Early History – Page 9 – Anent Scottish Running

A Journalist’s Reminiscences

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Admin

“I have been asked to give a journalist’s survey of the period in which I have been, as a newspaper man, associated with Scottish athletics. I propose to do it in my own fashion, taking point after point as they appeal to my journalistic sense. For instance, I find my collection of Championship Meeting programmes goes back to 1900. had been reporting the Championship Meetings for a good ten years prior to that date, but it must have been with the beginning of the new century that I acquired horse-sense enough to start a collection. Though what, after all, does a collection of programmes amount to? Nothing at all compared with what one stores up in his recollection of outstanding events: the advent of a Downer, the emergence of a Halswell, the debut of a Liddell. Still, an odd programme or two refreshes the memory. I find, for example, in my 1900 programme a notable succession of Edinburgh victories, and in those days the Championship Meetings provided a rare contention between the Scottish Capital and “the Capital of the other side of Scotland.”

Hampden Park

“A Tale Of Two Cities”

Edinburgh had Powderhall, Glasgow had Hampden, Ibrox and Parkhead. Glasgow was progressive, Edinburgh was content with what had served its athletic father, almost grandfather; but Powderhall was buttressed by Myreside and Craiglockhart, and in such a year as 1900 Edinburgh carried off the honours with WH Welsh at the three short distances,Jack Paterson at the half-mile and mile, and AR Gibb at four miles supplementing Paterson’s previous win at the long distance race in the spring. That grand all round athlete, RS Stronach, like Welsh, a Scottish Rugby cap, credited Glasgow with the hurdles, Hugh Barr, entering from Edinburgh and the Clydesdale Harriers, split the broad jump title between the rival cities, JB Milne took the high jump back to Dundee and DJ McRae conveyed the weight to Aberdeen. Edinburgh enthusiasts rejoiced and I dare say accentuated the not over kindly feeling between the athletic circles in the two cities. The previous decade had been a stormy period.

Downer’s First “Hat Trick”

It had seen AR Downer rise to amateur athletic greatness and decline into professional commonplaceness; the Athletic Abuses Commission: the dispute with the Scottish Cyclists Union; and the existence, for two seasons, of rival athletics bodies, the SAAA and the SAAU. The glamour of Downer still subsists in the minds of a few old timers, myself among the number. I can recall the air of mystery that attached to Downer when it got about, as the summer of 1892 drew to an end, that Edinburgh had a rod in pickle as against the following season in the form of a young runner whose start was quickly shortening as his powers were rapidly developing. He had been at two public schools in Edinburgh, the Institution and Watson’s College, and he opened the season of 1893 by winning a sprint handicap at a schools meeting in Edinburgh off a short mark. Then he ran second to DR McCulloch, the sprint champion of 1892, in Glasgow, and beat him over 100 and 220 yards in the Vale of Leven. Still Glasgow was hard to convince. But at the Championship Meeting at Hampden, Downer had the opposition at the sprint and furlong beaten by half distance. In the quarter, he stumbled at the start and lost yards of running, lost ground through a collision at the second bend and then tore up the winning straight, to pass the post three yards in front of the nearest man.

I question if anything finer was ever seen in amateur athletics in Scotland. Edinburgh enthusiasts went mad over Downer, a number of Edinburgh sportsmen banqueted the young hero. Some of us, I daresay, that evening read handwriting on the wall.

The First International

It is not my business to discuss the”split” which rent Scottish amateur athletics in twain. It began in 1895. The SAAA (or Edinburgh as it largely was for the time being) could not do without Downer, and he was induced to have a tilt at Ireland in the athletic International. The match originated in July 1895 and the first meeting was held at Parkhead, where Scotland, handicapped by the split, lost by six points to five. The attendance was limited – what a “write-up” the event would have had today. And there was Downer, a sick man on the morning of the meeting, doing level time in the sprint, winning the furlong in record time, and beating a dashing Irishman in the quarter. For some reason the SAAA never credited Downer with the tie with record in their official list. I wonder if this will be rectified in the book. When next, by the way, I saw Downer, he was running in a little country meeting in a field belonging to a hotel in Penicuik, rain falling in torrents. Downer’s dressing-room was a part share of a bell tent which offered a wretched shelter from the storm.

Likened To Tincler

Ere the “split” was healed and the SAAU was absorbed into the older body, the SAAA championships had revealed a great athlete in the making in Hugh Welsh, a member of a famous athletic family with Watson’s College and Merchiston connections. Welsh was likened by followers of the sport to GB Tincler, a great Irish professional runner, whose style was a model for all time. Welsh was a stylist. He was deceptive at the initial stages of a race and gave the impression that he could not break 4 min 30 sec. What he really could do was never known. Welsh, even more than Downer, made amateur athletics a real proposition to the Press in Scotland. I am speaking wholly from memory, but I should say that his great race with AE Tysoe – the winner of the English Mile Championship in 1897, when Welsh was spiked – at Powderhall in the summer of 1898 was amateur athletics “best seller” for the Edinburgh evening papers. The “gate” was big: as for the race, old hands in Edinburgh recall nothing more lovingly than a slow-run race and a tearing finish by Welsh, who literally ran the Englishman off his feet.

The Gift Of Personality

More than any Scottish amateur distance runner, Hugh Welsh possessed the gift of personality. John McGugh, soundest of milers, had not, nor had Paterson, nor WH Welsh this gift. A short time ago I got a letter from Jimmy Curran, a Galashiels man, who ha, for almost a quarter of a century been one of the most distinguished athletic coaches in American school and college athletics. He was in South Africa with the HLI during the Boer War, and when out there he found young Halswell. When the battalion came home and was brought to Edinburgh Castle, Curran introduced the then Lieutenant Halswell to get into training and, running in the 440 yards championship in the Championships of 1905, Halswell revealed that a bright new star had risen in the Scottish athletic firmament in the person of this gallant son of and English father and Scottish mother. I went to Edinburgh castle to interview the young officer. He refused to talk. It was not the thing to do on the part of an officer. But, with a quiet chuckle, he handed me a scrapbook, sent him by a relative of his mother, in which he said I would find everything there was to know of him athletically. “I must return it,” he said, bidding me good-bye. This little action was worthy of the man who, when appealed to by a Press representative as to how he spelt his name – Mr DS Duncan refused to acknowledge a final “e”, and I took my cue from the SAAA secretary – wrote that he spelt his name this way. But the recipient of his letter to this day cannot determine whether it is a final “e” or a flourish of the pen.

Halswell

Halswell’s last race

Halswell “made history” in Scottish athletics in 1906. He won four running titles in one afternoon. It was freely prophesied that the like would never be seen again. It has never been attempted, and may stand as a record for all time. The last time I spoke to Halswell was to commiserate with him on the unseemly proceedings in connection with the Olympic 400 metres race. The entire circumstances distressed the high-minded military athlete. He hated the idea that a conspiracy had been engaged in, and he hated still more the fact that the re-run was not taken part in by the American athletes, acting under orders. The fact was that Halswell cared far more for athletic expression than for results. It was felt in the battalion that his reputation was being, as it were, traded in by sports promoters. He said he would end his career with the quarter-mile in the Scoto-Irish International, and did so. Someone gave me a copy of a photograph of Halswell starting in the race. I had it copied and mounted, and years after EH Liddell took away the second copy as one of many souvenirs of his stay in this country.

Tom Nicolson

In Halswell we had another Downer and in Liddell we had another Halswell. We may have another Liddell, but it is not likely that we will ever have another Tom Nicolson, most modest of great athletes, most lovable, may I say, of sportsmen. He will never rank as the greatest heavy athlete Scottish amateur athletics has ever boasted. His best individual achievement may be beaten by a brother Scot, as it has been beaten by Irishmen, but there surely will never be a career so long and so full of honours as that of the genial Kyles farmer. He had not trhe commanding figure of some of the great Irish-Americans. He was not, in fact, a striking figure in his ordinary garb: it was when he stripped that one saw his great breadth of shoulders. Like the man himself, his work was always distinguished by his extraordinary straightness. He did not appeal to one’s sense of the romantic as, perhaps, Downer did, nor of the bizarre as an old opponent of his, the late Dennis Horgan; but Tom will be remembered for his sterling qualities, and not as the hero of stories that tend to become legends.”

That’s the article as Diogenes wrote it. Apart from Nicolson, it could have been called something like, ‘Great Edinburgh Athletes I Have Known’ but it does give information but even more than details of Downer, Halswell or Welsh as athletes, it gives an insight into the values of the sport at that time.

Memories of a Sports Promoter (W Maley)

Track Championships: 1883 – 1894

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Admin

Powderhall Grounds: Venue for first two championships

The first Scottish Championships of the amateur era were held at Powderhall Grounds in Edinburgh on 23rd June 1883. There was a total of 90 entrants and “Fifty Years of Athletics” tells us that it was an athletic and financial success. Top man on the day was WA Peterkin, a rugby international, of Edinburgh University Club who won both 100 yards (10 1/2 seconds) and 440 yards (51 3/4 seconds) and took silver in the Putting the Weight with 38′ 9″. K Whitton (Edinburgh University) won the latter and also took second place in the Hammer (93′ 2″). Other double medallists were J Smith who was second in the 100 yards and second equal in the high jump, T Moffat who won the half-mile (2:0.75) and second in the 440 yards and AR Don Wauchope (Fettesians and another outstanding rugby man) who was second in the 120 yards hurdles and in the Throwing the Cricket Ball (105 yds 2 ft 6 in). DA Bethune of the Established Church Training College won the Broad Jump which he retained in 1884. There were 12 events – 100 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards, One Mile, 120 yards hurdles, Three Miles Walk, Broad Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Putting the Weight, Throwing the Hammer and Throwing the Cricket Ball.

