Archie Craig

 A Craig founder0002

Archie Craig of Bellahouston Harriers won the National Cross Country Championships in 1913, second four times, was selected seven times to run in the international cross-country championships, and won two silver and one bronze medal in the SAAA track championships.   He had two sons, Archie and George, who were both cross-country internationals but his total number of vests was higher than theirs combined, this despite the fact that his career was disrupted by the War of 1914 – 1918, and  he was racing some of the finest ever to take part in the sport – eg Jim Wilson and GCL Wallach.   Craig seems to have been a cross-country specialist who could run very well on the track – as his SAAA medals show – but he ran sparingly on the latter surface and most years he did not appear in either the ten miles or four miles SAAA championships.   His name was also absent by and large from the results of the Rangers FC and Celtic FC sports.   Although we know that he ran in handicap races as wide ranging as 880 yards and three miles, they are far between and so his track running, other than in championships, has been omitted from this profile.

He first appeared in the championship results in 1911 when he was third in the West District championships but did not come to the attention of the public at large until he won the SCCU title in 1913.   Not a prolific racer, Craig did not appear in any of the major races of the summer in 1912 – there were nine men forward for the 10 miles championship but he was not among them, nor was he present at the SAAA Championships in June.   Came winter 1912/1913 and the first race of any consequence was the Clydesdale Harriers 7 miles handicap and team race at the beginning of November.   Craig was not mentioned in the results but by the start of December the sports writers were lamenting the fact that there had been little in the way of any races since then.   This did not mean there was no action, of course, as inter-club runs were the rule rather than the exception with the clubs organising joint fixtures pretty well on a weekly basis and with the occasional ‘muster run’.   A muster run was a major undertaking for the host club which invited five, six or, occasionally even more, other clubs to come to their headquarters for a mass cross-country run, usually in three packs.   Clubs often travelled quite a long way for these athletics and social occasions – the extreme maybe being Broughton Harriers joint run with West of Scotland Harriers on New Year’s Day.

The national cross-country championships were held on 1st March, 1913, at Scotstoun, where Bellahouston retained the team title and Craig won the individual title from Sam S Watt of Clydesdale.  The race was reported by Colin Shields in his history of the SCCU:   “Seven teams entered the national championships, including first time entrants Gala Harriers.   Archie Craig (Bellahouston) moved into the lead after just a mile with defending champion Sam Watt and George McKenzie leading a chasing group of runners.   Craig was challenged for the lead up to half distance in the 10 mile course, but finished strongly to win by forty yards from A McDonald (Monkland Harriers), who came through strongly in the final mile to finish runner up two seconds ahead of Watt.” 

This gained him automatic selection for the international  where he was 14th.  The international board discussed the requirements of a cross-country course in response to comments from the British delegates that there was too little real country in some events and too much racing track surfaces where speedy runners had it all their own way, and the strengths of cross-country specialists was not given a real opportunity.   The Board did not closely define the conditions but left it to each country to provide ,as natural a course as possible and the course should provide some hill, natural or other obstacles such as ditches, gates or hedges, and a little road if the same cannot be avoided.’   Colin Shields observed that the French in 1913 had provided a well varied 10 mile course, including flat meadow land, ploughed fields, and long stretches of hilly woodland paths through private parkland.

Clearly in excellent form he went on to be second in the SAAA 10 miles track championship on 5th April to GCL Wallach in a time just outside 54 minutes (Wallach ran 53:01)   The race report: “Under the auspices of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association the ten miles championship of Scotland was run at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon.   There were 13 entrants of whom 12 started.   T Jack the holder has now retired from racing and did not run.   At the start A Semple, Shettleston Harriers, took the lead, but in the second lap GCL Wallach, Bolton United and Greenock Glenpark, went to the front.   In the third lap, A Kerr, Bellahouston Harriers, led, but in the fourth quarter mile circuit Wallach was the first to pass the timekeeper and from this point to the finish he continued to gain ground.   At half distance he had lapped the field, and in the sixth mile only five runners were left – Wallach, A Smith, Falkirk Victoria Harriers, D Honeyman, Bellahouston Harriers, A Craig, Bellahouston Harriers, and AB Lang, Greenock Glenpark Harriers.   Craig, the Scottish cross-country champion, ran very consistently eventually finishing second, but Wallach continued to draw away from the others and at eight miles broke record, doing 42 min 13 1-5th sec as compared with the previous best of 42 min 14 set by T Jack in the championships of 1907.   In the next mile Wallach was no fewer than three seconds inside record and he maintained this advantage to the finish.”   

Craig picked up another second place medal in the SAAA championships over four miles, again won by Wallach in 20:44 who, apparently, looked a winner all the way with Craig as ‘his most formidable opponent.’.

After a summer of competing in the various sports and games meetings, and in which he won his two silver medals, it was back on to the surfaces of the sport in which he excelled, cross-country.

The 1914 national was held on a testing course on 7th March at Carntyne Racecourse in Glasgow.   Craig was second  to Wallach in the national by 50 yards after leading for the first half of the race with his Bellahouston team mate G Stephens third   Since Wallach was running as an individual not a team member, Craig was counted as first with Stephens second and other club runners third, fifth, sixth and twelfth for a comfortable victory.   The international was held at Chesham, in Buckinghamshire, and Scotland, with five Bellahouston Harriers in the team, finished second with Craig in twelfth place.

The following summer, Craig was active on the track in preparation for the SAAA Championships over a variety of distances – on 23rd May in the Greenock Morton Sports at Cappielow he ran in the half mile where he won his heat in 2:06 .2 from a mark of 35 yards but was unplaced in the final.   On June 13th Bellahouston Harriers won the Three Miles Team Race at East Kilbride with a team of J Lindsay, A Craig, G Cummings and J Smith.   These led to the SAAA Championships at Powderhall on 27th June  where he was third in the four miles to Wilson (first) and Wallach (second) both of whom ran for Greenock Glenpark.

The First World War then intervened and among the lesser tragedies was that there was total cessation of athletics championships in the UK.   Track championships resumed in 1919 and cross-country in 1920.

In 1920 the first post-war national was held on 6th March at Rouken Glen in Glasgow.  Craig was third behind another Anglo, James  Wilson, who was to wear the colours of Greenock Glenpark Harriers, and Dunky Wright.      The international championship was held at Belvoir Park, Belfast and Craig was third Scot to finish when he crossed the line in twentieth place.

The national championship was held on 5th March, 1921 again at Rouken Glen, and JH Motion of Edinburgh won the race from Wallack with Lawrie of Garscube third and Craig fourth.   When the squad of twelve for the international at Newport was chosen, Craig was named as the team captain for what looked like a good team, but unfortunately they could only finish fourth with Craig 32nd finisher.

4th March, 1922, saw the national held at Musselburgh Racecourse, where Craig was second and the report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ read: “The Scottish National Cross-Country Championships, individual and team, were decided on Saturday at Musselburgh over a course of between nine and ten miles.   Sixteen clubs sent teams of 12, and there were also five individual runners.   By courtesy of the Lothian Racing Club, the racecourse grandstand with its fine range of stripping rooms and sightseeing accommodation, was put at the disposal of the committee.   

All the teams turned out and a start was made before a big attendance of the public in a hailstorm.   After the racecourse was covered, the leaders were JG McIntyre, Dumbarton, (the four miles Scottish track champion, GCL Wallach, Greenock Glenpark, winner in 1914, and WGS Moor, Edinburgh University, this year’s novice champion.   These were in a bunch.   Their time was 6 min 14 sec.   Before leaving the race course for cross-country work, the field had spread out for about a quarter of a mile, and men were beginning to drop out.   After the cross-country tour had been made by Inveresk, Dalkeith Road, Edenhall and Levenhall – rather more than half the journey – in 31 min 30 sec, the leaders were:- Wallach going steadily about 200 yards ahead of S McMillan, Greenock Glenpark, who was about 300 yards ahead of his clubmate D Cummings.   There was a fine struggle going on for the team championship by Shettleston, Greenock Glenpark, Maryhill and Garscube.   The cross-country tour was made again before the finish on the racecourse straight.   It was seen that Wallach was ahead and he romped home quite fresh.”

The result was Wallach first in 58:52 2-5th, Craig second in 60:03 and Riach, Maryhill Harriers, 60:07.   The international was held from Hampden Park in Glasgow, starting at half-time in a football match where admission was 1/- and 10,000 programmes for the race at 3d each were sold to the spectators.   The cross-country race was won by Guillemot of France (winner of the English cross-country championship a few weeks earlier), with Wallach fourth, Craig (vice-captain) tenth and Dunky Wright eleventh.   Scotland was third behind England in second and the winners were France.   France had earlier complained about the course being too rough and hilly, but withdrew the protest after winning the race.

 

The national in 1923 was held on  3rd March, at Bothwell Castle Policies, outside Glasgow.    Craig was fourth and so was Bellahouston.  First three individuals were Dunky Wright, JG McIntyre and A Lawrie, first three clubs were Greenock Glenpark Harriers, Garscube Harriers and Shettleston Harriers.   Chosen for the international in Paris on 23rd March, he was thirteenth.   JGF McIntyre finished a close-up second to Blewitt of England and Shields commented that ‘apart from near veteran Archie Craig the rest of the team disappointed badly’ and the team finished last.

In 1924 the date was 1st March, the venue Musselburgh Race course.   In what was to be his final run in the national championships, he finished second.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ had the story: “over 200 runners were engaged on Saturday in the Scottish National Cross-Country Team and Individual Championships.   Besides 15 clubs there were seven individual entrants.   Boisterous and cold, the weather was quite favourable for a tough race, for it was dry and bright.   A novelty was introduced as far as the choice of track was concerned.   Except for three little breaks over farm fields, the running was all done on circuits of Musselburgh Racecourse, the fine springy turf of which favoured the going.   The race started and finished at the Lothian Racing Club’s grand stand.   Mr J Howieson, Shettleston Harriers, president of the National Cross-Country Union of Scotland, was referee and starter, and the time keepers were William Struthers, honorary president, George Hume, GM Grant, J McCulloch, JW Miller and D Taylor.   The race was a fine one and was witnessed by over 2000 spectators.   The runners were out of view for three little spells of a few minutes, and thus the interest was well maintained and the officials were able to form a useful opinion of the quality of the runners in view of the choice to be made in Glasgow this week of the international team to compete at Gosforth Park, Newcastle.   Shettleston Harriers early established a lead which brought them into the winning place.   They were particularly well served by D McL Wright, the holder of the individual championship which he won a yera ago when running for Clydesdale Harriers.   Wright kept in front all the way, taking it easily for a third of the distance, before drawing away to a 30 yard lead from WGB Moor at half distance.   Moor is an old Gala Harrier, an Edinburgh University student, and now running for Edinburgh Harriers.   At halfway the third man was RB McIntyre, West of Scotland Harriers, who was a candidate for the Scottish Junior National Championships which was also being decided.   In the end Wright finished fresh fully 50 yards ahead of A Craig (Bellahouston Harriers).   RB McIntyre was placed third, some 50 yards behind Craig.”

 Another very good run by Archie Craig who was of course selected for the international in England.   Not only selected, the 42 year old Bellahouston runner was the captain who led his team home when he was sixteenth finisher.

