Category: Officials

Colin Shields wearing the chain of office of President of the SCCU

I have known Colin for over 50 years.   We first met when we were running in the inter-club track meetings between our two clubs in the late 1950’s, weserved on the SAAA General and West District Committees together, and sharing an interest in athletics history, there has been almost continuous contact over past few decades years.   His range on interest and abilities is wide: as a runner he has run track, road and cross-country and even raced the Ben Nevis race three times.   As an administrator he has served on the committees of  two athletic clubs (Greenock Glenpark Harriers and Dumbarton AAC), two District Committees (South Western and Western), the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association (where he rose to the position of President) and the Scottish Cross-Country Union (again he rose to the presidency).    As an official he has worked at club, County, District and National Championships as well as at other meetings large and small around the country.    And of course as a historian he has produced one of the great reference works of Scottish athletics, the official centenary history of the SCCU.    This was not without its difficulties when some committee men felt that it should be shorter and tried to do just that by removing a handful of pages without reference to the content but it has proved its worth and is treasured by historians, be they club, national or individual.   The whole speaks of a man who loves the sport and his career is well worth examining in some detail.

A very young Colin, second from the right in the middle row, with a Greenock Glenpark Harriers group in the 1950’s

His athletics career has been summarised at the start of ‘Whatever the Weather’ (his centenary history of the SCCU) as follows.   “Colin was born in Shanghai and educated in Greenock and Strathclyde University.   He is a qualified civil engineer and town planner who was in charge of transportation planning at Glasgow District Council Planning Department.   He has been involved with athletics and cross-country running since joining Greenock Glenpark Harriers in 1952.   He has been involved in all aspects of the sport – he has been a runner, official, administrator, historian, announcer and statistician with interests in events as disparate as the decathlon (for which he was championship convener for ten years) and cross-country running.

He has always been fascinated by statistics and the results of the sport being a member of the National Union of Track Statisticians and a founder member of the Scottish Association of Track Statisticians, assisting in the compiling, collation and publishing of annual ranking lists.   He has been convenor of the SCCU Rules Committee as well as the Records and Statistics Committee.

A past President of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association he has been a member of the SAAA General Committee from the 1970’s into the twenty first century.   In cross-country, he has filled the offices of Secretary of the South Western and Western District Committees for over 16 years.

A long term fascination with the history and personalities of cross-country since its inception in 1885 has led him to carry out the lengthy and detailed research that led to the publication of his justly celebrated ‘Whatever The Weather’ – the centenary history of the SCCU.

He has also been a freelance contributor to athletics magazines such as ‘Athletics Weekly’ and produced the regular and much valued results service for the now defunct ‘Scotland’s Runner’.”

In some American publications a fellow who could run pretty well, could work as a doctor and also write for a well-known athletics magazine was referred to as a ‘renaissance man’ – I always thought that that was a bit over the top but if it were true, what does that make Colin?

Let’s go back to the beginning: how did Colin get into the sport in the first place?    He was thirteen years old at the time and as a pupil in the second year at Greenock High School he went along to Greenock Glenpark Harriers with George and Jim Spence and Billy Murray.   Their PE teacher was really only interested in football and when George Spence kicked an opponent in a football match he was told he could just run round the football pitch for the rest of the period.   That encouraged the other Harriers in the class to lash out in the course of the match and a good training session became the norm.   They ran in the school summer championships on a grass 220 yard pitch and also in the ‘The Metropolis of Greenock’ championships encompassing the schools in Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow as well as in the Scottish Schools relay at Westerlands.   Colin’s best times at this period were

100 yards:   11.7 seconds;   220 yards:   24.6;   440 yards:   55.4;   880 yards:   2:09.6;   Mile:   4:39;   Two Miles:   9:28

Colin ran in club, county and National Championships.   His first run in the National Championships in 1957 when he was 76^th in the Youths event.   It was a good team that year with Willie Murray and George Spence as the first two club finishers.   For the following three years he ran in the Junior Championships, finishing 71^st, 115^th and 68^th.   He ran as a Senior in 1962 and 1963 finishing down the field but the notes on the 1963 championship say that among those who failed to finish that year, were Bob Wotherspoon (Shettleston), Charlie Meldrum (St Modan’s), Gordon Eadie(Cambuslang), Jim Alder (Morpeth Harriers), Graham Peters (VPAAC), John Kerr (Airdrie Harriers), Dick Penman and Jim Irvine (both Bellahouston Harriers).   So it wasn’t too bad a run.   On the road he had one run in the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay, and ran in the first ever Tom Scott 10 Road Race where he was timed at 63:06.   Colin was for several years a regular in the Gourock HG 14 miles road race and also took part in such events as Dirrans (13 miles) and Carluke (12 miles) road races.   The hill running scene also attracted his attentions and Colin ran in the Ben Lomond race and successfully tackled the Ben Nevis race three times.

