marathon, as after all it had been Olympic event since 1900 and was certainly one of the most spectator-friendly events. The powers-that-be within  the SAAA were evidently administrators, not visionaries.
I found this  link to a pic on Getty
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/competitors-leaping-over-the-water-jump-in-an-eight-lap-news-photo/3424831
The report in the Scotsman on the 1934 Scottish 2 miles s/c championship states  simply that “Six turned out, Suttie Smith giving way at the end of five laps to  Gunn who won by 40 yards”.  1. W J Gunn (Plebs) 11:05.0; 2. J. Gillies  (Shawfield H.); 3. J.T. Suttie Smith (Edin. H.)

On the back of this victory he was chosen to run in the 1934 Empire Games in London where he finished sixth of six competitors.

Gunn’s absence in 1935 was noted in reports (reigning champion did not run, etc) and he didn’t run in any more SAAA Championships.

Walter J Gunn was clearly a very good and talented athlete on the road, over the country and on the track where he performed well at the Mile, Two Miles and his victory in the first ever steeplechase championship has earned him his place in history.

Plebeian Harriers was a wonderful club for team performances, winning gold, silver and bronze in almost every championship for which they were eligible although it is fair to say that they performed best of all in the Edinburgh to Glasgow eight-stage road relay.   There were however some very good individual athletes among them including such as Walter J Gunn, Maxie Rayne and SK Tombe.

Known as Sam or Sammy Tombe and occasionally as Sergeant Tombe, he almost always got both initials in reports and results – SK Tombe.   Samuel Kennedy Tombe was born in 1906 and died in 2001 at the age of 95.    He won medals of every shade as a team member and many as an individual and represented Scotland three times in the Cross-Country International.   For the profile, I will measure cross-country running looking at the Western/Midland District Relays, the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay and the National Championships.   Although there was a District Championship, it tended to feature the Plebeian ‘B’ team and such as SK Tombe, WJ Gunn and Max Rayne never ever ran in it.   Some of the top men built it into their winter training and racing schedule and athletes like JC Flockhart turned out in it but the Plebeians seemed to have a definite policy of not running their best men in it.

Tombe first appeared on the National scene when he won the Novice Championship in 1925 and then in the Scottish National results in March, 1926 he finished fifty seventh in the team which, led by WJ Gunn in 22nd,  finished fifth.    The high team placing should have been no surprise to anyone: had not the team finished second in the inaugural West District relays at Paisley in November 1925?   In fact the Daily Record commented that “A pleasing feature of the race was the sound performance put up by that fast improving club, Plebeian Harriers.”   The team consisted of Clark, Gunn, Allan and Tombe.

In the District Relays in November 1926, Plebeian Harriers were fifth with Tombe running on the first stage.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ puts him in good company.   “In the first section of the journey notable men like T Riddell, Shettleston;  CH Johnston, Glasgow University; P Nicol, Kilmarnock; D McLean, Paisley; F Stevenson, Monkland and SK Tombe, Plebeian, all lined up.   As expected, a great race ensued between Riddell (he had come up specially from London) and CH Johnston  they drew clear from the field but Johnston could not hold Riddell in the run in: time 14 min 03 sec.   Don McLean, Maryhill, Peter Nicol, Frank Stevenson, CH Blue, Garscube, and SK Tombe were next in that order.”   Tombe’s time was 14:35, Allan Ferguson and Gunn were the others in the team with Allan fastest, five seconds up on Tombe.   Came the National in March, 1927, and a Plebeian team minus Allan and Gunn were led home by Tombe in eleventh with the team position sixth.   A good run from our man, but not enough for international selection.