This was his final fling in the international but Archie Craig continued to serve Scottish athletics.   Colin Shields again:

“This was Craig’s farewell appearance for he announced his retiral from competitive running after the race.   He acted as trainer to future Scottish cross-country teams, became President of the Scottish AAA in 1937/38 and watched his two sons Archie junior and George run five times for Scotland between them in the immediate pre and post Second World War period.   “

As Colin says, Craig was president of the SAAA in ’37/’38, but it was as a member of Lochwinnoch – a small club in Renfrewshire located to the west of Glasgow which provided many athletes for Bellahouston Harriers, including the wonderful Harry Fenion.   Undoubtedly a class act, Craig, like many others, had his sporting career blighted by the effects of the hostilities between 1914 and 1918 which took six years out of his career when he should have been at his best.   Given that he was placed in the national when in his 40’s and ran in the international at 42, we look at his athletics and ask, “What if …?”

Auchmountain Harriers

Auchmountain 33

The first three in the 1933 Renfrewshire Novice Championship

Auchmountain Harriers was established in Greenock in 1903.   The chap on the right above is wearing the Auchmountain vest – dark blue with a big white A.  They trained initially from the Greenock Morton FC clubhouse winter and summer but from 1912 used their new clubhouse at Carbrook Street although track training was done at Cappielow Park right up to the 1950’s with athletes from other Greenock clubs also using that particular facility.   Unfortunately the records of the club’s early years are not available and we must just go with what is currently available.   Any more information will be very warmly received.

 We know that the following were elected at their Annual General Meeting in season 1906/07:

Patrons, James Reid ; Bailie Williamson, ex-Bailie M’Innes, R. G. Adam, R. L. Scott, F. L. Wrede, D.   Caldwell, J. Farrell, R. Briton, and G. Morrell ;

Hon. presidents, James Ure, J. Holmes, and A. Christie ;

Hon. vice-presidents, J. A. Ure, R. Muir, R. Mills, and A. M. Campbell ;

President, N. J. Sinclair ; vice-president, N. B. Maclaine ;

Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, F. M’Intosh, 5 Belville Street. Headquarters, Cappielow.

Trainer, R. Smillie

The list of patrons was typical of the time – from the start of the sport of cross-country running in Scotland, all clubs approached noted local citizens, politicians and land owners to be club patrons.   This was for several reasons – first, it gave the new club instant respectability to be associated with these people; second, having the land owners onside meant access to country for running over; third it was a source, among other things, of revenue.   The patrons contributed to the club by letting them use whatever facilities they had, by making a donation to the club (often only one, two or five guineas) or in the case of politicians having a voice for the club at council deliberations.   The ‘trainer’ was the prototype coach.   In addition to advising on training, he filled many functions – masseur, physiotherapist and often also advised on diet.   His position was important to the club and a good trainer was often approached by other sports clubs including football clubs.

Given the absence of detailed records we do not know exactly what its achievements were but from what we do have, it seemed to be a good, solid but not quite spectacular club.   For instance, one of the big races in early Scottish athletics was the Clydesdale Harriers 7 mile cross-country individual and team race.   In December 1920 the race was abandoned halfway through because a local farmer had removed the markings, but when it was re-run the following week Auchmountain Harriers was the first of the Greenock clubs to finish when it was fifth team out of an entry of 27 clubs.   West of Scotland was one of the top clubs in the country but they were one place behind Auchmountain.

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Having trained from the Greenock Morton FC ground at Cappielow since their inception, the club built their own clubhouse and the following article appeared in  the ‘Glasgow Herald’ of December 30th, 1912.

“New Harriers Pavilion Opened in Greenock

A new pavilion and clubhouse erected by the members of the Auchmountain Harriers Club, in Carwood Street, Greenock, was opened by Sir Hugh Shaw Stewart, Bart.   Since the formation of the club in 1903, during which time the members have occupied as headquarters an old pavilion of the Morton Football Club, progress has been impeded by insufficient accommodation, and it is hoped that the organisation, one of the most successful of its kind in the district, will prosper increasingly in its new headquarters.  

The new pavilion is of simple and effective design, built on the weatherboard system.   A fully equipped gymnasium and other accessories of athletic culture are included in the club’s facilities for the development of the sport.

Mr RK Duncan, president of the club, presided at the opening ceremony.   A flag presented by the president was unfurled by Sir Hugh Shaw Stewart who expressed the hope that the club would continue to prosper.   When he stood in the presence of such a fine lot of healthy young men, he thought it afforded an excellent opportunity for doing a little bit of business, and he hoped that, when after the running season, when they were feeling particularly fit, some of them might, in the recruiting season, call at the Headquarters of the 5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Applause).   As a memento of the occasion, Sir Hugh was presented with a carriage clock by Mr Ryrie Orr who remarked that their sport of cross-country running was entirely free from very objectionable features attributed to other sports.   The fine nobility and beauty of football was being spoiled by the betting and gambling associated with it.   (Applause)   The members of Auchmountain Harriers afterwards took part in a run with members from Bellahouston.”

The notion of athletes getting fit during the summer and then heading off to join the Army at the start of the cross-country season was a new one to me.   But it was 1912 and the war of 1914-18 was looming.   The men of Greenock and Auchmountain played their part and several lost their lives in the war – two in one day on 22nd April 1916, John Gillespie, a Lance Corporal in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and Hugh C Smith, in the Seaforth Highlanders.

At this time the relevant District was the West District and the first ever West District Relays were held in season 1925/26 where Auchmountain fielded a team that was ultimately unplaced.   There is no record of them competing in these relays but that was not peculiar to them: it was a very big area to be covered by a single championship and many other clubs, including the other two Greenock clubs, were infrequent competitors in these races.   Then in 1929-30 the West District was split into the Midland District and the South-West District with all the Greenock clubs, including Auchmountain, being part of the latter body.   In the first season of the new event, they finished twelfth with their runners being W Richardson (15:20), J King (16:25), N Preston 16:58 and H Gray (16:32).   Any disappointment at the position would be eased considerably by the fact that Wellpark Harriers finished thirteenth just two seconds behind them.   Two years later they finished ninth with the runners being W Richardson (16:22), J Gibson (17:18), J Pettigrew 16:30) and AL MacDonald (16:30).    There were no  South West District relays for the next two years and on the days on which the other Districts held their relays, the clubs in Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, etc held club races and the Auchmountain championship held in 1933 over two and a half miles from Carwood Pavilion was won by AG McPhail in 14:31 from A McDonald (14:48) and J Boyle (15:23) with J Richardson (15:52) fourth.   They were a typical Harrier club of their time and included a team race within the race with the winning squad being AG McPhail  1, J Stewart  6, and R Parker 13.

Alex McDonald was becoming the man to beat but he was not a long way clear of the club opposition by any means.   We could look at the 1934/35 season which was one his, and the club’s, best we will see just that.       On 3rd November the National Novice Championship was held at Hamilton Race course with 35 teams competing.   Auchmountain was 16th with D McEwan eighth.   Good performances both.   The Novice Championships were confined to those runners who had not won a race and so most of Scotland’s cross-country men were eligible.   The following Saturday, the club held a relay from the club head quarters and the fastest time over the two and three quarters mile trail was R Bottomley in 14:22 from McDonald in 14:28 and McEwan in 14:32.   All remarkably close.   A week later and there were more relays – just about every club had a relay held as preparation for the Districts.   This time Auchmountain’s fastest was McDonald in 14:12 from HC Gray in 14:47 and McEwan (15:02).

The relays were just a week after that and the club was fifth with A McDonald of Auchmountain leading the field at the end of the first lap ahead of A McLean – a future Scottish internationalist – of Glenpark.   McDonald’s time was 14:46 with the rest of the team being D McEwan (14:57), J Richardson (15:11) and R Bottomley (15:08).   The club’s second team was 13th.  It was a good team performance.

There seems to have been no Auchmountain team entered in the Renfrewshire Relay Championship on 30th November – maybe just as well since the result was declared void:   the start was delayed for an hour and the last leg was run in darkness!   There was a protest after the event, staged at Kilbarchan, about the course marking.   Bellahouston was leading by about twenty five yards at the end of the first leg but by the end of the race Kilbarchan, who had been tenth, won ‘by virtue of their local knowledge.’   Auchmountain were well off out of that one!   The race was re-run on 15th December with Bellahouston winning by 7 seconds from Greenock Glenpark with Shawfield Harriers third and Auchmountain sixth.

The club 6 miles race was held from Carwood Street on 5th January 1935 and it was won by D McEwan (30:58) from McPhail (31:37) and Richardson (32:09) and this set them up for the Renfrewshire County Championships at Lochwinnoch.   Bellahouston Harriers retained their title with Greenock Glenpark second and Auchmountain third.   McDonald was third individual and led the club team home.   Another fortnight and it was the District Championships at Beith.   AK McDonald was a very good runner indeed and this time  he won the South-West championship – the only clubman ever to do so.   The race was reported in the Daily Record by its athletics correspondent ‘Ggroe’ as follows:

“AUCHMOUNTAIN SURPRISE.   A McDonald led Auchmountain to a grand double victory in the South West.   Although the success of A McDonald , Auchmountain, in the South Western Championship at Grangehill, Beith,  did not come altogether unexpected, the victory of his club in the team race was a surprise.   Auchmountain did extremely well to aggregate 122 points, to beat Beith by 25 points, with Kilmarnock,  who were much better placed at half distance, third.    Until five miles had been covered, the individual race looked like developing into a tussle between P Allwill, Beith, and T McLaren, Wellpark.   But when McDonald moved up to challenge over the last two-and-a-half-miles, neither Allwill nor McLaren could cope with the Auchmountain leader’s pace and he won a finely judged race.”

Result:   1.   Auchmountain (A McDonald 1, D McEwan 8. AG McPhail 17, HC Gray 27, R Bottomley 28, J McGilvray 41)122 points.     2.   Beith (P Allwill 2, G Murdoch 7, W Murdoch 12, J Quinn 30, TJ McAllister  46, A Barrett 50) 147 points.

Times:   McDonald 40:23;   Allwill 40:41;   McLaren 40:56.

Two weeks seemed to be the standard gap and on 16th February the club eight miles championship was run from the Carwood Street pavilion and McDonald won in 52:03 from HC Gray (52:11) and McGilvray (54:37).

The National Novice Championships were held at the start of the cross-country season and the various areas held their own district novice championships.   A novice was any runner of any age or years in the sport who had never won a prize at any open meeting.   The race for the Greenock clubs – Auchmountain, Glenpark and Wellpark Harriers – was usually held at the end of October.   In 1937, for instance they were held at Wellpark and the individual winner was J Thomson of Glenpark, and Wellpark won the team race with Glenpark second and Auchmountain third.

AK McDonald was a significant figure in Scottish athletics, not just Greenock or Auchmountain’s.   He ran for the club all through the 30’s and when the 1939/45 war started he was already a fairly senior figure on the SAAA and, especially, the SCCU.   In August 1943 there was a meeting in the Blythswood Masonic Chambers of clubs in the Midland and South Western Districtc to consider restarting inter club fixtures.   The club delegates supported the principal and the Scottish Cross Country Association – the name of the first ever governing body back in the 1880’s – with two aims: first, to offer cross-country competition to suit the current demand for those at home …, the Scottish Youth at school and beyond, and for all interested servicemen stationed in Scotland; and second, to preserve cross-country running in Scotland and present it in as healthy a state as possible to the post-war era.   The office bearers of the Association were Dunky Wright, president;  John Cuthbert (Garscube), vice-president; Alex K McDonald (Auchmountain) secretary/treasurer.   The organisation staged various races and runs at many venues around central Scotland, including Auchmountain Harriers clubhouse.   In the spring of 1944 the Scottish Marathon Club was founded and Alex McDonald was one of the founder members.   He went on to become President of the Scottish Cross Country Union in 1960/61 (not the first Auchmountain man to hold that office – W Murdoch was president in 1932/33 and represented the SCCU on the SAAA Committee) which was ironically the year that Auchmountain went defunct.