At the age of 17 he was elected to the post of Assistant Secretary of Greenock Glenpark and his duties included writing the minutes of committee meetings and collecting training levies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.    However having gained his first professional qualification he moved to a job in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.   This meant resigning as Assistant Secretary after just eight months in the job.   However you can’t keep a good man down and on his return he joined Dumbarton AAC where he was Treasurer for four years.    He kept his membership of Greenock Glenpark Harriers alive however and future service to athletics was done under their banner.

In 1958, Colin with some other Greenock Glenpark harriers went to Cardiff for the British Empire Games and after they were over stayed with relatives for another week’s holiday.   While there he went into the AAA’s offices and saw his first copy of ‘Athletics Weekly’.   he asked if he could keep it and was told he could take ‘that whole box’ if he wanted.   The box was filled with back numbers of AW’s that were to be thrown out.   Needless to say he took it and that was when he started collecting details of performances.   This led to membership of SATS – the Scottish Association of Track Statisticians – and he became one of the  key figures behind the now sadly defunct Scottish Athletics Yearbook which was a ‘must have’ for all genuinely involved in the sport north of the border.   It had ranking lists for each and every event at every recognised age group for both men and women with short notes on the state of the event at the top of each event’s rankings.   There were many other features – articles on various aspects by most of the great and good in the sport, pen portraits of selected athletes, historical records lists, results from championships and internationals and much more besides.   A closer look at this publication is taken below.

While on the subject of records, he was convener of the Rules and Records Committee for many years and at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh he was Chief Press Liaison Officer.   This led him into a story that was to be printed in all the national papers.   It concerned the decathlete Daley Thomson who won the event in typical style.   Clearly to my mind the best all-round athlete the country has ever produced, the word ‘mercurial’ has been used to describe Thomson’s style in public and there were many occasions when he was genuinely kind and prepared to sign autographs and pose for pictures.  He had another side and  was described by the Times as being  “Objectional, charmless and rude“ and “This is not a man destined to be a sports diplomat.”   The Sun said that he showed “over-powering arrogance and rudeness.”.    As for the incident itself, the Los Angeles Times described it as follows.   “”Thompson gives cold shoulder to officials: he wins third straight decathlon title then throws away sponsor’s bib.    For the second straight day, Thomson delighted the spectators but angered the officials with his behaviour.   When games press liaison officer Colin Shields requested him to attend a press conference, the decathlete replied ‘I bloody won’t‘”     The St Petersburg Times (in Russia) reported, “Thompson wins again: continues to defy officials.   When Press Officer Colin Shields requested him to attend a news conference for the medalists, Thompson said, ‘I bloody won’t.’   Shields said that he later complained to England’s Track and Field manager Gordon Wright about Thompson’s behaviour.”   A final comment was added by the Philadelphia Inquirer when it said “We know but can’t control him,” Shields quoted Wright as saying.”   

Colin’s view of the matter was covered in an article by Stewart McIntosh in ‘Scotland’s Runner of September 1986 and reads as follows.   “What is the truth about the fracas between Daley Thomson and SAAA official Colin Shields?   For a gleeful Press the story of Thomson telling an official to ‘piss off’ added an extra head of froth to the previous day’s antics about the Guinness logo.   Thomson defended himself by suggesting that Shields was out of order in approaching him immediately after the medal ceremony requesting him to attend a press conference.   But Shields insists that he approached Thomson much earlier and that the three-times Commonwealth gold medal winner breached an agreement about press procedures.  

To prevent athletes from being besieged by the press, the procedure had been agreed in advance.   Immediately after finishing their events, winning athletes would give the BBC a ‘flash’ interview before descending into the tunnel out of the centre of the arena.   If the written press wanted an interview, then it was Shields’s job to pass the request on to the athlete and request him or her to go to the press room immediately after the medal ceremony.   This arrangement gave competitors about half an hour to compose themselves and give some thought to what they were going to say.   Although every nation attending the games had agreed that their athletes would be available previous experience with the decathlete had made journalists sceptical about the prospects of Thomson meeting this obligation.  