WA Peterkin: winner of the inaugural 100 and 440 yards

1883 Results

	1st	2nd	Performance	Comments
100 yards	WA Peterkin	J Smith	10.5 sec
440 yards	WA Peterkin	T Moffat	51.75 sec
880 yards	T Moffat	T Ireland	2:0.75	CBP
1 Mile	DS Duncan	WM Gabriel	4:35
120 yards hurdles	RA Carruthers	AR Don Wauchope	16.75 sec
Three Miles Walk	J Harvie	JH Vibart	24:10
Broad Jump	DA Bethune	AE Bulloch	19’ 5.5 “
High Jump	WF Methuen	JN McLeod J Smith	5’ 6”
Pole Vault	G Hodgson		9’ 8”
Putting the Weight	K Whitton	WA Peterkin	38’ 9”
Throwing the Hammer	R Smith	K Whitton	93’ 2”
Throwing the Cricket Ball	RFH Bruce	AR Don Wauchope	107 yds 1’ 5”

There had been what were called championship events before this organised by bodies such as the various Highland Games and Gatherings of various sorts and of course the longest continuous sports meeting on the calendar (certainly in the west of the country), the various school sports: Royal High School 1864, Merchiston Castle 1866, Glasgow Academy 1868 and Fettes College 1874. Several Scots had competed in the English Championships but they were almost all from the University or Old Boys clubs that were to be founders of the SAAA. The meeting of 1883 was the first of a series of official championships that is still running. For a brief period the dispute with the Clydesdale Harriers led to parallel championships being held in 1895 and 1896.

Hampden Park: Venue for 31 Championships and 21 out of 22

The second championships were held at the same venue but with one fewer events, the Throwing the Cricket Ball having been dispensed with. Titles were retainedby DS Duncan (Mile), J Harvie (Walk), DA Bethune (Broad Jump), G Hodgson (Pole Vault) and K Whitton (Putting the Weight). Conditions were described as “Light easterly wind. Fast track.” “Fifty Years of Athletics” tells us that Best Championship Performances were set in five events. The Putting the Weight winning distance of 41′ 9″ was a CBP; the 120 yards Hurdles time of 16 3/5th seconds was equalled in 1889 but lasted longer than that; the Three Miles Walk time of 23 min 16 sec was a CBP and a Scottish Native Record ; the 440 yards time of 51 1/5th sec was a CBP and a Scottish Record and the 100 yards time of 10 sec was a CBP (equalled in 1895) up to 1913 and a Scottish Native Record from 1913 (it was equalled in 1924, 1925, 1929, 1930 and 1932). The winner of the 100 yards, James John Milroy Cowie, had been born in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, but his family moved to Kent when he was three. By 1883 he was already a top-class runner: a meber of London AC he had won the AAA’s 100 yards and 440 yards in 10.2 and 51.0 seconds. His Scottish record stood for 51 years.

1884 Results

Event	1st	2nd	Performance	Comments
100 yards	JM Cowie	W Rodger	10 sec	CBP and Scottish Record
440 yards	JM Cowie	AE Bulloch	51.5 sec	CBP and Scottish Record
880 yards	TED Ritchie	WM Gabriel	2:02.4
1 Mile	DS Duncan	JM Crawford	4:32.2
120 yards hurdles	A McNeill	HA Watt	16.6 sec	CBP
Three Miles Walk	J Harvie	A Brown	23:16	CBP and Scottish Record
Broad Jump	DA Bethune	RG Taylor	20’
High Jump	JN MacLeod	AL Van Der Merwe	5’ 5”
Pole Vault	G Hodgson	T Hyslop	9’4”
Putting the Weight	K Whitton	C Reid	41’ 9”	CBP
Throwing the Hammer	K Whitton	R Smith	98’ 10”
Throwing the Cricket Ball		No Event

The Championships came to the west of the country on 27th June, 1885, when they were held at Westmarch, Paisley. Westmarch was the home of St Mirren FC from 1883 to 1894. St Mirren of course was one of many football clubs that organised their own annual sports. Westmarch was said to have two pitches, a grandstand and a pavilion so it would have been eminently suitable for the championships. Conditions were described as being warm with light variable winds. DS Duncan won the Mile (5 min 01 2/5th sec) for the third successive year and in the field events K Whitton had his hat-trick of Putting the Weight victories (41′ 6″). He was also the only competitor with two golds, winning the Hammer with 100′ 5 3/4″. There was only one CBP and that was in the Broad Jump where JW Parsons leapt 21′ 9 1/2 “. Parsons was also second in the high jump with 5′ 6″. Parsons had been competing for many years as a member of EUAC and Fetessians-Lorettonians and had medals at the AAA’ sChampionships inaugural meeting but his real big day was in June 1883 when he won the AAA’s High Jump with 6′ 0.25″ but also won the Long Jump with 23′ 0.25″. Wonderful performances but he didn’t catch the Scotish record which was set by Tom Vallance (Rangers FC and later Clydesdale Harriers) in 1881 at 21′ 11”. RH Morison won three medals in 1885 – third in the 100 yards, second in the 440 yards and second in the 880 yards, won by J Logan in 2 min 03 3/5th sec.

JW Parsons: Broad Jump Champion, 1885, Broad Jump and High Jump Champion, 1886

1885 Results

Event	1st	2nd	Performance	Comments
100 yards	RA Taylor	MC Wright	10.6 sec
440 yards	S Henderson	RH Morison	51.8sec
880 yards	J Logan	RH Morison	2:03.6
1 Mile	DS Duncan	JM Crawford	5:01.4
120 yards hurdles	HA Watt	AGG Asher	17.8 sec
Three Miles Walk	J Caw	A Brown	24:54
Broad Jump	JW Parsons	RG Taylor	21’ 9.75”	CBP
High Jump	JN MacLeod	JW Parsons	5’8”
Pole Vault	AGG Asher	G Hodgson	10’ 01”
Putting the Weight	K Whitton	C Reid	41’ 6”
Throwing the Hammer	K Whitton	C Reid	100’ 5.75”

There was one change – Clydesdale Harriers had been founded on 4th May, 1985, just over a month beforehand and that was to have an efect on the future of the championships.

Augustus Grant Asher: winner of the Pole Vault 1885, 1886

There was a new event added to the championships in 1886, the ten miles championship. For obvious reasons it was not held at the championships proper but included in a meeting at Powderhall Grounds on 28th June – two days after the championships which were also at Powderhall. The results of the championship first.

1886 Results

Event	1st	2nd	Performance	Comment
100 yards	W Rodger	MC Wright	11 sec
440 yards	MC Wright	T Blair	52.4 sec
880 yards	S Henderson	JM Crawford	2:04.2
1 Mile	DS Duncan	WM Gabriel	4:40.8
Ten Miles*	AP Findlay	Only one finisher	55:16.8
Three Miles Walk	J Caw	A Brown	24:03.2
120 yards hurdles	HA Watt	A Vallance	18.4 sec
Broad Jump	JW Parsons	AGG Asher	21’ 6”
High Jump	JW Parsons	JW MacLeod	5’ 11”	CBP
Pole Vault	AGG Asher	G Hodgson	10’ 3”
Putting the Weight	C Reid	T Robertson	40’
Throwing the Hammer	C Reid	BM Norval	92’ 6”

The winner of the new event was AP Findlay of Clydesdale Harriers who was the reigning Cross-Country Champion. He came from Ayr and was a notoriously tough competitor. He was the only finisher in the event. There were other Clydesdale Harriers competing – T Blair, J Caw, A Brown, A Vallance, JT Ward were among the first three in their events.

DS Duncan: winner of five SAAA Mile titles, including the first four-in-a-row!

Yet another event was added in 1887 – the Four Miles Championship which was decided on the day of the actual championship meeting. The meeting was held on25th June at Hampden Park and the Ten Miles was he;ld just two days later in Edinburgh at Powderhall. AP Findlay, the stonemason from Ayr won both. The championships were now becoming established but there were several differences that a modern spectator would notice straight away. First of all, only two medals were awarded instead of the now customary three and the only time given was that of the winner. Some of the biggest differences were in the field events. In the Pole Vault for instance, the pole was of ash or hickory wood, rigid and often broke – as it did in the first championship. It was very poorly supported and intially only appeared in the championship for seven years before being dropped after there were no competitors at all in 1890. John Keddie in his centenary history of the SAAA describes the high jump technique as follows: “Jumpers like Parsons would approach the bar straight on, tuck their knees up to their chest and thus, hopefully, sail over. By this method quite lng distances were also jumped!” The Hammer was at that time thrown from a 9′ circle rather than from the 7′ circle that was used from the early 20th century.

That open athletics had arrived was indicated by the number of Clydesdale Harriers among the medallists – Logan, Findlay, Henderson, Brown, McCulloch and Ward all being members of the club.

1887 Results

100 yards	RA Taylor	CJF Paisley	10.6 sec
440 yards	CJF Paisley	DR McCulloch	52.4 sec
880 yards	JC Braid	SG Nobbs	2:02.4
1 Mile	J Logan	DS Duncan	4:35.6
Four Miles	AP Findlay	WM Thomson	21:30
Ten Miles*	AP Findlay	W Henderson	55:21.6
Three Miles Walk	A Brown	J Caw	24:32.2
120 yards hurdles	HA Watt	JT Ward	17.8 sec
Broad Jump	AE Bullock	No other competitor	21’
High Jump	JN Macleod	No other competitor	5’ 7”
Pole Vault	EL Stones	CC MacKnight	11’
Putting the Weight	C Reid	J MacDonald	40’ 11”
Throwing the Hammer	J Barron	R Smith	94’ 6”

*Decided on 27^th June at Powderhall

Having all the championships in the one weekend is nearly always a good idea but when you see Findlay racing a four miles on the Saturday in Glasgow and then travelling to Powderhall two days later for the ten miles, you maybe have to wonder. However the situation was soon to change and in 1888 the ten miles was held in April.