SMC Inaugural

The inaugural run of the Scottish Marathon Club at Pollockshaws Baths:

J Lindsay (Bellahouston), W Shields (Auchmountain), J McNamara (Maryhill), J Millar (Shettleston), Dunky Wright, JS Richardson (Auchmountain).

Unfortunately. although they took part in all the County as well as he South Western District championships and relays, they did not always support the national championships in the inter-war years.   They were not unique in this, many clubs had club races held on the same day as the national.   Greenock Glenpark Harriers was the most successful club in the area at the time and appeared consistently at the nationals, but the other local rivals, Greenock Wellpark Harriers did not turn out teams in the national in most years either.

On District Championship day the following year, Auchmountain’s held a pack run with two packs covering six miles from headquarters with the top runners exempted because they were doing a fast two and a half miles with J Lynch being fastest, ahead of AG McPhail.

In the Scottish national championships AK McDonald ran all through the 30’s as an individual, finishing down the field.  In some years there was an incomplete team and in others there was no team at all from Auchmountain.   eg the seniors were limited to McDonald running in 1937/38 (58th),  and McDonald (24th) and Willis (176th) in 1938/39.  The young athletes in the Youths team did well in the years leading up to the war:

1937/38:  6th team: W Stewart 5th, J McKinven 39th, A Willis 42nd, I Sinclair 54th.

1938/39:  5th team:  I McKinven 12th, A Adam 16th, A Taylor 42nd, I Sinclair 45th.

Auchmountain Benwhat 1937

A puzzle picture.The start of the Ayrshire championships at Benwhat in Ayrshire, 1938.    Auchmountain did not usually run in the Ayrshire Championships,  and  the vests of number 17 and his fellow were white with black letters.    

“The Scots Athlete” was started up by Walter Ross in Glasgow in 1946 and was a wonderfully detailed history of the sport of athletics, with an emphasis on endurance running, for just over ten years.   The very first issue of the magazine had an illustrated report on the Dundee Relay Race of 6th April 1946 in which Auchmountain Harrires was third behind Shettleston Harriers  and Garscube Harriers  teams but ahead of Dundee Thistle Harriers and Dundee Hawkhill Harriers among others.   The drawings used to illustrate it included John McKinven and AK McDonald of Auchmountain and the short report read: “The relay was held on Saturday, 6th April, 1946 and the holders Maryhill Harriers were unable to send a team.   This took some of the spice from an otherwise successful race.   Shettleston Harriers with three internationals in their team were too good for the main opposition of Garscube Harriers and Auchmountain Harriers.   Though run in brilliant weather, the very high wind must account for the slowness of the times in comparison with the existing lap records shown.   Shettleston B dropped out at the end of the second lap after a fine effort by Paterson on the first leg.   No doubt he was carefully coached by his club mate Willie Connor, but Paterson is just a young lad and shows distinct possibilities.   Alex McDonald (Auchmountain) pulled his club up well in the third lap and was three seconds faster than Harry Howard.”

The Greenock club’s places were: 1st stage:   J McKinven 3rd;  2nd stage: Bryce  4th;   3rd stage:  A McDonald 3rd;   4th stage:  Smith 3rd.    The second issue of the magazine intimated that the club was to hold a sports meeting at Cappielow Park on Monday 24th June with a programme to include a 17 miles road race and an invitation relay.   At this time, there was a Scottish Athletics Points League with points of 3,2,1 for first, second and third in all events, handicap or scratch, at all open sports meetings and Auchmountain had athletes ranked in this league.  The club was indeed going well after the War.   By the end of July they had a total of 35 points accumulated with half the season still to go.   The Scottish Cross-Country Association was a body set up to regulate the sport at the end of the War and never intended to replace the NCCU and it would up its business at the start of the winter season 1946/47.   The Secretary was AK McDonald and he sent a letter to the “Scots Athlete” wishing it well and enclosing the ‘residue of the estate’  (ie the money that the SCCA had in the bank) which amounted to only ten shillings.   As the Editor said, it showed the simplicity of the organisation which had done so much and had such power for a few years of transition from war to peace.

Auchmountain cartoon

The South West Cross-Country Relay Championship took place on 7th December, 1946, at Johnstone.   At the end of the first leg, the three Greenock clubs were in the lead – McLean of Glenpark leading Bownes of Auchmountain and Rippingale of Wellpark; on the second leg AK McDonald took Auchmountain into the lead followed by Kilmarnock and Wellpark; Kilmarnock passed Auchmountain on the third stage but the club held second with Glenpark third and at the end of the race, it was J Reid of West Kilbride in the lead with McKinven of Auchmountain second and Sinclair of Wellpark third.   A hard fought race with 5 teams featuring in the first three at various times but the Carwood Street club was always in the first two.    Their second team finished sixth – eight men ran well for the club that day.   The juniors all had a great day at the races on 1st February, 1947, in Ayr when they contested the South Western District Junior Championships: with no one in the first three, they won the team race from West Kilbride with 51 points against 75.   The team was made up of J McKinven 4, W Stewart 6, J Bownes 7, J Richardson 8, A McLean 12, J McLean 14 – wonderful packing by the first four in particular.   The magazine added separately in the same issue the following:    “When winning the South Western Championship at Ayr, Auchmountain only fielded 10 men – comprising nine former club novice championsand their President.   A unique record!   The President, by the way, failed to make the counting six.”

When it came to the national championship, however, – the first championships after the war – on 1st March, 1947, the seniors unfortunately had an incomplete team of finishers (45th, 65th and 66th) but the Youths team was twelfth with runners 47th, 48th, 52nd and 55th.

It must have been some club: in the May 1947 issue of the same magazine, club secretary A Lambies wrote th following letter: “I enclose a copy of our club song, which was written a number of years ago by one of our members.   I have never seen anything in the magazine about club songs, and I thought it might be interesting to find out if other clubs had songs of their own.”   

For the Empire Exhibition in 1947 the Scottish Marathon Club organised a Fiery Cross Relay from Edinburgh to London and among those taking part was AK McDonald of Auchmountain who ran a total of 23 miles with the cross.Clydesdale Harriers prestigious Youth Ballot Team Race was held on 8th November in Clydebank and Auchmountain runner J Bownes finished second to Harry Fenion of Bellahouston and one place ahead of Alex McDougall of Vale of Leven.   A few years later, they would both represent Scotland in the Empire Games Marathon at Cardiff and indeed Harry would win the SCCU championship and SAAA Marathon titles in the course of a wonderful career.   P McIntosh of Auchmountain was 18th in the same race but it is clear that the club runners were holding their own with some of the best in the country.

The first championship[ of the winter was the national novice championship held at Pollok Park in Glasgow on 22nd November 1947,   Auchmountain had seven runners forward and the team was 17th out of 27 entered with some clubs having incomplete teams.

The South Western District Relay was held on 6th December at Beith and Auchmountain were the defending champions.   However, Emmet Farrell commented that they were suffering from the depletions of a winning team becoming Seniors, and they could only finish fifth and tenth behind Glenpark’s winning team.  The Renfrewshire Championships took place from the club’s own headquarters on 24th January 1948 and they were third behind Bellahouston and Glenpark.   The Youths team went one better and finished second.    The South Western District Junior Championships were held from the Kibble School in Paisley on 7th February 1948 and, with many of the previous year’s team up an age group, the could only finish fifth with R Smith in seventh their first runner.   In the National at Ayr the senior team was twelfth – McKinven 43rd, W Lindsay 51st, J Bownes 60th, J McLean 91st, W Carson 96th and I Graham 111th with three non-scoring runners in McNaughton 120th, D Livingston 121st and W More 124th.   The youths team this time was 8th, led home by Wilson in fourth place, followed by P McIntosh 36th, A Smith 38th, C Flacherty 51st and A Mills 76th.   This was to be the club’s best national post-war.

Rangers Sp 1948

.Rangers Sports 1948

The season of 1948/49 started as usual with the four man McAndrew Relays at Scotstoun and there were two teams from Auchmountain which finished eleventh and 34th out of 41 complete teams.   The on 20th November 1948 the national novice championship was held at Hamilton Racecourse and Auchmountain had a team forward that, led by J Graham, finished 28th.    A week later the South Western District Relays were held from Wellpark’s Greenock headquarters and Auchmountain had two teams forward that finished fifth and twelfth of 20 teams from 13 clubs entered.

The District 7 Mile Championships were held on 5th February at Kilmarnock and the club finished fifth out if nine With W Lindsay being their leading runner, finishing in 4th place, of the ten who represented them.   In 1949 there was a large number of Auchmountain Harriers runners listed in the programme for the national cross-country championships – 15 seniors and 7 youths – but no Auchmountain team finished in the national.  The names were there but many were of pre-war vintage.  Those entered were – W Lindsay   J Freeman   A Mills   J Bownes   I Graham   W More   JK Bryce   J McKinven   J Morrison   W Carson   D McNaughton   RG Smith with A McLean, J Wilson and J Pye as reserves; the Youths entered were W Bownes   C Facherty   P McIntosh   R Clark   J Kean   AG Smith and R Scott as reserve.     Only one senior (W More) ran and the junior team was seventeenth out of eighteen.

The following winter the team in the McAndrew Relay on 1st October was J McLean, R Smith, J Bownes and W Lindsay and they finished 32nd.    On 5th November at West Kilbride the club team – Smith, Lindsay, McLean and Pye – was twelfth in the District Relay and a week later they hosted the Renfrewshire championship on their own course.   The team was not in the first three but W Lindsay had seventh fastest time of the day and the club’s organisation and course were praised by Association secretary Alex McLean.   In the Scottish Youths cross-country championship on 3rd December 1949, the Auchmountain squad was nineteenth with Ramsey, McLeod, Findlay and Kerr being the quartet.   Into 1950 and on 5th February the club was fourth in the District championship at Paisley with a team of W Lindsay, JK Bryce, J Bownes, W Carson, C Facherty and AK McDonald.   The numbers seemed to be there in the club, but  on 4th March at Hamilton in the national cross-country they were represented by only one senior,  W Lindsay 43rd,  and one junior, W Carson 75.

It if is the first Saturday in October, it must be the McAndrew Relay and on 7th October 1950 the Auchmountain team of Morrison, McFarlane, McLean and Lindsay was 33rd of 43 teams to start the season’s competition.   At the end of that month (28th) in the Renfrewshire championship relay,  they were 10th of 19 teams and again W Lindsay was their fastest man, seventh quickest overall for the course.   Unfortunately, a week later in the South Western District relay the club fielded an incomplete team and failed to finish.   No matter where the club team finished, W Lindsay always ran well, and on 16th December he ran in the Inter-Counties championship for the Renfrewshire team.   He finished 11th to be the first runner for the county to cross the line, with the next man being 26th.   A the start of the year in the Nigel Barge Road Race, organised by Maryhill Harriers in Glasgow, there was a club team out which finished 13th, the runners being Lindsay, Morrison and W More.  Lindsay finished 11th in the Renfrewshire cross-country championships on 20th January in a race from the Wellpark HQ and the six man team finished sixth.   In the Youths race, the team of Findlay, Forsyth and Allison was second behind Bellahouston.   The District championship was held at Dalmellington in Ayrshire on 3rd February, 1951, and there was not a single Auchmountain runner in either the senior men’s race or the youths’ race.   Came the national and there was only Lindsay from the club running at all and he was 41st. 

Not a good year for Auchmountain Harriers and championships: the club clearly had  enough men and youths to make up teams for District and National championships, and they had quality in the form of Lindsay among the seniors and in the team that was second in the County relay.   In fact as far as the National was concerned no one from the club ran in 1952, 1953, 1954, or 1955.

