Category: Runners

Major MCC Seton

It is usually the case that when we look at historical figures from the earliest days of athletics, we see their performances with only a cursory glance at their later life.   Often not even that.   If we look at the 880 yards runners from the end of the 19th century this is even more true.   We might see the obituary for Walter Malcolm (SAAA half-mile champion in 1894 and runner-up in ’91 and ’92 and read: 

“Athletics are considerably poorer by the death of Walter Malcolm of Greenock Morton FC.   When he was but 19 years of age he won the Clydesdale Harriers Mile Novice handicap and three years later was the half-mile champion of Scotland.   Such rapid progress has few parallels even in these days of athletic phenomenons.   Though he often figured in 220 and 440 distance, sit was in longer distances that he excelled and has left his mark in the records of Scottish pedestrianism.   He holds the native records for the half mile and the 1000 yards.   His time for the latter is 2 min 31 sec.   Both Rodger and Mitchell once or twice attempted last year to reduce it but failed.   Whether Malcolm indulged too much in athletic exercise we do not care to say, but it is noteworthy that just as he was at his height, he contracted an illness which developed to such an extent that he was compelled to give up the idea of ever running again.   It was thought with care he might recover, but this was not to be and he died at the age of 34.   He wore his honours most unobtrusively, and his whole bearing on the track and off it was in consonance with his chivalry which is naturally associated with amateurism.   He was widely popular among all connected with athletics.”

Having read it we might lament the loss of a talented athlete at the age of 34.   There are other tales of champions who met untimely deaths, men who would probably have been saved today.   

The case of Miles Seton was different.   He was born in 1874 and educated at Edinburgh High School and at Edinburgh University.   He competed frequently and in June 1894 won the half mile in the Edinburgh Harriers Sports in 2:04.6.   He was always a good athlete and while at University, was second in the Edinburgh Harriers Sports 880 yards, and then  he won the SAAA half-mile title on 22nd June, 1895 on a day with light winds, at Ibrox in the time of 2:05.4, with J Stirton of Edinburgh Harriers second.   This was at the time of the split in Scottish athletics when several clubs broke away and formed the SAAU.   The result was that in 1895 there were two Scottish championships – both held in Glasgow and on the same day.   In its preview of the meeting, the Glasgow Herald had said that ‘MC Seton, Edinburgh University is much fancied, but Stirton, Edinburgh Harriers, after his running against Bredin at the West of Scotland meeting, cannot be passed to the one side with a mere wave of the hand.  The fact is that Stirton has a great future as a runner and we are looking to his erformance on Saturday with great interest.’   So – more about Stirton than about Seton.  When Seton won the half-mile at Ibrox on the Saturday, the SAAU race was won at Hampden by RS Langlands of Clydesdale Harriers in 1:59.6 which was not only a Scottish record but the first time any Scot had finished inside two minutes for the half-mile.   Langlands was a class act with several very good times to his name but for a check on how Seton compared to contemporary half milers we can look at other SAAA 880 yards champions: 

in 1891 R Mitchell won in 2:03.4;  in 1892 it was again Mitchell in 2:05.4, in 1893 W Malcolm in 2:01.2, in 1894 on a rainy afternoon at Powderhall, Mitchell again in 2:09.4 and in 1896 H Welsh in 2:04.  So Seton’s time stood up well 

Nevertheless, Seton had won the SAAA championship title and at the close of the meeting the selectors met and chose the team to compete in the international against Ireland at  Celtic Park on 20th July and the half milers were Seton and Stirton.   Unfortunately Seton was unplaced in this race, the winner being Archer of Ireland from Stirton in 2:04.2.

Other than that he was fairly anonymous as an athlete.   There was no note in either The Scotsman or the Glasgow Herald of him running that year other than in the races mentioned, and although he studied at Edinburgh University where he graduated MB and Cm in 1900, then again gaining the Diploma in FRCSEd in 1908, he is only mentioned in the official history of the EUAC in respect of his SAAA title.   

What happened next?   He went into the military and served as a Field Surgeon in South Africa, and then as a captain in the Cape Medical and Staff Corps where he won the King’s and Queen’s medals.  He stayed in Africa, came back to Scotland and then emigrated to Australia where he had a private practice and  was also employed as an anaesthetist in the Hospital there.   In 1915 he joined the Australian Army Medical Corps in which he served in Egypt and England.

We are told that he was the ‘representative of the male line’ of the family of Seton of Cariston in Fife, and indeed his full name was Miles Charles Cariston Seton.   

This is where the story really starts to unfold.   Colonel Rutherford had served as a medical officer on the Western Front for most of the War and was commended for gallantry and was mentioned in despatches.   His fellow officers testified that he was an affable, easy going and an able officer but liable to spells of  extremely violent temper triggered by seemingly tiny things.   These spells were short and he seemed to be dazed and tired and did not appear to have remembered them.   He had been married since 1902 and had several children.   A friend testified that he was at times very jealous of his wife even walking with a close family friend.   He developed a painful skin condition and was sent home from the front in 1917.   He was given a comfortable job back at home but asked to be sent back to France.   He seemed, according to friends, to be on a downward spiral of melancholia and sinking spirits.   Things got worse – after returning to France, he was kicked on the head during a rugby game and suffered a loss of memory for a time.   

His wife stood by him and sent him supportive letters but in September 1918 there seems to have been some incident because her attitude to him changed dramatically.   She is reported to have said that she ‘went through hell’ because of his treatment of her and that there was ‘no atom of love for him’ left in her.   He returned home in January 1918 and there are several reports of him dragging her into a room by the hair while she called for help from the maid.   In anticipation of his return she had told the staff to remove two pictures of Major Seton and hide them.   Seton was an old family friend, former colleague of Rutherford’s and godfather to their youngest child.    

One night after a letter from Seton had been delivered to Mrs Rutherford, Colonel Rutherford set out to the town, obtained the address of Sir Malcolm Seton, where Major Seton was staying.   He went there where Sir Malcolm, his wife and the major were in the Smoking Room.   He asked to see Major Seton, they went in to another room and 10 or 15 minutes later, there were ‘crackling noises’ heard.   Rutherford had shot the major.   There were 14 entry and exit wounds.

“Lady Seton exclaimed: “You have killed Miles!”   to which Colonel Rutherford replied, “Yes, I only wish I had a bullet for myself.”   Sir Malcolm said he appeared rigid and curiously calm and as if the situation was only gradually dawning on him.!

Sir Malcom went to find a doctor and the police while Lady Seton stayed with the Major and the Colonel who took out a letter and burned it – presumably the letter to his wfe.   Before going with the policemen, after collecting his hat and walking stick, he asked to send a message to his wife: it read “I am sorry.  an awful thing has happened.   Seton is dead.”

He was found to be guilty but insane which meant that he was admitted to Broadmoor but not hanged.   His wife tried to get a divorce but murder and insanity were not acceptable grounds as far as the law was concerned.   I quote Lord Birkenhead: “To some this may appear harsh and even an inhumane result, but such, my lords, is the law of England.”   She was granted a legal separation in 1922 and, after changes in the Divorce Bill, obtained a divorce in 1938.   She remarried and lived to be 100.   Rutherford co-wrote two books while in prison and was released.   Re instated to the Medical Register he practised in Vienna and Persia and died in South Africa in 1951 .   He asked to be buried with his tin hat from the trenches.

Major Miles Seton, former SAAA 880 yards champion, was shot and killed on 13th January, 1919.   

After the War broke out, there was the well-documented attitude that “It’ll be all over by Christmas'”   Initially life went on pretty well as before until the casualties started to pile up, and Christmas came and went.   Some clubs, such as Clydesdale Harriers, suspended activities ‘for the duration’ but in practical terms, the athletic season continued pretty well as before with the same sports meetings on the same dates in summer 1915.   George Dallas missed some of the early season meetings but was in action by  the end of June.   The following appeared in the Glasgow Herald of June 26th, 1915.