J Blane Photo John Blane

In 1888 the championships took place at Powderhall on 23rd June when conditions were fairly good – dry with a slight wind.

1888 Results

Event	1st	2nd	Performance
100 yards	JH Allan	RA Taylor	10.4 sec
440 yards	T Blair	JB Green	53.4 sec
880 yards	AM Marshall	J Allan & J Blane	2:02.6
Mile	J Blane	DS Duncan & J Logan	4:35.4
Four Miles	WM Jack	A Hannah	21:17.6
Ten Miles*	AP Findlay	DS Duncan	55:33
Three Miles Walk	A Brown	J Urquhart	27:26.4
120 yards hurdles	A Vallance	JT Ward	18.8 sec
Broad Jump	AE Bullock	WH Campbell	21’
High Jump	GG Robertson	JT Ward No Height	5’ 2.5”
Pole Vault	EL Stones	No Other Competitor	11’ 2.5”
Putting the Weight	J Macdonald	T Robertson	40’ 4”
Throwing the Hammer	T Robertson	R Smith No Throw	90’ 8”

*Decided on 7^th April at Powderhall

Clydesdale Harriers were by now the biggest club in the land – Edinburgh Harriers had followed their example and appeared on the scene in September 1885 and were followed a year or so later by West of Scotland Harriers but Clydesdale was the biggest by far. The winners of the threedistance events – They were particularly prominent in the distance events with Blane, Logan, Findlay and Hannah being significant athletes. Blane was a Kilmarnock man who was a successful racing cyclist before he turned to athletics where he had a short but outstanding career winning championships and setting records at National level. 1888 was his best year when he was one of three men attempting to break the 4:30 barrier for the mile but his best attempt was 4:30.2 in July before DS Duncan cracked it in September with 4:28. Findlay won the Ten Miles for the third successive year and DS Duncan had two seconds, in the Mile and in the Ten Miles – but he had not yet finished winning the Mile championship.

1889 Results

The 1889 Championships were held at Hampden Park on 22nd June when the weather conditions were reported as Warm with light breezes.

Event	First	Second	Performance
100 yards	RA Taylor	T Blair	10.2 sec
440 yards	T Blair	JB Green	52.2 sec
880 yards	R Mitchell	J Wright	2:01
One Mile	C Pennycook	SB Figgis	4:29.8
Four Miles	JW McWilliam	A Hannah	20:56.2
Ten Miles*	A Hannah	C Pennycook	55:30.4
Three Miles Walk	W Miller	J Urquhart	23:50.2
120 yards hurdles	JL Greig	JR Gow	16.6 sec
Broad Jump	JL Greig	R Williams	20’ 4”
High Jump	JL Greig	EAS Bell	5’6”
Pole Vault	EL Stones	JAT Hall	11’ 4”
Putting the Weight	K Whitton	T Robertson	39’ 1”
Throwing the Hammer	K Whitton	J Cheyne	98’0”

* Decided on 12th April at Hampden

It was a good championship at least insofar as records were concerned – the Mile, Four Miles, 120 yards hurdles and Pole Vault were all CBP’s and Four Miles and PV were both Scottish Native Records. The distance races were the preserve of Clydesdale Harriers members with Mitchell, Pennycook, McWilliam and Hannah all being club members but two names stand out in the list of winners – K Whitton and JL Greig in the jumps.

Kenneth McLennan Whitton was a footballer with St George’s FC and later on joined Edinburgh Harriers. He was the first Scot to putt beyond 13 metres. He had competed in the 1883 championships and won it again in ’84 and ’85 before coming first again in 1889. After his competitive career was over he became President of the SAAA in 1932 and a life vice-president until his death in 1947. He was also first Scottish record holder in the Hammer which he threw 100′ 5.75″ in 1885 which he improved to 103′ in 1890. James Lewis Greig was another Fettes man who was very versatile, competing successfully in the sprints, the hurdles and the jumps. He won the hurdles and long jump twice for Cambridge in their annual contest with Oxford but his most unusual feat was in 1889 when he won three events at the SAAA Championships. Never setting a Scottish record for any of the events, he was second best ever when he long jumped 22′ 7.75″. Charles Pennycook was another very ineresting character who went on to become President of the SAAA.

Andrew Hannah

1890 Results

Event	First	Second	Performance
100 yards	NC Macleod	T Blair	11sec
440 yards	T Blair	DL Anderson	52.8 sec
880 yards	R Mitchell	J Blane	2:03.2
One Mile	DC McMichael	J Blane	4:40.2
Four Miles	A Hannah	DC McMichael	21:03
Ten Miles*	A Hannah	TIS Hunter	55:39.4
Three Miles Walk	J Urquhart	A Ramsay	24:49.4
120 yards hurdles	R Williams	HWG Lander	18.4
Broad Jump	G Munro	R Williams	19’ 10”
High Jump	R Williams	Only one competitor	5’ 5”
Pole Vault		Void
Putting theWeight	J MacDonald	K Whitton	39’ 01”
Throwing the Hammer	K Whitton	M McInnes	103’ 0”

* Decided on 4th April at Powderhall

This championship was held on 21st June, 1890, at Powderhall Grounds on a day said to be warm with south to south west breeze. The following report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ is commendable for its brevity, its attention to the actual facts of the matter and coverage of the entire event:

100 yards Challenge Cup: Holder RA Taylor, EUAC, Scottish record 10 seconds. First Heat. 1st NC Macleod, GUAC, 2nd EE Maley, Celtic FC. Times 11 sec. Run in the teeth of the wind, won by two yards from Maley who in turn beat GH Allan, St George’s FC by a yard. The other starter was GW Cullen, GUAC. Second Heat. 1st T Blair, QPFC, 2nd GT Ward, CH, time 11 2-5th secs. Also ran R Wilson, EUAC, KF Thomson, Larchfield AC, D Wright, Abercorn FC, won by a yard and a half. Final: 1st Macleod, 2nd Blair. Considerable delay was caused through Macleod’s restiveness. At length the pistol was fired. Macleod had such a distinct advantage that he had no difficulty in breaking the tape first, but the start was deemed so unsatisfactory by Mr Davidson that no race was declared and the men were ordered to run again later on. On the second attempt the starter again had difficulty in getting his men away. Macleod’s strength and pace pulled him through, the Glasgow University man coming away twenty yards from the tape and winning by a yard and a half, a half yard separating Blair from Maley who was third.”

All events were covered in similar fashion.

JD McIntosh

1891 Results

Event	First	Second	Performance
100 yards	BC Green	NA McLeod	10.8 sec
440 yards	DL Anderson	T Blair	52.8 sec
880 yards	R Mitchell	W Malcolm	2:03.6
One Mile	DS Duncan	J Rodger	4:31.6
Four Mile	GW Pollard	AW Forrest	21:43
Ten Miles*	A Hannah	WM Carment	54:18.6
Three Miles Walk	J Caw	W Wilson	25:20.8
120 yards hurdles	BC Green	JR Gow	16.8 sec
Broad Jump	BC Green	GAF Fothergill	21’ 0.5”
High Jump	Void
Putting the Weight	A Carswell	JD McIntosh	39’ 1”
Throwing the Hammer	JD McIntosh	M McInnes	92’ 9”

* Decided 2nd April at Hampden

The championships in 1891 were decided in Glasgow at Hampden on 20th June. One to watch was James D McIntosh of the West End Amateur Rowing Club and Edinburgh Harriers who would go on to win the Hammer event six times and the Shot six times as well, doing the double five times! He was to set a record of 117′ 03″ in 1897 throwing from a 9′ circle. Andrew Hannah would ultimately have seven ten mile titles to his name as well as four four miles championships. For the championships, DS Duncan won the Mile for the fifth time. It will be noted that there was no Pole Vault this time and the event was dropped after several years of little support, no competitor took part in 1890. The high jump must also have been at some risk – one competitor in 1890 and none in 1891 was not a good sign.

1892 Results

Event	First	Second	Performance
100 yards	DR McCulloch	NA McLeod	10.6 sec
220 yards	NR McLeod	DR McCulloch	23.4 sec
440 yards	DR McCulloch	Only one runner	54 sec
880 yards	R Mitchell	W Malcolm	2:05.8
One Mile	HA Munro	C Pennycook	4:37
Four Miles	GW Pollard	HA Munro	21:01.6
Ten Miles*	P Addison	TIS Hunter	56:06.4
Three Miles Walk	J Dickison	Only one competitor
120 yards hurdles	NA McLeod	TM Donovan	17 sec
Broad Jump	AL Graham	TM Donovan	20’ 8”
High Jump	R Williams	JL Williams	5’ 6.5”
Putting the Weight	JD McIntosh	MN McInnes	40’9.5”
Throwing the Hammer	JD McIntosh	MN McInnes	98’

* Decided on 24th March at Powderhall

The championships were held in 1892 in Dundee – at the Carolina Port Grounds which had been opened in 1891and was the first major venue in the city. It was the home of Dundee FC for a number of years. A quick glance at the results indicates that there was a new event on the schedule – the 220 yardsmade its appearance and, if we substitute the three miles for the four, then the track events are starting to look more like the modern championships.