Winter 1951/52’s version of the McAndrew relay did not feature any team from Auchmountain but in the Renfrewshire relay on 27th October, they were ninth with a team of W Bownes, J Cairns, J Ramsey and S McIntosh.   An improved performance saw the team ninth in the District relay championship at Dam Park in Ayr one week later with one change in  personnel – J McLean for J Ramsey.   The actual cross-country championships for the county were held at Pollok in Glasgow but there were no teams from the club forward – at least none in the published results.   By now the Renfrewshire events had come to include the Glasgow Police AAC as well as Bellahouston (there were no Glasgow championships at this point) but some other teams such as Kilmarnock were competing in the Ayrshire fixtures.   The District was also suffering from lack of entries and there were no teams from Wellpark, Auchmountain, West Kilbride, or Bellahouston in the championships at Paisley on 2nd February, 1952.   As has been stated above, there was not a single runner from Auchmountain Harriers in the National of 1952 – and by now there were three races – seniors, juniors and youths.

Came winter 1952/53 and there was no team from the club in the McAndrew relay and there was not a single runner in the Clydesdale Youth Ballot Team race for the second year in succession.   In the county relay championships on 18th October at Kilbarchan, the club had two teams of four out which finished ninth and 17th, indicating that the runners were there if they would turn out.  There was a senior team in the District relay on 1st November but it could only finish twelfth out of fourteen clubs.   The actual District championships were on 31st January 1953 and there was no team forward but the club had four individuals – J Cairns 52nd, P McIntosh 54th, J McLean 62nd and W Shields 69th.   Six were required for  team position.   There were no Youths forward.   The story was the same for the County championships in February when four men ran – Cairns 33rd, McLean 46th, Shields 49th and D Mangan.   There was one runner in the Youths race – J Campbell who was 13th.

On 7th November 1953 in the District championships, Auchmountain Harriers was eighteenth out of eighteen clubs competing.   On 6th February 1954 there was no team in the senior race of the District championships with only W Shields competing and not even an individual in the Youths race.   With no one in the National, it was not a healthy scene for the Greenock club.   Season 1954/55 started with the McAndrew relay and as in ’52/’53 there was no representation from Auchmountain.   In the Renfrewshire relay towards the end of the month they were fourteenth out of fourteen teams competing.   In the District championships on 5th February 1954 there was no team but one individual running in the Auchmountain vest – W Shields was 51st and there were no Youths running at all.   The national was bereft of club runners.

In the South-Western District relay championships in November 1954, the team was sixteenth out of sixteen but in the District championships at the end of January there were no Auchmountain runners in the races:  the event was staged at Johnston and distance to travel might have been an issue but the race was won by Greenock Wellpark and if they could travel, then it should have been possible for their neighbours.   Season 1955/56 was not significantly better with the absence of Auchmountain runners becoming chronic.

This was not a happy state of affairs and the club determined to take some steps to deal with the situation, and the following article appeared in the Greenock Telegraph at the start of the 1956/57 season.

“AUCHMOUNTAIN HARRIERS’ DRIVE FOR RECRUITS

Mr James M Lynch, Auchmountain Harriers president is leading a drive to rejuvenate the club and recapture some of its lost prestige.   He is being supported in his endeavour by vice-president Mr John McLean, and Mr William Shields, 100, Rankin Street.   The latter has been associated with the club for more than 25 years and has become secretary.   He has as his assistant Mr AK McDonald.

Mr Alex Lambie, Port Glasgow, who has given good service as treasurer during the past ten years is to serve another term.   Control of training and coaching has been undertaken by Mr Pollock McIntosh (captain) and vice-captain Mr Jas. K Bryce.   The committee is completed by Messrs TM McKay, WA Docherty, N Preston, senr, N Preston, jnr, and Ian Wilson.”

T McKay is an interesting member of the club in that before the first world war  he was a fairly successful race walker and he was an active club official right up to the late 50’s.

The national at the start of 1956 had not been a happy one for the club either with only two juniors representing it at Hamilton –  Ian Wilson had been 89th and N Preston 91st.  But whether it had been the result of the recruitment drive or not, the national in March 1957 was a much, much better day.  In the senior race,   SP MacIntosh was 158th;  In the junior (U20) race, N Preston was 91st, A Wooler 105th; and the youths team was best of all with H McWilliams  14th, T More 66th, L Lyons 68th, W Loughray 82nd   to see the team finish in 11th  with a man to spare,  J O’Donnell was a non scoring runner in 90th.

Harry Cappielow

Track training at Cappielow: Harry McWilliams in front with the dark vest

Harry McWilliams, who led the team home, was a real find for the club – he was to be one of their best post-war runners and an athlete who would go on to have a career in the sport well into the senior age group with Greenock Glenpark Harriers.   He appeared on the scene in March 1956  after some very good performances in ATC races – seventh in a field of 195 in the Glasgow championship, and was selected to race in the ATC cross-country international at Turnhouse in Ayrshire.   He was one of a good number of Under 17’s to represent the club that year – Willie Loughran from Port Glasgow, Tom More, youth champion the year before, John Preston, Joe O’Donnell, Laurie Lyons and Tom Barrett all supported the club in domestic races as well as championships and open races such as the Clydesdale Harriers and Bellahouston Harriers Helen Corbet youth ballot team and individual races.  In Bellahouston he had a particularly good race finishing fifth, one stride behind fourth pace in a good field.   The club held the normal series of races from their headquarters at Carbrook Street: the Youths cross-country handicap where Harry was first individual and first in the handicap, novelty team races from Carbrook Street, Senior Championship  (won by I Wilson), Juvenile Championship (Billy Crerard), Five Miles Handicap (Pollock McIntosh). Six Miles Handicap (McIntosh), Five Miles Road Handicap (Alistair Wooler), Youths three miles handicap (L Lyons), Juvenile Handicap (F Gatens), 2.5 miles cross-country handicap (McWilliams) and the Dalrymple Trophy was awarded for the for most meritorious performance (H McWilliams).  The Dalrymple Trophy winning performance was for McWilliams’s run in the South Western District cross-country championship at Irvine where he was sixth after slashing his leg open from ankle to thigh on a barbed wire fence early on in the race.   The Youths team was third in that race with Lawrie Lyons 15th and Tom More 19th.   The report in the local ‘Telegraph’ also said that “while not exactly setting the heather on fire, Auchmountain Harriers gave their best performance for years in the championships.”   … “Veteran Jim Bryce ran particularly well in his untrained state to lead the club home.   He was 49th.   SP McIntosh (50), I Wilson (55) and N Preston (61) are all capable of better things.   Auchmountain are especially pleased with the efforts of A Wooler (63) and SE Hagen (64) who ran doggedly and finished the course to give the team fifth place.”

The club was clearly in a healthy state with good numbers of seniors available to them, a promising Youths section, a complete committee which was a good blend of experienced men and younger newer members and a full racing programme.   Nor were the club activities were not restricted to the winter season – training for the summer was at Cappielow Park, the home of Greenock Morton FC, which was just over the railway bridge from Carwood Street.   Club members took prt in local and nationa open competition.

The season started with the Renfrewshire Youth Panel athletic badge meeting where Harry McWilliams was second in the half mile and third in the mile.  Like any other club in the 1950’s, the club held championship and handicap races for club members and right at the start of the season, they had races handicap and scratch for Juveniles, Youths and Junior/Senior categories over distances from 100 yards to three-quarters of a mile.   McWilliams continued to excel in ATC competitions – second in the Scottish 880 yards, he was third in the British championship at Uxbridge in July.   At home, David Caldwell won the open 440 yards at Kilwinning Sports and took the senior 100, 220, 440 and 1320 yards in the club championships in 11.0, 24.5, 57.9 and 3:25.   The other age group competitions were won by Crerand in the youth events and Ian Hamilton in the juvenile championships.  In the Renfrewshire County Championships, the new sprinting ‘find’ of the season, Hugh Livingstone won the Youths 100 yards as well as finishing fourth in the 880 yards.   David Caldwell was third in the junior 100 yards and McWilliams wcarrying the torchas unplaced in the final of the 880 yards.   The club was performing at a reasonable level on the track as well as over the fields of winter and numbers were healthy.   There was a Scotland-wide campaign to impress upon the population the benefits of having X-rays taken with national papers having lengthy features on the subject and there was a relay race involving runners from all clubs to publicise the campaign locally.   Auchmountain played their part in this with Ian Wilson, William Shields, Jim Bryce, Pollock McIntosh, Harry McWilliams, David Caldwell and Willie Loughran with five from Wellpark and one from Glenpark also involved.

After that good competition year, things looked good for winter 1957/58 which started with a two and a half miles cross-country race on each of two weekends where the traditional officials of starter A Lambie,  judge W Shields and timekeeper T McKay were on duty.   In the Renfrewshire cross-country relays in November, the A team of Pollock McIntosh (14th at the end of the first lap), David Caldwell, Ian Wilson and Harry McWilliams finished seventh, three seconds down on sixth, with the B Team of Wooler, Barrett, McLean and Bryce seventeenth.   The programme of club championship and pack runs continued with the Six Miles championship was won by McWilliams (43:54) from McIntosh (44:23), Caldwell (45:51) and Wilson (46:59) with McWilliams also winning the handicap race.   In the South West championships at the start of 1958, T More was third in the Under 17 race and W Crerand was second in the Under 15 race but the race was declared void because a number of finishers were not recorded – a shame for the first three who were recorded.   When it came to the national championships at Hamilton, the club was not well represented by the senior athletes – despite the numbers available to them, only Pollock McIntosh turned out in the  and finished 141st.   There was a full junior team though which finished 16th and included McWilliams 63, Wilson 84, Caldwell 98 and  Wooler 108.   The youths squad finished 14th: Sheridan 25,  More 46,  O’Donnell 83,   Preston 97;  The boys team was 7th: Smith 13,  Crerand 34, Findlay 48,  Knight  80, and there was even a non-scoring runner, W Watson 102.

The summer ’58 season started with a one mile scratch race at Cappielow which was won by McWilliams from newcomer Bill Youden after a titanic struggle with Findlay and Sheridan dead-heating for third place.   The reason for a race on the very first track night of the year was soon apparent – there was to be a race at half-time at the Morton v Stirling Albion match the following Tuesday.   This was to be a handicap race to entertain the crowd.  The report read:

Pollock McIntosh took the lead shortly after the gun and cut out a fast pace ahead of D Caldwell, H McWilliams and I Wilson.   At half-distance Wilson went to the front but he was only allowed to remain in this position for half a lap when youngster David Smith decided that the pace was too slow and shot ahead.   He stayed in front for over a lap when he was overtaken by Harry McWilliams and David Caldwell who were now going all out for the tape.   Caldwell tried desperately to overhaul the club champion but McWilliams who had nursed himself in the early stages now had all the “stops” out and raced on to win by 15 yards in 4 minutes 41 seconds.   D Caldwell was second and W Loughrey staged a late burst to take third place just ahead of the youthful Smith.    SP McIntosh was fifth, Ian Wilson sixth, Wm Youden seventh and Joe O’Donnell eighth.”

There had been 12 runners in the race: McWilliams had been off scratch, with Wilson and Caldwell off 10 yards, Tom More off 20 yards, Loughrey 30 yards, Smith 40 yards.    McWilliams was the man to beat all summer but by the start of the winter season he was clearly the best endurance runner in the club.