The club improved four places to be first in the District Relays in November with Tombe on the first stage their fastest man.   All times were quick that day and the ‘Daily Record’ suggested that this could have been because (a) The course was short; (b) The course conditions favoured faster running; or (c) the standard of competition brought out faster racing.   However that may have been, the relative positions of the runners would have been pretty constant, and Tombe was fastest Plebeian Harrier and second fastest on the course ahead of such good men as Frank Stevenson and CH Blue.   In the National Championships in March, the club was second – by far their best National performance.   The runners in finishing order were Tombe (4), Gunn (5), Rayne (10), Connelly (26), McCallum (36), James (41).   The Daily Record said: “To the surprise of many, Plebeian Harriers came up trump, defeating more fancied clubs for the minor honour of runners-up.”   The Glasgow Herald phrased things a bit more felicitously when they said: “The Plebeian must have surprised themselves by an exhibition of good team work.   SK Tombe and WJ Gunn – but particularly Gunn – laid the foundation of a very fine effort.   Maxwell Rayne who ran tenth and third for Plebeian is also a first year runner who has thus made his mark.”   Tombe was selected for and  ran in the International for the first time and finished 39th.

In the District Relays in November, 1928, the headlines read “Plebeian First Again.   Relay Champions Great Running.”   And the article read, “Plebeian Harriers more than justified the good opinion held of their chances to retain the Western District 10 Mile Relay Championship at Thornliebank on Saturday.   The manner of their victory over Shettleston Harriers left no doubt of their merit.   The conditions were not at all propitious and the course was all the more trying on that account.   Thirty one teams out of an entry of 32 made a start.   Wellpark B was the absent team.

Monkland Harriers through Frank Stevenson led all the way through the first lap, returning the fast time of 12 min 29 sec.   WT Anderson Shettleston did very well to chase Stevenson to a 13 sec margin.   SK Tombe, Plebeian, occupied third place a further 3 sec behind Anderson.”    Tombe’s time was 12:35 and E James on the second stage took them into the lead with 12:49, Max Rayne kept the position with 12:56 and Walter Gunn brought them home first by 22 seconds with his time of 12:50.   Sammy Tombe was fifth fastest overall with James sixth.   with only 21 seconds between their fastest man and their fourth runner it was indeed a magnificent performance.    Unfortunately he did not run in the National championship in March 1929 where his team mate Walter Gunn finished third and was selected for the international.

1929’s District Relays had Plebeian Harriers going for a three-in-a-row in the new in the new Midland District.   They achieved it but with one change in the team from previous years and an altered order of running.   In the absence of Sammy Tombe, Walter Gunn took the opening stage and … “Plebeian Harriers A Team ran a brilliant race throughout to win a race which by no means provided the classic contest generally expected.”   Gunn ‘won’ the first stage by 30 yards and was followed by James, Rayne and Ingram to win by 53 seconds from Garscube.    Why wasn’t Tombe racing for the team?   He was running on the day but for West of Scotland rather than for Plebeian.   He was on the fourth stage for the team which finished 14th in a time of 15:08: the Plebeian times were, in running order, 14:19, 14:54, 14:30 and 14:45.

Came the Nationals in March and there was no note of Tombe at the top end of the field, nor was he in the Plebeian team.

The following season however saw him run for Plebeian Harriers again in the District Relays in November 193o.   They were second team to Motherwell and their runners were Gunn (14:45), Tombe (15:06), Clark (15:52) and Ingram (15:26).   Gunn led the first stage home and Tombe dropped a place to Motherwell and that was the order at the finish.   Gunn had fastest time of the afternoon with Tombe 11th quickest over the course.   He was fifth scorer for his club in the National that year finishing thirty fourth and the team was third behind Maryhill and Garscube.   He had better luck in the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay in April when, running on the fourth stage, he not only had quickest time of the afternoon but also set a new course record.   The club had gone into the lead on the first stage and just stayed there for the duration of the race.   It was a gold medal to go with the bronze from the national and silver from the midland relay.   A full set!

Into winter 1931 and the Midland Relays in November and the story was that Plebeian Harriers had again won the event.   Their new opening runner Walter Gunn repeated the previous year’s feat of turning in the fastest time of the day and Tombe on the third stage, was tenth fastest.   The other two runners were Maxie Rayne and Alex Armstrong the former Clydesdale Harrier, who ran the eleventh fastest time of the day.   The Edinburgh to Glasgow was for some reason absent from the calendar in 1932 – it would return in 1933 – and the next major test was the National in March 1932.   The surprise of the day was the running of Max Rayne who finished fifth with Tombe, twelfth,  the second Plebeian finisher in the team that was third.   Unfortunately Walter Gunn had to drop out suffering the after effects of a bout of flu.    He was nevertheless selected for the international with Rayne and the unfortunate Tombe had to miss out yet again.

