Hugh’s Photos, Clippings and Memorabilia

Hugh Barrow’s collections of photographs, pictures and memorabilia receive many visits each week and these are the new additions of items of interest to us all.   First, from the Australian Sports Museum in Melbourne we have the plaque at one of Herb Elliott’s items – read it and wonder!   I talk frequently about ‘our heroes’ – one of mine used to start  us off with ‘I mind one time when …’ – and probably the athletes of the 21st century think it’s an old man being sentimental.   It isn’t.   We did have particular athletes that we looked up to and Herb Elliott was the supreme runner, certainly for any miler; the nonpareil as the really old runners used to say.   Unequalled – then along came Peter Snell and the debates started.   Zatopek was ‘the man’ for long distance runners although Alain Mimoun was also a superb athlete who was fated to be the Merv Lincoln to Zatopek’s Elliott.  Note Michel Jazy’s comments below. However here is the plaque –

… and here is The Vest …

If you want to see more of Herb and his coach, Percy Cerutty, scroll down the page.

 

 Westerlands in the 1920’s:

WHB Westerlands

Programme of the Australian ‘Ten Mile Championship of Victoria’.   Have a look at the Dressing Room arrangements!

WHB Victoria Dressing Room

Now a reminder of the good old amateur days with a letter to Alf Shrubb.

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Next, a public letter to John Landy – signed too!

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The race that got Peter Snell (25) to Rome: Herb Elliott (50) in there too.

Next is the plan of Parkhead at the start of the twentieth century when major athletic meetings, including SAAA Championships, were held there.   But note the two tracks: the inner for runners, the outer was of concrete for (1) cycle racing: separate races were held for hard tyres, cushion tyres and pneumatic tyres.   (2) the Celtic Sports were the only one that had motor cycle trials, which had motor cycle records set, and these were held on the outer track.

WHB Parkhead tracks

WHB Herb Zat

It wouldn’t be Hugh Barrow without a Herb Elliott picture: two greats – Herb with Zatopek

Below is a report on a race which Herb didn’t win

WHB Herb 8th

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Above is a very interesting cutting indeed.   Hugh says:

“It was 1869 – Many of these athletes were involved in the birth of international rugby in 1871
Arthur and Robertson signed the famous challenge letter in Dec 1870 that led to the first game v England in March 1871.   Arthur ,Cross ,Robertson all played and Cross scored the first ever recorded in international”
Below is the letter referred to above
WHB Letter

WHB Shawfield

Another athletics venue of old:  Clyde FC’s Shawfield Park which was the venue for such big events as the Lanarkshire Police Sports.   There was an inner and outer track here too – the outer for dog racing.

Below:   Herb Elliott training in Rome

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The grouping below has one of the most unique medals I have ever seen. Then there are several clippings and other things from the past, followed by some more modern photographs (ie from after 1960).   First of all – the medal from cross country races at Flanders Field in 1917.   Note the hallmark on the medal.

WHB Flanders CC

In this post-amateur era, it is difficult to realise how serious the founders of amateur athletics were in the beginning.   Just read ‘Fifty Years of Athletics’ elsewhere on this site to get the picture.   The clipping below is self explanatory.

WHB Suspensions

Below is from an early Rangers Sports at Ibrox

WHB Rangers Sports

Extract from an Australian programme for a race including Alfred Shrubb: note the nutrition advice!

WHG Shrubb Race Start

Rangers were not slow to experiment or to let their supporters witness top class sportsmen and women form other sports: this is from a tennis demonstration at Ibrox.

WHB Tennis Ibrox

Then Stanley Matthews came on a one-day contract to play in an exhibition match – here he is in a Rangers jersey.

WHB Matthews at Ibrox

No comment!

WHB Waitress Walk Ronnie Delany’s spikes, worn in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics 1500m final.   Now in the National Sports Museum in Melbourne.   Why can’t we do things like that?   eg The NZ museum in Dunedin has Shirley Strickland’s long jump measured out in a sand pit, Bob Charles’s winning putt is laid out on a putting green in the museum, etc.

WHB Shoes

WHB Ireland 1961

Ibrox Sports: Note the runner from Auchmountain Harriers on the right

 WHB Auchmountain Ibrox
Extract from an international programme: note the autograph!

WHB F Dick International

Competitors at Rangers Sports

WHB Rangers Sp

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