Winter 1958/59 saw him win all scratch races from two miles to ten miles: the longer the races, the more he won by – the ten miles race was won in 53:30 from 57:13.   Auchmountain boys team won the Renfrewshire county cross-country championship at the start of 1959 but the club does not appear in any published results for the District Championships in January 1959 and there were only one Auchmountain vests to be seen in the senior national at Hamilton on 28th February –  SP McIntosh in 99th.   The youths were out in slightly bigger numbers – that good club man Harry McWilliams was 42nd, Jim Sheridan 90th and and D Caldwell 100th.   In the Boys race W Watson was  85th .    The lack of seniors prepared to travel from Greenock to Hamilton was surprising.   Was the answer to be found in a paragraph at the end of the report on the annual prize giving?  It read:

“Auchmountain Harriers is primarily a club which seeks to achieve top-grade health for the youth of the community who are interested in running – the best health-giving body builder of all pastimes.”

When the election for the committee for 1959/60 was held, TM McKay was President, A Lambie vice-president, W Shields secretary – the main positions all in the and Hugh Livingston  safe and experienced hands of long-time club members, while Ian Wilson was assistant treasurer, David Caldwell was assistant secretary, SP McIntosh captain and H McWilliams vice captain.   It was a nice division of young and old.    At the time it was clear to all that the Carbrook building that had served the club so well was in dire need of treatment and a Repair Committee set up – Pollock McIntosh was the convener with Alistair Wooler, David Caldwell, Willie Loughran, Harry McWilliams, Joe O’Donnell and Hugh Livingstone as members.    Elected to the Renfrew AAA, SAAA and NCCU were AK McDonald and JK Bryce.    The club was a fully functioning organisation with no shortage of members to fill all the positions and able to take a full part in the governing bodies of the sport.

One of the biggest awards in Greenock athletics was the Lithgow Trophy.   It had been awarded by Mr Henry Lithgow in 1947 for annual competition between all the local athletic clubs with one of the few conditions being that the tournament be held in Port Glasgow.   In 1959 Greenock Wellpark Harriers had won it for each of the previous eight years but it was felt that the contest would be close this time round.   With only one event to go – the Mile Medley Relay – the points totals were Auchmountain ten and a half points, Wellpark ten and Glenpark nine.   Any one of the three clubs could win the Trophy.    The ‘Telegraph’ read:

“The last event was a one mile medley relay race and the distances to be covered in order were 880 yards, 220 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards.   The atmosphere was tense as the 880 runners lined up.   Wellpark were pinning their faith in many times cross-country internationalist Tom Stevenson, Auchmountain hopes were centred on youthful club champion Harry McWilliams, while Glenpark had to call on a rather tired Jim Spence – not long recovered from his mile race.   Stevenson went into the lead at the gun with McWilliams two yards behind and Spence a similar distance away third.   These runners had four laps to do.   At two laps the order was the same and then the experienced Stevenson forced on more pace in an endeavour to pull clear of his younger rivals.   The gap started to widen but McWilliams was quick to seee the danger and gradually closed in again.   So it remained until 150 yards to the change-over when the Auchmountain boy, with the judgment of a veteran, decided to make his effort.   He drew level with Stevenson in the back straight but Tom was not going to be easily passed and he spurted too.   Shoulder to shoulder they raced to the bottom bend.   Then young Harry, now at a disadvantage running outside on the bend, found some more pace and forced himself into the lead before the home straight was reached.   But he was having no runaway lead.   Tom Stevenson, although now used to longer distances, refused to be dropped and hung on with such determination that there was only two yards in it at the line.   Over the first 220 yards there was another Skirving-McSwein duel and there might well have been an iron tow-bar between these two athletes so perfectly were they matched.   George Barrett maintained this two yard Auchmountain lead from Chick Aitken (Wellpark) over the second furlong.   Glenpark had dropped back but over the final 440 yards the race upfront was a real hum-dinger as John Cairns of Wellpark twice tried to slip past David Caldwell on the inside.   During the final lap Cairns still made efforts to take his club to the front  but with 150 yards to go Caldwell surged away to a lead which grew to twenty yards at the tape to give Auchmountain a glorious victory in the race and in the contest.   Auchmountain’s colts had triumphed over the seasoned strength of Wellpark to break an eight year monopoly and capture the Liddell Trophy. “

The younger Auchmountain team included several runners who were still at school while the Wellpark team had Frank Stevenson and Duncan McSwein among an altogether more experienced Wellpark squad.

Away from club races which continued as before, winter 1960 started with the South West District Championship Relay at Paisley with the Senior team of Sheridan, McIntosh, Caldwell and Wilson finishing in eleventh place.   The Renfrewshire championships were held at Gateside, the headquarters of Wellpark Harriers, on 12th December where the Youths team was second, having been led home by D Smith in second place, 35 yards down on the winner.   The District Championships were held at Beith on 23rd January at Beith and only two seniors ran – Jim Sheridan was 31st and Harry McWilliams 37th.   The Youths team was third with D Smith fifth, D Hodelet ninth and T Knight tenth.   Dick Hodelet in ninth was a real talent and would go onto great things in athletics as a senior runner.   In the national at Hamilton on 5th March   there were no seniors running at all but Harry McWilliams in 35th and J Sheridan 40th turned out in the Junior race.  As far as the youths were concerned, Hodelet turned the tables on Smith by finishing 31st to Smith’s  41st with Knight finishing  85th.    The lack of a fourth man meant that the club had no team.   It was a disappointing national for the club, especially after the previous season.   1960/61 was the year that AK McDonald of Auchmountain, the winner of the 1935 South West District championship and elder statesman of the club, was President of the Scottish Cross-Country Union – a well deserved honour for the man who had represented the club so well as a runner, as an official who refereed the national cross-country championships and as an administrator, being the club representative on Renfrewshire, South West District, SAAA and SCCU levels.

Top man on the track next summer was young Dick Hodelet who ran well in open competition.   For instance, on 11th June at Ibrox in the Glasgow Police Sports he won the Junior 880 yards handicap, off 38 yards,  from Jim Finn  of Motherwell in 1:56.5; on 25th June he won the 880 yards at the Stewarton Bonnet Guild meeting, again off 38 yards, in 1:58.1.   None of the other Auchmountain runners appeared in the results nationally that summer.

In the winter of 1961/62, the south west district relays there was no Auchmountain team among the results but in the District Championships, their youths were  3rd team with the runners being Smith 5th, McLean 12th, Knight 13th.    Came the national at Hamilton on 4th March 1962 the youths were again the sole club representatives with only T Knight 88th and F McLean 92th finishing the course.

And that was where the Auchmountain story ended.   By the national of 1960/61 runners like Hodelet, Sheridan, McIntosh and McWilliams were running for Greenock Glenpark.   Hodelet became one of the country’s best ever half-milers, McIntosh emigrated to Australia and died in Adelaide on 27th May 2016, Sheridan and McWilliams ran for a long time with Greenock Glenpark Harriers for whom they were loyal club men as they had been with Auchmountain.

Just why the club went is not known to me – I’d be delighted to hear from anyone with that information – but it seemed to be doing well.   It ran a complete programme of club events winter and summer, the runners were taking part in open meetings and championships, the younger members (particularly the Under 17 age group) were particularly successful and there was a good, mixed committee – indeed Mr McDonald was President of the Scottish Cross Country Union in 1961/62.   Founded in 1903, it folded in 1960.   It is a puzzle to me why it collapsed.    It was doing comparatively well – from the depression of the early 50’s, the situation had been turned round and in 1960/61 the team was relatively strong with youngsters led by Dick Hodelet and a senior team that had won the Lithgow Trophy.   One suggestion that was put forward was that the Carbrook Street premises was ina state of serious disrepair and they could not afford to repair it: but most clubs in Scotland used local authority facilities – eg swimming baths were headquarters for Bellahouston Harriers, Clydesdale Harriers, Dumbarton AAC, Springburn Harriers and many more.   There might have been possibilities there but no doubt they were all gone into.   A good, solid club had gone to the wall.

Dick-Hodelet-1974_511b3c

Photo from the Gourock Games website.

Plebeian Harriers

Plebeian Neilson

One of the first anti-official stories I ever heard on coming into the sport was by one of Scottish sport’s most respected officials, David M Bowman of Clydesdale Harriers.    It was of the days when athletes achieving a particular time in their event were awarded a standard badge, whether they were medallists or not and the standard time for the marathon was marked by a starting pistol being fired into the air.    It was about Tommy Rewcastle of Plebeian Harriers who finished the SAAA Marathon Championships in three hours and one second when the standard was three hours – the starting pistol was fired almost in his face as he crossed the finishing line one second outside the standard.    David was always a runners’ man and a marathon runner himself but he was really incensed about this more than ten years after the event.   Justifiably so in my opinion.    I was told the story in about 1960 or 1961 when I was starting to get selected for the E-G and Plebeian Harriers were on their last legs by then – the last appearance in the E-G was in 1957 and although some individuals turned out on the national cross-country championship into the very early 60’s, it folded about that time.    James Neilson, the founder and driving force had died towards the end of 1948 and the tribute to him will be printed below.   Percy Cerutty said that only the forgotten are dead, so how is it that a really first rate club such as Plebeian Harriers is forgotten?    And how is it that a club from south of Glasgow had such a name?    Two questions ask themselves – was the club as good as it seems,   and  when did  it appear on the stage?

First, it was undoubtedly a very good club.   It was at its redoubtable strongest in the 1930’s and it overlapped the War.   We could maybe start by looking at the statistics.

THE EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW RELAY

Year Position Comments Year Position Comments
1930 1st Ingram (1) and Gunn (2) set inaugural stage records 1949 (1) 12th
1931 1st Clark (1, record), Rayne (2), Tombe (5) fastest on stage 1949 (2) 10th
1932 No Race 1950 10th
1933 1st Gunn(1), Rayne (2), McGregor (3), Armstrong (7, record) all fastest on stage. 1951 7th A Smith (2) fastest on stage, moved up from 4 to 2
1934 4th Tombe (6) fastest on stage 1952 10th A Smith (2)  fastest on stage, moved from 15 to 7
1935 3rd Duff (3) and Tombe (6) fastest on stage 1953 13th
1936 3rd 1954 12th
1937 6th McAllister (3) and Connelly (5) fastest on stage 1955 13th
1938 4th 1956 18th
1939 4th 1957 20th

If we have a look at the National cross-country results, starting in season 1925/’26 we have the following.

Year Team Position Runners Comments
1925-26 5th Gunn 22, Allan 26, Connelly 54, Tombe 57, Ferguson 66, McCallum 71
1926-27 6th Tombe 11, James 22, Ferguson 41, McCallum 63, Hollinger 76, Connelly 86
1927-28 2nd Tombe 4, Gunn 5, Rayne 10, Connelly 26, McCallum 36, James 41 Rayne came in as a first year Junior.
1928-29 3rd Gunn 3, Connelly 20, James 23, McCallum 33, McKnight  39, Lamont 49
1929-30 3rd Gunn 3, Rayne 4, Ingram 21, McCallum 43, Connelly 48, Ferguson 53
1930-31 3rd Gunn 3, Connelly 26, Clark 27, McGhee 34, Tombe 45, Lamond 49
1931-32 3rd Rayne 5, Tombe 12, Armstrong 17, McGhee 30, Ingram 35, Fraser 57
1932-33 4th Tombe 2, Armstrong 24, Gunn 26, Illingworth 28, McGhee 44, Duff 53
1933-34 1st= Tombe 4, McGregor 8, Gunn 12, Illingworth 33, Rayne 34, Duff 35 Equal first with Dundee Thistle
1934-35 6th Gunn 13, Duff 16, Hall 41, Rayne 43, Tombe 53, McGhee 56
1935-36 4th Gunn 3, Tombe, Hall 28, Kerr 30, H Wilkie 44, J Wilkie 49 Equal fourth with Shettleston
1936-37 3rd J Wilkie 12, McGregor 24, Tombe 25, Kerr 41, McAllister 42, Gunn 54
1937-38 8th Moffatt 35, McGrath 46, J Wilkie 49, Robertson 63, Connelly 67, Aird 98
1938-39 13th J Wilkie 16, Moffatt 39, Connelly 68, Warren 84, Chalmers 134, McGrath 135 The first year that any counting runner was outside the first 100

The club did of course provide several international athletes, the most prolific of whom was WJ Gunn who represented Scotland in 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932 and 1936.   M Rayne with one run in 1930 and SK Tombe with three (1928, 1933 and 1934) were the others.   I have shown enough above to indicate that the Plebeian Harriers was one of Scotland’s top clubs with many really first class runners in their ranks.   Other than Alex Armstrong, I can’t see any who were members of other clubs prior to their debut for them, and Maxwell Rayne was a first year Junior when he was tenth in the National in 1927-28.