 “SAAA (Western Districts)

In ordinary times the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association hold their championship meeting on the fourth Saturday in June, but this year it was decided at the annual meeting of the Association that the championship should be held in abeyance, and the date was appropriated by the Western District Committee for a meeting in favour of one or other of the war funds.   Later it was decided to devote the surplus to the fund organised by the Glasgow Corporation for the relief of Belgian refugees, and the patronage of the Lord Provost, Magistrates and Town Council having been secured, the meting took place at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon.”    

The meetings held in 1915 often contained races or competitions confined to serving members of the armed forces and unusual events were held – stretcher carrying races by men in full uniform, team races on the track, etc, but this meeting took the idea a bit further – a military marathon race open to teams of twelve.   Starting from Celtic Park, the teams made their way by London Road to Barrachnie, Dykehead and Tannochside, thence to Mount Vernon and back to Celtic Park by London Road.   Six teams were entered and the conditins were that each team consisted of an officer, a non-commissioned officer and ten men.   Full military equipment was worn and each team had to travel and finish as a unit, with a minimum of ten of all ranks, with kit in good order.  The distance was about 13 miles.”

George Dallas competed at the meeting in the relatively tame 100 yards, off a mark of 4 1/2 yards, and finished third, inches behind the winner.   He had won both heat and semi-final en route to the final.   The Military Marathon was won by 4th Battalion Scottish Rifles, B Company, in 1 hour 58.6 – a creditable time for what was basically a half marathon in full military kit in company with eleven others.

On 3rd July, at Hamilton Academicals Sports, again in the 100 yards Dallas was second in first heat, but unplaced in the final, off 4 yards, then in the half mile first in first heat  (listed in the programme as G Dallas, Maryhill and West of Scotland Harriers), from a mark of 14 yards, he was unable to beat the handicapper and was unplaced.   At Ayr United F & AC Sports on  July 17th, he ran first in the 220 yards,  where he qualified for the final as fastest loser from 6 heats, and was second in the Final.   He also turned out in the half mile where he was first as G Dallas, Maryhill H, running from 14 yards he won  by inches in  2:02.4.   In to August and as usual the Rangers Sports were the first big event.   Held on the seventh of the month he won the half mile off 12 yards in 1:58.6.   The Celtic Sports were the following week but he was not mentioned in the results – the first three were from marks of 46, 41 and 60 yards respectively so the handicapper might have been the problem there.   On 14th August at Celtic Sports, he was not among the results but the first three in the half mile were off 46, 41 and 60 yards respectively.

By 1916 reality had set in and what sports there still were, had programmes that were scanty when compared with previous years,   eg The Rangers Sports had only five running events and a five a side tournament.  The open events were 100 yards, 220 yards and Mile, and there were two military handicap races over 100 and 220 yards.   Top runner was WR Applegarth who won the military 220 yards.   Otherwise they were purely domestic races which nevertheless attracted a crowd of 15,000 spectators.   Dallas was by now taken up with military duties.   

Colin Shields says in his excellent history of Scottish cross-country ‘whatever the Weather’ :  “ 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. ” 

It may have been his first summer home when he won the 440 yards, it was not the first SAAA championship after the war.   There was a One Mile Relay race held on Saturday, 24th May at the Eglinton Harriers Sports and although the team was not named, it is possible that Dallas was a member of the winning Maryhill team.   He was certainly in action on 31st May, one week later, when Edinburgh University AC held their sports.   Several Open events were included and Dallas won the half mile off 8 yards in 2:00.4.   He also ran the first stage of the Mile relay for Maryhill which won in 3:50.0 with Goodwin, Hamilton and Colberry making up the team.   At Hampden a week later the same relay team won the Mile relay in 3:47.5 by 20 yards from Edinburgh University AC.   Another week, another relay: this time it was at the West of Scotland Sports at Ibrox on 14th June and the same Maryhill Harriers squad won from Greenock Glenpark Harriers in 3:51.4.   Then at Tynecastle on 23rd June he again competed in the double of open handicap half mile and relay.   In the former he was third, running this time from scratch and in the relay Maryhill was beaten for the first time that year – their team had one change from the usual and that was Dobbie in for Goodwin – and by Edinburgh University AC.   

On 28th June 1919, the SAAA Championships  at Celtic Park included a One Mile Medley Relay and with five wins from six relays, Maryhill Harriers had to turn out a team.   Reverting to the Dallas/Goodwin/Hamilton/Colberry quartet they defeated Greenock Glenpark in 3:53 in what was described as one of the most interesting relay races ever seen in the district.    Dallas also ran in the championship half mile where he was second to Hector Phillips of Greenock Glenpark who won in 2:05.   The next Saturday he was out in the Kilmarnock FC meeting where he won the half mile in 2:00.2.   Partick Thistle held their Sports at Firhill on 12th July and Maryhill again won the Mile medley relay with a team of Dallas, Hamilton Cook and Colberry and Dallas was second by half a yard in the half-mile handicap.   There was no half mile at the Ayr United FC Sports on 19th July but there was a Mile Relay which Maryhill ‘won easily’.   Unplaced in the half mile at the Glenpark Harriers Sports on 26th July he was again a member of a winning relay team when the four of Dallas, Goodwin, Hamilton and Colberry beat Glenpark Harriers by a yard in the fast time of 3:44.2.   That was probably their hardest fought win of the summer – record so far – 10 relays, 8 firsts, two seconds!   The next relay was at Celtic Park for the Celtic FC Sports where, having been given 45 yards start on London’s Polytechnic Harriers, they finished second having turned out their best team.   The Londoners’ time was 3:32.8 which was cut above the best that any Scots team had done.   It should be noted that the Polytechnic Harriers team were almost professional athletes during the summer months touring all over the English regions and Scotland as well – they had even been on the Continent and at one point at least the AAA had asked about how they were financing their activities.   They were undoubtedly a good squad and it was no reflection on Maryhill that they had lost to them.   Their record that summer must be one of the best ever run by a club team.   

SAAA 440 yards championship, 1920

The first open athletics meeting of the season was held by Paisley Junior Harriers and there was a relay race on the programme.  “Of the five teams entered for the relay race, only three appeared, but the event lost none of its picturesqueness on that account.   It was seen early in the race that Maryhill Harriers, the holders of the national championship,  were likely to win, and they maintained their reputation.West of Scotland Harriers however pushed them all the way finishing a creditable second.   The third team, Shettleston lost a lot of ground  quite early on and thereafter their position was hopeless.”   

Kilmarnock Harriers held their first Sports on 22nd May at Rugby Park before a crowd of 4000 and Dallas was out in the half mile running from 8 yards.   In the final he finished third behind Crawford of Olympic Harriers (46 yards) and Morrison of Eglinton Harriers (45 yards).   Shettleston Harriers held a Sports on 29/5/20 at Celtic Park and Dallas was in action in the half mile.   The report read: “The feature of the half mile was the fine running of George Dallas (Maryhill Harriers) in both heat and final.   From the short mark of 8 yards, he contented himself with second place in the heat, which was the fastest of the four, but the final was run at a much hotter pace and he was beaten by A McGilp of Bellahouston Harriers who was in receipt of 52 yards.”   

The Queen’s Park Sports were held on the first Saturday in June and Dallas was in action  twice that afternoon.   Not in the 880 yards did he run but he turned out in the invitation 440 yards handicap which he won from the mark of 5 yards from Edinburgh’s Robertson (8 yards) and his team mate Colberry (6 yards.   He won by 5 yards in 50.8 seconds.   He then joined Colberry, Bell and Cook in the club relay team which won in 3:48.8, 15 yards in front of Edinburgh Northern Harriers.  Three relays, three victories – but that was about to change.   West of Scotland put the Wyoming Cup (won outright before the War at Hawick) up for a relay at their Sports at Ibrox on 12th June.   And West duly won their own trophy with the Maryhill team of Bell, Colberry, Cook and Dallas second, beaten by a single yard.   This was nevertheless a good performance with the West leading off with Scotland’s top middle distance runner, D McPhee, on the half mile leg.   Report said that the contest for the Wyoming Cup now stood at one each for Maryhill and the West with the Cup going to the club which won it three times, not necessarily in succession.   