Hugh Barr, Clydesdale Harriers winner of the Long Jump 7 times as well as the 100 yards once.

The 1893 championships were spectacular in terms of the quality of the champions – including the new champions – who appeared at Hampden on 17th June. the great Alf Downer who was to do the ‘triple triple’ (three sprints every year for three years), Hugh Barr who went on to win the broad jump seven times, Andrew Hannah who won the Mile, Four Miles and Ten Miles, John Gow of Rangers FC and Clydesdale Harriers who won the hurdles and JD McIntosh in both throws events. The following report is from the ‘Glasgow Herald’ of 19th June.

“Gathering together the outstanding features of Saturday’s championship meeting, we first of all come to the triple victory of Mr AR Downer of the Edinburgh Institution in the 100 yards, the 220 yards and the quarter. This is a unique achievement. In 1891, BC Green, London Athletics Club, won the 120 yards hurdles and broad jump, and while these performances no doubt represent greater versatility than Downer’s, still the latter’s triple victory over graduated distances is in our opinion the more meritorious. Downer would have done good time in the 100 and 220 yards had he been pressed; as it is, his performances are very creditable, and there can be no doubt that he is head and shoulders the finest sprinter Scotland has yet turned out. D McCulloch was weak in the 100 yards, weaker still in the 220 yards – a distance over which he was supposed to be invincible – and he threw away the quarter in a by a display of judgment unpardonable in a runner of his years and experience. Downer will make a capital quarter miler with some additional training. So also will HA Mollison, Glasgow University AC. He ran well on Saturday and were he trained on the same scientific principles as Downer he would easily become as great a runner. Strong physical assertiveness is the distinguishing characteristic of Downer’s running, and that, combined with boundless confidence, has given him the high position he now holds.

The half-mile was the best race of the day, and both Malcolm and Hindle distinguished themselves. It was a close finish, and the time – 2 min 1 4-5th sec – is consistent with their handicap running all season. AR Muir finished inside standard, 2 min 3 sec. Andrew Hannah carried off two championships, the one and four miles. In the former, he beat Milroy in the sprint and in the latter, he shook off Robertson the same way and won, the times being 4 min 36 and 21 min 36 sec. If Milroy could only sprint, he would be the best mile runner in Scotland. By next year perhaps this defect will be put right.

The walk is played out and should be abolished.

One of the best performances of the day was AL Graham’s high jump of 5′ 8″. Only once has this been surpassed and that was in 1886 when JW Parsons, Fettes College, did 5′ 8″. The long jumping was disappointing. Guthrie was reported to have done 22′ in practice, while Hugh Barr, Clydesdale Harriers, on Thursday did 21′ 9″. The former fell off terribly as all he could do was 19′ 4″; Barr however covered 20′ 0.5″ and thus won the championship, while AL Graham was second with 19′ 4.75″. It should be kept in mind that all the jumping was done in the face of a stiffish breeze. The Saturday previous Barr did 20′ 3.5″, a performance which in face of the fact that he had no ‘previous performance’ to give, we felt justified in characterising as a remarkable jump for one who was ostensibly a beginner. We are informed however that Barr was quite entitled to rank as a novice, as he had not jumped since he left school, not even once in practice. JR Gow’s hurdle win was very popular.

Only one record was broken on Saturday and that was in the matter of attendance, the gate and stands realising £233. Two years ago when the championships were held at Hampden, the gate and stands yielded £120.

It is an interesting fact, and one that we have more than once commented on, that the sport at evening meetings is more inspiring than that witnessed at Saturday gatherings. This easily explained. Our athletes do their training after business hours, and it therefor comes more natural to them to run in the evening than in the afternoon. A careful analysis of athletics bears out the fact that better performances are done at evening meetings than at Saturday gatherings. At the West of Scotland Harriers Monday meeting of last week for example, W Malcolm did a capital 1000 yards performance breaking a record which had stood since 1890, his time being 2 mins 27 secs or 2 1-5th secs better than McMichael’s record. The half-mile too produced an excellent finish, about a score entering the home straight in a cluster, and the winner’s time, though fast, might have been accomplished by both Malcolm and Hindle had they not preferred to husband their strength for the extra 120 yards necessary to complete the 1000 yards. The 100 yards heats were closely contested , Hugh Barr winning the first prize very cleverly; while the quarter mile running was the best we have seen for some time.”

It’s a long report and covers the meeting of the previous Monday but I felt that it gave an interesting insight into the athletics of the period. Incidentally, the comments on evening running being more natural and therefor better in quality, raises the question – why not hold the championships in the evenings??? The results:

Event	First	Second	Performance
100 yards	AR Downer	DR McCulloch	10.6 sec
220 yards	AR Downer	DR McCulloch	23.4 sec
440 yards	AR Downer	DR McCulloch	53.4 sec
880 yards	W Malcolm	J Hindle	2:01.4
Mile	A Hannah	J Milroy	4:36
Four Miles	A Hannah	W Robertson	21:36.4
Ten Miles*	A Hannah	SJ Cornish	55:12.6
Three Miles Walk	J Dickison	Only one competitor	29:10.6
120 yards hurdles	JR Gow	AL Graham	17.2 sec
Broad Jump	H Barr	AL GRaham	20’ 0.5”
High Jump	AL Graham	Only one competitor	5’ 8”
Putting the Weight	JD McIntosh	JB Haggerty	40’ 5”
Throwing the Hammer	JD McIntosh	K Whitton	101’ 4”

* Decided 27th March at Hampden Park

Hugh Welsh: Mile and Half-Mile champion in the 1890s

The 1894 championships were held on 23 June at Powderhall on a rainy day – the first since the event had begun in 1883 – and the Three Mile Walk had been taken from the programme. Tha made it three events removed from those contested – throwing the cricket ball, the pole vault and now the walk – and three had been added – the 220 yards, the Four Miles and the Ten Miles. The results from 1894 were

Event	First	Second	Performance
100 yards	AR Downer	DR McCulloch	10.4 seconds
220 yards	AR Downer	DR McCulloch	22.8 seconds
440 yards	AR Downer	R Mitchell	51.8 seconds
880 yards	R Mitchell	TBH Scott	2:09.6
One Mile	J Rodger	H Welsh	5:36
Four Miles	A Hannah	S Duffus	20:48.8
Ten Miles*	A Hannah	SJ Cornish	54:02.6
120 yards hurdles	AL Graham	JR Gow	17.4 seconds
Broad Jump	WCS Taylor	H Barr	20’9”
High Jump	C Fenwick	AL Graham	5’ 8.75”
Putting the Weight	JD McIntosh	MN McInnes	40’ 10”
Throwing the Hammer	JD McIntosh	MN McInnes	94’ 9”

* Decided 2nd April at Powderhall

Downer won his second triple and, despite the comments the previous year, McCulloch took three second places, McIntosh took both throws and Hannah won both long distance races. The ‘Glasgow Herald’ was now reporting the championships in detail and it makes interesting – on Downer for instance it says, “As we pointed out last Monday, sprinting at present provides little interest compared with what it did some time ago, because at present only one man is prominent and he alone was expected to carry off last Saturday’s events. AR Downer came up to expectations. He repeated last year’s performance by putting the triple event to his credit. He had both short races in hand all the way, and won easily. … Great excitement attended the quarter mile race. Downer having captured the other two events, some anxiety existed as to whether he would repeat his form of last year. He used great judgment in his effort, allowing the rest to make the pace, until the half the distance had been covered, when he came away with a great finish nd won easily. R Mitchell, who was fancied, proved his strongest opponent but drew up six yards from the line when he saw Downer was winning.”

The results in the table show a Mile time which was one whole minute – fifteen seconds a lap – slower than the previous year. The average lap speed being 84 seconds, almost exactly the same as lap times for the Four Miles! In reality they were going slower than that – the last lap was run in 54 seconds so the first three must have been in 94 seconds each. The report tells us that the winner had previously run 4:31.4 at the West sports, and also comments that Duffus led through the first mile in the longer race in 4:59.2 “which was 36 4-5th faster than Rodger took in the Mile.”

Fortunately the crowd was ‘a mere handful’ because of the weather because the report ended with the comment that “viewed as a whole, the sport of Saturday cannot claim an important place in the annals of Scottish championship meetings.”

Stewart Duffus

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Admin

Stewart Duffus was originally a member of Arbroath Harriers who, after winning the Scottish Junior Cross Country Championship joined Clydesdale Harriers. He had a glittering career on the track and over the country and was undoubtedly a superb talent. However he was involved in various scandals involving money – accepting travelling expenses, impersonating other athletes and so on – and ended his career a disgraced athlete. We should not get ahead of ourselves though. His career came first.

He burst on to the National scene when he won the National Junior Cross Country Championships in 1893 in the colours of the unfashionable Arbroath Harriers. As a Senior the following year he was second to Clydesdale’s Andrew Hannah after a hard fought race in which he was the only runner able to stay with the great man. In 1895 he was again second – this time to Edinburgh’s P Hay and again there were only two runners together at the finish with Duffus being outsprinted in the race for the line. 1894 was repeated in 1896 when he was behind Andrew Hannah at the finish after a hard race over a heavy course with a lot of ploughed land. The club at that time awarded gold medals and badges for particularly outstanding performances and the Committee Minute for September 1896 reported: Mr Stewart Duffus was granted a gold medal for establishing a record in the 4 Miles Championship in the time of 20 minutes 10 4/5^th seconds and a silver medal for winning a mile race at Maybole on 17^th July in 4 min 29 sec off 35 yards start. His claim for a record medal in the Three Miles Race at the Rangers Sports on 1^st August in the time of 15 minutes 6 3/5^th seconds was held over formally till the Union had passed the performance.” On the track there were many fine races over one, four and ten miles but his only SAAA victory was in the four miles in 1896 in a Scottish record of 20:10.8 for which the above claim was made..