Plebeian Scottish Team

The Scottish team at the 1933 ICCU Championships at Caerleon, Wales.   SK Tombe (Plebeians) is third from the left.

Others are H McIntosh, J Givin, J Suttie-Smith, J Flockhart, WD Slidders, W Hinde, R Gatons and RR Sutherland in black jersey.  Seated: J Wilson.

Second behind England, Colin Shields says that this was the most successful team in international history

Photograph from ‘Whatever the Weather’

The photograph at the top of the page comes from a tribute to James Neilson published in the ‘Scots Athlete’ in the December 1948 issue of the magazine and it is reproduced in full here.

James Neilson: A Tribute.

Never could that much abused word ‘sportsman’ more literally or truthfully describe anyone than the genial, warm-hearted Jimmy Neilson, whose sudden death at his Netherlee home recently saddened a huge circle of friends in this and many other sports, for he was all that we mean when we speak of the perfect sportsman.   Generous in victory and cheerful in defeat, he made friends quickly and kept their esteem always.   His sage advice on athletics and there were few so shrewd advisers, was unstintingly given, but I think the secret of his success and popularity was the whole-hearted enthusiasm he threw into everything that took his interest.  

From his youth he was vitally interested in sport, and he competed successfully as a Bellahouston Harrier, but it was with Plebeian Harriers, the club he founded, that his name became synonymous.   And Jimmy really WAS Plebeian Harriers.   Starting off with a bunch of young lads, he fired them with his own infectious zest, inspired in those around him a grand team spirit, so that Plebeian swiftly advanced to become one of our leading clubs and to win all the main honours in cross-country.   Reward for the diligence of the young club’s pioneers working under Jimmy’s organising influence, came when the club won title after title, and particularly when racing for youths became general, for to catch them young was always his theory, one which he had to defend against many critics.  

Under his guidance, Plebeian won

the Novice team title,

the individual title three times,

Western District junior championship,

Midlands District junior championship,

and individual title and

tied with Dundee Thistle Harriers for the National championship in 1934

But it was in relay racing that the “Plebs” made their biggest hit.   They won the Western Relay and were four times successful in the Midlands relay, while their special training and Jimmy’s shrewd, carefully studied tactics made them supreme – against, man for man, more renowned teams – in the early Edinburgh to Glasgow relays.   Successes in this race probably gave Jimmy Neilson a bigger kick than any other, for “Plebs” although they kept on winning were never the form selection.  

As a legislator he was equally forthright and hard working.   He was an Hon. Vice-President of the National Cross-Country Union.   Aye, Scottish athletics is much the poorer by his passing.   So many of us have lost a loyal affectionate friend.

Now we have a partial answer to the query about their origins: James Neilson was the founder, or one of the founders, although he is given sole credit in the article above.   But when did they start up?  Although they continued well after the War, their best days were clearly before 1939.    They had been producing good young athletes with teams in Junior races so there is no telling what they might have achieved without the six year break in activities.    They trained south of the Clyde and the last runner of note that graced their colours was Alec Small who eventually moved to Victoria Park in 1958 after Plebeian Harrers finished twentieth in 1957 and dropped out of the race.    He trained for a while in Renfrew at the King George V Playing Fields with Alastair Johnston and Albert Smith of Victoria Park and Alastair had this to say: “I knew Alec back in the early 60’s – he and his pal Harry Carson were introduced to my older brother and myself by a friend who used to run for Renfrew YMCA.   They had just left Plebeian Harriers and joined Victoria Park.    We all used to train at Renfrew’s KGV Playing Fields when not at Scotstoun, and it helped us a lot in getting started.   I think that the Plebeians, or what was left of them trained at the KGV playing fields.”

Plebeian Small ForbesAndy Forbes to Alex Small in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay

After the war they kept on competing and turning out in the traditional road and country races but the results were not as good as before the war.   They continued to slide down the team results sheet and by January 1955 they were twenty third in the McAndrew Relay.   In November 1958 they were a lowly tenth in the South Western District Cross Country Relay at Paisley.    They did produce some very good runners and there were two in particular worth looking at in detail.   Their two best athletes after the War seemed to be Alex Smith and then Alec Small.    Smith first appears in the records as a Youth in 1946-47 when he was thirty first and second scoring runner in the Plebeians third placed team.   Two years later he was twenty second in the team that was third in the Junior championships and as a senior man he was thirty eighth in 50-51, and fourteenth in 51-52.

Alec Small appears as a Junior in the 1952-53 championships when he finished seventeenth before turning out as a senior the following year.   He was forty fourth in 1953-54, missed two years before turning out for Victoria Park in 1956-57 and placing tenth, in 1957-58 where he was thirtieth and 1959-60 when he was away back in 122nd which was his last appearance in the National.

It was a bit different on the roads in the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay.    Alex Smith’s first showing was in November 1949 when he was third fastest on the third stage and kept the club in thirteenth position.    He was equal sixth fastest with Alex Breckenridge in 1950 when coming from nineteenth to thirteenth on the second stage.   His first fastest stage time was in 1951 on the second stage when he brought his club from fourth to second although it would eventually finish fourth.      1952 was the first time the two Alex’s would be in the same team.   Alex Smith was on the second stage where he brought the team from fifteenth to seventh with the fastest time of the day, and Alec Small was on the sixth stage where he dropped from seventh to eleventh.    A year later they ran first and second in the team that finished thirteenth – Small was fourth on the first stage and then Smith dropped down to ninth on the second.   In 1954, Smith was again on Two where he was eighth fastest and brought the team from fifteenth to tenth, while Small was on Six again and with a very poor time, was good enough to stay in fourteenth.   No Alex Smith in 1955 meant that Alec Small was on the second stage and he came from thirteenth to ninth with the seventh fastest time.   In 1956, with ninth time on Stage Two, he came from twentieth to fifteenth in the seventh fastest time.   In 1957, when the club finished twentieth, he was not there and the following year Plebeian Harriers were out of the event for good and Alec was running for Victoria Park.   He ran for Victoria Park for a couple of years but eventually emigrated to Canada.

Plebeian carried on but the last result in the SCCU Championships where they are mentioned is that for 1963 when only two men ran – and they finished 134th and 136th.   So we now have approximate dates and as part of the search for the origins, I went to Colin Shields’s book “Whatever the Weather: the official history of the SCCU”.   He says, “the sport grew in popularity after the War with new clubs constantly being admitted to the Union.   These included Dumbarton AAC, Eglinton H, Plebeian H, Mauchline H, Canon ASC, Selkirk H and Beith H. …… One application caused such controversy that it was referred for consideration to the AGM.   This was from the Socialist Harrier and Athletic Club and was, after a great deal of discussion, rejected by 19 votes to 14 with the justification that the proposed name and the red flag on their vest was objectionable.”   One of the theories being  floated by some of us was that the club had sprung from the Worker’s Educational Association, or the Trades Union movement following the English example of setting up Cycling Clubs, Swimming Clubs and even a ‘London Plebeian Harriers’.   The latter seemed a promising lead but it would seem that the truth is simpler – it was set up in Glasgow and Renfrew by experienced Scots.   The name is still a bit of a mystery – we know of the Roman Patricians and Plebeians of course but if anyone why the name was chosen it would be interesting.

Clydesdale Harriers, 1890 – 1900

 

1889 group

The notion behind this page is that it would maybe appropriate to look at the early days of the sport through the history of Clydesdale Harriers.   The intention is to publish, on a year by year basis, the club’s own annual reports as printed in the club annual handbooks and follow them up later with notes on some of the events as published in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ .   The club was founded on 4th May 1885 but we don’t have handbooks for the first three years and the Minute Book for the 1885 – 1892 period was destroyed in the Clydebank Blitz although the succeeding Books are still available.   I will start with the 1890 – 1900 period while trying to decide how best to tackle the first five years.   So – we start with the annual report for 1890 – ’91.   It will necessarily be a slow job so be patient!

1890  35,361890  37,381890  39,401890  41,42

A Hannah

Andrew Hannah

1891 – ’92

1891  36,371891  38,39*

1892 – ’93

Chas Pennycook

1892  34,35

1892  36,371892  38,39*

1893 – ’94

1893 H Barr

Hugh Barr

1893  40,411893  42,431893  44,45*

1894 – ’95

A Hannah 2

1894  38,39

1894  40,41

1894  42,43

95  30,31

1895 – ’96

95  26,27

95  28,29

95  30,31

1896 – ’97

96  26,27

96  28,2996  30,31

1897 – ’98

97  28,29

97  30,31

1888 – ’99

98  24,25

98  26,27

98  28,29

1889 – 90

99  14,15

99  16,17

99  18,19

The Origins of Cross Country Running in Scotland

1889 group

The above picture is of the Clydesdale Harriers Opening Run which opened the Whiteinch Baths in Glasgow in 1989.

Cross-country running in Scotland, as we know it today, began with a meeting which was held in Glasgow on May 4th, 1885, at which it was decided to form a club to be known as the ‘Clydesdale Harriers’.   Previously some of the Scottish public schools had held occasional ‘paper-chases’ but although there were plenty of athletes competing at sports meetings in the summer months, the winter months were allowed to pass in idleness, except by those who played football.   While waiting for the cross-country, the C.H. ran off several handicaps on the track at Kinning Park, the old ground of the Rangers FC.

The first cross-country run was held in Milngavie in September 1885.   On that occasion the ‘hares’ were very strong and covered a distance of thirteen miles, running for nearly two hours.   On 30th September 1885 the late DS Duncan called a meeting in Edinburgh at which the Edinburgh Harriers club was brought into being and in November 1885, an inter-club run was held at Coltbridge, Edinburgh.   During the winter of 1885, the Lanarkshire Bicycle Club and the Langside Bicycle Club formed harriers sections but they found the sport too strenuous and the sections faded out.   In December of that year the Edinburgh Harriers held the first cross-country handicap ever held in Scotland over a distance of four miles.   DS Duncan and WM Gabriel ran off scratch with a handicap limit of four minutes.  

In February 1886, an inter-club between the Edinburgh Harriers and Clydesdale Harriers was held at Govan when a field of twenty seven runners took part!   At the convivial gathering which followed, DS Duncan made a strong appeal on behalf of the SAAA for further support for that body.

The first Scottish Cross-Country Championship was held on Lanark Racecourse.   It was a challenge match between the CH and the EH.   The venue was unsuitable for the CH, and out of fourteen nominations only four contested the race.   The EH had seven men forward.   AP Findlay (by far the oldest runner in the field) won from DS Duncan, who was at that time considered the best long distance athlete in Scotland.   Findlay was a stone-mason to trade, and a very hardy athlete.   When the news reached Ayr (his home town), preparations were made to greet him on the arrival of his train at 9:12 pm.   He did not turn up and a still larger crowd met the 11:20 pm train, but again there was no Findlay.   At 7:40 on the Sunday morning he arrived footsore and weary having walked from Barrhead to Kilmarnock to catch the mail train for Ayr.   He had no special preparation for the race which had been arranged only three weeks before it was run.   There are only two survivors of those who competed in this first championship – John Clelland of Larkhall and James Campbell of Helensburgh – both of whom ran in CH colours.