Gunn was again the lead off runner for the team at the Midlands relays and was second at the end of the first stage to hand over to Armstrong who had the misfortune to start just ahead of Flockhart of Shettleston who had only just taken up the sport.   Flockhart started 13 seconds down on the leader and handed over 13 seconds ahead of Armstrong.   Next up was SK Tombe who was the only man to offer any challenge to the  Shettleston runners: it was such a challenge that he turned in the fastest time of the day which was 11 seconds faster the McDonald of St Peter’s who ad won the first stage and 14 seconds quicker than Flockhart.    Gunn was two seconds slower than Flockhart in fourth fastest.

Into the National in 1933 and SK Tombe finished fifth to win his second international vest.  The story of the day was Flockhart’s victory after only six months in athletics.   The Daily Record described the progress of the race thus.   “JK Hewitt (Edinburgh University) was in the van at the end of the first circuit of the racecourse followed by H McIntosh, W Hinde and JP Laidlaw, J Wilson, JC Flockhart, JR Smith and RR Sutherland were lying handy.   At the five mile stage, Smith and Flockhart were running shoulder to shoulder while Wilson came behind the pair.  SK Tombe and RR Sutherland came next, 150 yards behind, then followed JC Ross, H McIntosh, JP Laidlaw, JK Hewitt and J Girvin.   When three-quarters of the course was covered, Flockhart had opened up a gap leading Wilson by 200 yards.   Smith was 50 yards behind and the time was 32 min 30 sec.   RR Sutherland and SK Tombe were still together 50 yards in the rear.   It was while Flockhart took the drop down to the lower reaches of the banks of the Clyde that he got further away from Wilson.   Though the soldier and Smith regained some of the lost ground, it did not prevent Flockhart from racing home in spanking form.”

 SK Tombe and Sutherland had the same time of 60 min 17 sec which was 31 seconds behind Suttie Smith and 72 behind Flockhart.    This was Tombe’s second International, the first having been in 1928.   Plebeian was fourth in the team race with Walter Gunn being their third counter in twenty sixth.    The International was held at Caerleon Racecourse in Wales and Colin Shields describes it as Scotland’s most successful team ever in the international Competition.   Running in heatwave conditions, Flockhart injured his ankle but the top six were Sutherland, second; Suttie Smith, third; Harry McIntosh, eleventh;  Flockhart, twelfth; WD Slidders sixteenth and SK Tombe eighteenth with the points total of 62 placing them second in the team race.   The Edinburgh to Glasgow eight man relay was run twice in 1933, the first one being on 8th April.   Plebeian’s form in relay racing had been quite outstanding and this race ended up with another set of gold medals for the club.   There were also three stage records set.   On the first stage, Walter Gunn, on the second Maxie Rayne, on the third Alex McGregor, and on the seventh stage Alex Armstrong all did the job and the team had led from the first stage to the Glasgow City Centre.   Tombe ran the long sixth stage where he was only 4 seconds slower than Flockhart and 56 seconds faster than Dunky Wright.

The 1933/34 season started with the Midlands Relay on November 27th at Hamilton where the defeated the holders Shettleston by 60 yards.   The report read:

“The outstanding competitor of the race was JC Flockhart (Shettleston) who easily established the fastest time for the two and a half mile course.   The holders started well through the agency of JC Ross who kept in front of SK Tombe (Plebeian) with Jackie Campbell, Bellahouston, third.   During the second lap A McGregor Plebeian, the novice champion, passed H McCubbin, Shettleston, for the lead.   Flockhart took over for Shettleston, 35 seconds behind M Rayne, Plebeian, and when little more than a mile had been traversed, was actually on the heels of the leader.   The Shettleston man handed over to T Littlejohn and advantage of 15 yards against WJ Gunn.   Gunn was content to wait until the finishing straight to beat his rivals comfortably.”   Tombe had the third fastest time of the day (13:44) with Flockhart and Ross of Shettleston recording 13:34 and 13:42.   McGregor (13:52 was fourth fastest and Rayne was tenth equal with 14:12.    Gunn on 14:45 was the slowest but his job on the last lap was clear and he did it well with no reason for heroics required.   The second  1933 Edinburgh to Glasgow was held in November and the Plebeians again took first place.   After running second at the end of the first and second stages, the went into a lead that they never lost.   Tombe was again on the sixth stage and extended the lead from 46 seconds when he took over the baton to two minutes 04 seconds when he handed over to A Ingram at Barrachnie.

In the 1934 Scottish Championship, Tombe finished seventh being preceded over the finishing line by Flockhart, RR Sutherland, Laidlaw, Hinde, Wilson and Dow.   The race resulted in a tie for first team between Plebeians and Dundee Thistle with two sets of gold medals being issued.   Had current tie-breaking rules been in place, Dundee would have won but the rules then said two sets of gold.   Tombe won his third and last international vest that year and although the Scottish team finished third he was unfortunately not in the squad.   The gold medals from District Relays, Edinburgh to Glasgow and the National might have been some consolation.

The best that the club could do in the District Relay in 1934 was third with a team of Gunn, McGregor, Tombe and Connelly in which only Gunn distinguished himself with a place in the fastest times sheet.   he was third fastest behind Flockhart and T Lamb of Bellahouston.   Edinburgh to Glasgow had been a happy hunting ground in the past but all good things come to an end and the best that the 1934 squad could do was fourth.   The only Plebeian to distinguish himself here was SK Tombe who on the sixth stage ran the fastest time of the day when pulling the team from fifth to fourth.  36 seconds faster than the next man and 68 seconds ahead of Dunky Wright was not a bad run at all.

The team in the National in 1935 was well down the field in their own terms – sixth – with first finisher being WJ Gunn in 13th.   SK Tombe was only fifth scoring man when he was 43rd.  No international vests for the Plebeians that year then.

In the District Relay in 1935, Plebeian regained their title with a team of Gunn, McGregor Tombe and Black with Tombe and Gunn fourth and sixth fastest over the course on the day and the entire team inside 14 minutes for their respective stages.   Two weeks earlier they had been third in the Edinburgh to Glasgow with Duff on the third leg and Tombe on the long leg setting fastest times on the day.   Tombe was 20 seconds faster than the next runner – W Hinde of Edinburgh Northern.   In the National at the end of the season,  Gunn was first club man home when he was seventh.   The team was out of the medals in fourth, equal placed with Shettleston, and Tombe was second counter when he finished nineteenth.

Sam Tombe did a very good job for the club in the Midland Relay in 1936 when he brought them from third to a lead of 10 yards on the second stage (eleventh fastest of the day) but their man on the third stage had to yield to Flockhart at the end of the third stage before the last runner dropped well back and the team finished seventh.   In the Edinburgh to Glasgow in 1936, the team minus Tombe was third behind Bellahouston and Shettleston.   In the National of 1937, Plebeian was led home by J Wilkie in twelfth with SK Tombe third club runner in twenty fifth and WJ Gunn their last scoring man in fifty fourth.   The team was third however to add a bronze to their medal collection.

The 1937/8 cross country season saw the last of Plebeian’s relay supremacy before the war stared in 1939.   In the District Relays,  SK Tombe was second on the first stage and the team finished fifth; in the E-G  Plebeians  Minus SK Tombe finished  6th and again out of the medals.   In the 1938 National the team was eighth.   With no Sam Tombe or Walter Gunn, and with Max Rayne long gone, there was a completely new team representing the club.   They had all three been great runners for the club with 6 international vests for Gunn, 3 for Tombe and 1 for Rayne – and maybe Tombe and Rayne were just unlucky not to get more – at a time when the standard of Scottish cross-country running was at its highest.

Tombe also ran on the track and picked up more medals to show for his efforts.