The SAAA Championships were held as usual on the fourth Saturday in June – the 26th -at Powderhall where Dallas won the 440 yards in  52 secons defeating Maryhill team mate and a man who had featured in many a winning relay team with him, JB Bell.   He only won by a yard though.   The Maryhill team then won the medley race in 3:47.2 with a squad of Dallas,  Goodwin, Bell and Colberry.   The second team was the West of Scotland team.   Into July and Dallas was back at Kilmarnock FC’s Sports where he won the half-mile.   According to the report he showed fine judgement in winning his heat without difficulty and had an easy journey in the final.   Running from 8 yards he won in 2:06 with second and third runners off 55 and 32 yards respectively.   West of Scotland held a sports meeting at Rothesay on 17th July but Dallas was nearer home at West Kilbride where he won the half mile from 4 yards while second and third ran from 50 yards and 55 yards.  He was said to have ‘won easily’ in 2:03.   Race entries at this point were very big in all races, particularly the sprints – eg in the Celtic Sports in 1920 there were 22 heats of the 100 yards.   The Herald commented “The season of 1920 will be remembered more by the extraordinary number of competitors than by the high quality of performances recorded week by week.”     Look at this picture of a mile handicap at Ibrox – not sure of the date but fields of this size and even bigger were not uncommon.   The result was that the back markers had a big job to get through the field which often meant max effort in the heat and again in the final.   Even the 100 became a test of strength with heat, second round and then the final.   So when Dallas and other half milers had to run a heat from four or five yards where they gave the limit man up to 60 yards, then a final as well, it was not easy.   Often made harder by having big numbers on the track to wend their way through as well.   

“The National Cross-Country Union of Scotland held their first amateur sports meeting at Celtic Park, Glasgow on Saturday afternoon, when a varied and interesting programme was submitted.   Entries in all events were large but the public attendance was somewhat disappointing.”   [Glasgow Herald 23rd May, 1921]   Dallas ran in the medley relay with Bell, Goodwin and Colberry and they won easily in 3:48.4.   On 4th June the Queen’s Park Sports were held and Dallas was part of a Glasgow Relay team consisting of Duncan McPhee, JB Bell, Dallas and HJ Christie which defeated an Edinburgh team of EH Liddell, L Robertson, T Ritchie and WJ Ross. 

If we take a moment to look at the quality of this Maryhill Harriers Relay team, the quality was very high.   Dallas we know about,

•  JB Bell (who later went on to represent Glasgow University as well as the club) won the SAAA 220 yards and 440 yards in 1919, was second in the 440 behind Dallas and third in the 220 in 1920, was again third in the 220 and second in the 440 in 1921.
• AH Goodwin won the SAAA 100 yards in 1919 and was a finalist in almost all sprints at all major domestic meetings.
• S Colbery was most unfortunate in not gaining any championship titles.   He was a member of relay teams from the start of 1919 to the end of 1921.
• G Hamilton who ran with Dallas for Maryhill an West of Scotland pre-war was another fine runner whose only Scottish medal was a third in the 1919 100 yards championship.   

But no matter how good they were, they were all relay specialists of the highest order and the teams of which they were members were the best in the country at the time.

At the West of Scotland Sports at Ibrox on 11th June, the host club defeated Maryhill in the relay by a yard in 3:49.6.   Whether Dallas ran in the open half mile or not we don’t know – the first three were from marks of 58, 45 and 45 yards and the paper was ambivalent about the value of the big numbers of entries for most events but especially the 100, the half mile and the mile.   However, the most interesting race on the programme was the relay with Duncan McPhee and George Dallas facing each other in the half mile opening stage, “McPhee ran a great race, finishing a yard ahead and securing the Wyoming Cup for the promoting club.”   If the reigning  SAAA champion ran a great race to finish a yard ahead, surely Dallas must also have run a great race to hold him to a single yard?   The SAAA Championships were held on 25th June at Celtic Park before 5000 spectators and with more competitors than at any previous championship.   Dallas ran in the quarter mile which he had won the previous year but without that success.   He won his heat in 53.8 seconds. but in the final the bets he could do was third behind GT Stevenson of Shettleston Harriers and JB Bell, his Maryhill club mate who was also third in the 330 yards.   The Maryhill team was out in the relay looking for the third successive victory and the team looked good enough to win – Dallas, Bell, Colberry and Black – but the Edinburgh University team of Eric Liddell, JM Davie, GI Stewart and EW Cormack proved to have the better of them   The winning time was a very good 3:43.   

On 2nd July Dallas preferred the Glasgow Police Sports at Ibrox to the Hearts FC meeting at Tynecastle and ran in the quarter again.   Running from 4 yards he was a’good third’ with the gap between first and second only ‘a foot’.   ‘A Dallas’ ran in the half mile where he was fourth from the generous allowance of 57 yards.   A week later, 9th July, Maryhill Harriers held a sports at Hawthorn Park, Springburn  when ‘A Dallas’ was second to A Boyd of Bellahouston Harriers who won in 2:00.8, a yard in front.   Again the mark was 57 yards.   Was A Dallas a relative?   Or a misprint?   I would think the former since the name was very well known in Scottish athletics, since 57 yards seems a big start for one who had been third in the SAAA quarter-mile and since the programme had managed to get G Dallas right for the quarter at Ibrox.   On 23rd June there were several sports meetings being held but the Eglinton Harriers meeting at Saltcoats saw the next generation of Maryhill Harriers talent on display when WH Calderwood was second in the half mile.   None of the great relay teams of 1919, 1920 or indeed 1921 were on parade that day.   On 30th July George Dallas ran in the invitation 300 yards race at the Greenock Glenpark meeting at Cappielow in almost continual rain.   He finished second to GT Stevenson (Shettleston  2 yards) who won in 33.4.   Stevenson had been one of the ‘finds’ of the season, a surprise winner of the SAAA title he won the international at Belfast beating both Englishmen and both Irish runners.   The new generation was coming through.    At the Rangers Sports, the only member of any of the relay teams in which Dallas had appeared, to figure in the results was S Colbery (12 yards) who was second in the invitation 300 yards ahead of Eric Liddell (4 yards).   Colberry was a very good runner who had been unfortunate not to win a national title and here with 8 yards start from Liddell over 300 he held him off, being beaten by HJ Christie (West of Scotland  10) only on the tape.   

Dallas had been racing since 1908 and had been unfortunate that the War hindered his progress as an athlete.   He had been involved in athletics administration for several years and in 1921 he was elected Honorary Secretary/Treasurer of the National Cross-Country Union of Scotland, a post he was to hold until 1946  and in 1922 he was elected Secretary of the West District of the SAAA.   He was on two national governing bodies simultaneously, holding responsible positions on them both, and something had to give.   He may have continued to run in 1922 but he was nowhere to be seen at his old stamping grounds – not Queen’s Park, Hamilton, Rangers or Celtic Sports, nor was the relay team in evidence.   However he was not finished with athletics by a long chalk – he was a capable administrator and official for more than four decades: in 1962 he received an MBE for services to athletics.   

George Dallas, far right, 100 yards, Celtic Park, 1915

Photograph from Alex Wilson

George Dallas’s career in Scottish athletics has been summarised elsewhere on this website but it is not generally recognised how good an athlete he was before he became an official.   A top grade official, recognised as a more than efficient administrator, an excellent reporter on matters to do with the sport first of all for the Daily Record under the pen-name of Ggroe and then for the ‘Glasgow Herald’, George had been a Scottish champion and an international runner before any of that.   His running career, as for so many of his generation can be split into before and after the 1914-18 War. 