In 1897, not only was he a club member but his brother James Smart Duffus had joined the club in January of that year. After three years in second place he went one better in 1897 when he won the national Senior Championship for the first time. In 1898 it was a reversion to second place: he was returning from a six week lay off due to injury but was aided by his team mate William Robertson losing ground due to torn shorts (!) but just failed to win gold. He was really doing well and was highly thought of at this time and was winning races all over the country: in August 1898 the team of WS Robertson (1^st), John S Duffus (2^nd) and Stewart Duffus won the gold cup, three gold medals and three special prizes at the Berwick team race. In September 1898 he was elected club captain at the AGM with John S Duffus vice captain. The Committee nominated him as HQ Section Two Team Leader in September that year and another family member – cousin JH Duffus – was elected to the club in October. An active Committee Member he was asked by the Committee to visit the Assistant Secretary who had resigned two months after election and enquire further into the matter and if possible persuade him to take up his duties again. Everything was going well for him.

Events to be described below were to prevent his racing the following year.

Stewart and James Smart Duffus

Meanwhile : ~

An Athletics Abuses Committee was set up by the SAAA’s in November 1893 to enquire into various abuses in Amateur Athletics. The sub committee of seven including the respected and experienced Clydesdale Harrier Alex MacNab met seven times and interviewed thirty one witnesses and reported back in January 1894. Various abuses were uncovered and their principal points were as follows:

The payment of athletics expenses, including hotel bills, was general but only to athletes coming from a distance such as England.
It was proved that payments of money had been made in particular to three athletes: the sprinter Alf Downer the Scottish champion; to S Duffus (Arbroath) ‘an outstanding distance runner’ who admitted receiving £2 in the name of expenses from a club: and to RE Messenger, an English runner, who admitted receiving £5 in the name of expenses from a club;
A club had paid a ‘round sum’ to an individual resident in England for a party of English athletes;
In the West of Scotland it was found that payment of entry fees was not enforced as it ought to have been
Betting was prevalent in Edinburgh and Paisley and on the increase in Glasgow;
Roping was spreading and this, together with the betting, was found to be demoralising amateur sport.
(*Roping was the practice of the best runners in a race getting together and agreeing to share the prizes/prize money equally; this often happened over a series of races among a few good runners and deprived the public and the meeting organisers of proper races.)

Athletes and others giving evidence had been guaranteed immunity from any action against them. The findings however led to new definitions of amateurism and new rules dealing with the payment of expenses. The next furore on the subject was not long in coming.

There were rumours in 1898 that there were some professional athletes competing in meetings in Scotland, Ireland and the South of England under assumed names. A sub-committee was set up by the SAAA on 6^th October to make an enquiry into the matter on behalf of the three Associations. The real culprits were almost all Scots. In the investigations the allegations were virtually all upheld and the following proposals made:

1. William Robertson, S Duffus and JS Duffus, Glasgow, be suspended permanently for being implicated in the personation of an Amateur by a Professional at the sports of Cliftonville FC, Belfast, held on 13^th August 1898;

2. JM Gow, JB Glass, Edinburgh, be suspended permanently for being implicated in the Personation of two Amateurs by Professionals at said sports and for betting;

3. James Blackwood, Johnstone, J Rodger, Maybole and Robert Mitchell, Paisley, be permanently suspended for betting; and

4. JH Duffus be suspended for failing to appear before the sub-committee to give evidence.

Robertson, S Duffus, Rodger and Mitchell had been Scottish champions and record holders and their departure from the scene was a loss to the sport. The moral demands on athletes were high.

The ultimate punishment for his errors was banishment from the sport. He could not appeal, he could not hold any office and could not coach or have any involvement in the sport thereafter. Maybe harsh but possibly a model for dealing with drug cheats in the twenty first century. As falls go, they don’t come much more dramatic than that.

Following the publication of the above, more information was received from Alex Wilson and he added the following. “He set a Scottish 3 mile record of 15:09..0 at Glasgow on 27th July 1894 when he outsprinted his great rival Andrew Hannah. His 4 mile record was actually a Scottish native record as opposed to a Scottish record, that being the 19:49.4 by the Anglo-Scot Henry Ackland Munro when he won the 1894 AAA 4 miles championship. He was presented with a valuable gold medal by Rangers Football Club bearing the inscription “Presented by the Rangers FC to Stewart Duffus for breaking the 3 miles Scottish record at their annual sports. Time 15 min 6 2-5th sec. 1st Aug 1896.” Again it was a native record since Munro had a faster time of 14:48.0 to his credit. Duffus was born in Arbroath on 22.10.1873 and an iron worker by trade. He emigrated to America in 1912 and got married, settling in Elmira, New York State, and was drafted by the US Army in 1917. I have no idea of what happened to him after that.”

Thanks Alex for the welcome addition to the profile.

Queen’s Park FC and Athletics

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Admin

This is a follow up from Hugh Barrow to his earlier article on the subject – I’ve put it in a separate page because it links in several directions. The thorny issue of amateurism comes up again and again through the pages of the website and for many years Queen’s Park was noted as the only amateur club in the Scottish football league. Their role in the amateur/professional controversy is of interest, and this article should be taken with the DS Duncan profile and the earlier QPFC article. Some of the actual sports are here , here, and here .

There is much truth in the statement that among the founders of the Queen’s Park Football Club in 1867 were many north-country men, who brought to Glasgow the inherent love of athletics possessed by every Highlander, particularly as regards muscalar events. Mr. J. C. Grant is strong on this point, and his testimony, that the Highland section, who had migrated from Strathbungo to the Recreation Ground at Queen’s Park, where better facilities were available, indulged in hammer-throwing, putting the ball, pole vaulting, and tossing the caber, and first learned the football game from the Y.M.C.A., is correct. The club had only been a very short time in existence when, 29th April, 1869, the advisability of holding athletic sports in connection with the Queen’s Park Football Club was considered, and ” it was finally agreed, after a great deal of reasoning and warm discussion, to defer the matter until a month or two, when it could be entered into with greater confidence to bring about a more successful result.” At this meeting a proposition was made to provide a ball and hammer for the general use of “the members of the Q.P.F.B.C,” but an amendment was carried to the effect that this matter “should be deferreduntil a future period, as the club at present was not in a fit state to incur any extra expense.” However, on 8th July, 1869, “after considering the state of the funds, it was agreed to purchase 121b. and 161b. hammers, and 16lb. ball, for the general use of the club.” It was announced, at the annual meeting held on 14th April, 1870, that, with a view to present additional attractions and amusement for the members, the club had been provided during the year with balls, hammers, and vaulting poles, which had proved valuable auxiliaries in keeping up the interest in the club. The necessity of procuring another set of flags and goal-posts was brought before this meeting by the secretary, and after a little deliberation—it was a serious expenditure at the time—the treasurer and secretary were commissioned to provide flags and stumps, same as before, with goal-posts eight feet high, and all to be painted white. It was further decided to raise a fund for the purpose of holding amateur athletic “games” in the month of September, 1870. Great undertakings were to be I accomplished during the winter months (they played summer football in early days), and ” an endeavour made to turn the football club into one of the best gymnasiums in the kingdom.” A lofty ambition truly, and probably the outcome of the quite recent visit to Hamilton to play the local Gymnasium Club. It has been ascertained that horizontal bars, etc., had been erected at the foot of the vacant piece of ground, used then by this Hamilton club, now built upon, and other forms of athletics practised. The club was an athletic development centre. It was, however, many a long day before this laudable ambition of Queen’s Park was gratified, certainly not until 1889, when the pavilion at second Hampden Park was raised a storey, a gymnasium added, and a competent instructor installed. The month of August is the period in which the great Highland gatherings or “games” are held, and the first Saturday in September was for several years consecrated to the Queen’s Park open sports. It is quite reasonable to suppose that the northern element had a say in fixing this date. There was “a good deal of deliberation on the subject of the date, etc., and whether it could not be possible to hold them—the sports—this year, 1869.” Messrs. Lewis Black and W. Klinger were the authors of this proposal. Mr. Gardner, at the annual general meeting, April,. 1870, said, ” that with a view to present additional attractions and amusement for the members, the club had been provided during the year with balls, hammers, and vaulting poles, which he was glad to see had proved valuable auxiliaries in keeping up the interest in the club.” The contemplated sports, however, did not take place in 1869, nor for that matter until 1872, and only after a letter was read from Mr. II. N. Smith, the president, proposing an athletic competition. Messrs. J. Taylor and A. Rae were appointed a committee, with power to add to their number, ” to manage the whole affair.” On 2nd October, 1872, “Mr. Rae, for the athletic sports committee, reported that the sports had been very successful—Mr. James J. Thomson took the first, and Mr. Joseph Taylor the second prize”—so that the sports would appear to have been a sort of all-round club competition. This was the first sports meeting held by the Queen’s Park Club, and was the precursor of a series of confined meetings held for the encouragement and entertainment of the members. In addition to Messrs. Thomson and Taylor, mentioned above—the former being an athlete in every sense of the word, while the latter shone in the sprints—Messrs. Edmiston and M’Hardy were two strong men, who figured prominently in the ball and hammer throwing. Mr. Charles Campbell too, joining the club as he did in 1870, came in at an opportune time, and was a frequent prize-taker with the hammer, and above the average as a quarter-miler. He, however, did not compete at open sports, devoting his attention to the confined events of the club. Mr. P. M’Hardy, who had only become a member 12th August, 1873, was appointed Second Eleven captain at the annual general meeting in April, 1874. He was one of a sub-committee with Messrs. J. B. Weir and W. M’Kinnon to inquire after suitable “athletic implements” for the general use of the members. They recommended, May, 1874, that a putting ball (161b.), one vaulting pole, and one horizontal bar be got, and they were authorised to procure these at a cost not exceeding £3 sterling. It having been intimated that Mr. M’Hardy intended leaving his set of throwing-hammers in the house for the use of members, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded that gentleman for his kindness. Mr. M’Hardy resigned the captaincy of the Second Eleven, March, 1875, and though asked to give his reasons for doing so, he declined to furnish particulars, and desired the matter should be passed over without further notice. He was re-elected captain of the juniors at the annual general meeting, 1875, which position he did not accept, and also to the match and ground committees. Mr. M’Hardy had a long connection with the Queen’s Park. He resigned 3rd June, 1884. J. D. Finlayson, admitted 17th April, 1873, was an amateur pedestrian who played in the Second Eleven, and obtained distinction on the track until he removed to Inverness. George Philips was also a great rival of Finlayson as a half-mile and mile runner. H. A. Watt, late member of Parliament for the College Division, held the champion-ship of Scotland, being invincible as a hurdle jumper. John Harvie had the honour of being walking champion of Scotland. Many famous athletes competed at open athletic meetings in the colours of the Queen’s Park. No reference is made in the minutes regarding sports, from the first confined meeting until 6th June, 1876, when the club decided to hold its first open athletic meeting. It was agreed at this meeting to have club sports, and the date was fixed, 9th September, 1876, and the secretary was instructed to make it public through the newspapers, and to advertise as thought fit. A scroll list of events was drawn up, and remitted to a strong sub-committee of seven to carry out all the arrangements. Open and confined events were included on the programme, and the list was printed and circulated among the principal clubs in Scotland and England. A number of leading gentlemen in Glasgow and district had been communicated with to secure their patronage, and had already signified their willingness to grant it. In the confined events, on the motions of Messrs. Weir and M’Neil, a 150 yards race was substituted for 200 yards, and the challenge cup half-mile was not to be handicapped. A grant of £30 was given to defray the preliminary expenses. The challenge cup referred to was to become the property of any winner lifting it twice.” The source from which it came is not stated. Messrs. Campbell, M’Neil, M’Kinnon, and Taylor (captain) were to represent Queen’s Park in the four-a-side competition. The other clubs that competed were Eastern, 3rd Lanark, and Dumbarton. There were also a place-kick event, a dribbling race (members), and tug-of-war between football clubs. This is the first reference to this contracted football game, which became popular at sports meetings afterwards. This initial amateur meeting, though the receipts amounted to £213, yet showed a loss of £55—the prizes were handsome, and cost £129. The sports had been ” highly satisfactory as regards the competitions and turn out of spectators, but from a financial point of view had not come up to the anticipations of the committee.” Stock had been acquired to the value of £25, which reduced the loss to this extent. Thus began the series of important athletic meetings held for many years under the auspices of the Queen’s Park Football Club. As the knowledge of athletics spread and developed, the balance was frequently often substantially on the right side; but should the financial result be adverse through bad weather or other causes, the club was in no way deterred from furthering amateur sport of this character. The modus operandi in connection with its first athletic meeting was exactly followed on all subsequent occasions, men of athletic experience being selected as a sub-committee to make and carry out all arrangements.

