Author: Admin

…

The photograph above is believed to be that of Gabriel Brock, a member of Clydesdale Harriers who ran in club championships and other cross-country races as well as on the track.

The Brock family was one of the best known and most distinguished in the West of Scotland, he was brought up in the wonderful house shown below and yet. Having been wounded very early in the 1914-18 War he died a tragic death as a result of the treatment of these wounds.
The family were partners in the Denny Shipyard in Dumbarton. The Shipyard was a major feature in the lives of the people of Dumbarton: having been founded as Tulloch & Denny, the name was changed to Denny and Co.in 1862. Walter Brock became a partner in 1871, and Henry William Brock became a partner in 1885. The family remained an integral part of the firm and various members were involved in the local government of the city and the county. They had been patrons of the club, first of the local Dunbartonshire Section then of the Club as a whole from 1894. As patrons of the club they were mixing with senior politicians, minor nobility and major industrial figures.

Gabriel had been born in 1889 in Dumbarton and brought up in Levenford House in Dumbarton, which is illustrated below. His membership application was accepted by Committee on in 8th September, 1911, and he was elected to serve on the General Committee of the club committee at the AGM on 5th September, 1913. He attended regular committee meetings, held at that time in the YMCA in Glasgow, and his first contribution of note was on 11th December, 1913, when the Minute records:
“Mr Gabriel Brock reported that a Dumbarton gentleman, a Mr H Horne, had expressed his willingness to act as a trainer. It was agreed to accept his kind offer, but it was added that Mr McKimmie would again be available also in a short time.”
Not only that, but he was District Convener for the Dunbartonshire Section. The club at that time had 5 sections in Glasgow and five county sections: each section had its own organiser and was represented on the Club Committee, so it was a fairly responsible position.
As a runner, Gabriel was good enough to have won the club’s Two Mile Handicap in season 1912-13. The last meetings in which he competed of which we have records, were the club championships at Ibrox Park in 1914 and the club open meeting at Kilbowie Park in June that year. On 12th May, he ran in the eleventh of sixteen heats of the 100 yards. He must have been quite good because he was off a handicap of 2 yards while Ralph Erskine, a frequent prize winner on the open circuit and double silver medal sinner at the SAAA Championships was off 3 yards. He also ran in the half mile that night when he was running from the 50 yards mark along with three others, one of whom was the Scottish cross-country internationalist Robert Frew and of course Ralph Erskine, twice silver medallist in the SAAA half mile championship was not far behind.

At the Clydebank Meeting he was entered in no fewer than three events. He was one of five entrants in the high jump with a handicap of 7 inches, and he was also entered in the Dunbartonshire County Championships for the 440 yards and the 880 yards. Although unplaced in any of the events, it was a hard afternoon.

He had qualified from the first Ibrox meeting for the finals which were held on 5th August, again at Ibrox Stadium. He was again off 2 yards, only two men starting behind him. He had also qualified for the final of the half mile and, starting from 50 yards, was conceding 70 yards to a group of ten men running from 120 yards. Two of that ten would also lose their lives in the war, as would at least another four with Tom Erskine being the first to go – in July 1915, less than a year later.

It is of interest to note that at many of those competing at this meeting died in the War that started in September – Brock and Tom Erskine in 1915, Ralph Erskine and Alex Younger in 1918. James Marshall Mitchell and Wilfred Cramb in 1917 and Harold Servant in 1919 and many others such as RW Patterson and James Miller.

The Brock family initially stayed in Spittal Cottage in Victoria Street in Dumbarton, before moving to Levencroft House, above.

When the War started, Gabriel joined up with many other members of the club. Indeed many sportsmen from all sports joined up to fight the war which would be over by Christmas, they were told. Like other friends in the club he was to meet a tragic end very early in the war.
One of the many notorious battles of the War was that at Ypres with the fighting at Hill 60 being particularly ferocious. As a member of the 8th/9th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, he may gave been involved in the tunnelling at Hill 60. The following is from Wikipedia:

In Spring 1915, earlier French preparations to raid the hill were continued by the British 28th Division, which took over the line in February 1915 and then by the 5th Division. The Allied plan to attack Hill 60 was expanded into an ambitious attempt to capture the hill, despite advice that Hill 60 could not be held unless The Caterpillar nearby was also occupied. A French 3 by 2 feet (0.91 m × 0.61 m) mine gallery under the hill was extended by experienced miners from Northumberland and Wales, after it was found that Hill 60 was the only place in the area not waterlogged.
In the first attack of the newly formed Royal Engineer tunnelling companies in the Ypres Salient, the 173rd Tunnelling Company laid six mines by 10 April 1915, an operation planned by Major-General Edward Bulfin, commander of the 28th Division and continued by the 5th Division after the 28th Division was relieved.[7] The 173rd Tunnelling Company began work early in March and three tunnels were begun towards the German line about 50 yards (46 m) away, a pit first having been dug some 16 feet (4.9 m) deep; the tunnels were more than 100 yards (91 m) long.[8][9] Two more mines in the north were charged with 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of explosives each, two mines in the centre had 2,700 pounds (1,200 kg) charges and in the south, one mine was packed with 500 pounds (230 kg) of guncotton although work on it had been stopped when it ran close to a German tunnel.[10] The attack began on 17 April and the 5th Division captured the area quickly with only seven casualties but found that the new salient made permanent occupation of the hill very costly.

Loss of Hill 60

On 1 May, after a bombardment by heavy artillery, the Germans released chlorine gas at 7:00 p.m., from positions fewer than 100 yards (91 m) away from Hill 60, on a front of 0.25-mile (0.40 km). The gas arrived so quickly that most of the British were unable to put on their improvised respirators. As soon the gas arrived, the Germans attacked from the flanks with bombing parties and artillery laid a barrage on the British approaches to the hill. Some of the British returned fire and reinforcements arrived by rushing through the gas cloud and bombing parties forced the Germans back. The original garrison lost many casualties in standing their ground, including many gas casualties.
The 5th Division held the hill on a 1.25 miles (2.01 km) front with the 15th Brigade on 5 May, when the Germans discharged gas from two places opposite the hill at 8:45 a.m.[13] The wind blew the gas along, rather than across, the British defences and only one sentry was able to sound the gas alarm. The British defence plan required troops under gas attack to move to the flanks but the course of the gas cloud made this impossible. The gas hung so thick that it was impossible to remain in the trenches and troops who stood their ground were overcome. The German 30th Division advanced fifteen minutes after the gas cloud and occupied nearly all of the front line on the lower slope of the hill. British reinforcements bombed up a communication trench and two more battalions were sent forward but before they arrived, the Germans released another gas cloud at 11:00 a.m. to the north-east of the hill.
The right flank of the Zwarteleen Salient was overrun, which increased the gap left by the first discharge; a few men on the left delayed the German infantry until 12:30 p.m., when a battalion advanced through the gas cloud and an artillery barrage. Constant counter-attacks forced some of the Germans back and regained several lost trenches. The Germans held on to the crest and released more gas at 7:00 p.m., which had little effect and an infantry attack which followed was repulsed by rifle-fire. At 9:00 p.m., the 13th Brigade arrived and attacked at 10:00 p.m. after a short bombardment the darkness, state of the ground and alert German infantry repulsed the attack, except for a party which reached the top of the hill, then withdrew at 1:00 a.m. under enfilade-fire from the Caterpillar and Zwarteleen, which made the hill untenable. Both sides were exhausted and spent the next day digging-in. At dawn on 7 May, the British attacked with two companies of infantry and attached “bombers” using hand grenades, all of whom were killed or captured. From 22 April – 31 May 1915, the British had 59,275 casualties in the Second Battle of Ypres and the fighting for Hill 60.
Gabriel was wounded very early in the hostilities, which began on 22nd April, as is reported in the following reports.

“The British Hold Hill 60”

The first report below is from the Evening Times of 19th November, 1915. .
On Monday last the death took place at Royal Infirmary, Dundee, of Lance Corporal Gabriel Brock, Pioneer Section 1-9th (Dunbartonshire) A & S Highlanders. He was the only son of Mr William Brock, Spittal Cottage Dumbarton, and joined the local regiment at the outbreak of war and proceeded to France in February last. He took part in the fighting around Ypres and Hill 60 and was wounded in the knee by shrapnel on April 26th. As a result of the wounds he had to undergo several operations and for the past six weeks was at Glamis Castle but, taking seriously ill, he was again conveyed by ambulance to Dundee where he died from lockjaw*. Prior to the War, Lance Corporal Brock was employed as a joiner in the Leven Shipyard in Dumbarton.”
Lockjaw is contracted by bacilli infecting an open wound, and is maybe better known now as tetanus

Coverage from the ‘Lennox Herald’ below.