Joining Maryhill Harriers in 1906, George first started to appear in results columns in 1908 and on 9th May 1909 in the Clydesdale Harriers Sports at Ibrox he won the half mile running from a mark of 35 yards in 2:01.4.   The races were almost all handicap races and winning a handicap meant that you were given a less favourable mark next time out.   That and the sheer numbers competing meant that the sprinters often had two round of heats before the final.   Making the first three was not easy.  George’s next notable prize was on 17th July 1909 at the highly rated Ayr FC Sports where he was second in the  half mile won by Rodger of Paisley in 1:59.8 off 30 yards.    

Dallas ran cross-country races, as indeed did almost all middle distance track me, the difference was that at this point Dallas was running the 440/880 yards races with the occasional outing over 220 yards.   In his book ‘Whatever the Weather’ Colin Shields says: “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.”   The Glasgow Herald described the race, in which there were 21 teams of 12 men,  thus:  “on entering the home straight, Dallas of Maryhill Harriers was to the fore but he was closely followed by Aitken of Greenock, with Peat of Motherwell behind him.   The finish was exciting and the leader, with a final dash, won by a couple of yards.”   Dallas’s time was 41 minutes 05.8 and his club won the team race from Glenpark Harriers and Garscube Harriers were third.   Came the National, and Dallas was unplaced but was nevertheless finished far enough up the field to be picked for the Scottish team in the international to be held at Belfast on 26th March.   He was unfortunately unable to run in the race itself and the chance was not to arise again.   It was now on to the track season of 1910.  

Having won his first cross-country championship medal George, on 25th June, 1910, in the SAAA Championships at   Powderhall was third in the  440 yards to G Anderson who was timed at 53 seconds.   A week later, on 2nd July at the Beith FC Sports he won the first heat of the invitation 220 yards, off 8 yards, in 23.2.   In the Final he led all the way to win in 23.4.  The biggest meeting of the summer other than the SAAA Championships was the Rangers Sports at the start of August (6th) and he ran in the invitation 440 yards from a mark of 13 yards.   He won the third heat and went in to the final where Burton was a clear winner being 3 yards ahead of Dallas and Hepburn of the West of Scotland Harriers who almost dead heated for second.    A week later and on 13th August at Celtic Sports he was unplaced in invitation 220 yards.   

Into 1912/1913, and on 3rd May He ran at the Paisley Junior Harriers Sports at the St Mirren FC ground on a very unpleasant and rainy day.   Running from 12 yards he won the third heat in 2:10 and qualified for the Final but was unplaced with the first three running from marks of 26, 50 and 60 yards.   There was an interesting article in the Glasgow Herald on 19th May following George’s win in the 1000 yards at West of Scotland’s meeting the previous Tuesday (13th).   It read:   

“George Dallas was scratch in the 1000 yards, and, running with admirable judgement , won comfortably from JS Matthew while Norman MacLean was third.   This was a fine race crowned with a brilliant finish.   Dallas and Hamilton, both of Maryhill Harriers, have joined the “West”, whose racing ranks are in consequence greatly enriched, as the former is the best half-miler in Scotland, while George Hamilton is one of the best short mark sprinters.   It is just possible, however, that Dallas and Hamilton will continue to run in their old colours, though by doing so, they deprive themselves of the privileges which are only shared by those who compete regularly in the pale blue and black stripes of the “West” Harriers.”

On 31st May at the Clydesdale Harriers Sports Dallas ran well in the heat of the half-mile and according to the reports he ran with great judgement.   In the Final however he left it too late to figure among the prize winners with the race going to Carmichael of Garscube who was running from 52 yards.   The papers looked forward to the Hawick Common Riding meeting the following week end and particularly the mile medley relay for the Wyoming Cup.   Relays were quite popular at the time although Maryhill very seldom turned out a team in any of them.   The Wyoming Cup had been donated to the Hawick meeting by a group of ex-pats living in Wyoming and the rules stipulated that any club winning the trophy three times would be entitled to keep the trophy thereafter.   In 1913 the race had been won twice by West of Scotland and twice by the local Hawick club, Teviotdale Harriers.   If either won this time round, they could keep the valuable cup.   On the day, the first Saturday in June, West of Scotland won with a team of JH Rodger, RC Duncan, HJ Christie and George Dallas.   They claimed the cup.   Teviotdale felt very hard done by.   Dallas had never run for West before this, he was known as a Maryhill Harriers of great ability and the feeling of disappointment lasted for over a century.   Nevertheless the Glasgow club reported in their annual handbook: “‘The club has competed this season in several Relay Races. At Hawick we won the Wyoming Challenge Cup for the third time, and this now becomes our absolute property.”   What happened next to the trophy?   West took it home to Glasgow and put it up for competition at some of their meetings.    

George did run in some meetings in the West colours but by no means all.   eg on 8th July, 1913, Dallas ran in the Maryhill Harriers Sports as ‘G Dallas, Maryhill Harriers.’  Jump to August and in the Rangers FC Sports on the first Saturday,  Hamilton was listed in the results as ‘G Hamilton, Maryhill and West of Scotland Harriers’, then a week later he was at Celtic FC Sports as ‘G Hamilton, Maryhill Harriers’.   At the Celtic meeting, Dallas was a member of the West team which finished third in the Invitation Relay although he did not appear in the results anywhere else at the meeting.   At the Maryhill Harriers meeting on 8th July   (as G Dallas, Maryhill)   

There is no note of him running in the SAAA Championships on 28th June but he was named as reserve to DF McNicol and R Erskine for the international against Ireland on 19th July.   Before that however he competed at the Maryhill Harriers Sports on the eighth of the month at Ibrox.   He ran in the half-mile from a mark of 10 yards and was third in his heat behind Adam Veitch of Garscube (45 yards) and Sans Unkles of West of Scotland (25 yards).   In the final he was unplaced with first place going to A Smith of Falkirk Victoria Harriers who had an allowance of 35 yards.   Pollok Football Club held a Sports meeting on 12th July at Haggs Park and Dallas was third in the half mile there behind Smith of FVH and SS Watt of Clydesdale Harriers.   In the International in Belfast, Ireland on 19th, he ran in the 800y and was first Scot to finish when he was second.  

As we have seen, relays were popular events and at the Rangers Sports on the first Saturday in August, a Glasgow Select faced off against Polytechnic Harriers from London.   The Southerners won ‘by a small margin’  in 3:33.4 with Dallas running on the first (880 yards) stage for the Select.   He ran another relay for a Glasgow Select against Polytechnic Harriers and Salford Harriers – this time he ran the last (440 yards) stage for the Glasgow team that was third.   His main event however was the 500 yards invitation in which Nicol of the Poly Harriers was trying to beat the British record.   He didn’t quite make it but Dallas, running from 18 yards, won by a yard in 58.4.   The Glasgow Herald described the time as a second and a half outside the British record.          

West of Scotland Relay Team, 16/5/1914:  McPhee, Christie, Hamilton, Dallas

On 16th May, 1914 George Dallas was a member of a relay team that defeated an English club team – but the team he was running for was West of Scotland and the English team was Broughton Harriers.   It was held at the joint Celtic and West of Scotland Harriers Sports at Parkhead with, in running order, Duncan McPhee (who was still a member of Clydesdale Harriers) on the first stage, G Hamilton (a Maryhill Harrier running as a second claim West man), HJ Christie and Dallas (who was still a Maryhill Harrier) on the final quarter mile.  Winning time was 3:43.8 and the winning distance ten yards.   

The following week, the Glasgow Herald started their Sports Miscellany column with the following: “Relay racing should receive more recognition from sports promoters.   It is an excellent substitute for scratch events, which are practically unknown in connection with everyday athletics.   Besides, it is a departure from conventionalism and anything removed from the beaten track is always acceptable.   The relay race at Parkhead the other day was the most arresting event in the day’s proceedings, inasmuch as it brought to the surface qualities of judgement and speed which are not often seen in handicap running.   Unfortunately West of Scotland Harriers are much stronger in this department than other clubs ; but by way of encouraging relay racing we would suggest that the handicapping principle might be introduced as it was by the Rangers at their meeting last August when Polytechnic Harriers were asked to concede a start to the Rest of Scotland.   he race on that occasion was strenuously contested and there is no reason why the same principle should not be introduced at all our sports functions.   Hawick are putting up a relay race in connection with the Common Riding celebrations and West of Scotland will be represented by their famous quartette, Messrs McPhee, Dallas, Christie and Hamilton.”