Shields approached him immediately after his ‘flash’ interview where Thomson was obviously relaxed and in good humour as he joked with the TV journalist.   ‘I congratulated Daley on his third Commonwealth gold – and told him that I hoped he would break the world record in Stuttgart.   I then asked him if he would come to the press conference in about half an hour’s time after the medal ceremony’, says Shields.   Thomson’s answer was firm and to the point.   I’m not bloody well going to any press conference,’ he told the press liaison officer.   ‘I repeated the request saying that it was just 20 yards along the corridor and he would have about half an hour until after the ceremony to prepare for the press,’ says Shields.  

‘No, I don’t go to any bloody press conferences.   Don’t you understand the bloody English language?   Now piss off, said Thomson.    ‘I was shocked because no one else had refused,; says Shields, ‘Even some athletes like Fatima Whitbread who were a bit distraught agreed to come.   But it was the manner of his refusal which really took me aback.   I have no axe to grind for the press – if Thomson doesn’t want to give interviews that’s up to him, but there is no need for that kind of behaviour to someone whose job it is to pass on the message.’

Shields received an apology from the English team manager and an explanation that Thomson was difficult to control, but he was particularly wounded by Thomson’s allegations next day that he had not been approached until after the medal ceremony.   ‘Every athlete was approached at the same time – down in the tunnel right after their event and with half an hour’s notice of the press conference.   I have spent enough years watching and officiating at athletics matches to know that you have to be sensitive in your approach and that there are times when any athlete needs to be left alone.   But Thomson had plenty of time and had been joking and smiling with the TV reporter immediately before I went up to him, Shields explained.   Shields stresses that he remains a great admirer of Thomson’s athletic abilities – ‘I still hope that he gets that world record in Stuttgart, but I have lost some respect for him as a human being.’

And that’s that story of how Colin came to appear in the pages of the press all over the world from Los Angeles to St Petersburgh as well as throughout the Commonwealth.

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He was also a member of the club group that travelled with Shettleston Harriers to the Rome Olympics in 1960 and in 1970 one of his Dumbarton clubmates, Alistair Lawson had a relative with a flat in Edinburgh.   Colin and some others went through for the duration and watched every single day’s athletics.   His list of Games attended is impressive and includes 1958  –   Empire Games in Cardiff;   1960   –   Olympic Games in Rome;   1970   –   Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh;   1972  –   Olympic Games in Munich;   1974   –   Europeans Championships in Rome;   1986   –   Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh;   1987   –   World Championships in Rome;   1987  –  Euro Juniors in Birmingham.    He also officiated at the inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games in Edinburgh and was responsible for records at the European Games in Glasgow in 1991.

When I asked him to say what was the high point from all the athletics that he had seen, he unhesitatingly said watching Herb Elliott win the Olympic 1500m in a new world record in Rome in 1960.   It was a really memorable trip and that particular event was the best of the best.   At home his top moment wasn’t as might be expected to do with middle distance running, or indeed any track event.   It was Ken McKay in 1985 doing a tremendous long jump on a nasty night at Edinburgh.   As soon as he landed he was leaping around and celebrating excitedly.   When Colin asked him about it Ken said that when a long jumper hits the board right, gets the jump right and lands going forward and not falling back, it’s a dream jump and he knows immediately.   It was a career best for the Pitreavie athlete.

Following the 1970 Commonwealth Games, he attended a course for track officials organised by Jim Morton at Bellahouston in Glasgow.   Jim pointed out right at the start that to be a track official, you needed concentration, good eyesight, keenness and ‘a strong bladder’ because you were out there for the duration of the meeting.   This led eventually to Colin being a Grade 1 track judge, a wind gauge operator, a marksman and the track referee qualification.

I first heard of Brian Goodwin when I was travelling on the Scottish Marathon Club bus up to Kinlochleven Highland Games in the early 1960s.   The bus had stopped at the Green Kettle at Bridge of Orchy for a cup of tea or whatever and we were standing outside talking when one of the runners mentioned that Brian had run some exceptional times in Finland.   I first met Brian after running a good first stage of the McAndrew Relays not long after that – I had been in fourth/fifth up to the last run-in when three others passed me.   I had just stopped and was gathering my thoughts nd breath when Brian said to Les Meneely of Shettleston (both just in front of me, and Brian was one of those who had passed me in the straight, that they had better watch out for me that season!   An inaccurate prediction as it happened but we became friends there and then.   I soon found out that he was a bit carnaptious and often began a conversation with a pseudo-insult which was quickly followed by a question about some aspect of running or someone he knew in Clydesdale Harriers.