Military Funeral at Dumbarton

“On Friday afternoon last, the remains of Lance Corporal Gabriel Brock, 1/9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were laid to rest with military honours in Dumbarton Cemetery. Lance Corporal Brock, the only son of Mr William Brock, Spittal Cottage, Victoria Street, was wounded near Ypres on 26th April last and brought over to Dundee Royal Infirmary where, after having undergone several operations, he succumbed to lockjaw; His death is regretted by a wide circle of friends. Besides being a popular member of his company and regiment, he was well known locally as a member of the West of Scotland Harriers and the winner of prizes on the track. To trade he was a joiner in the shop of the Leven Shipyard and his funeral was attended by members of the firm, and a large representation of his brother workmen. There was a short, impressive service conducted in Dumbarton Parish Church at which were present a large congregation. Chaplain, the Rev AS Insch, MA, of the 1/9th Argylls, the Rev WW Reid, BD, minister of the church, occupied the pulpit, the latter paying an eloquent tribute to the memory of the deceased. The coffin, which was wrapped in the folds of the Union Jack, was then carried on the shoulders of six sergeants of the regiment and placed in the hearse. A firing party of nineteen men, including a piper and a bugler, was supplied by the 2/9th from Arbroath, and this party preceded the hearse on the way to the cemetery, the piper playing “the Land O’ The Leal”. The officers present were Captain FC Stewart, 1/9th and Lieutenant James Napier, 8/9th A & SH. Representatives from the local Men’s Volunteer Aid Detachment also attended, and there was a large turnout of the general public. At the grave a short burial service was conducted; volleys fired, and “The Last Post” sounded.”

Other than the fact that he is noted as being a member of the rival West of Scotland Harriers, the report is a full a detailed one.

As noted above, lockjaw is contracted by open wounds being infected. Poor Gabriel was moved from one hospital to another while his condition worsened leading to his eventual death. He was only 26 when he died. Like other members of the club such as the Erskine brothers who both lost their lives in the same war, he was able, personable and a bright promising young athlete, popular with his colleagues and it was all brought to naught.
The funeral was a big one in the town – see the pictures below and link them to the text. There is also a clipping from the ‘Evening Times’ which listed some of the Clydesdale Harriers who had enlisted – from all walks of life they had volunteered and at least a dozen of them died in the conflict.

.
The list below appeared on 21st August, three months later he would be dead. Many of the other above also made the supreme sacrifice – the two Erskine brothers being notable losses and contemporaries of Gabriel mentioned above, Alex Younger, Wilfred Cramb, J Marshall Mitchell, Harold D Servant, Gilbert  AM Brown and others.

From page four:

“Running on the track, roads or the country can make you feel good.   Pub philosophers are likely to say that it is all the chemicals in the brain.   The brain produces ‘endorphins’  which, like a number of manmade drugs, make you feel good.   These are people who don’t run; people who feel pain and break sweat if they up the tempo to a fast walk down the boozer, let alone try to run there. …..  Running can hurt, especially at the end of a long outing when the muscles are both running out of energy and are suffering the combined effects of repeated contractions and are absorbing the impact.”

I doubt whether a non-runner could have thought that, never mind have written it.   Or how about this one about the 800 metres:

“The fast staggered start, the jockeying for position at the break, a brief settling of the status quo round the bottom bend before heading for the bell, with half an eye watching out for any breaks or drives from behind.   Then it is into the second lap with the field, sometimes strung out, sometimes bunched, everyone straddling a metaphorical line between perfection and going over the top, with anyone liable to make a telling move down the back straight or going into the final bend before making a final sprint for the line.”

You won’t convince me that that could have been written by a man who has not raced middle distance at some point in his life.   There is no straining for the mot juste, no high flown language, just a man telling it how it is.  Clear, unpretentious, direct, insightful.   But if you need further convincing, how about this:

“finishing with my heart pounding and that unforgettable flavour of “blood” on my laboured breath, breath which grated like rusty files…”

I once coached a runner who often said after a good run “I could taste the blood“, it’s something that only distance runners understand.   And there was often a bit like “I knew he was going to ‘tank’ me!” 