   When Findlay won again in 1888 all the runners went off the trail, and Findlay was blamed (probably unjustly) for leading the field astray.   He could keep going indefinitely and the competitors ran about sixteen miles that day – some arriving back in cabs and other conveyances.   One or two had to have their shoes cut off in the main street of Ayr, and finished barefooted in the snow and slush and darkness.

In September 1886 the West of Scotland Harriers Club was formed, the membership of which at the beginning was mostly composed of cyclists and rowing men.  

Outside of the three principal clubs – the CH, EH and WSH – the sport did not make much progress for the first couple of years, and it was only when the CH started to develop branches, or sections, in different parts of the country that it began to take hold.   Sections were formed in different towns in Dumbartonshire, Stirlingshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire, and these were carefully nursed by the parent body.   When the sections were strong enough to stand alone, they formed themselves into separate clubs and so the movement spread.   The pioneer work was very exacting, but the founders had great faith in the future of the sport, and the result justified their efforts.    It is of interest to mention that in the CH the whipper-in of the main pack carried a hunting horn slung over his shoulder and made appropriate noises with it during the course of the run.

Not till the season of 1887-88 did the real missionary work begin.   With the advent of Andrew Dick as Joint Secretary things began to hum.   When James Erskine took office in 1888 the CH membership had risen to about 200, and in 1900 it went up to 1000 paying members, who had the benefit of a private club-room in Dundas Street, Glasgow, where runners could meet at any time and get all the athletic and other newspapers as well as a manuscript magazine (monthly) run by Clydesdale’s own members.   There was in addition a gymnastic and boxing section, with premises at Garnethill.   Mr Erskine still takes a lively interest in the affairs of the sport.  

The two chief protagonists of cross-country running in the early days were Andrew Dick in the West and DS Duncan in the East.   Another survivor of the first season, 1885-86, is TW Young (CH).   Although a sprinter of much ability on the track, Young seldom missed a run across country.

In season 1890-91 Andrew Hannah (CH) was champion.   He had a stern opponent in Wm Thomson (CH) of Larkhall, a well-known runner on the track.   ‘Big Wull’ was a forester for many years on the Hamilton Ducal Estates.   Popular wherever he went, he is now resident in Paisley.   Hannah is still hale and hearty and located in the city of St Mungo.

Missing a sequence of years we now come to that well known schoolmaster, Tom Jack (ESH) who won in 1907-08 and again in 1912.   Mr Jack is still very much to the fore, and now discharges his duties as Eastern District Handicapper with characteristic thoroughness. 

The years 1922-3-4 brought out that wonderful distance runner, Duncan MacLeod Wright.   In 1922 he ran in the colours of the CH and in 1923 and 1924 in those of Shettleston Harriers.   He is however perhaps better known under the Maryhill colours.   Two of his greatest honours were the victories in the AAA Marathon (Windsor to Stamford Bridge), 1924, and the Empire Marathon Championship (1930), (Hamilton, Ontario).   One cannot overlook the brilliant performances of J Suttie Smith who was five times champion  in the sequence of years 1928 – 1932 inclusive.    Surely this will be a record that will be difficult to equal, let alone excel.

What is one to say of the present champion, only a novice of recent discovery?   JC Flockhart (Shettleston Harriers) has set the whole athletic universe talking.   To win the Midland, Junior and National Championships in one year is indeed something to be proud of.   Veterans predict a brilliant future for this youth, who like many of the veterans of the past, has raised the level of cross-country running in Scotland to an international standard.”

Next: Statistics: SAA Championships

Y50 5 CC Champs

 

Y50 6 CC Champs 2

A Ross Scott

“The Primary Aim of a Harrier Club is not to train runners for competition in the Athletics Arena but to encourage healthy strenuous Open Air Exercise.”

(A Ross Scott)

A R Scott first appears in the club records in season 1892/93 as ‘AR Scott, Butterbiggins Road, Glasgow’ and that year had won no first prizes anywhere but did have one second prize to his name.   This single prize is the only record of him actually being a racing member and almost all of his career in athletics was as an administrator and financial expert.   The following two seasons were remarkable only in that he became a Committee Member before taking on extra responsibilities.   The accumulation of these increased at a rapid rate.   The progress is impressive:

1895/96:   General Committee member  +  Team Leader for HQ District Number 4.

This was the first time that he was to be referred to as ‘A Ross Scott’, the

name that he would be known by thereafter.

1896/97:   Vice President  +  Team Leader  +  Finance Committee Member.

1897/98:   President  +  Team Leader  +  Finance Committee  + Rep to West District

Committee of the SCCU with Andrew  Hannah:   they  would  be  club

representatives for many years on many Committees.

1898/99:   President  +  Team Leader + Finance Committee Member + Rep to West

District Committee +  SCCU’s representative to the SAAA (with Andrew

Hannah.)

1899/1900: President  +  Representative to SCCU  +  SCCU’s rep to SAAA.

1900/01:   President  +  Finance Committee  +  Handicapping Committee  +

representative to SCCU Committee.   (As treasurer on the SAAA

Committee he did not have to represent a club but was there as an

office  bearer.)

The position of team leader was part of the club system to have all districts represented on the Committee with the team leader representing them; at the same time there were committee representatives to the areas – MF Dickson was the representative to the Dunbartonshire Section for instance.   The ‘District No 4’ refereed to included the Glasgow Districts of Hutchesontown, Gorbals, Cathcart and Pollokshaws.

His career from this point on is remarkable for its longevity and its concentration on finances.   It might be thought that he would become gradually divorced from grass roots athletics and involved in the national scene.   After all he was treasurer of the two major athletics bodies in the country and secretary of one of them.   This did not happen.   For the remainder of his career in athletics he stayed on the club committee but only held the two positions: he was a general committee member and stayed on the finance committee where one of his colleagues was Matthew F Dickson who would follow his career almost exactly, taking over as SAAA Treasurer in 1911 when Ross Scott ceased all his athletics activities leaving all committees in the same year.

The record can maybe be best seen if the jobs he had are listed side by side:

 

SAAA

 

NCCU

 

CH

 

1897

 

 

President

1897

1898

 

Secretary/Treasurer

 

President

1898

1899

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

 

President

1899

1900

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

 

President

1900

1901

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

 

1901

1902

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1902

1903

President

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1903

1904

President

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1904

1905

President

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1905

1906

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1906

1907

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1907

1908

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1908

1909

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1909

1910

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1910

1911

Treasurer

 

Secretary/Treasurer

   

1911

 

         

He was succeeded by club mate Matthew F Dickson who also specialised in finances but who restricted himself to the SAAA.   A Ross Scott’s 13 years holding down what was effective three of the top jobs in Scottish Sport was a quite remarkable feat and one unparalleled in Scottish Athletics.    He attended Club Committee Meetings for many years and attended the club’s 40th Anniversary Dinner in 1925 where a report said “Official positions in the general government of the sport were held by A MacNab and Andrew Hannah who were both Presidents of the Cross Country Union but perhaps no man worked harder for the expansion of the recreation than A Ross Scott who was secretary of the Cross Country Union from 1898 to 1911.   A Ross Scott also had the honour of being the Chairman of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association in the year 1903/4 and the only other Clydesdale to hold that position was Andrew Hannah.   Both are still hale and hearty.”  

 The quotation at the top is from Ross Scott himself and it seems light years ahead of the times in terms of insight.   When all around him were seeking competitive advantage, he was playing up the health benefits of athletics for all.

Known mainly as an extremely competent administrator, he was also a top ranked official who actually was one of those at the London Olympics in 1908.    The Summer Olympics of 1908 was to have taken place in Rome, but due to an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the venue was changed to London, with each of the UK nation’s supplying officials.

The final of the 400m had four runners on an unlined track.   There were three Americans and one British  runner: Scotland’s Wyndham Halswell.   Halswell was blocked by the American John Carpenter and the race was declared void. The final was rerun with only one runner, after the other two Americans athletes refused to take part. Wyndham Halswell, ran the race to win gold, becoming the only athlete ever to win an Olympic gold medal by a walkover. A Ross Scott was one of the judges for the rerun.

That report on the 50th Anniversary Dinner was written in 1929 and ten years later his death was recorded in the club minute of 4th September 1939 as follows: “J Gray announced the death of Mr A Ross Scott one of the founders of the NCCU and Secretary of same for a number of years.   Mr A Ross Scott was also President and Secretary of Clydesdale Harriers.”

Matthew F Dickson

Matthew F Dickson

While he was a distinct character and a personality in his own right, his career as an official so closely paralleled that of A Ross Scott that it would be appropriate to look at his career too which is outlined here as well.   Matthew F Dickson appears nowhere in the Clydesdale Harriers club records for 1898/99 but in 1899/1900 as club captain as well as Team Leader for Glasgow District Number 3 and a member of the Finance Committee.   (The club at that time had sections in various areas such as Dunbartonshire, Coatbridge, Renfrewshire and so on but Glasgow was so big that it was in five sections.   Each Section had a team leader part of whose responsibilities was to report their concerns to General Committee.   The District that Matthew Dickson represented was that of Milton, Kelvin, Partick and Maryhill).    By season 1900/01 he was Treasurer plus convener of the Finance Committee which had A Ross Scott as a member.   By now he had moved to Arden Cottage in Duntocher – the house is still there but the area is designated Hardgate with Duntocher being a more restricted area than it was then.   The following year he was again holder of the three offices and doing them very well if the club handbook is to be believed when it commented in the Annual Review “With reference to the club’s Financial Position it is pleasing to note a great improvement”.   1902/03 was basically the same story before he became Secretary in 1903/04 which he combined with membership of the Finance and Handicapping Committees as well as team leader.

 

He was still a young man at this point: he had been selected to run for the club in the Scottish Junior Cross Country Championships and the Senior Championships in 1901 and was still eligible for the Junior Championship in 1902 when he was selected to run in both events again.   Incidentally it was quite an honour just to be selected for the Clydesdale Harriers team for the Championships given the strength in depth at the time.

In season 1904/05 the club clearly thought that the secretary’s job was becoming too heavy and a joint secretaryship was established which he shared with Willie Gardiner (of Gardiner Quaich fame).   This was combined with convener of the Handicapping Committee, the Finance Committee and Headquarters Representative to the Dunbartonshire Section.   This was another way of keeping the club together: there were a number of these representatives and it was not sensible to have a man now living in Duntocher continuing to represent Milton.   As a bank manager who would probably have to move around during his career he would have found it difficult to be a constant representative for one area anyway.   He was then club vice president combined with the various sub committees until season 1909/10 when he was President plus Handicapping and Finance Committee member but crucially was appointed representative to the West District Committee of the SCCU.   The identical roles were filled the next year and in 1911/12 he was to add the job of SCCU representative to the SAAA.   Thereafter he followed the pattern set by A Ross Scott of making his main contribution to athletics at National level while maintaining a working role in the club.   General Committee Member plus Finance Committee Member were his contributions to the club.   There were two key differences to the career of his illustrious predecessor:  One was the fact that he restricted himself to the SAAA: he did have a longer career at National level working on until 1931.   He died in December of that year.   The other was the 1914-1918 war and the effect it had on club and country.   As in the country at large the club suffered huge losses with over two hundred members lost.   Matt Dickson put his shoulder to the wheel and did his bit for the club while still working away at the SAAA.  In season 1920/21 for instance he was on General Committee, Finance Committee and was one of the club’s two auditors and, of course, representative to the SAAA.