The Queen’s Park amateur athletic sports stood for years one of the most important in the kingdom, and maintained their position until the introduction by other clubs in the city of the subsidised amateur, who received his expenses, and often the expenses of his trainer, together with a certain sum for appearance money. With this system the Queen’s Park, in its decided abhorrence of everything bordering on professionalism, would have nothing to do. Those great performers who have appeared on the “classic slopes” from time to time had no monetary inducement given them. Members of the club were only too glad to entertain and house them while in Glasgow. It was against all the principles of the club to do more. However, great stars coming from all parts of the kingdom to other local meetings provided attractions which the public, asking no questions, was not able to resist, and the system paid. The strict amateurism of the Queen’s Park was not remunerative, and gradually the club, disheartened, dropped out of the active athletic arena in quite recent years; but now, after the war, more activity is being displayed, and sports were held 6th June, 1920, and, we are glad to relate, proved to be one of the most successful ever held by the club. The prizes set for competition were always of the handsomest description, which the winners could retain with abundant pride to the end of their days, not Brummagem stuff, manufactured for the purpose, so often to be seen now in shop windows. Everything the Queen’s Park undertook was carried out in the best manner possible. The evil of subsidising amateurs became so flagrant that the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association had to intervene and hold an investigation. The efforts to suppress the scandal were only partially successful. When both sports promoter and competitor are in collusion, it is difficult to prove an offence, the consequence being so serious to both parties.

The Queen’s Park committee, having carefully considered the situation, decided, after the athletic meeting in September, 1886 – the sports had been held in September now for ten years–to hold future meetings in June, commencing the following year. The change was made ” because September was considered too far on in the season for sports to be successful, the football season being too close at hand, and the majority of athletes then stale and out of training.” This change of date proved at first very successful, both athletically and financially. In the late ‘eighties and early ‘nineties there was a great influx to the club of athletic and •cycling members, who found the conveniences of the Queen’s Park track met a much-felt want, and these took full advantage of its amenities. The club at first was reluctant to take such men into full membership, as its first and last business was football. Permits were issued for training on the track, with full use of the pavilion and trainer to non-members. It was a great satisfaction to the club to find its efforts in this direction so fully appreciated. The track was constantly being improved, widened, and the banking brought up to the latest speed requirements.

On more than one occasion professional peds. have, under the disguise of amateurs, competed at the sports of the Queen’s Park. In the ‘seventies a famous professional miler ran against George Philips, a noted Queen’s Park amateur miler of the time, to settle some dispute in betting circles as to which was the better man at the distance. The professional won, but did not come forward to claim the prize, having apparently no criminal intent, bar the deception. The case was different at the September sports in 1878 with John Harvie, then Scottish champion walker, as the professional who won walked off with the prize. Mr. Harvie called the attention of the committee to his unfortunate position, but, of course, they had no responsibility in the matter, so he had to content himself with the second prize. BETTING Betting at athletic meetings caused considerable annoyance to the Queen’s Park, and other sports-holding amateur clubs, in the early ‘nineties. As professional pedestrianism had fallen on evil days, brought about by this same betting, and the chicanery associated with it, the scene of operations was transferred to the amateur grounds. This was a state of affairs which the Queen’s Park could not contemplate with equanimity. It was against all the principles of amateurism, and might eventually lead to the ruin of a then healthy pastime. This club was, therefore, the first to take action in the matter, a position which naturally fell to it.

Mr. William Sellar, writer, who was at this date president of Queen’s Park Football Club, took the matter up strenuously, and communicated, on behalf of his club, with the Town Council, May, 1897, regarding what steps the police authorities proposed to take to put down open betting at athletic meetings in the city. The Council remitted the matter to Mr. John Lindsay, then interim Police Clerk, now Sir John Lindsay, Town Clerk of Glasgow, for an opinion. The whole question rested on what was “a place” within the meaning of the Betting Act, 1853, the force of which was not extended to Scotland until amended in 1874. After quoting various decisions of the English and Scottish Courts, Mr. Lindsay gave the following opinion for the guidance of the Town Council :—

As all the meetings of the various athletic clubs of the city are held within closed grounds which are generally known by a name, and are certainly capable of reasonably accurate description, and to which persons from time to time, or on particular occasions or occasion, resort, it, in my opinion, necessarily follows that the areas of those athletic meetings are places within the meaning of the foregoing statutes, and that therefore the provisions of those statutes, prohibiting the using of such places for betting by professional betting men, can be enforced by the police, and thereafter at the instance of the Procurator Fiscal, or of any person, by process in the Sheriff Court.

Mr. Sellar in his letter referred to the decision by Mr. Justice Hawkins in the Dunn case. The learned judge laid it down that an inclosed racecourse was ” a place.” In 1885 the Court of Session, on appeal in the Henretty case—the defendant having been convicted in the Glasgow Sheriff Court tor betting at Shawfield—quashed this conviction ; but Mr. Lindsay was of opinion, notwithstanding these contrary decisions, that though the Procurator-Fiscal, in face of the final issue of the Henretty case, might refuse to prosecute, if that official, or any private person, prosecuted, and the case taken to the High Court, it is very probable it would be heard and disposed of by a full bench of judges.

In face of this decision in the Court of Session, the evil was allowed to continue. It was not until five years later that the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association concluded to move. On 19th May, 1902, a letter was received by the Queen’s Park committee from the honorary secretary of the Western District (S.A.A.A.), intimating that the Association had been in communication with the Chief Constable of Glasgow with a view to stopping the nuisance of betting at sports, and requesting the attendance of one or two delegates from the Queen’s Park Club to co-operate with the Association in the matter, at a meeting fixed by the Chief Constable. Messrs. Geake and Liddell were appointed. No prosecution followed against any bookmakers frequenting Hampden Park or elsewhere. Action was confined to posting notices prohibiting betting at the various grounds, and increased activity on the part of the police stationed there, to see that bookmaking was not carried on. By perseverance, and the invaluable assistance of the Chief Constable, things were made so uncomfortable for the bookies that they ultimately found the game did not pay, and withdrew from this new sphere, where their presence was not wanted. This satisfactory result must be mainly attributed to the initial action of Queen’s Park. One would have thought the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association would have been the first to move in the matter, but such was not the case.