Bill being presented with the East of Scotland Trophy at Glenalmond

by East League Organiser Janet Clark

I have in the course of 60+ years in the sport read many a journalist and reporter on athletics.   First of all there was George Dallas, a former international runner and outstanding athlete over distances from 100 yards to the half mile, who reported on athletics for the “Glasgow Herald” One of the three best journalists and reporters in my time in athletics.   He knew what athletes wanted from the dailies: first a good results service, second a decent report on the race, third as much journalism as they good get – and in that order of importance.   He had started writing in the 1920’s  for the “Daily Record” under the moniker ‘Ggroe’ and after a wee hiatus for the War, took up the pen again, writing for “The Scots Athlete” and the Herald.   He was an out and out reporter.   He was followed at the “Glasgow Herald” by Ron Marshall who saw himself primarily as a journalist and he moved on to work on Scottish Television.    Doug Gillon is the name that will resonate most with those who were runners in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and up to 2010.   He wrote for the “Glasgow Herald” and covered many championships – read his profile by clicking on his name above.   Doug had a good results service and was also a journalist of quality – he wouldn’t have lasted as long otherwise.   Sandy Sutherland was based in the East of Scotland but wrote for a multitude of papers and also covered a wide range of sporting activity, mainly athletics and Basketball.   I would put Bill up with George, Sandy and Doug as a reporter and with the latter two as a journalist.   Bill was up there with the best who have dealt with athletics in the Press.

Doug Gillon and Sandy Sutherland in Moscow for the 1980 Olympics

Bill Melville is a very good journalist indeed who is well respected.   He would have been a good journalist whatever his chosen specialism had been: we are fortunate that he chose sport rather than politics or any other subject.   But within sport he had a wide range of subjects that he wrote knowledgeably about.   

That was the writer but he was more than that. As his friend and colleague Sandy Sutherland says. “Much of what he did was a service for the sport and he was often press officer for events I attended in a professional capacity and rolled his sleeves up and obtained the result sheets for others, unlike the present generation who are solely interested in getting their story out BEFORE the few journos who are left get their turn!”

Not entirely subjectively, it is possible to say that Bill Melville is one of the better writers and one who really loves the world of sport. One of the top three in Scotland in my 60+ years in the sport.  He has never received the credit that is his due.

The 1960 Sports were probably the best athletics meering held in Scotland that summer.   The National Championships are always the highlight of the season but in terms of the quality of athletes from around the world as well as the best of Scots who took part, the Rangers event was quite outstanding.   Evidence can be found for this statement in several events – eg the Open Long Jump where there were two from India, 2 from AAA’s, 1 from the West Indies plus Scotland’s outstanding David Whyte all jumping from scratch plus two from Pakistan and one from the RAF, as well as six other Scots.    Or have a look at the half mile invitation where the two Scots faced two from AAA’s, one from India and one from the West Indies.   In terms of domestic fields the open mile had such as Bert McKay, Joe Connolly, Jim Mclatchie, Tom O’Reilly and Eddie Sinclair starting of virtually together while there was a Colin Shields and Andy Forbes both off 105 yards.   Handicapping was often queried.   However here’s the programme.

The Rangers Sports were traditionally held on the first Saturday in August and lasted from the 1880’s until 1962.   They were far and away the biggest sports in the land and one of the biggest in Britain.   They have been written of elsewhere on the site but we have just received copies of the complete programmes for the 1958 and 1960 meetings from Chris Holloway and ill put them on site.   This is the programme for the meeting in 1958.   There is a lot of items of interest in it – of course if you were old enough to remember the meeting, or better still to take part in it, you can wallow in the nostalgia of it all.   The officials are listed on page two with lots of good ex-athletes (Tom Riddell, George Dallas, Dunky Wright), the two handicappers Nangle and McNeillie, the great Fred Evans, starter extra-ordinaire, legendary names like Fred Graham and Willie Armour ….    The rules for the 5-a-side tournament are listed and make for interesting reading, then there are the international athletes from Europe, Africa and the Americas racing against our own Alan Dunbar, Graham Everett, Bert McKay, Andy Brown and the rest.   And rubbing shoulders with them all the club runners entered in the open races – some winning prizes but all gaining inspiration.   Take your time and see them all – TP O’Reilly, Danny Wilmoth, George Rodger, Bill Purdie, Jack Brown, Ewan Murray, John Young, Eddie Sinclair …. 