Meanwhile Greenock Morton FC held their sports at Cappielow Park on 23rd May and Dallas ran in the half mile from a mark of 14 yards and won his heat but was unplaced in the final which was won by HD Soutter of Greenock Glenpark off 35 yards in 2:04.4 from JM Lindsay (Edinburgh Harriers) off 40 yards.   On 30th May at Ibrox in the Clydesdale Harriers Sports Dallas (14 yards) and McPhee (scratch) both contested the half-mile.   Interestingly Dallas was listed as Maryhill and West of Scotland Harriers, and McPhee was listed as Clydesdale and West of Scotland Harriers!   Dallas won the first heat, McPhee was second in the second heat with three to qualify, and in the final Dallas won by five yards in 1:59.2.   On 6th June, the famous West of Scotland team travelled to Hawick for the Mile Relay and the team of Dallas, Hamilton, Christie, McPhee (listed in the order which might well have been the reverse running order).   

The SAAA Championships were held on 27th June at Powderhall and the half mile was won by McPhee (West of Scotland in the programme) from Ralph Erskine (Clydesdale Harriers) and George Dallas (Maryhill in the programme) in third place.    The West of Scotland Relay team was in action once again on 25th July at the Greenock Glenpark Sports and they won again in 3:50.4 leading all the way after McPhee led the first half mile stage home.   At the Monday supplementary meeting for the Rangers Sports on 3rd August, Dallas ran in the invitation 1000 yards from a mark of 32 yards.   The American Homer Baker was also running and broke the Scottish record, set three years previously by American HE Gissing, for the distance by one fifth of a second with his time of 2:16.4.    

Less than a week later, the world was at war.   Less than a year later – in July 1915 – T Barrie Erskine, the limit  man in the 100 yards invitation race would be dead, killed in action at Hooge in Flanders.   

Pat McCafferty, 1903, number 19 (obscured)

The relationship between Scotland and Ireland has always been a close one in many respects including athletics with many Irishmen living and racing in Scotland – such as JJ Barrie and Cyril O’Boyle in the post-war era.  During the 30’s such as Hans Noble who was one of a group who came to work in Scotland on the ‘Empress of Britain’, ran over here, then returned to Ireland when the job was done, then returned to work on the Queen Mary.  Hans ran for Ireland in the 1933 International in Wales   After the War he settled in Scotland.   But there was often a problem keeping track of their racing and even their whereabouts!   One of the most intriguing careers in this respect was that of PJ  McCafferty who ran internationally for Ireland but who also won the SAAA 10 miles championship.   This profile is incomplete – we have been unable to track down all his running, or even to know where he was living at any one time.   

He appears in the above photograph which was supplied by Alex Wilson who says that “This is the only picture I have of McCafferty, taken at the inaugural international Cross-Country championship in Hamilton Park Race Course. He’s wearing #19 though partly concealed. He’s a bit of a shrimp compared to big John Daly #17. The most famous face here would be Alf Shrubb. Unfortunately the Scots haven’t pinned on their numbers yet!”    

PJ’s brother JJ McCafferty, who was also a very good runner and he features largely in this profile, was the first to come to the notice of the distance running fraternity.   He appeared in 1899 when he won the West District cross-country championship while running in the colours of Celtic Harriers, and Colin Shields in ‘Whatever The Weather’ recounts the race:  “John McCafferty, 10 mile club champion of the three-year-old Celtic Harriers, won the 7.5 mile race over a difficult course around Hamilton Park Racecourse.   He finished in 45 minutes 20 seconds  with W Lawson, Whiteinch, runner-up 23 seconds behind.   …    McCafferty was richly rewarded for his victory, receiving three medals, one from the SCCA, one from Celtic Harriers and one from Mr F Lumley of the well known sports shop.”     On 25th November 1899 he ran in the Clydesdale Harriers Open Handicap and Team Race where he finished second to DW Mill who would go on to win the national cross-country championship in two consecutive years.

By 7th April 1900, he was still running well and finished third in the SAAA Ten Miles Championship behind J Patterson (57:32.2) and DW Mill.    The thing about this is that he appears in the results as ‘JJ McCaffrey’ although it is undoubtedly the same athlete.   Then on 30th June at Cliftonville in Belfast, JJ McCaffrey (spelling from the official results) running for Ireland was second in the annual Scoto-Irish match over 4 miles behind Gibb of Scotland.   The Glasgow Herald report comments that “It is an interesting fact in connection with this race that second-placed J McCafferty, who was running for Ireland, of which he is a native, is a member of the West of Scotland Harriers.”

Later that year, he ran in the steeplechase at Parkhead on Monday, 13th August at the Monday supplementary meeting to Celtic FC sports he was entered in the six laps steeplechase where he was unplaced.

The first big race of the following winter was on 24th November, 1900, and was the Clydesdale Harriers 7 miles cross-country team and individual race at Scotstoun and it was won by JJ McCafferty (spelled McCaffrey in the Harriers handbook) from Thomas Bennie of Whiteinch Harriers.   The  West of Scotland Championship was held on 18th February, 1901, and JJ McCaffrey, running for West of Scotland Harriers, won the West of Scotland Championship from his brother PJ McCaffrey (Celtic Harriers Club) by the slender margin of ten yards.    (Life gets complicated – Colin Shields, who was meticulous in his research, has the winner as J McCafferty).   He did not have it all his own way however since PJ was West District champion in the same year.

The question of name spelling keeps coming up with the brothers.   We know they were brothers – eg reports on the Junior Championships refer to J McCaffrey leading his brother by ten yards – and that they both ran at different but overlapping periods for Celtic Harriers and West of Scotland Harriers but the same papers spelled the names as both McCaffrey and McCafferty.    Alex Wilson, when consulted, about this said that he had checked out the census returns and could not find him in either the 1901 or 1911 census.   He may well have been living in Ireland at these times.   There was a reference to him living at Tighnabruaich though and Alex suggested that he worked there during the summer.   However we will refer to him henceforth as McCafferty for the purposes of this profile.

*

On February 19th, 1902, he was again running in the National Junior Cross Country Championship and finished ninth overall, but seventh in the team race which made him the first runner home for West of Scotland Harriers who were second in the team race.   I lost track at that point but Alex managed to find one race he ran in Ireland. He notes that PJ won the 1903 Irish Junior Championship but was disqualified under controversial circumstances.   I quote Tony O’Donohue “The winner of the race was P.J. McCafferty, originally from Claremorris but presently based in Scotland and running in the colours of Clonliffe Harriers, by a margin of ten seconds. The Cork City Harriers lodged a protest  on the grounds of McCafferty’s racing record in Scotland (which was held to be irrelevant) but also that he had failed to comply with the residency requirements and had not participated in the stipulated number of club runs. On those grounds McCafferty’s disqualification was upheld…”

He won the Scottish cross-country championship at Scotstoun on 14th March that year and the ‘Glasgow Herald’ reported as follows:   “There was a large attendance of athletes generally and cross-country followers particularly at Scotstoun Showground on Saturday on the occasion of the eighteenth ten miles cross-country race for the championship of Scotland.   Eight teams entered and all ran with more or less full teams.   Edinburgh Harriers ran 12 but one had as few as three runners and had a correspondingly The course was heavy but the overhead conditions were very pleasant and there was just sufficient nip in the air to cool the competitors somewhat.   Racing was keen with the exception of the winner who had an easy victory, winning by fully 150 yards in 63 min 07 sec.”   Running in the colours of the West of Scotland team, McCafferty won from J Ranken of Edinburgh Southern Harriers and DW Mill of Greenock Glenpark Harriers, who had won the two previous championships as a member of Clydesdale Harriers.   Since he was eligible for the Junior championship, which was run in conjunction with the senior race, McCafferty won both Junior and Senior championships.