 

He stayed at the SAAA and was made President in 1930 and 1931 working right up to the end.   He died in December 1931 and the obituary by his friend Tom Millar in the ‘Clydebank Press’ in January 1932 is reproduced below.   But first just take a look at his service to Scottish Athletics.

SAAA

CH

1902

Secretary

1902

1903

Secretary

1903

1904/07

Treasurer

1904/07

1908

President

1908

1909

President

1909

1910

President

1910

1911

Treasurer

1911

1912

Treasurer

1912

1913

Treasurer

1913

1914

Treasurer

1914

1915

Treasurer

1915

1916

Treasurer

1916

1917

Treasurer

1917

1918

Treasurer

1918

1919

Treasurer

1919

1920

Treasurer

1920

1921

Treasurer

1921

1922

Treasurer

1922

1923

Treasurer

1923

1924

Treasurer

1924

1925

Treasurer

1925

1926

Treasurer

1926

1927

Treasurer

1927

1928

Treasurer

1928

1929

Treasurer

1929

1930/31

President

1930/31

1931/32

President

1931/32

 classroom

 SAAA Committee, 1930: MF Dickson third left, centre row

(By the way, do you see any of the present Scottish Athletics executive sitting cross legged on the floor for an official photograph?)

Given that A Ross Scott had held the post of Treasurer from 1899 to 1911, two Clydesdale Harriers were in that post for 30 years between them.   It should be noted that although he was serving the governing body for such a long time, he still attended many Clydesdale Committee Meetings.   When the club needed him most – after the Great War, he was there.   Particular mention might be made of a report in the ‘Evening Times: “There was a splendid turn –out at the annual meeting (adjourned since September 1914) of the Clydesdale Harriers.   Owing to illness the club president Mr William Gardiner was unable to take the chair and this duty was taken by Mr MF Dickson.”    At the meeting MF Dickson was elected as an honorary president of the club.   He attended Committee Meetings for many years and was auditor of the club’s books until 1930.    In November 1931 the club decided to buy a new stopwatch.   At the meeting on 7th December it was announced that Mr MF Dickson had donated a stopwatch to the club.   This was just over a week before his death.   The Committee Meeting Minute for 16th December 1931 said: “Obituary:   Previous to the business of the Meeting being carried through Mr J Kirkland, President, referred to the loss the club had sustained through the death of Mr Matthew F. Dickson one of our Honorary Presidents and Auditors and our representative on the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association     of which body he was President.    It was agreed that a Minute be made of his passing and our thanks for the many services he had rendered the club.   Mr J Kirkland represented the club at his funeral to the New Eastwood Cemetery.”

 

Let the last words be Tom Millar’s report of 18th January 1932:

“Last week the club suffered a severe blow through the passing of Mr MF Dickson, for many years our representative on the council of the SAAA.    He was latterly entrusted with the highest of all honours of that body – namely Chairman and President and his passing is mourned by all followers of athletics.   Manly dignity was a characteristic of the late Mr Dickson who had a Hardgate connection but as a bank manager had resided away from the district for some time.   Thirty years ago he was recognised as one of the best track distance men in Scotland and wore the CH colours with great credit to himself and the club.

 

In 1900-01 Mr Dickson was elected treasurer of the club and in 1911 he took charge of the finances of the SAAA.   That office was relinquished only in 1930 when he was elected President of that body.   Till his death Matt Dickson was in harness and was a proof of my words of a week ago* regarding the men who have given ungrudging service to the sport which they loved.   Mr Kirkland, President of the club, travelled to New Eastwood last Sunday to pay the last respects of the club to a comrade who has served us well.”

 

(* In his column of 11th January he had written in an attempt to analyse what made the sport appealing and included the following short paragraph:  “Another instance which may be cited is that today we have conducting the affairs of the running world men who shone in their day and who have continued to be associated with the sport long after they considered themselves “back numbers”.   They have given good service ungrudgingly to the sport which they love.”     Tom Millar’s amateur columns of almost 75 years ago look more professional than those of many who are paid for their opinions in the twenty first century.)

 

Even obtaining the highest honours in athletics over an extended period was no deterrent to continuing to work with and for the club.

Dr Charles Blatherwick

Charles Blatherwick

Dr Charles Blatherwick is featured here as the first Honorary President of the Clydesdale Harriers, appointed in 1885.

There were two basic reasons for having patrons and honorary members for a new athletic club, particularly if the venture involved the introduction of a ‘new’ sport.   Firstly, if you were going to run across country where the farmers and landowners had no acquaintance with the ‘Hares and Hounds’ tradition, it would be advisable to have the locals on board, and secondly, having distinguished members of the Community as honorary members gave the club status making the sport instantly more acceptable.  Patrons therefore came in two guises: local landowners or dignitaries who could be helpful to the club practically and politically, or people of standing in the community who could add lustre to the club by association, or who could act, formally or informally, on the club’s behalf away from the competition arena.   They did not have to be practising athletes, or committed to one sport, they merely had to lend gravitas and use influence on behalf of the club.   Even with such patrons however there were incidents such as the following, which were amongst several recorded in the club minutes.

 

“A complaint was read from Mr R Howie, Pollokshaws, re club trespassing on his farm, as to also some of our members using abusive language when spoken to.   It was clearly demonstrated that we were being made scapegoats for other Harrier clubs as his intervention and instructions were acted up to on the day mentioned.”   (18/11/98)

 

“A letter was read by a Bishopbriggs farmer re damage done to his fields on the day of the Big Handicap.   The secretary was instructed to write denying liability.”  (1/12/98)

 

Nevertheless being a patron of Clydesdale Harriers soon became quite an honour, and many of the great and good in Scottish society at the time filled the role.   The Right Honourable Sir George Otto Trevelyan, Bart, MP noted on the page illustrated above was a Liberal Member of Parliament, Lord of the Admiralty, Chief Secretary for Ireland and Secretary for Scotland (1886 and 1892 – 95) so was unlikely to have been much involved other than as a name on headed notepaper, and maybe as an occasional donor, but his name clearly lent kudos to the club.

 

The role of Honorary President however, required someone who would take more of an active interest in the club.   The Blatherwick family at Rhu, outside Helensburgh were likely candidates.   They were known countrywide never mind countywide and with several Harriers members in the area it was natural to approach Dr Charles Blatherwick and discuss a role for him in the club.   He soon became the club’s honorary president – the highest honour the club could bestow.   The position was a non-executive one, but it was far more integral to the management of the club than that of patron, and Dr Blatherwick took the role seriously.   It was clear that he was not a remote figure and his office was also notable for the length of tenure – most Honorary Presidents served only for one or two years but he held the position for 20 years.   He came of a Nottinghamshire family (family coat of arms below) and had studied for the MD in Dublin but apparently never practised medicine.   His occupation was officially “Gentleman”.   A water colour and landscape painter, he was Treasurer of the Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour (RSW) (whose members were said to enjoy sumptuous and formal Dinners) and President of the Glasgow Pen & Ink Club.   He had three exhibits in the Royal Academy.   He also wrote popular songs of the time, ‘what would now be regarded as sentimental rubbish’ says the family website.   He lived at a house called Dunaivon, at Rhu outside Helensburgh.   In 1871 he spent some months at Kilmahumaig, Crinan, Argyllshire having travelled up from Rhu by steamer.   He kept a large illustrated diary of the stay listing all visitors, what they saw or shot for the pot and anything of interest together with pages of poetry or doggerel.    He died in 1895.   He had no reported or obvious connection to any sport and was apparently appointed solely because of his social position.   He remained as honorary president – which is listed as ‘Office Bearer’ above which indicates that more may have been expected of him than of the patrons until his death in 1895, and the club annual report as printed in the Handbook for 1896/97 commented as follows: “We are sorry to report the death of Dr Blatherwick of Row, one of our Hon Presidents, a gentleman who for many years has taken a great interest in the club.”

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The tradition of appointing eminent patrons continued for another couple of decades.   At the AGM in 1902 the proposed list of patrons was “as last year with Mr A Bonar Law proposed by Mr Reid.”    Andrew Bonar Law became a Unionist MP in 1900, became Unionist Party Leader in 1911 and had a glittering career in Parliament, having held the offices of Colonial Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before becoming Prime Minister in 1922/23.   Politicians were often keen to be seen, maybe they still are, and many were patrons of the club – W Mitchell Thomson MP; JW Clelland MP; Scott Dickson, KB, MP; A Acland Allan, Esq, MP were among them. Others of some standing in the community who consented to be patrons were such as A Cameron Corbett, who in 1911 became Lord Rowallan, Sir Iain Colquhoun of Luss and Lord Provost McInnes Shaw of Glasgow.

 

After the 1914-18 war the club was almost starting from scratch and all appointments, even those of patrons, had to be looked at afresh and at the first post war Annual General Meeting on 12th September 1919 the subject was discussed.   The item was headed “Discussion on whether to have patrons:   Mr P Carswell moved and was seconded by Mr W Ross that we only elect as patrons such persons as are genuinely interested in our sport.   On the Chairman expressing opinion that the motion was vague, same was withdrawn on the understanding that opportunity would be afforded to object to any individual put forward.”   The Meeting went on to elect nine patrons four of whom were members of the Denny family in Dumbarton who had long been supporters of the club, another was Dugald Cameron who donated the Cameron Shield to the club and another was Colonel Brock, a noted sporting patron from Dumbarton whose family had several members in the club one of whom, Gabriel Brock, had died in the War.   The Denny shipbuilding family had had a long connection with the club in various capacities – as patrons, as club members and athletes.   They filled every possible condition.   By now though Honorary Presidents were drawn almost exclusively from former club members of renown – Charles Pennycook, Andrew Hannah, A Ross Scott, etc.

 

All clubs and perhaps especially the SAAA recognised the value of patrons even though the type and role of patrons evolved over time.  In the early days when establishing a new sport it was essential that it had the Victorian virtue of ‘respectability’ – this was certainly imbued by the likes of Dr Charles Blatherwick.    By the 1900’s however patrons tended to be chosen almost exclusively for their standing in the community.   That was the point at which Bonar Law (pictured, right) and Lord Rowallan assented to their appointments. In the words of Peter Carswell in 1919 men such as the two named were probably not ‘genuinely interested’ in the sport of athletics as much as interested in sport generally: at that time there were at least three sports papers being published twice or three times a week and the interest in sport was probably greater than at present when most interest is in the business of football which masquerades as sport.  Some, like Sir Iain Colquhoun of Luss were interested in all that went on in the sporting world, he being one of the leading lights in the organisation of the Luss Highland Games and also a patron of Crieff Highland Games as well as contributing to several magazines dealing with physical fitness.   That would probably come under Peter Carswell’s definition of being interested in our sport.   There was however no harm in the appointment of Lord Provosts of Glasgow and the like since they added to the stature of the club.    (There was an occasion when the runners, changed, took a train from Glasgow City Centre to Cathcart, had their cross country run and returned by train to Glasgow where they changed again and were guests if the Lord Provost for Dinner in the City Chambers that night.)    Other patrons such as the several members of the Denny family of Dumbarton were immediately useful both financially and as influential landowners.

 -o-o-0-o-o-

Doctor Blatherwick must be particularly remembered however as the first honorary president.   He was in office through the early ‘glory years’ of the club when membership spread all over Scotland and the club had almost 1000 members on the roll.   His long service is no doubt evidence of the contribution he made to the club as the Committees of the time were not slow to ‘de-select’ members or patrons if they felt they were not adding value.   The notice in the Annual Report is remarkable simply because it was there: its appearance was testimony in itself to respect from the club.