All athletes keep records.   Certainly all serious athletes keep records and most have their training diaries kept for decades after they stop running.   Nowadays runners have things strapped to their arms, wrists or ankles that keep their records for them in so much detail that it is pretty well meaningless to them.   But we can look at that kind of thing separately.   We are talking here about race results.   Race results issued on the day were a rarity – the ‘News of the World’ used to have results of the Edinburgh to Glasgow typed out and reproduced on a Gestetner available to all wanted a copy after every two stages of the race.   Years later such events as the Balloch to Clydebank and Clydebank to Helensburgh had race results posted out to those wanting them the following Tuesday or Thursday and this was developed by the Tom Scott and Allan Scally Relay races.   

Before that, runners had to wait till after the last man had finished and the results posted on a board in typed or, more often, hand written form.   Then the runners copied out what results they wanted and either transcribed them into a training diary or pinned them up in the clubrooms the following Tuesday.   Often enough, one runner was designated to wait and ‘get the results’ while the remainder of the club team disappeared off home.   What was wanted differed with the club and the individual.   Most athletes wanted to know what the result of the race (team and individual was), they wanted the results of all of their own club members and teams, and usually they wanted the results of their own close rivals from other clubs.    Just for reference.   But there was one runner from a Glasgow club who wrote out all his main rivals and targets-to-beat in order on a piece of paper and then on the night before the race stuck a pin in the top name and screwed it in and round about.    I don’t know how often it worked but the runner became a minister of religion!

What we have here are results that were taken home and transcribed into a notebook at home by Springburn’s Danny Wilmoth.   First there are his track races: competition was real and earnest and runners competed as often as possible over the summer months and travelled to wherever the race was to be held.   The picture above is Danny coming out of the water jump at the steeplechase at Ibrox.

Now for the cross-country results where teams counted, possibly even more than individuals in some cases and these details were noted.   There were not as many races on the calendar but they all counted.  Clubs held trials to pick teams for the major races such as the McAndrew Relay (the VPAAC trial for places in that relay were said to be harder than the race!) and the Edinburgh to Glasgow.   Results for the E-G trial are included here.

 We can look at the road and cross country results for winter 1963 and 1964.

I’m not sure how long the magazine lasted but it was not long after this one.   In it Walter looks forward to publishing it at a rate of one a month but although many of the original features were still present, there were some changes to be seen.   First of all, the pages were not stapled together as in the ‘Scots Athlete’ and the ‘International Athlete’ up to this point.   Second the cover was of paper rather than the shiny card of all previous issues and third, the content was a bit thinner with the only Scottish items being the articles by John Emmet Farrell and Dale Greig.  There were no results, no previews of upcoming races or profiles of Scottish athletes.   The photographs were still of a high quality but the line drawings were poor representations of the subjects and took up space that would, in the opinion of many, have been better filled with domestic items.   The advertisements are of great interest now with the number of books, and the price, taking a large part of the magazine.

Issue number one had a shiny white card cover with title and good photograph on the front and advertisements on the back – a pattern that would last beyond the first twelve issues.   Since most effort would have gone into the production of this issue above all others, we can get an idea of what Walter wanted it to be.   He actually talks about it on p21 where he calls it ‘the natural successor to the Scots Athlete’ and says he got the idea from Percy Cerutty.   Anyway, here is the magazine, a few comments below.

And that’s the magazine that Walter wanted to produce.   It’s pretty well what Scotland needs in the 21st century.   There are contributions from far and wide with regular contributions from Emmet Farrell and Brian Mitchell, book reviews, coaching information, a letters page and a supplement with Scottish results in it.   The comment about Percy Cerutty suggesting the production of such an article in Walter’s own comments on p21 is an interesting one.   Was Walter ahead of his time?   Probably!

