Category: Runners

I have commented elsewhere on the lack of historical data about the start of the women’s athletic scene in Scotland in the 1930’s in the introduction to the Jean Tait profile.    The athlete this time is Georgina Ballantine who was a very good runner indeed and her career also sheds light on the pre-war athletics scene in Scotland.

The competitive excellence and sporting success of the women’s section when it was first formed in 1930 took everyone by surprise.    The members were all novices to start with but achieved victories that could never have been foreseen.     Among these talented women Georgina Ballantine was one of the very best.

 Georgie joined the club in season 1933/34.   She was a friend of Peggy Ellison and Anne Gilchrist who were already club members.  They encouraged her to come along and try cross country running.   Originally a hockey player, she wore a gymslip in her first run because it was the only practical costume that she had.   The Ladies trained on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and the basic run was about 15 – 20 minutes.   This suited the racing of the time with a National Cross Country Championship of about three miles.   In the summer they trained at the Yoker FC Park and ran on the outside track – they were not allowed on the grass!   As far as track racing was concerned almost all the cross country women ran the half mile and their medley relay team was very good.    They won medals and certificates in almost every race they contested: Georgina was in the team that won the Medley Relay in 1936 and in the team that finished second in 1937.   The certificate below is from the Scottish Medley Relay Championship of 1937.   The team of Allison Ritchie, Isa Hunter, Georgie  Ballantine and Jean Tait were all regulars.   There were other girls who could slot in including Mary Martin, Martha Orr and BG Anderson.   The year earlier the girls had won with BG Anderson running instead of Georgie.

The Ladies Training was organised by her father, George Ballantine who had been a professional athlete himself.  He helped the men as a trainer on occasion but he is best remembered as the Ladies Coach.   He usually wore a white dustcoat and because he was working with women he arranged for Mrs Thursby to come along and help out because he felt that it was not appropriate for a man to coach them on his own.  Some of the men helped out from time to time – Tom Sinclair and Arthur Shields ran with them when they were out on the roads and the canal bank to start with and in later years Dan McDonald and other were there in that capacity.

Jean and Georgie flank the trophy, Mr Ballantine and Mrs Thursby at either side at the back

Although a good cross country runner, on the track Georgie specialised in the half mile and most races at the time were handicap meetings.  She was very quick and reported to be good tactically.   On the other hand, on several occasions she had been instructed by her father to ‘just win and no more’ or her handicap would suffer.   She generally went along with this but on one occasion she just thought she could win well and ran away from the opposition to win the race by a distance.   As she left the track, the handicapper took her by the elbow and said “You’ll no’ do that to me again, lassie.”   In addition her Dad gave her a real talking to as well.   And she didn’t do it to the handicapper again!

If we go back to the start of her career in the Harriers, the first report that appeared was for the Johnstone Castle Policies Sports where she ran in the 100 yards.   “A ‘guid wee yin’ in Georgie Ballantine galloped into second place in the 100 yards for girls Under 16.   This is her first success since she won the title of sports champion of the High School.   A dinky little clock now gets her up bright and early.”    In September 1933 at the Ladies AGM she was elected Assistant Treasurer.

 She created an upset in her first club cross country championship race in February 1934 when she defeated reigning champion Jean Tait to take first place.   Tom Millar in the ‘Clydebank Press’ was very enthusiastic about the new talent in the club saying: “A sensation was caused in the club championship last Saturday when the champion, Jean Tait, was forced to relinquish it to Georgina Ballantine.   Allison Ritchie, a former champion, was third.   I have no details as to how the race went but anyone who can beat Jean Tait must be a ‘guid yin’.   The Scottish Championships is to be decided a week tomorrow and the first six girls will represent Scotland in the women’s international;   we may yet see a Clydebank girl gain a ‘cap’”.  A week later she was one place behind Jean in the Scottish Championships but where sixth earned Jean a place in the Scottish team for the international Blackpool, Georgina’s seventh was only good enough for non-travelling first reserve.   However it was a very dramatic couple of weeks for a newcomer who could only have been 16 years old at most.

In her first national cross country championship the club team was third at Bishopbriggs.   There were not many Ladies Clubs in the country at the time – Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, Bellahouston Harriers, Maryhill Harriers, Shettleston Harriers and Greenock provided the main opposition, but the standard was high with Mildred Storrar of Dundee being the top cross country runner of the time.   Her cross country record was a good one – club champion and first reserve for Scotland (in 1935) was an excellent start.   The following year she did not run in the club championship and in the National where she was third club runner when the club had four in the first seven.   Jean Tait was second, Mary Martin third and Georgie fourth with Betty Anderson seventh.   As the ‘Press’ report said her father as coach to the team must have been delighted.   The club won the National title three times in three years- 1936, 1937 and 1938. Georgie’s best performance was being second in 1938.   Her medal is below.