In 1927  at the SAAA Championships at Hampden Park he was third in the Mile behind D Maclean and RJ Patience: the winning time was 4:28.8,    Reports indicated that Donald McLean from Greenock ‘had little or no opposition’ but nevertheless it was Tombe’s first SAAA championdhip medal, and at a distance below his recognised best.   In the Glasgow Police Sports Mile on 16th May 1928, the event was won by Walter Gunn with Tombe second.   Gunn was off 65 yards and Tombe off 70 yards and victory was only gained by a margin of three yards!    It must have been some battle between the two Plebeians!

There were of course many meetings where the featured event was a two or even three miles team race and the Plebeian Team had some hard battles with Maryhill and Shettleston for supremacy.   Walter Gunn tended to be the main runner for the club but Sammy Tombe did his share.   He also competed in the Mile at the various sports meetings held as well as in the SAAA Championships.   On 7th June 1930 for instance he ran in the Mile at Queen’s Park FC Sports at Hampden and won in 4:25.3, and although he competed in the Mile at the championships he was unplaced.

in 1932 he was second in the ten miles at Hampden Park in April, behind JF Wood but in front of D McNab Robertson: the winning time was 52:31 and the times at 5 and 6 miles  were new Scottish records.   “Wood’s victory in the 10 mile was emphatic.   He was his own pacemaker from start to finish and finally breasted the tape 600 yards ahead of SK Tombe of Plebeian Harriers.   Setting a fast pace from the outset, Wood spurted after one and a quarter miles and gained a lead of 30 yards from Suttie Smith.   At two miles he had increased his advantage to 90 yards, at three miles to 150 yards, at four miles to 220 yards, and when the National Cross-Country champion retired after five miles had been covered, he was fully 300 yards behind Wood and had been passed shortly before by Tombe.   Wood tapered off considerably in the seventh and eighth miles but finished strongly in 52 mins 31 sec – 1 min 44 sec faster than his winning time of a year ago.   Twenty six of the twenty eight entrants started and 16 finished; nine runners apart from Wood and Tombe, receiving medals for finishing inside the standard time of 57 min.”   Tombe’s time was 54:20 and McNab Robertson’s was 54:58.   He was still doing all the two mile team races – in 1931 in particular the Plebeian team performed very  well indeed – and at Monkland at the end of May he was second.   In the Scottish Championships in June 1932, Tom Blakely of Maryhill set a new 3 miles record and Tombe was only 30 yards down as he crossed the finishing line.  The ‘Glasgow Herald’ correspondent thought that this was the best running Tombe had done over the distance – Blakely’s record was 14:38 1-5th.

Also credited with 15:11.6 for three miles in Glasgow on the 23rd June 1933,  on the following day  in the SAAA Championships, he was fourth in the Four Miles behind RR Sutherland, J Wilson and JF Wood.

On 15th April, 1934, in the SAAA championships he ran 53:40.4 for 10 miles to finish second to Alex Dow but defeating Jim Flockhart..    Times were 53:12 for Dow and 53:49 for Flockhart with JF Wood fourth in 54:34.6.  He followed this up with a good second in the two miles at the Atalanta v SAAA match at the end of May at Westerlands.   On 26th May, 1934, at Hampden in the Queen’s Park FC sports, Tombe won by the three miles team race by 10 yards from W Sutherland and Alex Dow in 14:55.8.   Later in 1934 he was third in the SAAA 6 Miles, 5 yards behind James Wilson in 31:06.2.    The Glasgow Herald report read: “There was a great race in the Six Miles between J Wilson and SK Tombe.    A Dow, the ten miles champion, led all the way but 300 yards from the tape, Wilson shot out in front.   The 5 yards he gained from the soldier held in a most rousing finish. ”     Alex Dow was third.   He did not appear at the SAAA Championships again until June 1937 when he was third in the three miles behind GM Carstairs and JE Farrell.   Carstairs was 150 yards ahead of Farrell who was 60 yards up on Tombe.   His club mate WJ Gunn who had won the inaugural Two Miles Steeplechase championship finished second in that event behind RR Sutherland.