McCafferty chose to run for Ireland in the first international cross-country championship to be held at Hamilton on 28th March.   England were a bit sticky about taking part in such a fixture: first of all they refused to take part because they feared that such a fixture would detract from their own championships and only agreed when they saw that the other countries were determined to go ahead with or without them, and then they insisted that the event take place on the 28th rather than on the 21st (which had been the proposed and agreed date among the others) because their champion, Shrubb, was racing on the Continent on the 21st March.   However, the event went ahead, Shrubb won with ease and England won the team race from Ireland and Scotland.   McCafferty finished back in twentieth position while J Crosbie of Larkhall was first Scot home in tenth.

On to the track and the SAAA Ten Miles Championship was held at Ibrox on 3rd April.    The preview in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ on 30th March read: “The 10 miles SAAA Championship will be held at Ibrox on Friday evening and, in view of the running of certain members of the Scottish team at Hamilton on Saturday, the races promises to be more interesting than it has been for some years past.   It is feared however that DW Mill will not be able to compete: he met with an accident last week and had to withdraw from the international contest.   McCafferty, of the West of Scotland Harriers, is much fancied for this honour.   He was a little disappointing at Hamilton, where he ran for the Irish team.   McCafferty has done good cross-country work this season and it is no secret among his club friends that he means business in the 10 miles this week.   Crosbie of Larkhall enhanced his reputation greatly on Saturday, and if he is as much at home on the track as he is over ‘moor and fen’, he will not be the last to finish.   It is expected Ranken, of Watsonians, will run and he is certain to make a good appearance.   Like Crosbie he trains methodically.   Scotch runners do not train as systematically as English pedestrians.   Shrubb, for example, puts in as much exercise in winter as he does in summer.’

The report  on the race indicates that it was not as good an event as the build-up had led us to believe.   Mill had recovered enough to be able to race and made a contest of it for the first eight miles.   There were only four runners on the starting line, all from the West of Scotland, and only McCafferty finished, winning the title in 57:07.2.    It had been a very good cross-country season with his Irish Junior, Scottish Senior and twentieth in the international and the track season proper was about to start.

At the start of May, Thursday 14th, the West of Scotland Harriers held a meeting at Ibrox and the ‘Glasgow Herald’ preview said that the two mile match between John McGough, the mile champion, and PJ McCafferty who was so successful last cross-country season would be one of the highlights.   Pointing out that the distance was  too short for McCafferty and that if McGough were in anything like his normal form, he would win comfortably.   Alex Wilson has a profile of McGough on this website with a description of the race which notes that in 1903 that   “It wasn’t much of a contest, though, because McCafferty retired at two miles and McGough finished alone. McGough’s time of 20:21.8 was another personal best and brought him to within 11 seconds of the Scottish native record.”   Follow the link to the McGough article and the full description of the race.

Despite a fairly thorough look through newspaper reports and checks with some well-known historians,  McCafferty disappears from the records between 1904 and 1909 when Alex Wilson has tracked him down to finishing sixth  in the Powderhall Marathon, and third in 18 miles Strathavon Marathon.   He comments:  “After his run at Strathaven there was a report in the ‘Hamilton Advertiser’ that a Peter John McCafferty , I quote from my notes “slipped and fell down six or seven steps while running down the stairs at Hamilton Central Station to catch the late train, knocking himself unconscious and sustaining bad cuts”. He was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, but considered well enough to be released next day.”  This interest in road running came at a time when the ‘marathon’ was enjoying something of a surge of interest in the country, following the dramatic Olympic marathon the previous year.   McCafferty was unplaced in both of these events and his career, in Scotland at least, seems to have ended there.

He was clearly a very good runner – he had run in the cross-country international and won the Scottish championships – who was highly rated by the athletics cognoscenti of the time.   It would be good to have more information on this athlete, one of the first of our Irish visitors to make his mark in Scotland.

Scottish Cross Country Team, 1949: Archie Craig in centre, sixth from left and beside Emmet Farrell (51)

It is less usual for  a runner’s son/daughter to take up the sport than one might expect.   Athletes like Glen Stewart or Susan Partridge are not very common in the sport.   Archie Craig is probably unique in that both of his sons became runners, better still international runners albeit for a different club.   Older son Archie junior was mainly pre-war and younger son George had a career that lasted until 1951.    It is with Archie junior that we are concerned here.   All three raced sparingly and none of them competed much during the summer at all, and they were not ever-presents in the short relays at the start of the winter either..

Unlike his Dad, who was a member of Bellahouston Harriers, young Archie ran for Shettleston Harriers – the two clubs are based quite close to each other and there have been talks at various times of mergers, but the rivalry was intense.   Archie, senior had  a wonderful career winning medals both individual and team, as well as running for Scotland, with his last international cross-country event in 1924.   As for the boys, the younger son, George, won the Scottish Youths championship in season 1934/35 as Archie, Junior, ran in the senior race.   That season he ran in the Midland District championships where he was 63rd and in a Shettleston team that finished sixth.   In the National later that season he was 59th and the team was fourth.    It is with Archie that we are concerned here.

Archie was 77th in the Midland District championship at Hamilton in 1934 for the team that finished sixth but there was no mention of him in other races that winter or the following summer.   The first mention of Archie in 1935 is in January when he ran in the club team in the eight man relay between Edinburgh and Glasgow in January 1935.   Here he ran the fifth leg, maintaining the leading position that he had been given: unfortunately the following runners could not hold on to it and the team was fifth at the finish.   In the national that year, he was 59th and fifth counter for the team that was fourth.

In winter 1935/36, Archie Craig did not run in either of the teams representing Shettleston Harriers in the Midland District cross-country relay.   However when the District Championships came along, the  report said that the winner ‘J Kelly (Springburn) ran with rare judgment to defeat young A Craig (Shettleston), son of a former National champion by 100 yards in 41 min 12 sec.   R Simpson (Motherwell YMCA), a hot favourite, was third another 70 yards behind.   Over the first lap of 1 1/2 miles the leaders were JE Farrell, Maryhill, WG Black, Plebeian,  and A Craig, Shettleston.   Neither R Simpson, Motherwell, nor Jack Gifford were among the leaders.   On the next lap, Farrell and J Kelly, running neck and neck, drew away from the others, and Kelly with arms low and running comfortably, showed more reserve.   Over the final circuit Kelly piled on the pace and speedily left Farrell.   Craig came into the picture again, and actually made ground on the leader over the last mile. “

Craig led the team home but it could do no better than finish fifth in a race surprisingly won by Shawfield Harriers.   The team did better in the National, finishing equal fourth with Plebeian Harriers, but they did it without Craig.   The Edinburgh to Glasgow was held on 4th April in 1936 and the Craig-less team was second.

That summer, despite being in good condition, and despite his club having teams in various two and three miles team races on the track (Firhill, Hampden, Ibrox, etc)  there was no sign of Craig.    His father and brother were said to ‘race sparingly’ and it may have been a family thing but for such a good country runner he seems to have been posted missing during the summer months.    It was then on to the winter 1936/37 season.