 The extract on the left is from the SWAAA Programme for the Championships of 1967 in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow and lists the winning teams from past years.   It also shows the club as winning three times in a row.   Georgie told me that the club had won the ‘Daily Record’ Cup for the three years and were allowed to keep the cup.   Unfortunately it was stolen from their house before she went to South Africa.   She left the country for South Africa after her marriage to Tom Young and returned in the 1990’s.    Invited to the club Presentation in 2000, she met up with Jean Tait again and both wore their 1936 Championship winning medals in pendant form for the occasion.

 Some Indoor Work.   George’s training was never boring and included many routines that are now commonplace but weren’t then.

Subsequently she donated the Georgie Ballantine Young Cup to the club for the Under 17 Ladies Cross Country Champion.   Ironically for one previously so fast on her feet she had difficulty getting around and was confined to the house and died in 2006.

When I was running and racing in the 1960s and later, I had the impression that the SWAAA were better organised than the men’s side of the sport.    I now realise that that was not the case.   Especially when researching or trying to investigate the women’s side of the sport, there are no formal histories such as Keddie’s excellent centenary history of the SAAA or Shields’s cross-country masterpiece.   Women’s athletics took off in the 1930’s and there is not even a complete record of team and individual winners available: Ron Morrison is slowly but surely completing such a record but none exists at present.   I have a couple of studies of individual women athletes from the 30’s that I profiled for a Clydesdale Harriers book that I was writing and the profile here is of Jean Tait who won the women’s cross-country championship and was a member of the team that won the championship three times in a row before the War started in 1939.   It is interesting from many points of view.   Jean died on 17th December, 2013 at the age of 97.

 When Graeme Reid won the Scottish Cross Country title in 2003 it was hailed as the first win in a National Cross Country Championship since Dunky Wright in 1923.   The club had in fact had a National Cross Country more recently than that – Jean Tait won the Scottish Women’s Cross Country Championship in 1937.    It all started for the most successful Harrier of the Inter War Years in 1930. 

Clydesdale Harriers Committee Meeting, 22^nd September 1930: extract from Minute:

“Ladies Section: Mr A McGregor inquired if there was any demand locally for this.    Mr (Frank) Semple intimated that he had received about twenty names of ladies who were interested.   Thereupon Mr A McGregor moved that the Secretary should convene a meeting for the purpose of founding a Ladies Section.   This was seconded by Mr T McAulay.   Mr McGregor also moved, seconded by W Wilkinson that the Y.M.C.A. Hall should be booked and that October 3^rd be the probable date for the meeting.   It was made clear that once started the Ladies Section should be entirely self governing and self supporting.   The President, Secretary, Treasurer, Captain and Mr McGregor were appointed to attend this meeting as representing the Committee.”

 At a time when the men’s section was thriving numerically and socially but in the doldrums competitively, few if any could have foreseen the standards that would be achieved by this new section.   The top three or four were of a very high standard indeed and none higher than the club’s first women’s national cross country champion Jean Tait.   When the section started the ladies were training on Mondays, Wednesdays and on Saturdays at the week end.   The ‘Press’ report for 12^th February 1932 said that the Ladies Championships would be held that weekend over a distance of not less than one mile and the winner would get the Cup donated to the club by Mrs Thursby.   Nan Stopani won from Allison Ritchie and in the SWAAA Championships (only the second ever) Clydesdale were third behind Maryhill and Dundee Hawkhill.   The counting runners were Nan Stopani (13^th), Allison Ritchie (14), Nan Stephenson (17 and Mary Campbell (21).    A year later and the ‘Press’ report read that the club was third again behind the same two teams but much closer and went on to say in an article headed  Hail Jessie Tait:

“The bright feature as far as the locals are concerned was the brilliant running of Jessie Tait.   Let me say here and now that every one of the local team acquitted themselves splendidly but Jessie went one better by taking actual third position.   In other words here in Clydesdale we have the third best runner in Scotland.   Only two hundred yards separated her from the winner and she was only beaten for second by forty yards …………”    Jean was third, Allison Ritchie was fourth and Nan Stephenson and Annie Lindsay were the club’s counting runners.   The following week was a sealed handicap race from Whitecrook Pavilion and Jean overhauled a 250 yards lead held by the club champion Allison Ritchie to win.

Jean is front row, extreme right

In April 1933 the General Committee granted Clydesdale Harriers Ladies Section permission to use the club design for a badge to be presented to Miss Jean Tait after she had finished second in the SWCCU Championships.

The summer of 1933 started with the St Peter’s Sports where she was third in the obstacle race but then came the Johnstone Castle Policies Sports.   “In the half mile which was by general agreement the best race of the day, Jean Tait was beaten by inches for first place.   Her clubmate Allison Ritchie followed her closely which gave Clydesdale Harriers second and third.   Jean has now put away half a dozen tea knives in a certain chest and Allison is showing a neat manicure set.” 