Dave, second from the right, running in some good company – John Graham and Bill Yate leading the field

PERSONAL BESTS
1500M 4.12 1977
3000M 8.55 1974 AND 1976
5000M 15.22 1974
10,000M 32.49 1977
10 MILES ROAD 52.03 1986
10 MILES TRACK 53.49 1973
MARATHON 2.44.59 1981

SCOTTISH INDIVIDUAL MEDALS WON
Year Age Group Event Medal Award
1989 M40 5,000M Gold
1994 M45 10,000M Bronze
2001 M50 10K Road Bronze
2010 M60 5K Road Bronze
2014 M65 5,000M Bronze
2015 M65 1,500M Indoors Gold
2015 M65 3,000M Indoors Gold
2016 M65 3,000M Indoors Gold
2017 M65 3,000M Indoors Gold
2019 M70 5K Road Gold

SCOTTISH TEAM MEDALS WON
1990 M40 Road Relay Silver
1991 M40 Road Relay Bronze
1997 M40 (M45 My Age) 10K Road Gold
2001 M40 (M50 My Age) 10K Road Silver

UK TEAM MEDALS WON
1999 M50 5k Road Bronze
2018 M65 Cross Country Gold

REPRESENTING SCOTTISH VETERAN HARRIERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
1994 in the M45 Age Group

EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW ROAD RELAY
1972 Most Meritorious Performance

EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW APPEARANCES 7 APPEARANCES
YEAR LEG
1972 1
1973 6
1974 4
1975 4
1976 1
1977 7
1981 7

WEST DISTRICT TEAM MEDALS
1976 Cross Country Championships Bronze
1981 Cross Country Championships Silver

LANARKSHIRE INDIVIDUAL MEDALS WON
1973 Lanarkshire 10 Mile Road Race Silver
1974 Lanarkshire 10 Mile Road Race Silver
1975 Lanarkshire 10 Mile Road Race Bronze
1976 Lanarkshire 10 Mile Road Race Gold
1977 Lanarkshire 10 Mile Road Race Silver

LANARKSHIRE TEAM MEDALS WON
1972 Lanarkshire Road Relay Bronze
1985 Lanarkshire Road Relay Bronze

A COMMENTARY ON MY RUNNING CAREER

By David Cooney

I joined Cambuslang Harriers age 21 in January 1971 after having been spotted by Robert Anderson when out running with my younger brother Frank. I had no real background in running apart from playing non competitive football and regularly running from the house to catch a bus or a train.

The harriers were a small club then with former Scottish Marathon Champion Gordon Eadie and Robert Anderson being the 2 most prominent runners. Unfortunately they had been disqualified in the 1970 Edinburgh to Glasgow event for falling 30 minutes behind the leading club. The club’s fortunes were at a low ebb with Robert valiantly trying to hold the club together.

I started training with the club and built up my experience by competing in a number of local Highland Games which were then popular. My first appearance on the track was at Airdrie Highland Games which always attracted a large audience. I lined up at the start with 37 other hopefuls and then it was hell for leather once the gun went. I could say I settled in at the back but it would be truer to say I was shunted to the back by the brisk pace of the field. I got into a rhythm and was pleased that I was not last. Later during the race a huge cheer went up as I was coming off the far side bend. I naively thought the cheers were for a popular local runner who was about to catch me up. Before I knew it 3 runners, 2 of them local, came flying by me – Ian McCafferty, Jim Brown and Ronnie MacDonald! I was being lapped by the elite of Scottish distance runners! Undaunted I kept to my pace and finished 31st out of 37 runners. Being a glutton for punishment I ran the 1,500m handicap 10 minutes later and finished 2nd last. I persevered with some other Highland Games running on either grass or ash tracks and was pleased to record 9.20 for a 3,000m in an inter club event with East Kilbride.

I gained further valuable experience by competing in the road and cross country relays and open races during the winter season of 1971-2 in events such as the McAndrew and Allan Scally Road Relays. These events attracted the top distance runners from the west, east, north and south of Scotland which helped to raise the standard of distance running and greatly fostered team spirit and competition. Unfortunately today with the proliferation of so many different races being held at the weekends top runners can easily avoid one another.

I was delighted to gain my first team medal success in January 1972 when I was the 2nd counter in the Cambuslang team which took the bronze medal in the East Kilbride 6 miles road race. I continued to improve my times during the summer of 1972 competing again in the Highland Games and in inter university competitions. My highlight that summer was taking 46 seconds off my 5,000m pb to record 15.52 on the Westerlands ash track. I also made my 10,000m track debut at Bellahouston clocking 33.12.