As indicated, Brian started out in the sport as a runner in the 1950’s.   Like his brother Billy, who had been Scottish Youth cross-country champion in 1955 and 1956, and Scottish Junior champion in 1959, he was a member of Bellahouston Harriers and remained so for the rest of his life.   I once walked with him from the train station in Airdrie to Rawyards Park for the meeting there and he was talking about a proposed union of Bellahouston and Shettleston – a union which never came to pass and which he opposed.   How good was   he?   His personal best times are in the table (below, left), together with its ranking in Scotland.

Brian also ran in the steeplechase early in his career and had a best of 9:21.2 in 1963 which placed him third in Scotland – his highest ranking in any event in his career.   He ranked 27 times for 9 different events over a period of eleven years at a time when the standard was very high indeed in the country.   Possibly as a result of that, he only had one National medal to show for it – a third place in the SAAA Six Miles in 1968.   After a hard duel, the winner was Lachie Stewart in 28:12.8, second was John Linaker in 28:17.2 and third was Brian in 31:10.4.

At club level he ran in 12 consecutive Edinburgh to Glasgow Relays (four on Stage One, three on Stage Two, four on Stage Six and one on Stage Three) and ran in the National Championships from the Senior Boy (U15) age through to Senior Man on a total of 10 occasions.

He was withou doubt a very useful athlete who seemed to move seamlessly  into officialdom and administration immediately on leaving competitive athletics

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Doug Gillon in his obituary notice said of Brian’s running career:

“His best times were 30:24.6 for 10k and 14:47.6 for 5k. He never won a Scottish title, but these times would have won the national championships at both distances during recent years. His one national championship medal, bronze at six miles, was behind future Commonwealth champion Lachie Stewart and John Linaker in 1968. Goodwin and Pat McLaggan headed the pursuit, and McLaggan believed he had one lap left when the steward called: “Two to go.” Next time round, when McLaggan stopped to argue, Brian kept running and took the medal. Nine years earlier, his brother, Billy, another gifted runner, had medalled in this event. Brian ran a 2:26 marathon while working in Sweden, but his best on home soil was 2:29.56 for fourth in the Scottish championships, in an era when anything under 2:30 was virtually world-class.”

Ian Leggett, Brian Goodwin and Jim Irvine

The Scottish Post Office team for the PO International

Brian was a very good clubman: Jim Russell wrote the following about his own experiences within Bellahouston Harriers.

“When I joined Bellahouston Harriers in 1968 Jimmy Irvine started to give me advice on training and he told me that Brian Goodwin was the top distance man in the club and had been since he was a junior and that was because most of the best runners in the club had retired at the same time or were now past their best.

      He could be very abrasive and didn’t suffer fools but he always tried to help other athletes and would do anything for the club. He always wanted the club to do well in races and could become very passionate. An example of this involving myself came in my first year as a junior. I had had a good run in the McAndrew in the B or C team which resulted in being promoted to the first team for the Renfrewshire Relay running second leg. Jack Adair had an excellent run on first stage handing me a lead of 150 yards on Greenock Wellpark who had John Stevenson who was I think was  already a veteran on second. I set off round Bellahouston Park with Brian expecting me to increase the lead or at least hold it but whether I  let nerves get the better of me or I was just having a nightmare I was gradually pulled in by Stevenson and eventually staggered over the line about 100 yards down in 3rd place. As I hung onto a fence to stay on my feet I became aware of Brian standing next to me shouting and demanding to know what I was playing at. Suffice it to say that my reply started and finished with the letter F. Brian was pulled away by another club runner.  The team eventually finished in second.