It was a good summer and at the Ladies General Meeting in September Jean was elected Assistant Secretary and Georgina Ballantine was Assistant Treasurer.   However despite being elected Assistant Secretary the following notice appeared: “New members should get in touch with the Secretary, Miss Jean Tait, 12 Spencer Street, Clydebank.”

Whoever was Secretary there was a momentum building up in the Ladies Section.   In January 1934 they arranged a muster run of all the clubs in the Glasgow District.   Maryhill, Shettleston, Bellahouston and South Glasgow Ladies all came to Clydebank for the run.   In March 1934 the team could ‘only’ finish fourth in the Scottish Championships but Jean was again third finisher.   Tom Millar reported: “A mere one hundred and sixty yards separated the Clydesdale lady champion from the Dundee girl who triumphed.   In between came a Maryhill girl.   This is a remarkable performance, more especially since this is the second time that Jean has finished third.   As a team the local ladies did not do so well as last year and dropped one place.  Jean Tait is due every credit for her plucky displays in these races and on behalf of my colleagues in the men’s section I offer sincere congratulations.”   As the report says, two weeks earlier Jean had won the club championship from Allison Ritchie who led until the last 200 metres when “superior finishing power enabled Jean to win by fifteen yards.”

 Although the results of the Men’s Section were being eclipsed by those of the Ladies, the General Committee seemed determined that it would have the whip hand in the relationship with the Ladies Section. Several fairly senior members seemed to be actively opposed to what was termed ‘amalgamation’.   But the Ladies wanted to be included.   In March 1934 they wrote formally to the Committee asking for permission to present their prizes at the Men’s Presentation.   This was unanimously agreed and the occasion was a great success.   In September of the same year there was a letter from Mrs Thursby asking for a representative to be sent to the Ladies Section AGM.   This was agreed and Fred Yorwarth was the representative.   A month later (1^st October) there were two letters from the Ladies.   The first was asking for two ‘coaches’ from the men’s Section to run with them on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons.   This was agreed.   The second contained the desire of their members to amalgamate with the Men’s Section.   This was postponed to the end of the evening before being discussed.   It was found impossible to amalgamate but the Committee agreed provisionally to send representatives to the Ladies’ Section meeting.   They were to collect information and act as an advisory committee which had to be ‘ruled’ by the General Committee.   The representatives were to be Fred Yorwarth, Dan McDonald, Tom Sinclair and Kenny Robb.   In July 1934 at the Maryhill Meeting all three prizes in the Ladies half mile came to the club with Allison Ritchie winning from Jean with Isa Hunter third.   Then at the Singer’s Sports in Clydebank, Jean won the half mile from Mary Martin and Georgie Ballantine.   Other than that there was no reporting of the ladies summer’s racing in the local Press or club minutes which seemed to be fixated on the cross country season.

In the club championships in February 1935 there was a bit of an upset when Georgina Ballantine beat Jean for first place and Tom Millar reported “A sensation was caused in the club championships when the holder of the title, Jean Tait was forced to relinquish it to Georgina Ballantine.”    In the Scottish Championships the team was second but Jean in sixth place was selected for the International Cross Country Championship in Blackpool.   Georgina was one place behind – and first reserve for the team.   Club positions in the race were Jean 6^th, Georgina 7^th, Betty Reid 11^th and Allison Ritchie eighteenth.   The report in the ‘Press’ went as follows: “I am forced to give top place to our wonderful ladies this week.   They have done what we have not been able to do.   In the Scottish Women’s Cross Country Championships at Springburn last Saturday they took second place to the holders and favourites, Dundee Hawkhill Ladies.   Hold back those cheers for just a little longer.   Jean Tait by finishing actual sixth in the race made sure of her place in the international team race at Morecambe on April 20^th.    Her team mate Georgie Ballantine finished close behind her and is first reserve.   Thus the town which built the largest ship in the world is further honoured by having two of its young ladies selected for their country.   Now for those cheers – hip, hip, hooray.   But I am not unmindful of the rest of the team and Betty Reid and Allison Ritchie supported the stars well.   The former was eleventh and the latter eighteenth.   Clydesdale were the youngest team in the race.”

A year later Jean regained the club title in an excellent race.   “The finest championship since the inception of the ladies club five years ago took place last Saturday over a two and a quarter mile trail.   Nine eager competitors strove with each other for the honour of being known as club champion.   For a mile they raced together and no one was outstanding.   Gradually Jean Tait drew out followed by Mary Martin and Mary Orr.   The last two named only joined up this season but they certainly made a brave show.   Jean Tait, ex-club champion and Scottish internationalist had to go all out to break the tape five seconds ahead of Mary Martin who was ten seconds ahead of Mary Orr.   The holder Georgie Ballantine did not compete.   This result is highly satisfactory to the club when so many are close up to the champion and augurs well for their chance in the National race.”    