When the Midland District relay was held on 30th November, there were two Shettleston Harriers teams out, and one of them won the title, but the eight men running did not include Archie Craig.    In the Midland cross-country championship, however, Craig did turn out and finished seventh, second club man to finish for the winning team.    In the National he did even better, finishing 13th, 10th in the team race, second Shettleston runner – and winner of the SCCU Junior cross-country championship.   Again he missed the Edinburgh relay in April.   The Shettleston Harriers history “One Hundred Years of Shettleston Harriers” tells us that

“On July 10th a squad of Shettleston runners did not have far to travel when they took part in the fledgling Carntyne AC’s first track and field venture at Greenfield Park in Shettleston.    The two mile team race trio of Jim Ross (6),  Archie Craig (8) and Alec Hill (10)  could manage only third place, suggesting that the competition was formidable.   ….   The West of Scotland championships in Dunoon stuck with yards, feet and inches and brought the Craig brothers together in the final of the 1,365 yard race (the mile) in which Archie was first and George second. ”     The Two Mile Team Race at Carntyne was won by Edinburgh Northern with with 8 points, Plebeian Harriers were second with 13 points against Shettleston’s 24 and as far as the District Championships were concerned, the mile is usually 1760 yards so it was a bit short but the result would probably have been the same.

In winter 1937/38 the Shettleston club 5 miles championship was held on 23rd October, 1937, the first championship was the District Relays in October where there were two Shettleston Harriers teams in action but Craig appeared in none of these.   Nor was he in evidence at the District Championships at Hamilton where Bellahouston emerged victorious.   He did turn out, however, in the biggest race of the year: the National on 5th March 1938 at Ayr,  Craig finished seventh – second team member to finish after Flockhart (fifth) and two places ahead of Ross but despite that, the team had to take second to Maryhill whose Emmet Farrell was champion.   Archie Craig was selected for the international championship.   In that race at the Balmoral Showground in Belfast, Craig was second Scot to finish (24th individual) with Flockhart eighth and the team fifth.

Season 1938/39 and the first winter championship was the Midland District relay with Bellahouston Harriers and Shettleston Harriers joint favourites for the title.   The Shettleston quartet was led off by Craig on the first stage who finished second, two seconds behind Maryhill Harriers man, W Nelson, in 13:22 with Bellahouston’s GM Hunter well back on 14:01.   W Sutherland went into the lead on the second stage but on the last lap, Emmet Farrell of Maryhill pulled in 80 yards and won the race for his team.   Craig was fifth fastest on the day, only 19 seconds slower than Farrell in first.   Well out of the medals in the District championship with a very weak team (minus Craig, Flockhart and Sutherland) they headed into the National.   The championship was held on 4th March at Lanark Racecourse and was won by the outstanding athleteof the year, R Reid of Doon Harriers.   Craig was fourth overall but third in the team championship and Shettleston was third team to finish.   He was of course automatically selected for the international.   It was the last national championship before the war and Craig had acquitted himself well but unfortunately in the international he failed to finish.

Four weeks after the international, Craig was part of the Shettleston Harriers team that finished third in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay Race.   He ran on the tough second stage and pulled the club up an amazing seven places – from twelfth to fifth – with the third fastest time of the day.   He was followed by teenage brother George on the third stage who went from fifth to third with second fastest time of the afternoon.   Between them, the brothers had taken the club up nine places.   On Tuesday June 6th, with war imminent, there was a strong Shetleston Harriers contingent at the St Vincent de Paul sports meeting at Maxwell Park in Baillieston.   We are told that Archie Craig competed but f it was in the ThreeMiles team race, he was fourth club man – no disgrace when the  first three were W Sutherland, JC Ross and J Flockhart.

That was to be one of the last meetings before the war started and Archie Craig served as a dispatch rider in the RAF.   There were no championships during the war and the sport was run on a ‘maintenance’ basis by the Scottish Cross Country Association with unofficial championships being held wherever possible.   There was, for instance, a Midland District event held in March 1940 in which Archie Craig finished second to Emmet Farrell of Maryhill Harriers – see the photograph below which is reproduced courtesy of Alex Wilson.   But Archie Craig’s competitive career was effectively over – he ran in none of the post-war championships, the family banner being carried by brother George while father Archie forged a notable career as an administrator.

Sam Watt, his brother and his father were all members of Clydesdale Harriers in the period immediately before the First World War.   They lived at Lenzie Moss Farm outside Cumbernauld.   Sam was easily the best athlete in the family and on five international cross-country vests as well as winning the SAAA Four Miles title.

He first won major races in season 1908/09.   The annual Clydesdale Harriers 7 Mile Handicap and Team Race was held from Scotstoun Showgrounds and was one of the biggest events on the calendar.  In 1908 it took place on 14^th November and the report in the Glasgow Herald read: “The annual team race and handicap promoted by Clydesdale Harriers took place from the Glasgow Agricultural Society’s Show Grounds at Scotstoun on Saturday afternoon.   The former event was open to all who are eligible to take part in a district championship and the latter to all amateurs.   Twenty one of the best clubs in Scotland were represented in the team race.   Each team comprised six runners.   The first three men home counted in the lowest aggregate for their club.   For the handicap the record entry of 118 was secured – scratch men in the handicap evets were A McPhee, jnr, Clydesdale Harriers, Sam Stevenson, Clydesdale Harriers, and George McKenzie, West of Scotland Harriers, who conceded handicap starts up to seven minutes.   The distance of the race was seven miles, and over the double course.   The trail was laid by members of the Garscube Harriers who were familiar with the topography of the district.   About half an hour after the advertised time, the stewards marshalled the runners (over 200 in number) and a start was soon made, and as was natural in such a crush, there was some jostling before they spread out.   Racing was keen in the leading division.   A McPhee headed the pack on leaving the grounds and on the first round being complete McPhee, Watt and Rodger were in the lead side by side.   The finish caused great excitement and the first three past the post were:   1.   A McPhee, jnr, Clydesdale Harriers (time 45 mins  35 secs),  2.   SS Watt, Clydesdale Harriers (46 min 01 sec), 3.   WG Rodger, West of Scotland, ( 46 min  07sec).  Actual placings, etc, were made known at the social event after the meeting in Glasgow YMCA Institute in the evening.”

The club championship was held over 9 miles in January 1909 and here again he finished second to McPhee with Olympian Sam Stevenson third.   This was followed by the club confined two miles flat race in which he finished second (to RP White this time) with Sam Stevenson again third.   These set him up nicely for the national cross country championship in March which was won by McPhee with Watt in eighth place which was good enough to earn selection for the international.   This was his first appearance in the event and with the team finishing third, he came home with a bronze medal.  It might have been brighter for McPhee fell early on and finished thirty fourth with Jack three places behind him and Stevenson lost a shoe shortly after the start and had to drop out.   Nevertheless it had been a good year for him.

Into the 1909/10 winter season and his first noteworthy appearance was on November 13^th in the 7 Miles handicap and team contest at Scotstoun where he was second – again to McPhee with John Templeman of Bellahouston Harriers third.   On 20^th  November in the club 5 miles handicap, although unplaced in the handicap, he was the fastest man over the course.   In the nine mile club championships and team race at Thornliebank, he was  the clear winner, taking his first club championship title beating McPhee and fellow Scottish internationalist Alex Mann in the process.   He also led home the winning team.   It was now on to the national championship where he had a bit of an off-day and finished won in 21^st place.   There was no international race in 1910 for Sam Watt.,

The national was held that year (1911) on 4^th March in Pollok and Watt won for his first national winners medal.   Shields reports on the race:

“Watt … won the national from 100 competitors representing eight clubs at Sheep Farm Park in Pollok where a large and enthusiastic crowd lined the track.   Watt won by 50 yards from J Duffy who finished runner-up for the second time.”

The Glasgow Herald gave more description of the race: “The preliminary circuit of the ground was completed at a fast pace and the crowd passed out of the grounds almost as closely packed as at the start.   J Duffy (Edinburgh H) was in front, closely followed by A McPhee (Clydesdale) and RF Gilbert (West of Scotland).   Reaching Pollokshaws Road the competitors turned northwards to the old tramway terminus at the Round Toll.   Here, turning into the Barrhead road, they faced a strong westerly wind, which proved very trying on trhe hevy cross-country ground which was immediately entered upon.   The course extended as far to the south west as Kennishead, when the men turned northward joining the River Cart and entering the Pollok grounds at the western extremity of the Pollok Golf Course.   On passing Pollok House the leader was S Watt, Clydesdale Harriers, fully 50 yards in front of J Duffy with Templeman, one of the individual competitors, in third place.   Here it was learned that Alexander McPhee, Clydesdale Harriers, the individual champion for the last two years had retired.   The leaders however seemed to be travelling comfortably, also as it turned out that there was no change to the first three places excepting that the distance between first and second was considerably increased with Watt eventually winning by about 200 yards from Duffy.” 