      Brian had a hatred of deliberate dead heats and if he was judging at a race would make sure that the runners were split. An example of this came in the Glasgow Schools Cross country Championships in Pollok estate. Frank Clement was a runaway winner of the race winning by 96 seconds (still I believe the largest winning margin in the history of the championships). However the 2nd and 3rd places were close together all the way and were actually friends living close to each other but running for different schools. Towards the end of the race they came to an agreement to cross the line together holding hands but they had not reckoned with Brian being the head judge. Brian decided that they had not been level and gave the decision to the runner who had been in 3rd place most of the race. I would not be surprised if he was responsible for splitting George Braidwood and Peter Fleming when they tried to dead heat at The Luddon Half Marathon in 1983.

        Brian was no respecter of reputations either no matter who the person or persons were. I was not able to attend the World Cross Country at Bellahouston Park in 1978 (blame my sister for getting married) but I heard a story which involved Brian. Apparently Brian was in the room where the results were being collated and was keeping out anyone who was not involved in doing this job. While he was standing at the door he was approached by Ron Pickering and David Coleman who attempted to get past Brian into the room. Brian put his arm across the doorway and said Where do you think you are going. The reply was We are from the BBC and we are going to get the results. Brian told them they would have to wait for results like everyone else. Back came the reply Do you know who we are I am David Coleman and this is Ron Pickering. Not the best thing to say to Brian who again told them they would have to wait although I was told he was not as polite as before(something along the lines of my reply to him a few years before). I don’t know if this is true but it sounds like something Brian would have done.

As a runner Brian was one of the toughest around and was not scared to push the pace but if ever anyone lacked a finishing kick it was Brian. I remember at West London Stadium (now The Linford Christie Stadium) when Bellahouston made their only appearance in the British League Brian was running the 5000 metres and had built up a lead of about 80 metres with about 3 laps to go and looked good for the win. The Achilles runner in second place started to close the gap but at the bell Brian still had about 50 metres lead. We all thought that he was going to hold on but with 200 to go the Achilles man suddenly produced a fantastic finish to pull back the lead and despite Brian straining every sinew he was out dipped on the line.

      In training when I was younger  Brian was always trying to teach us younger runners pace judgement but when we got near to the finish of a run the impetuous youth took over and the pace would pick up and Brian would be unable to stop us due to his lack of acceleration.

When I was thinking of running the Scottish Marathon in 1975 Brian eventually persuaded me that I was too young and should wait a couple of years before doing it. I would have turned 23 a couple of weeks after the race. In hindsight I think I should have ignored his advice and run the race. At the Glasgow Marathon in 1980 the selected Scottish Team was Jim Dingwall, Alastair McFarlane and Graham Laing. Graham withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Colin Martin but unfortunately he also had to withdraw with injury and was not replaced. In the race I stopped about halfway with a couple of niggles not wanting to put myself out with injury. After the race Brian told me that he had been trying to get me in the team in place of Colin at the last minute saying that he had been called in after the selectors had looked at the result from the previous year and taking the first Scot to finish not already in the team. I had finished one place behind Colin the year before but the selectors refused to replace Colin and Scotland started with only two runners. If I had been in the team I would not have dropped out of the race. This was just another case of Brian trying to do what he could for an athlete.

        On a couple of occasions during the winter months when it had been snowing Brian suggested that instead of a road run that we should go over the country. Most said it would be too dangerous due to there being about 8 inches of snow and as it was dark we would not be able to see where we were going. Brian just said you can see for miles because of the snow and he would go himself.  On the first occasion I was the only one who went with him round Pollok Estate and adjoining Golf Courses and was wearing a full waterproof tracksuit. Brian was right and you could see a long way but the only problem was everything looks flat in the snow until you trip over it which I did on a number of occassions. At one point I tripped  fell and because of my suit slid along on the snow. When I eventually stopped I was looking down over the top edge into a bunker. Brian never tripped or fell once but had a good laugh at my misfortunes.

      Brian other than competing for the club served on the committee in various positions. During my time at the club he served as Secretary, Treasurer, Chairman and President and represented the club on various committees at County, Area and National level taking various posts on these committees.

At one club committee meeting there was a letter read out which was from a young athlete who wished to change from his present club in Greenock to Bellahouston. Brian stated that he did not think it would be in the interest of either club to allow this young man to change club and that the athlete should remain with his present club until he was older and possibly better placed to make this decision to change clubs. Brian persuaded a majority of the committee that this was in the athlete’s best interest and the transfer did not take place. The athlete in question was Tommy Murray around 18 years old at the time. For Bellahouston this may have been one of Brian’s worst moments.

        Brian was one of those people that dedicated themselves to the sport and did not look for thanks and his demise was a great loss to Bellahouston Harriers in particular and also Scottish Athletics.”