Two weeks later and ‘Excelsior’ was ecstatic again: “Pride of place must be given to Clydesdale Harriers ladies this week.   Last Saturday at Bishopbriggs they blasted the hopes of Dundee Ladies in the two mile Scottish Championship.   The Dundee girls were expected to be easy winners of this race but this idea was not shared by the locals.   For weeks they had prepared, training regularly and enthusiastically to lift that cup.   To the surprise of everyone but themselves they succeeded.   Therefore Clydebank at present harbours both the championship of the world and the lady champions of Scotland.    

Nobly led by their champion, Jean Tait, the Clydesdale Ladies responded magnificently and counted four in the first seven placers.   Mildred Storrar of Dundee, a big powerful girl and champion for the past two years, was first in evidence after the start but gradually Jean Tait took command and early on held a thirty yards lead.   Eighty yards from home ‘our Jean’ still led and looked a certain winner.   Here Mildred Storrar put forth her finishing effort and drew up to the Clydesdale girl.   Thirty yards from the tape they were still level  but excitement caused Jean to falter slightly and the holder retained her title by a few yards – her hardest won victory yet.   The locals went wild when Mary Martin and Georgie Ballantine followed Jean Tait and then Betty Anderson made sure of their team victory by finishing in seventh place.   The individual times and places were:   1.   M Storrar 13:33; 2.   J Tait 13:37; 3. M Martin 14:00; 4.   G Ballantine 14:07.   Mr G Ballantine the trainer is due the highest praise for the splendid condition of his girls.”

I have no detailed Press reports from then on and there is less in the club minutes than before about the Section but we know that in 1937 not only did the team win the title again, but Jean picked up the title and the Championship Shield and is pictured winning at the top of the first page.   Jean was Scottish Champion at last.    Clydesdale Ladies won yet again in 1938 to make it three consecutive years as Scottish champions in 1936, ’37 and ’38.

In March 1936 the men seemed to be getting the message.   It was moved by Dan McDonald and seconded by Arthur Shields that the Ladies Section be invited to distribute their prizes at the Men’s Presentation.   There was an amendment proposed that no such thing be done.   The amendment lost and the Ladies were invited.   I could find no reference to the SWAAA Championships or Relay Championships on the track in the club minutes for that year.  I have copies of certificates which say that Jean was second in the half mile in 1936 and the Medley Relay Team (of Jean Tait, Isa Hunter, Georgie Ballantine and BG Anderson) won on the very same night in June.   A year later the relay team (of Jean Tait, Georgie Ballantine, Allison Ritchie and Isa Hunter) was second in the Mile Medley Relay in July 1937.   They continued winning races as teams and individuals – see Jean’s certificate below for being second in the SWAAA Half Mile Championships in 1936.    If the Men’s Section had a grand winning run broken by the War in 1918, the Ladies had their winning streak terminated by the War in 1939!    The women would come back quite quickly after the war with runners representing Scotland – and even winning British titles and medals in the 1950’s.

After the war the club started up quite quickly thanks to the efforts of the War Time Committee to keep things ticking over.   Jean had married Andy McMillan in November 1937 and she was one of the main spirits in having the Ladies Section start up again after the War.   The following note appeared in the ‘Clydebank Press’ in 1947:  “Ladies Section:   Will all members of the above section and any other ladies interested in running please get in touch with Mrs A McMillan, 23 Duntocher Road, Dalmuir with a view to getting the Section restarted.”   A week later the following notice appeared: “A few young ladies showed their enthusiasm by turning out prepared to run at Mountblow on Tuesday night.   Any other young ladies wishing to come along should do so on Tuesday or Thursday at Mountblow”    For the next track season a proper Committee was set up with Cathie Hammond as Captain, Isa Irvine as Vice Captain, and a General Committee of Mrs McMillan, Mrs Shields, Misses E McCauley, M Cochrane and E Reid.     Tom Sinclair’s remark about a Matrimonial Agency was not too wide of the mark – apart from Jean and Andy and Jim and Allison, Willie Wright married Anne Gilchrist, Frank Semple married Jessie Raitt and there were many more.   The Ladies Section was back in action and Jean McMillan was playing her part.

 In the early 2000’s and she came along to the club Presentation twice renewing her acquaintance with Georgie Ballantine, David Bowman, Pat Younger and James P Shields among others.   More than that, she donated a trophy (illustrated below) for annual presentation to the club’s Junior Woman Cross Country Champion.

 From the ‘Clydebank Post’

1930 Scottish Empire Games Team

JF ‘Ginger’ Wood on left of front row.

James Fraser Wood was born in West Calder in 1905 and, as a runner for Heriot’s AC he won championships on the track, represented Scotland internationally on track and country and also ran in the Empire Games. Games.