Coupon betting had by January, 1914, become a curse to the game, and, indeed, is so still. Horse racing having been permitted only to a limited extent by the Government during the war, had driven the bookies to other fields to exercise their talents, and one which proved most lucrative was betting by coupon on football matches—an illegal practice which was carried on under various subterfuges. The Continental bookies were compelled to come home, or be interned, and found their occupation abroad gone. Many efforts were made to suborn players to sell matches, and it is painful to relate that some players, not many, accepted the tempting bait offered them. The evil is more rampant in England than in Scotland. Consequently the Football Association has been more active in its attempts to suppress these insidious attempts to ruin the game, and several English players have been severely punished, when direct proof has been forthcoming that they have been guilty. So far the Scottish Association has not been called upon to prosecute, though it has kept a watchful eye on what is occurring in regard to coupon betting in Scotland. No case of the kind has come before it, which proves that Scottish players are practically immune, and have the interests of football, which are also their own, at heart, and play the game in a cleanand honourable way. The Scottish League, however, thought at this period, 1914, probably because the professional player came more directly under its control, that it would be advisable to indicate its position on the subject. A circular was issued to the clubs, copies of which were to be hung in the players’ dressing rooms, the referee’s room, and the committee rooms, at each ground, condemning coupon betting. In this way the warning against the evil would be perpetually before the players and the clubs.

After a conference with the Scottish League, who stated coupon betting had become acute, the Scottish Association also took up the matter, and in January, 1916, passed the following resolution:—

Any director, official, player, or other person connected with football management w<h© participates directly or indirectly in betting upon the results of football matches shall be expelled from the game.

Further, in May, 1916, at an extraordinary general meeting of the Scottish Football Association, this resolution was added to articles of association as a new article, and all clubs were compelled to post in their pavilions a copy of the resolution as a warning to players and officials. Still the practice goes on. Only quite recently an English player was imprisoned (March, 1918) for trying to induce certain players to sell a game at the instance of betting men, who themselves escaped punishment.

The Queen’s Park was one of the first members of the Scottish Amateur Gymnastic Union. When the club was approached by the secretary of the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers Athletic Club (Gymnastic Section), the committee appointed Messrs. D. C. Brown and Stewart Lawrie to represent the club at a meeting held on 6th June, 1890, to form this Union. Before August, 1891, the Union was in debt to the extent of £30, and appealed to the club to assist it in its difficulties. The Queen’s Park agreed to pay its just proportion of the indebtedness, on the understanding that its resignation be accepted afterwards. The club formally resigned from the Union in September, 1891. Mr. Stewart Lawrie, Queen’s Park, was the first president of this Union.

In the autumn of 1890 baseball teams were giving exhibitions throughout the country, of the American national pastime. Mr. M. P. Betts, secretary of the National Baseball League, made application for the use of Hampden Park on a week night, in an effort to popularise the game in this country. Baseball did not appeal to Scotland, nor, for the matter of that to England. All the efforts to introduce it into this country were still-born. Another attempt was made to interest football clubs in the game—November, 1906—when a meeting of clubs in and around Glasgow was held in the George Hotel to consider the advisability of starting a Baseball Association, but the the proposal met with small support. The Queen’s Park committee did not entertain the project. In 1918 another exposition of the game was given on Hampden Paris, between teams drawn from the American Navy, and the Canadian soldiers, who had come over to take part in the war. Played in the cause of charity, it proved a variation, no more.

The idea of a gymnasium for the members seems to have originated with Mr. James Lawrence, who was president of the Queen’s Park for three seasons. At the annual general meeting in May, 1889, he drew attention to the want of variety in the system of training, running being really the only form of exercise members could avail themselves of. The chairman, Mr. Stewart Lawrie, said that the erection of a small gymnasium had been thought of, and, as a substantial balance was in bank, the idea would probably take definite shape very shortly. It did take shape when the pavilion was enlarged in 1889, and a spacious gymnasium was built at the back, with Mr. Benson, Glasgow University Gymnasium, as instructor.

QUEEN’S PARK AND ATHLETICS

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Admin

Hugh Barrow sent the following report suggesting that it might feature as a tribute to the efforts of our sporting forebears and I agree that it gives an insight into the Scottish athletics heritage that the athletics authorities seem reluctant to acknowledge. Reasons for this on a postcard – why don’t the annual award ceremonies make an award for sports historian of the year, or just for services to researching/publicising/writing about the beginnings of the sport, after all there are many categories of award that seem to duplicate each other. Anyway, grouse over, read the following which comes, he says from ‘The History of Queen’s Park, 1866 – 196 by Richard Robinson. It is an interesting topic to pursue and a time when all sports supported all others – Clydesdale Harriers had cycling sections plus members from football, cricket, rugby, hockey, swimming and they even had a world amateur boxing champion. The QP badge is below – there is no prize for the translation of the motto (although it would be interesting to see how many young’uns got it) on the assumption that readers are all familiar with and fluent in Latin. Hugh has asked that we note our thanks to Robert Paterson and Queen’s Park for the following.

There is much truth in the statement that among the founders of the Queen’s Park Football Club in 1867 were many north-country men, who brought to Glasgow the inherent love of athletics possessed by every Highlander, particularly as regards muscalar events. Mr. J. C. Grant is strong on this point, and his testimony, that the Highland section, who had migrated from Strathbungo to the Recreation Ground at Queen’s Park, where better facilities were available, indulged in hammer-throwing, putting the ball, pole vaulting, and tossing the caber, and first learned the football game from the Y.M.C.A., is correct. The club had only been a very short time in existence when, 29th April, 1869, the advisability of holding athletic sports in connection with the Queen’s Park Football Club was considered, and ” it was finally agreed, after a great deal of reasoning and warm discussion, to defer the matter until a month or two, when it could be entered into with greater confidence to bring about a more successful result.” At this meeting a proposition was made to provide a ball and hammer for the general use of “the members of the Q.P.F.B.C,” but an amendment was carried to the effect that this matter “should be deferred until a future period, as the club at present was not in a fit state to incur any extra expense.” However, on 8th July, 1869, “after considering the state of the funds, it was agreed to purchase 121b. and 161b. hammers, and 16lb. ball, for the general use of the club.” It was announced, at the annual meeting held on 14th April, 1870, that, with a view to present additional attractions and amusement for the members, the club had been provided during the year with balls, hammers, and vaulting poles, which had proved valuable auxiliaries in keeping up the interest in the club. The necessity of procuring another set of flags and goal-posts was brought before this meeting by the secretary, and after a little deliberation—it was a serious expenditure at the time—the treasurer and secretary were commissioned to provide flags and stumps, same as before, with goal-posts eight feet high, and all to be painted white. It was further decided to raise a fund for the purpose of holding amateur athletic “games” in the month of September, 1870. Great undertakings were to be accomplished during the winter months (they played summer football in early days), and ” an endeavour made to turn the football club into one of the best gymnasiums in the kingdom.” A lofty ambition truly, and probably the outcome of the quite recent visit to Hamilton to play the local Gymnasium Club. It has been ascertained that horizontal bars, etc., had been erected at the foot of the vacant piece of ground, used then by this Hamilton club, now built upon, and other forms of athletics practised. The club was an athletic development centre. It was, however, many a long day before this laudable ambition of Queen’s Park was gratified, certainly not until 1889, when the pavilion at second Hampden Park was raised a storey, a gymnasium added, and a competent instructor installed. The month of August is the period in which the great Highland gatherings or “games” are held, and the first Saturday in September was for several years consecrated to the Queen’s Park open sports. It is quite reasonable to suppose that the northern element had a say in fixing this date. There was “a good deal of deliberation on the subject of the date, etc., and whether it could not be possible to hold them—the sports—this year, 1869.” Messrs. Lewis Black and W. Klinger were the authors of this proposal. Mr. Gardner, at the annual general meeting, April,. 1870, said, ” that with a view to present additional attractions and amusement for the members, the club had been provided during the year with balls, hammers, and vaulting poles, which he was glad to see had proved valuable auxiliaries in keeping up the interest in the club.” The contemplated sports, however, did not take place in 1869, nor for that matter until 1872, and only after a letter was read from Mr. II. N. Smith, the president, proposing an athletic competition. Messrs. J. Taylor and A. Rae were appointed a committee, with power to add to their number, ” to manage the whole affair.” On 2nd October, 1872, “Mr. Rae, for the athletic sports committee, reported that the sports had been very successful—Mr. James J. Thomson took the first, and Mr. Joseph Taylor the second prize”—so that the sports would appear to have been a sort of all-round club competition. This was the first sports meeting held by the Queen’s Park Club, and was the precursor of a series of confined meetings held for the encouragement and entertainment of the members. In addition to Messrs. Thomson and Taylor, mentioned above—the former being an athlete in every sense of the word, while the latter shone in the sprints—Messrs. Edmiston and M’Hardy were two strong men, who figured prominently in the ball and hammer throwing. Mr. Charles Campbell too, joining the club as he did in 1870, came in at an opportune time, and was a frequent prize-taker with the hammer, and above the average as a quarter-miler. He, however, did not compete at open sports, devoting his attention to the confined events of the club. Mr. P. M’Hardy, who had only become a member 12th August, 1873, was appointed Second Eleven captain at the annual general meeting in April, 1874. He was one of a sub-committee with Messrs. J. B. Weir and W. M’Kinnon to inquire after suitable “athletic implements” for the general use of the members. They recommended, May, 1874, that a putting ball (161b.), one vaulting pole, and one horizontal bar be got, and they were authorised to procure these at a cost not exceeding £3 sterling. It having been intimated that Mr. M’Hardy intended leaving his set of throwing-hammers in the house for the use of members, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded that gentleman for his kindness. Mr. M’Hardy resigned the captaincy of the Second Eleven, March, 1875, and though asked to give his reasons for doing so, he declined to furnish particulars, and desired the matter should be passed over without further notice. He was re-elected captain of the juniors at the annual general meeting, 1875, which position he did not accept, and also to the match and ground committees. Mr. M’Hardy had a long connection with the Queen’s Park. He resigned 3rd June, 1884. J. D. Finlayson, admitted 17th April, 1873, was an amateur pedestrian who played in the Second Eleven, and obtained distinction on the track until he removed to Inverness. George Philips was also a great rival of Finlayson as a half-mile and mile runner. H. A. Watt, late member of Parliament for the College Division, held the champion-ship of Scotland, being invincible as a hurdle jumper. John Harvie had the honour of being walking champion of Scotland. Many famous athletes competed at open athletic meetings in the colours of the Queen’s Park. No reference is made in the minutes regarding sports, from the first confined meeting until 6th June, 1876, when the club decided to hold its first open athletic meeting. It was agreed at this meeting to have club sports, and the date was fixed, 9th September, 1876, and the secretary was instructed to make it public through the newspapers, and to advertise as thought fit. A scroll list of events was drawn up, and remitted to a strong sub-committee of seven to carry out all the arrangements. Open and confined events were included on the programme, and the list was printed and circulated among the principal clubs in Scotland and England. A number of leading gentlemen in Glasgow and district had been communicated with to secure their patronage, and had already signified their willingness to grant it. In the confined events, on the motions of Messrs. Weir and M’Neil, a 150 yards race was substituted for 200 yards, and the challenge cup half-mile was not to be handicapped. A grant of £30 was given to defray the preliminary expenses. The total sanctioned for prize money amounted to £92. The first grand stand on any football ground in Scotland, costing £237, was erected in time for, and first used at, this athletic meeting. The challenge cup referred to was to become the property of any winner lifting it twice.” The source from which it came is not stated. Messrs. Campbell, M’Neil, M’Kinnon, and Taylor (captain) were to represent Queen’s Park in the four-a-side competition. The other clubs that competed were Eastern, 3rd Lanark, and Dumbarton. There were also a place-kick event, a dribbling race (members), and tug-of-war between football clubs. This is the first reference to this contracted football game, which became popular at sports meetings afterwards. This initial amateur meeting, though the receipts amounted to £213, yet showed a loss of £55—the prizes were handsome, and cost £129. The sports had been ” highly satisfactory as regards the competitions and turn out of spectators, but from a financial point of view had not come up to the anticipations of the committee.” Stock had been acquired to the value of £25, which reduced the loss to this extent. Thus began the series of important athletic meetings held for many years under the auspices of the Queen’s Park Football Club. As the knowledge of athletics spread and developed, the balance was frequently often substantially on the right side; but should the financial result be adverse through bad weather or other causes, the club was in no way deterred from furthering amateur sport of this character. The modus operandi in connection with its first athletic meeting was exactly followed on all subsequent occasions, men of athletic experience being selected as a sub-committee to make and carry out all arrangements.