That’s what Jim had to say and if we look at Brian’s career as an official, we get a remarkable picture.    He was President of the NCCU in 1976-77 and SAAA West District Secretary from 1981 to season 1995-96, following up as West District Secretary of SAF and then SAL from 1996-97 to 2006-07.   If we take just one year   –   1995-96   –   and see his entries in the SAF Federation Handbook for that year we see Brian listed as Secretary of the Road Running and Cross Country Commission, Track and Field Commission West District Secretary and Delegate to the UK Road Running and Cross Country Federation.   He was also a life member of the Federation and was qualified as a track referee with Grade 1 Track Judge and Grade 1 Marksman qualifications plus Grade 3 time keeper.   He was also noted as being available for Administrative Duties for Drug Testing and as a Presentation Stewart.

Brian worked as a postman (see the picture above with Ian and Jim) and painter but like many of us he only really worked to feed his athletics habit.   As secretary of the West District for over a quarter of a century, he was to be found spending many hours doing relatively menial tasks in the Association’s offices – checking entry forms, labelling and filling envelopes, etc.    He was on a multiplicity of committees – when the first standards were set for the SAAA Championships the committee consisted of Brian, Alex Naylor and myself.   But while three years on the SAAA Committee were enough for me, Brian was there for decades.   Brian had a reputation for being direct and, not to put too fine a point on it, rude at times.   He really cared about the sport and wanted it conducted in its purity, as he saw it.   He had a very kind side though and in his obituary for Brian, Doug Gillon said in the ‘Herald

“He had a sharp tongue but a generous spirit. Many years ago, an under-13 youngster from Lanarkshire won the national cross-country title. But he had not been officially entered, and ran wearing another competitor’s number. He was disqualified. Two years later he was first across the line in the under-15 Scottish championship, but had been mis-directed by a steward, had run short of the full distance, and was again disqualified. Last year Brian inquired what had become of this lad. The East Kilbride club said it was still in contact, and the young man and his parents were contacted for a wee club soiree last December. During the evening he was stunned to be presented with two gold medals, quietly handed over to the club by Brian.”

There are many stories about Brian and I’ll come back and add some of them but to finish for now, Doug said in the obituary that Brian was an athlete of modest achievements but was a prodigious figure in the sport.

Taking Up athletics when I did in the mid-1950’s, I first associated the name of George Dallas with the Monday athletics reports in the ‘Glasgow Herald’.   They were comprehensive, easy to read and you could rely on them.   He was the best reporter the paper ever had until Doug Gillon came along.   He was at all the cross-country meetings, easily recognised and always easy to speak to.   But he was much more than that.   One of the best and longest serving of officials he had been a very good runner himself and knew what was in the best interests of the competitors.   There are two profiles of his career that I will reproduce here to start with.

The first is Colin Shields’s very perceptive profile of the man in his centenary history of the SCCU and I start by quoting it extensively.

“To those who knew him, George Dallas was the administrative rock on which the National Cross-Country Union of Scotland operated.   For twenty five years, between 1921/22 and 1946/47, he held the post of joint Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer, and then remained as Hon. Secretary for a further period of 15 years until 1961, with Duncan McSwein having taken over the separate post of Hon. Treasurer in 1946.

But Dallas was also a very successful competitor on both the track and country as well as being and able administrator and reporter of the sport in most of Scotland’s newspapers.   It was general for runners to turn to distance running and competition over the country after a period of track competition over shorter distances.   But Dallas was different in his approach to competition.   Returning from Army service in the First World War he was in the peak of physical fitness after a year in the army of occupation in Germany had given him plenty of time for training.   In his first summer home he ran 52.0 seconds to win the SAAA National 440 yards title at Powderhall Stadium in Edinburgh.  

This short distance sprint victory came, unusually, after a pre-war period of cross-country running.   In 1910 Dallas won Maryhill Harriers 9 mile club championship, bettering the course record by 2 minutes with three other clubmates inside the old record.   This run established him as favourite for the Western District Junior title and he justified this position by winning the 7 miles race in 41 minutes 05 seconds.   In a close finish he was three seconds clear of A Austin (Greenock Glenpark Harriers) with D Peat (Motherwell YMCA) third, one second behind.   Dallas led Maryhill to their first ever team victory in the championship.”  