His track distances were 4 miles and 10 miles.    At 4 miles he never won a Scottish title but was third in the AAA’s championship in 1929 and 1930, and then in 1931 finished second just ahead of Anglo-Scot RR Sutherland of Birchfield Harriers.   Also of course a good three mile runner, he broke Johnny McGough’s Scottish record with 14:44.6 in Glasgow on 1st August 1931.   In 1930 he was part of a Scottish team that went to the Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, and finished fourth in the Six miles.    Scots generally did well at these Games with Dunky Wright winning the marathon and Wood, Robert Sutherland (three miles) and Roy Hamilton (220 yards) finishing fourth.    (Incidentally, the first ever European Championships were held that year in Turin but Britain did not send a team).

In general though, the further he went the better he got.   Wood. described by Keddie as “a diminutive ‘one paced’ runner”, won the SAAA Ten Miles title twice – in 1931 (54:15.0) and in 1932 (52:31.0)   The high point, however, was when he won the  AAA 10 Miles Championship on 22nd April 1932 with a time of 52:00.2, and en route set a Scottish record for Six Miles of 30:34.0 which was to stand for 20 years.   This was the last time that a Scot won the AAA’s ten miles.   The event was previewed in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ thus:   ‘There will be considerable interest this side of the Border in the AAA’s Ten Miles Championship at Perry Barr, Birmingham because of the fact that included in the field is JF Wood our own national distance champion.  Wood has had several experiences of running in English championships and always with distinction.  His chances of winning are not negligible but his task is a severe one, as JW Winfield, last year’s winner, T Evenson the international cross-country champion, JH Potts of Saltwell, and JS Holden of Tipton Harriers are in the field.   Win or lose, Wood will uphold the prestige of Scottish distance running.’

The report on the race itself was in the issue of 25th April when, under the heading ‘JF Wood Wins 10 Mile Championship’ the report read:   ‘The 10 Mile Championship which was held on Saturday at the Birchfield  Sports was won by JF Wood (Heriots FP AC), the Scottish cross-country champion.   Wood led thrughout with the exception of a few yards in the ninth mile.  His time was 52 min 0 1/5 sec.   The second place was taken by JA Burns (Elswick Harriers) who was  30 yards behind in  52 min 5 3/5 sec.   He wrested the lead from Wood twice between the eighth and ninth miles but could never hold it for many yards.  They were over 300 yards ahead of the third man, JT Holden ( Tipton Harriers).

There were fourteen starters, and Wood Burns and Holden, together with GW Bailey (Salford Harriers) quickly left the rest of the field but Bailey dropped out before the halfway stage.   The holder, JW Winfield Derby) was a non-starter. ‘    It can be seen from the report that it was not an easy victory over a poor field.

In the course of his relatively short track career he set records for Three Miles, Five Miles (25:12), Six Miles and Ten Miles.

Winning the SAAA 10 Miles in 1931

Over the country, ‘Ginger’ Wood represented Scotland four times – in 1928, 1929, 1931 and 1932 – although Colin Shields says in ‘Whatever The Weather’ that he was ‘primarily a track runner’ although he did win the four vests.   He is first mentioned in the book as winning the East District Championship in 1927/28.    That season he was in the Scottish team for the international cross-country at Ayr where he was a counting runner in 21st place.   In the following year, Wood was one of those who failed to start in the National but he was nevertheless selected for the International.    The race was at Vincennes in France and he was 26th and again a scoring runner for the team which finished fifth of the ten countries participating.

In 1931, Wood was seventh in the National Championships which were won by Suttie Smith and again selected for the International.    Held in Ireland at the Baldoyle Racecourse in Dublin, Wood finished thirteenth.   His best run in the International however was in 1932.   The National was held on 7th March at Hamilton in an exciting race won by John Suttie Smith.     The following extract from Ggroe’s report in the ‘Daily Record’ said:   “Suttie’s commanding win – his fifth in succession – shows that the Dundonian has not only recovered his best form but even excelled himself by smashing the strong opposition including Robert Sutherland (Birchfield and Garscube Harriers) and JF Wood (Heriot’s) by 220 yards.   The race between Sutherland and Wood was most exciting and it was only on the post that the Anglo-Scot got the bulge on his rival. ”   The times were 54:16, 55:02 and 55:03.    Colin Shields describes the race as follows:“273 runners from 23 clubs lined up for the start.   James Wood (Heriot’sCCC) surprised his rivals with the fastest start ever seen in a National race, and the SAAA 10 miles champion led for the first three miles with Suttie  Smith and Henry McIntosh (Edinburgh Northern) closing the ga.   Suttie Smith went into the lead at 5 miles with Robert Sutherland chasing Wood who was an isolated second.   The Dundee runner strode away from his rivals for a 250 yard victory over Sutherland to record a fifth consecutive win.   The Army runner held off repeated challenges from Wood over the final 200 yards to take second place for the second successive year by the narrow margin of just one second.”  