November 1972 saw Cambuslang along with other 19 clubs being invited to compete in the Edinburgh to Glasgow 8 man road relay which was the blue ribbon event of Scottish road relays. To be invited was a great honour for the participating clubs especially for Cambuslang considering their disastrous performance in 1970. This was to be one of the best days in my running career both personally and from a team point of view. Although ranked the slowest runner by time on the opening leg I finished strongly in 12th spot and the club ended up in that position to be awarded the most meritorious performance. Cambuslang had exorcised the ignominy of their 1970 performance.

Over the next few years I was pleased to help Cambuslang Harriers achieve team medals in various events such as double bronze medal in the prestigious Tom Scott 10 miles road race, double bronze in the Lanarkshire road relays, gold, silver and 2 bronze medals in the Clydebank to Helensburgh 16 mile road race, gold and silver medals in the Clydesdale 6, double gold in the Mamore 16 miles hill race, double gold in the Cathkin Braes hill race and also gold in the Neilston Pad along with team prizes in a number of Highland Games.

On a personal level I continued to improve my times and lowered my 3,000m track time down to 8.55, my 5,000m time to 15.22 and 10,000m to 32.49. I also ran 53.49 for 5th place in the Scottish 10 miles track championship at Meadowbank.

The midweek Lanarkshire 10 mile road race invariably held over undulating country roads became a favourite event for me in which I finished 2nd to Scottish internationalists Alan Partridge in 1973 and to fellow internationalist Alastair Macfarlane in 1974, 3rd in 1975 again behind Alastair and Davie Lang, first in 1976 ahead of Robert Anderson, Hugh Forgie and David Fairweather and 2nd in 1977 being sandwiched between clubmates Robert and Colin Feechan.

Mamore Hill Race 1975 – team victory

Cathkin Braes 1975 – team victory

1976 was another important landmark year in my running career and in Cambuslang’s progression when I led the club, with back-up from Peter Preston and Robert Anderson, to its first ever podium place – 3rd- in the historic Nigel Barge road race. This was followed shortly by the club achieving its first ever senior team medal (bronze) in the West District cross country championships. On my least favoured surface I was the 6th counter behind Peter Preston, Robert Anderson, Gordon Eadie, Alec Gilmour and Robert Inglis. 5 years later the club went one better and lifted team silver thanks to the efforts of Rod Stone, Eddie Stewart, Peter Preston, Colin Feechan , Robert Anderson and myself.

With the emergence of such talented athletes as Rod Stone, Eddie Stewart and Alec Gilmour and David McShane, Jim Orr and Charlie Thomson in the junior pipe line, allied to the arrival of my first son and increased professional pressures, my contribution to team success naturally diminished but not so my celebration of their growing achievements. While continuing to run my energies were focussed more on team management in road, country and track competitions and on club management having taken up the post of club president in 1980. I occupied the post until 1986 when I stepped down when my 3rd son was born although I continued to serve on the committee. I resumed my post as president in 1992 for a further 27 years only to step down in September 2019. In total my presidency spanned 33 years. In addition, I post regular reports on the club website and in the local papers on the club’s successes. Previously in the early to mid 80s I had been one of the Scottish correspondents for Athletics Weekly. This was an unpaid job albeit I received a free weekly magazine. While I am no longer president I am continuing on the committee and hope to contribute to any future club success in any way I can.

My contribution to team success kicked off again when I turned a vet 40. I was a member of our 8 man team which won silver and bronze in the Alloa to Bishopbriggs road relay in 1990 and 1991. I was also pleased to gain 2 Scottish vets 10K team medals, gold in 1997 and silver in 2001. On an individual basis I took the M40 5,000m gold medal in 1989, a bronze M45 10,000m track and a bronze M50 10K road medal. I also represented the Scottish vets as a M45 in the Cross Country International in 1994 and gained my first UK team medal as part of the M50 Cambuslang Road 5K bronze medallists in 1999.