This summarises his career well and Colin elaborates on it in the course of the book.   James Logan of Victoria Park AAC wrote to me at one point to say that the troops at the end of the War in 1918 had time on their hands and, to employ them profitably, the Army establishment decided that they had to take part in sport and PE.   George was one of those nominated to organise and carry out the fitness training and the sports programme.  The troops came home in 1919 and 1920 ‘bursting with fitness’ and ready for action!   George certainly was as his athletics showed.

Nowadays, many young athletes know the name through the George Dallas Trust which was set up by his family in 1982.

Scottish Athletics in writing about the Trust produced the following for the IFAC Conference in Glasgow which again outlines his career but adds to what is above and explains the nature and purpose of the Trust.

Becoming a member of Maryhill Harriers in 1906, George Dallas was an athlete of unsurpassable versatility, winning races at all distances from 100 yards to 10 miles at the highest level. He was equally at home on the track and over the country – a highlight of his career being his win in the Scottish Championships at 440 yards. He was also a prolific winner of handicap events, more often than not running from the virtual scratch mark.

After serving in the First World War in 1914-18 in the Royal Garrison Artillery, George, as Brigade Sports Officer, won the Second Army Cross Country Championships in Cologne from over 1000 competitors.

On returning to “Civvy Street”, George then turned his hand to the administrative side of the sport and swiftly became the Honorary Secretary of the Scottish Cross Country Union, a post which he held for an unprecedented period of 40 years. During this time, George organised no less than 6 International Cross Country Championships, which brought great credit to Scottish Cross Country running. At the same time, for a period of 26 years, he was also Western District Secretary of the S.A.A.A.

George’s tremendous contribution to Scottish athletics was also recognised when he was elected President of the S.A.A.A in 1950, the S.C.C.U in 1961 and the International C.C.U in 1952. George was also the athletics correspondent for many newspapers, including the Glasgow Herald.

His effort were finally crowned by the award of an M.B.E in 1962 for services to Scottish athletics.

To keep alive George Dallas’s name and honor, his Daughter, Mrs Nancy G. Dallas Crane initiated the George Dallas Memorial Trust in 1982.

The purpose of the trust was, initially, to help provide assistance to deserving young Scottish athletes, male and female, for training, coaching, travelling or equipment. Towards this end, many individual grants were awarded to athletes covering the length and breadth of Scotland. In order to comply with the role of a charitable organisation (a status achieved by the Trust in 1994), the Trust had to change the thrust of its awards. And individual grants to athletes were phased out, replaced by grants supporting more general education and coaching matters, training of officials, etc, and organising participatory courses for physically and socially disadvantaged young athletes.

Such events have been funded (in whole, or in part) by the Trust in all areas of Scotland, from Stornoway to Dumfries, and further events including the Coaches Conference and Disability Education Courses are in the pipeline in conjunction with scottishathletics.

In addition to the above activities, the Trust annually awards the George Dallas memorial Trophy to the person or persons who in the judgement of the Trustees, have achieved distinction in, or made a material contribution to, cross country, road running, track and field or hill running in Scotland in the preceding calendar year, whether they be athletes, administrators, coaches or otherwise involved in the sport. Previous recipients of the awards include Allan Wells, Yvonne Murray, Liz McColgan, Tom McKean, Tommy Boyle.

scottishathletics remains extremely grateful to the George Dallas Memorial Trust for its continued support of Coach Education in Scotland, and this weekend, for their support of the Coaches Conference in particular.

Anyone requiring further information or wishing to make a donation to the Trust should write to Mr R.L.McSwein, 56 Atholl Drive, Giffnock, Glasgow G46 6QP.

I can only further exhort any reader to get in touch with Bob if they can help out at all.

In addition to the posts of Secretary/Treasurer and Secretary of the NCCU for 40 years, George was Secretary of the West District Committee of the SAAA from 1922 – 1948 and held the posts of President of the SAAA in 1950, of the International CCU in 1952 and of the NCCU in 1961/62.   And the organisation of six international championships.  Then of course there was the officiating at track meetings and at cross-country races.   Then of course there were the club commitments.

He really was the rock of so many associations and committees as Colin said at the start of his comments on George and yet I never ever heard him be rude to any athlete and he always found time to reply to any query that came his way in the course a meeting.   A marvelous man and a great official and administrator.

George Dallas’s running career is covered at these links:   Before 1915   After 1918