The international team was picked and all three were selected for  the team to go to Brussels.   Colin reports on the race: “Suttie Smith and James Wood were always up with the leaders  and, though tiring at the end of a fast run race finished seventh and eighth respectively.”    This was Wood’s last international with his highest ever finish in the event.    

Duncan MacLeod Wright was universally known as Dunky Wright.   No matter how many titles or medals he won nor how many roles he filled within the SAAA he was still the same Dunky.  A very controversial character, there were differing views within the club about him and I spent a lot of time wondering whether to include him here or not but in my time there was no animosity towards him from respected club men such as David Bowman or James P Shields and this decided me.   In the course of his career he ran for Clydesdale Harriers, Shettleston Harriers and Maryhill Harriers.  Older members had divided opinions about Dunky – some were even divided within themselves about him.    Between Shettleston and Maryhill he tried with the assistance of WS Unkles (who had a well established and very successful fishmonger’s business) to found a club of champions to be called Caledonia AC.    After his running days were over he became an official and spent a lot of time on the Coaching Scheme of the ruling body; he also worked as an administrator and was manager of the Scottish team at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1970 where the team coach was Frank Dick.   The mascot for the team was a teddy bear dressed in Scottish colours and called Dunky Dick.  It was carted on to the track whenever a Scot won a gold medal.  Having started his career with Clydesdale he was always interested in the club’s progress and spoke at the club’s 90^th Anniversary Dinner in 1975.   I will limit this section to his membership of the club rather than go into his long and distinguished career in its entirety since it is dealt with in detail elsewhere.

He joined the club towards the end of the First World War as did Jock Semple but although they were contemporaries they were very different.   Jock said in a letter to me “I received my first advice on distance running from Dunky Wright who was running for Clydesdale Harriers back then in 1917.    He was in the same Department as my father (Gauge Shop) with the Singer Co. and he and Alex McGregor, who I think was in charge of all activities at Singer’s Hall when it was built, influenced me to join the club.”  At the first AGM after hostilities ceased Dunky was elected captain.  Unusually there were three nominees – two established international runners from before 1914 (R Frew and SS Watt) and Dunky.   The club minute reported that “Mr Wright had a clear majority.”   Jock Semple was elected Junior Captain at the same meeting.   Dunky was always said by the old timers to be interested in what he could win and in that context the following exchange might be instructive (equally it may be misleading!)   After being elected captain and various items of business dealt with    …

“Mr D Wright raised a point in connection with a note on the programme of runs during the 1918-1919 season when the club was running unofficially.   The note referred to reads:- “No club trophies will be competed for during the continuance of the War and during this period, no prize winners will lose their Novice status.” 

Mr Wright stated that he had won prizes in Open Cross Country Races outwith the club’s jurisdiction during the period referred to and asked if this deprived him of his eligibility to run in the Novice Handicap.   Ex-President Gardiner in giving opinion stated that the above note only referred to competitions within the club and that Mr Wright has forfeited his Novice status.   Mr Wright disagreed and considerable discussion took place but no decision was arrived at the majority of the members having to leave to get their train connections.” 

The ‘rule’ referred to is shown below as it appeared on the back page of the war time member’s card

Dunky did not let it lie there because at the next Committee Meeting he brought it up again but the verdict was against him.   Given that a novice runner was one who had won no prizes he was clearly out of that category.   There were no bad feelings and he continued to race on the club’s business and to take an active part in the running of the club.    Nevertheless his running did not suffer – he was second in the West District Championships at Rouken Glen Park.

The 1918/19 season ended with two handicap races at IbroxPark and was reported as follows: “Clydesdale Harriers finished their winter season on Saturday afternoon at Ibrox Park with two handicap races, one for junior members over a mile and a two mile one for seniors.   In the junior race the two scratch men, Wm McIntyre and John Semple gave starts up to 80 yards and an excellent race resulted as follows: 1^st Robert Patterson (30 yards); 2^nd: John Semple (scratch).   Time 5 mins 14 secs.   The winner showed good judgment and should do well in future.   The senior handicap was also a  great success.   Duncan Wright, virtual scratch off 20 yards conceded starts up to 380 yards.   A fine ding-dong battle between Andrew Mair and Wright finished thus: 1^st Andrew Mair (50 yards); 2^nd Duncan Wright (20 yards).   Time 10 mins 22 and 1/5^th  seconds.   A social evening was held in the evening when the prizes won during the season were presented.   These included a special gold medal for meritorious performances during the season won by Duncan Wright who is rapidly coming to the fore in distance racing.”   This race is commented on elsewhere – the prizes at the function were presented by John Mellish.   Dunky was always well treated by the club: his good performances were recognised and the club always took hid part in any dispute such as the following.