McAndrew Relay 1989 – winning M40 team

During my running career I had been mainly fortunate in avoiding any serious injuries until I turned 53 years of age. However, long before that I was involved in an accident which could have ended my running career or worse when I was hit from behind by a motor cycle in April 1981 during the Glen Nevis 10 mile road race. With only 1 and ½ miles to go I was lying a close 6th when the incident occurred. I was oblivious to what had happened. According to Lochaber’s Ronnie Campbell, who witnessed the event unfold from behind, a young Lochaber motor cyclist in his eagerness to get back to the finish misjudged overtaking a car which he collided with. He and his bike bounced off the car and smashed into me propelling me high up in the air in summersault style before landing on my head and bouncing along the rough road surface. I must have lost consciousness for a few seconds and was unsure of what had happened until I heard someone groaning nearby. I was struggling to see as my glasses had been knocked off and then I saw this blurred image of someone pinned under his motor bike with the wheels still spinning. Not surprisingly I gave him a mouthful. While the young lad was waiting for an ambulance to come Ronnie kindly took me to A&E where I was examined and discharged despite the large Tom and Jerry like lump at the back of my head. Fortunately the point of impact had been my left buttock rather than my spine. The next morning I found it very difficult to get out of bed and came down the stairs on my bottom as my whole body had stiffened up as a result of the impact. Later that night when it got dark I went out for a one mile very slow hirple thinking that this would hasten my recovery. I persevered with this for the rest of the week. The following weekend I was called back into action much sooner than planned. when doing my team manager at a Scottish Athletics Track League meeting someone did not turn up and I duly stepped in as a replacement and surprised myself with a 16.12  5,000m performance so soon after the accident.

Going back to the theme of injuries I developed problems in my right knee in the late summer of 2002 which eased a little after some rest and physio. I was determined to appear in my 32nd consecutive McAndrew Relay and toed the line. However, 2/3rds of the way round my knee gave way but rather than drop out I hobbled on to the finish. I now found walking even difficult and had no chance of competing in what would have also been my 32nd consecutive Scally Relay. To cut a long story short I had keyhole surgery in that knee in May 2003 and then the other knee required the same treatment later in November. My sabbatical from competition was to last until I was 61 in 2010 when I finished 3rd M60 in the Scottish Vets 5K road champs at Clydebank. During the interim period I was only doing very light jogging while continuing my roles as team manager and as club president.

When turning M65 in 2014 I was 3rd in the Scottish 5,000m track championships and then the following year picked up double gold indoor medals over 1,500m and 3,000m in spite of suffering from shingles and repeated my 3,000m indoor success in 2016 and 2017. The icing on the cake as a M65 came in 2018 when Frank Hurley, Barnie Gough and I narrowly won the UK team gold just pipping Inverness by 3 seconds. I was still recovering from flu and had not run at all for 2 weeks and had only started some tentative jogging in the days before the race. I was still feeling weak but it was a case of finishing for the team on the very testing 2 lap Forres course. After coming off the hills for the second time I knew I would finish and was able to dig in for the final ½ mile on the short parkland grass.

I turned M70 in April of this year and had been training for the Scottish 5K road championship at Silverknowes, Edinburgh, in May. Unfortunately I suffered an ankle injury which greatly interrupted my build up. If I ran one day I had to take the next 3 to 4 days off to let the swelling go down. I had made up my mind not to run and on the Tuesday before the Friday race I phoned Adrian Stott to tell him I was withdrawing if he wished to re-allocate my number. The following day Scottish Athletics announced that there would be individual medals for the various masters age groups. I phoned Adrian again to ask if my number was still available and he said yes. I told him I would try a warm up and then hope to participate. On the night after a very limited warm up I lined up at the back of the field and started cautiously. My strapped-up ankle held up reasonably well until the 3K mark and thereafter it was just a matter of shuffling on one good leg to the line in a personal worst of 24.38. I did not know how I had fared in my category as the entry list had not indicated ages. However, I hoped I might have been in the first 3. The individual computer printout gave me first M70. My painful effort had been worthwhile. Shortly afterwards I discovered that I was the only M70! If I had known that I could have walked round and saved myself from aggravating my injury and which has resulted so far in a 5-month enforced rest from running.

Presentation at Silverknowes in 2019   (Bobby Gavin’s photograph)

(David also ran well in 1974-75, as several result sheets prove: well in front of old rival Brian McAusland in the Nigel Barge Memorial Trophy, who he also defeated in the Balloch to Clydebank; a second-class certificate (behind Brian) in the Tom Scott; and in 1975 a strong run in the Glasgow University 5, in front of young Fraser Clyne (Aberdeen University) and Martin Craven (ESH).)

Interview in 1986 Scottish Marathon Club Magazine, 1986

David Cooney: Team Manager   What others say about him