The international that year was held at Caerleon Park in Wales and both Rangers FC and Celtic FC helped to send the team to contest the international.   Shields again:

“In 1911 snow had fallen heavily for several days prior to the race but a trail of colpoured paper had been laid over a thick cover of snow.   However just an hour or two before the race started, a snow storm covered the laid trail.   The organisers immediately recruited a number of Welsh cross-country runners who were present as spectators, provided them with running kit, and stationed them as stewards with hand flags at strategic points around the course to guide the competitors round the trail.”      Watt finished, as Shields says, ‘a disappointing fourth’ with GCL Wallach being first Scot home in third place.   The team was again third.

Summer 1911 saw Sam collect two SAAA track championship medals, one of which was gold.   On 7th May at Hampden he won the Ten Miles championship from A Kerr and WA Ramsay in 54 min 56.4 sec.    He raced sparingly but he saw no difficulty in turning out for the club on 22nd June at Portobello in Edinburgh in  a one mile team race.   The report said that “West of Scotland athletes had cause to plume themselves on their successes at the Edinburgh Harrier Clubs’  Coronation Sports held at the Marine Gardens, Portobello on Thursday.   A Mann, Clydesdale Harriers, probably the best road runner in Scotland over long distances, won the 11 1/2 mile Marathon race by nearly half a mile , and the Clydesdale Harriers, who were represented by SS Watt, A McPhee, G Findlay and A Loch secured the Mile team race after an exciting tussle with their oldest of opponents, the Edinburgh Harriers.   Watt, who beat WG Dawson by inches for first place, disclosed surprising form and great power of finishing; G Findlay, the old Glasgow High School boy, performed most creditably in gaining fourth place, just behind T Jack, the 10 miles record holder, and some yards ahead of McPhee.” 

Just two days later in the Four Miles at the SAAA Track and Field Championships at Hampden on 24th June, he was third behind GCL Wallach (Greenock Glenpark Harriers) and J Duffy (Edinburgh Harriers), Wallach’s time being 20 min 41.4 sec.   As a consequence, he was selected along with Wallach and Duffy to run in the Scoto-Irish International at Ball’s Bridge, Dublin on 15th July.   Here he finished fourth with Wallach taking the victory.   Reports at the time said that Wallach just did enough to win because he was saving himself for another race: whatever the reason, there was only bronze for Watt this time.

There were races all over the country at this time of the year and at a meeting in Beith, organised by the local football club, on 1st July, Watt was one of the back markers along with Wallach  in  the Three Miles Handicap race.   “1.   H Hughes, West of Scotland Harriers, 170 yds;   2.   A Loch, Clydesdale Harriers, 170 yds;   3.   GH Ramsay, Edinburgh Harriers, 170 yds.   There were 25 starters in this race.   Wallach, the champion was scratch, but he did not put in an appearance.    The back markers, including SS Watt, Clydesdale Harriers, made very little impression on the placed men, and retired at different stages.   Hughes in the last lap fell, but recovered quickly and maintaining an easy pace won by 15 yards, While Loch just got the better of Ramsay to win by a foot for second place.   Time: 14 min 33 sec.”

Clearly running well, Watt did not turn out in any of the remaining important meetings that summer – not even the Rangers Sports or the Celtic Sports saw him in action.

Watt’s second club championship victory was on 20th January 2012 in the race which was held at Paisley Pavilion.   He won from Alex Loch and Robert Findlay – Watt and Frew would go on to represent Scotland in the international championship later that year.      The club’s seven miles confined handicap was held on 10th February with an East race at Gartsherrie and a West Race at Clydebank.  Watt won the Gartsherrie  race from Alex Loch and Robert Frew and went in to the National Championship on 2nd March with two good wins behind him.

It should be pointed out that at this time, Clydesdale Harriers had a policy of not using their best runners in the West District cross-country championships, preferring to use it to give experience to younger and up-and-coming runners so that athletes like Watt who were among the very best when they were young men, never ran in the District championships at all.   The championship was held at Scotstoun and Watt led for the first lap of the two lap course.   Tom Jack from Edinburgh took over in the second lap and in what was described as ‘the closest finish ever seen in a national championship’ with only four seconds covering the first three runners.   Result:  1.   T Jack;   2.   A Kerr (Motherwell);   3.   SS Watt.   The other Clydesdale men to finish were Loch (4), Findlay (12), Mann (15), McPhee (20) and Frew (28) and the total of 81 points placed them second.   Watt and Loch were chosen for the Scottish team to compete in the international championship at Saughton Park in April on 30th March.   Bouin of France won the race and the Scottish team was second behind England: unfortunately for Clydesdale, Watt did not finish and Loch in 25th was out of the scoring six runners so that no international silver came the way of the club!

There was almost certainly some connection between that poor run  and his non-appearance at Hawkhill Grounds on 7th April to defend his 10 miles track title as the ‘Glasgow Herald’  noted that he had been ill and unable to train.   That fact plus the absence of Wallach who was ‘unable to travel’ undoubtedly robbed the event of some of its attraction although it was won by Tom Jack, albeit in a much slower time than the previous year.   Absent for most of the first part of the season, he also missed the SAAA championships on 15th June but by August he was racing again and won the half-mile handicap at the Rangers FC Sports from a mark of 55 yards beating Thomson of Bellahouston Harriers off 69 yards, and Alex McPhee, who was now running for West of Scotland Harriers) off 60 yards.   The winning time was 1:54.2 after a hectic race with all three fighting it out up the finishing straight.   Interestingly enough, he missed the Three Miles despite the fact tan Hannes Kolehmainen was taking part, and the Mile which was won by Duncan McPhee.   On 10th August at the Celtic FC Sports he was again out in the half-mile where he failed to qualify for the final – nor did George Dallas of Maryhill, the other on the same mark.   He was entered for the two miles invitation race on the following Tuesday but however well he ran, he wasn’t in the first four in that race.   He went into winter 1912/13 in good form.

Watt was absent from the annual seven miles handicap and team race on 9th November (the course went round Scotstounhill, Knightswood, Anniesland, Crow Road and Jordanhill) but on 23rd November 1912 he won the club’s 5 miles open handicap at Anniesland from a youngster called Duncan McPhee.   McPhee was the younger brother of Watt’s old rival Alex and would go on to become club captain before leaving the club for some reason and joining up with West of Scotland.   McPhee was fourth in the club championships and team race held on 18th January at Maryhill where Watt was again victorious with Findlay second and JC Thomson.   Watt, McPhee and Peter McGregor were drawn in the same team which finished second.   In the seven miles confined handicap held on 15th February, Watt had the fastest time in a race won by William Henderson, which set him up for the national championships on 1st March at Scotstoun.   Archie Craig of Bellahouston Harriers won by 40 yards from A McDonald, Monkland Harriers, with Watt only two seconds away in third.   Juvisy Aerodrome in Paris was the venue for the race in 1913 and Watt finished seventeenth for the Scottish team.

Again absent for the first half of the season and missing both the Ten Miles in April and Four Miles in June he made a winning appearance at the Rangers Sports on 2nd August when he won the Open Handicap mile off 40 yards in 4:35.4.    Nor was he prominent in the winter 1913/14 season but he led the club team home in the national and did well enough personally to qualify for the international team.   This was held at Chesham in Buckinghamshire and Watt in twentieth place was last scoring runner for the Scotland team which finished second.

Watt’s career, like that of so many others, ended with the 1914/18 War .    It had been a good one with gold, silver and bronze individual and team medals at club, Scottish and international levels and with international vests won on the track and over the country.