Tombe also ran for his regiment in many Army events – championships from regimental to national – and performed well in them too.   Gold, silver and bronze came his way over the country and on the road, on the track in National Championships he won silver and bronze at distances from the Mile to Ten Miles giving many of the best runners in a decade full of good athletes a serious run for their money.   SK Tombe was a runner to be reckoned with.

Bobby in the Ben Nevis Race. 

Although Bobby Shields ran on the track and the roads as well as over the country he really loved the hills and raced on them all over the country from the Kilpatricks in Clydebank to England, Wales and Ireland.   The Ben Nevis race is one of the most gruelling in the United Kingdom but if Bobby was a specialist in hill running, he was a specialist’s specialist in the Ben Race!    He was placed in the top ten eleven times.  He was 1^st 1967, 2^nd in 66, 3^rd in 65, 73  and 74, 4^th in 65, 5^th in 70, 6^th in 68, 7^th in 81, 8^th in 69 and 71 and eleventh in 64!   Furthermore his eleventh in 1964 gave him twelve first eleven places in twelve years! Evidence enough of his ability and durability on the hills.

 He had been a club member since the late 1950’s and within Clydesdale Harriers he won numerous club trophies:

• The JD Semple Junior Cup in 1961, 1962 and 1963  for the Under 17 Club Champion,
• the Dugald Cameron Shield in 1964/65  as Under 20 Club Champion, the Semple Merit Award in 1964/65  for the outstanding performance during the winter season,
• the Sinclair Trophy in 1967/68 presented for the Club Road Racing Championship over 5+ Miles,
• the Willie Gardiner Quaich in 1967/68 for the most outstanding performance during the summer season and
• the Hannah Cup in 1969/70 (shared with Ian Leggett) and 1970/71 for the fastest time in the club cross country handicap race.

So we know he was an excellent hill runner and a good enough club man to win trophies in all age groups over a ten year period when the club was particularly strong in his events.   But it was on the hills that he really excelled.

The Early Years

Between November 1958 and September 59 Bobby was one of six very good boys to join the club – Andy McMillan, Billy McLaughlin, Iain Cooke, Ian Logie and Bobby’s twin brother Jim were the others – who made up a quite outstanding group of athletes who won team and individual races all over Scotland.   Andy left to attend to his studies and became a minister; Iain turned to sprinting and then became a doctor before leaving the sport; Billy left, came back in the mid sixties, left, came back in the seventies and left again, Ian Logie took up pole vaulting with success before retiring from the sport at the end of the 60’s and brother Jim took up pole vaulting, emigrated to Canada before returning and having a very successful career as a hill runner and tri-athlete.   But Bobby stuck to the running and concentrated on hill running with huge success.

Having won the Under 17 Championship three times in succession and the Under 20 Championship he was ready to run in the Senior team.   This was almost exactly at the same time as Ian Donald joined the club from Shettleston and despite the age gap they would both form part of Harriers teams until 1977.   They both had an interest in the hills and mountains and Ian had a great influence on Bobby.

The Hills and Fells 

Right from the start however he was like many a Harrier before him in love with the hills – hill walking, hill climbing and mountaineering and of course hill running.   He took to the Ben Nevis – probably the most difficult hill race in the country – immediately.    Ian Donald had run his first Ben Race in 1959 when already a Senior athlete.    Bobby’s first race was in 1964 and he finished eleventh, then in 1965 he was third, in 1966 second and then he won it in 1967.   His record is detailed below

His best time for the event is an astonishing 1:31:58!   He did of course run in almost every hill every hill event in Scotland and we can’t cover them all over a 25 year period but some of the highlights can be listed.

*   Mel Edwards of Aberdeen was a good friend and rival who recalls the results between the two of them in the Cairngorm Hill Race in which Bobby won three times (1972, 1974 and 1979 when he set a record of 1:12:15), was second once (1981) and third twice (1974 and 1980).   The 1979 race was particularly memorable with Bobby winning in 1:12:15 from Ronnie Campbell in 1:12:19 and Mel in 1:12:22 – three runners covered by seven seconds after such a long and hard race.   He also set records almost everywhere he ran – the Maidens of Mamore is another example of that.