In 1921 the Committee was incensed that he had not been selected for the international cross country fixture and the following appeared in the club minute: “Scottish International Team: Re Duncan Wright: The feeling of the meeting was that the NCCU Committee had acted unjustly in not selecting Duncan Wright for same and it was agreed to write that body regarding same.”   Came the Half Yearly General Meeting in April that year and after Matthew Dickson had presented the prizes to the cross country award winners, Dunky proposed a series of weekly training races or runs on the points system at Scotstoun for the Western members and at Airdrie for Eastern members.   (The club was in two sections at that time one based in Dunbartonshire and one in Airdrie and they were referred to the Western and Eastern Sections.)   First (gold) and second (silver) aggregate prizes were to be given in each district.   The Committee agreed and a committee of Wright, Semple, McIntyre, Lamond, McElroy and Bowman was appointed to organise it.   It went well although neither Dunky nor Jock won any of the awards.

His first real cross country victory was in the 1923 Scottish CC Championship over a 10 mile course at Bothwell.   Colin Shields in the Centenary History of the Cross Country Union comments that ” it is worthy of note that Wright in his assiduous chase of individual and team medals, was a member of four different clubs during a short five year period.    He ran for Clydesdale up to 1923, for Shettleston in 1924/25, for the short lived, ill fated Caledonia AC in 1926 and finally joined Maryhill in 1927”.

Back to 1923, the course was over three 3 mile laps with flags at important turning points and he won by 100 yards.   On 7^th February the club agreed to award a special badge to Mr D Wright for being first man home in the National Cross Country Championship.

He worked well in the post of President for most of the year and then the Minute of 17^th October contained this comment under the heading ‘Mr Wright’s resignation’: Mr Wright’s resignation was submitted and accepted.   Mr A McGregor was appointed President and Mr W Ross Vice President.”    That was it – saying a lot in a little.   Less than two months later the matter appeared in the 5^th December Committee Meeting Minute.   “Arising out of a few letters received by the secretary from Mr Wright our late president he maintains that although he resigned the presidency he still holds office on our Committee.    After some discussion on the matter Mr Bowman moved that we ignore these letters.   There was no seconder.   Mr Ross moved that we inform Mr Wright that he having resigned the presidency, he no longer holds a position in the club.   Mr McCormick seconded.” 

Whatever the content of the letter, and we will never ever know, the upshot was that Dunky Wright had severed his ties with Clydesdale Harriers.   I, and many others, asked him several times why he left the club and never ever got an answer – I usually got a laugh, a smile and a joke but no answer.   Always leave them laughing, seemed to be the motto.   Some in the club when I joined were still bitter about him leaving when he did.   Jock Semple who had left for America shortly before the resignation and knew Dunky well thought Dunky was wrong to leave.   He said when asked that he thought Dunky did not get on with the McGregor brothers who were on the Committee at the time.  According to Jock they basically ran the club between them.  Alex McGregor was President for three years (1924, 25 and 26), secretary for two (1918, 1919) and treasurer in 1913 when war broke out.   He served on all committees and was representative to the governing bodies.  Even after his active period in the club he was able in his position of Sports Superintendant at Singer’s to assist with training facilities and holding meetings for special occasions.   He also supplied the paper trimmings for the paper trails used in the Hares and Hounds runs still held at that time.   He was still coming about the club at the 50^th anniversary in 1935.   He had a brother who was also on the Committee and was a sergeant in the Glasgow Police Force.   Although not as active as Alex he nevertheless served two years as Assistant Secretary (1927, 1928) and one as Secretary (1930).

 Jock was always very bitter about poaching, a bitterness which seemed contrary to his nature – he wasn’t bitter about anything else.  He kept telling club runners to stand by the club and gave them tangible incentives to do so.   George Cowieson who was a club member at the time, spoke about Dunky’s departure to Shettleton and the Caledonia AC club.   He wrote about it in a letter to me in these terms: “This club (Caledonia AC) was started by Mr WS Unkles, a Glasgow fishmonger. He recruited top class runners from different clubs.   Wright and Freshwater went from Clydesdale.   But the club did not last long and that was when Wright went to Shettleston………..   The striped singlet that Jock Kirkland is wearing in the club photograph was the club colours for a while.   Wright somehow persuaded the Committee to adopt them.   Then he sold us the singlets.”     It is an interesting letter – WS ‘Sans’ Unkles was a very well known football player as well as a fishmonger and he would certainly have had the wherewithal to help start a new club; the striped vest/jersey appears in several photographs but not in races: it might have been used for training and I can’t find any record of a change of uniform in the club minutes.   Charlie Freshwater was a very good runner who ultimately ran for West of Scotland Harriers and picked up two Scottish International Cross Country vests.   The talent lost at this time was considerable!   No wonder Jock was so anti-poacher.