BETTING Betting at athletic meetings caused considerable annoyance to the Queen’s Park, and other sports-holding amateur clubs, in the early ‘nineties. As professional pedestrianism had fallen on evil days, brought about by this same betting, and the chicanery associated with it, the scene of operations was transferred to the amateur grounds. This was a state of affairs which the Queen’s Park could not contemplate with equanimity. It was against all the principles of amateurism, and might eventually lead to the ruin of a then healthy pastime. This club was, therefore, the first to take action in the matter, a position which naturally fell to it.

Coupon betting had by January, 1914, become a curse to the game, and, indeed, is so still. Horse racing having been permitted only to a limited extent by the Government during the war, had driven the bookies to other fields to exercise their talents, and one which proved most lucrative was betting by coupon on football matches—an illegal practice which was carried on under various subterfuges. The Continental bookies were compelled to come home, or be interned, and found their occupation abroad gone. Many efforts were made to suborn players to sell matches, and it is painful to relate that some players, not many, accepted the tempting bait offered them. The evil is more rampant in England than in Scotland. Consequently the Football Association has been more active in its attempts to suppress these insidious attempts to ruin the game, and several English players have been severely punished, when direct proof has been forthcoming that they have been guilty. So far the Scottish Association has not been called upon to prosecute, though it has kept a watchful eye on what is occurring in regard to coupon betting in Scotland. No case of the kind has come before it, which proves that Scottish players are practically immune, and have the interests of football, which are also their own, at heart, and play the game in a clean and honourable way. The Scottish League, however, thought at this period, 1914, probably because the professional player came more directly under its control, that it would be advisable to indicate its position on the subject. A circular was issued to the clubs, copies of which were to be hung in the players’ dressing rooms, the referee’s room, and the committee rooms, at each ground, condemning coupon betting. In this way the warning against the evil would be perpetually before the players and the clubs.

After a conference with the Scottish League, who stated coupon betting had become acute, the Scottish Association also took up the matter, and in January, 1916, passed the following resolution:—

Glasgow Academicals Sports

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Admin

It is well known that Clydesdale Harriers was the first open athletic club in Scotland and their first track race was held in 1885. They also had annual sports – mainly at Kinning Park and Ibrox but also at other football grounds such as the Meadowside (Partick Thistle), Celtic Park and even at Dunoon. But even were the club’s annual sports still extant, they would not be the oldest surviving sports meeting in the country. Prior to the Harriers, athletic sports were either carried on by the professionals or by the fee-paying schools such as Fettes and Loretto. The first of them all however was in Glasgow and organised by Glasgow Academy. We are grateful to Hugh Barrow for the information below and for all the pictures on the page. The Glasgow Academy Sports is maybe not a name that jumps out the athletics calendar at you, but it is an event that provides a timeline for the history of athletics in the west of Scotland and is probably the oldest surviving meeting in the west. The Academy is in Glasgow’s West End and was founded in 1845.

120 yards hurdles

It first saw light of day in May 1868 some fifteen years before the SAAA were formed in 1883 and has taken place every year since even throughout two World Wars. Originally organised as the Glasgow Academical Sports it was first held at the historic ground Burnbank which lay on the south side of Great Western Rd between present Park Rd and flyover on the M8 at St George’s Cross This ground was home at various times to Glasgow Accies Rugby Club, Rangers FC, various cricket clubs and saw the birth of the worlds oldest inter district rugby match when Glasgow first met Edinburgh in 1872 in the Inter City.

It can also lay claim to be the ground that gave William Smith the impetus to found the Boys Brigade as he drilled there with the 1st Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifles. He founded the Brigade just across the Great Western Rd in 1883. The Boys Brigade is an inter-denominational organisation which combined drill, fun activities and Christian values. It quickly spread throughout the United Kingdom and now has over half a million boys in 60 countries. The middle picture above show the BB drilling at Burnbank. But back to the sports.

Initially the Sports’ programme included a wide range of events for pupils and former pupils and also in clouded “strangers” races which in effect were open events that helped to encourage athletics in the area. It was common practice at the time for rugby and football clubs to host athletics meetings and this is reflected in the founder clubs of the SAAA. Over time the event moved to Kelvinside in the 1870s and then on to Old Anniesland in 1883 finally making its current venue New Anniesland in 1903. At the end of the Victorian era the sports had become a major social gathering with the Royal Scots Greys band stopping of to play en route to the Boer War

As part of the Sports they included a paper chase – also known as hares and hounds – where two runners (hares) set off carrying crescent shaped bags full of paper trimmings under their armpits and laid a trail, made up on the hoof, to be followed by the main pack (the hounds). The course finished at Burnbank and went as far as Balmore and Bardowie. Now largely built up, at that time it was clear country most of the way until they came back through Hillhead. The prime movers of this event were JW Arthur and Tom Chalmers who played rugby and cricket for Scotland almost made it for football as well! The actual route was as follows: meet at Bishopbriggs station – Cadder – Balmore – Glenorchard – Milngavie Road – Bardowie Loch – Allander Toll – Killermont – Canniesburn – Garscube – Great Western Road – Hyndland Road – Dowanhill – Hillhead – Burnbank.

Entry Ticket for the sports of 1879;
The event may not now have the status of yesteryear but it is not alone in this regard but it certainly has stood the test of time. There have been many top flight athletes taking part in the sports such as:

Ginger MacLeod who won the SAAA 100 yards and became the first winner of the Scottish 220 yards championship in 1882 before going on to set a Scottish 120 yards record at the Ibrox Sports the same year.
RS Stronach who became a Scotland rugby cap went on to win the British 120 yards hurdles in 1904, 1905 and 1906. His winning time in 1904 was identical to the winning time in the St Louis Olympics.
John McIsaac who was a gold medallist in the European Championships 4 x 400m relay in 1958. He also broke Halswelle’s long standing record for 440 yards when he ran 48.0 seconds at Ibrox Sports.
Hugh Barrow who was one of Scotland’s best ever milers
Pat Maclagan who won the SAAA Marathon Championship in 1971.
Alan Wilson who had a very good road running career.
Alastair Douglas was a very good distance runner on all surfaces.

The Origins of Cross Country Running in Scotland

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Admin

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