*   On 21^st August 1976 the one off Maidens of Mamore race was held over Na Gruagaichean and Binnean Mor.   Bobby won in 1:43:40 with Ronnie Campbell second in 1:45:51 and twin brother Jim Shields third in 1:52:24.   Clydesdale Harrier and good friend of Bobby’s Ian Donald was eighth in 2:03:44.

He was well known all over the British Isles for his prowess on the hills having raced in England and    Wales and completed many feats of hill running endurance with the best runners of all time on the fells of England and mountains of Ireland.   He also ran for several different clubs on the hills and fells – eight of his Ben races were in the colours of Lochaber AC, for instance, and he represented Kendal AC in England and Lagan Valley in Ireland

When the British Fell Runner of the Year competition was started in 1972 Bobby led the competition right up to the very last race when Dave Cannon from Cumbria snatched it from him.  The competition involves selecting a prescribed number of races from three different categories which include short, medium and long races and adding the points so gained.   On another occasion Bobby shared first place. Dave particularly remembered finishing third in the Ben Nevis in 1973 beaten by Bobby and Harry Walker, another noted English Fell Runner and winner of the race.

Not only a runner, he has also been responsible for two races that are among the most serious tests of strength in any hill runner’s calendar.  The race over the 95 mile West Highland Way is now established in the athletics calendar but few realise that it came about as the result of a personal challenge between Bobby and his friend Duncan Watson in 1987 – two of Scotland’s best ever long distance hill runners.   It is now in 2007 an almost over subscribed event.

He also created the Arrochar Alps Hill Race with fellow Clydesdale Harrier Andy Dytch in 1987.   This one covered 21 kilometres, took in four Munros – Ben Vorlich, Ben Vane, Ben Ime and Ben Narnain – with a total ascent of 2400 metres and was used as a British Championship race in 1988.

As A Road and Cross Country Runner

Bobby was a good club man and from his earliest days had run in County, District and National Relays and Championships, the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay as well as in open races and the ‘classics’ such as the Nigel Barge at New Year and the Balloch to Clydebank.

In the CountyChampionships he won medals from the mid sixties when he was part of an outstanding group of Clydesdale runners including Ian Donald, Douglas Gemmell, Ian Leggett and Allan Faulds.   He was also a member of teams that won medals of all colours in the Midland and then Western District Championships.   The Edinburgh to Glasgow eight stage relay was the Blue Riband of the Scottish winter scene.  Bobby ran in seventeen Edinburgh to Glasgow Relays between 1963 and 1982 including an unbroken streak of fifteen  (1963, 64, 65, 66, 67. 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 + 81, 82) races running six different stages with only the second and third escaping his attentions.   Even during his busiest hill running years, he still turned out in the E-G for the club, as well as many races such as County and District Championships.

As a mountaineer 

Early on Bobby developed his love for the mountains and was a regular with the club’s hill walking and climbing group with Allan Sharp, David Panton, Pat Younger and Frank Kielty of the old guard plus Jackie Girvan and Hugh Hoole.   The picture below shows how young he was when he started, the heights he reached and the rope indicates that it was not the tourist track up either!

They climbed all over Scotland and every one of them had run in the Ben Nevis race as well.   On a trip to the Alps in the late 1960’s a group of Pat, Allan, Jackie, Hugh, David Panton and Hugh Hoole were leaving in an old Volkswagen bus with a 1200 cc engine that Pat had got from somewhere when Bobby came running down the street with his bags, got in and made the party up to eight.     With their bags, it meant that the VW was carrying about the weight of fourteen or so fully grown men on a 1200 cc engine!

His competitive career went from the mid 1960’s right through to the 1990’s.   He was a member of some of the very best club teams winning medals on the track, over the country and on the roads all over Scotland although his great talent was for hill and fell running with many firsts to his credit.   As a race organiser he was responsible for many serious endurance challenges and it is good to see the Arrochar Alps restored to its place on the calendar after five years.   At club level he was a Committee member for several years and acted as club captain.