But the club was not yet finished with Dunky!

There was the unfortunate affair of the Dunbartonshire Cup to sort out.   In the Minutes of 4/10/26 the following appears:

“The question was asked regarding the Dunbartonshire Cup.   Hon President stated that he had met D McL Wright and that D Wright promised that he would come down and see the President, and asked permission that it be left in his hands.   Failing Mr Wright not turning up he would instruct Secretary to write to him.    This was agreed to.”   It next appears in the Minute Book for the Meeting of 1^st November 1926: “Hon President moved that as D McL Wright had not come to see him as arranged, the Secy should be instructed to write to Mr Wright very strongly on this matter.   This was agreed to.”    On the 27^th December it came up again: Pres asked if Sec received any word from D McL Wright regarding the Cup.   Sec replied that he had now written to Mr Wright five times stating in last letter that the Club intended taking other action but had not received a reply to any of them.   Mr A McGregor moved  that Sec write NCCU regarding Cup and that our delegate bring it up at next NCCU Meeting.  This was seconded by A Gailey.”       

The trail can next be picked up in Colin Shields Centenary History of the Cross Country Union of Scotland “Whatever the Weather” as follows: “In January 1927 General Committee received a letter from Clydesdale Harriers requesting assistance in gaining the return of the Dunbartonshire Cup from Duncan Wright.   Wright had not returned the cup in spite of repeated requests from the cup owners.   A letter was received from Wright acknowledging possession of the Cup but stating that’ he had inadvertently packed the Cup in his luggage for a trip to visit relatives in Australia and had left the Cup by mistake in Australia on his return to Scotland,’   He agreed to contact his relatives in Australia to arrange the return of the Cup but, to this day, Clydesdale Harriers have never regained possession of the Cup.”    The Union replied and the Club Minute for 1^st April recorded the following: Question was asked re Dunbartonshire Cup.   This was stated to be in Australia.   NCCU were dealing with it.”   The important phrase here is ‘Wright acknowledging possession of the cup’.    Otherwise Colin was basically wrong.

9^th September 1927: “Western District Committee Report: J McNamara reported that when a letter was read from Secretary Millar re Dunbartonshire Cup he was asked to say something on the matter and after having what he had to say combined with the information they already had, the Committee decided that D McL Wright must return the cup to Clydesdale Harriers within two months from the date of first General Committee Meeting or pay £5.   At an Executive Meeting of the NCCU both J McNamara and D Wright were present.   “J McNamara reported on a meeting in connection with the Dunbartonshire Cup.   Mr D McL Wright was also present.   The latter denied all knowledge of the cup and the NCCU Committee did not think that Clydesdale Harriers had brought forward sufficient evidence against Wright.   The matter was passed over until the next meeting when we are expected to provide further evidence.”   This reads rather strangely to me following his earlier remarks about packing it for Australia, etc.   The change of tack by the NCCU is also baffling.

At the Committee Meeting on 5^th December 1927: “J McNamara asked it there was no communication re cup in the hands of G Inwood, late secretary.   After a great deal of discussion and determined voice from each member it was proposed by T Thursby seconded by A Gailey that a committee be formed to enquire into the case.   J McNamara moved a direct amendment that we drop all proceedings regarding the cup.   There was no seconder for the amendment and a sub committee was accordingly formed as follows:  A Gailey, G McQuattie and J McNamara.”   Exactly one month later the matter appeared again on Committee Agenda.   “Dunbartonshire Cup: The convener of the committee, G McQuattie, stated that they had questioned the various officials who were in office at the time of the disappearance of the cup but nothing definite had been gathered.   However the secretary from information received had written to Mr Geo. Malcolm, E.S.H., who was supposed to know something of the cup.   So far no word had been received.   Finally it was decided that should the opportunity occur at the next meeting of the WD Committee our representative should place the rest of our fresh evidence before them.”   After the meeting on 9^th January 1928 the committee agreed to await the results of correspondence entered into on the matter

Then came the bombshell meeting on 5^th March 1928:

“Dunbartonshire Cup:   The Secretary reported that this cup had been recovered and was now in his possession.   He detailed correspondence, etc, leading up to the cup’s recovery and stated that he had notified the NCCU on the subject.   Satisfaction was expressed at the settlement of this long drawn out case.   J McNamara moved, seconded by E Cavana, that Mr JCA Bogie, Chairman of the NCCU should see the letter sent by D McL Wright to the Secretary.   It was agreed to do so on condition that Mr Bogie took no steps to re-open the case but considered it a private matter.”   At the meeting on 2^nd April it was asked whether Mr Bogie had returned ‘the famous Wright letter’   but Secretary stated that he did not have it but would write to him.   The affair ended quietly at a meeting on 4^th June 1928: “The president and Mr J McNamara reported in a very concise manner the recent ‘Bogie’ case meeting.”  

The trophy was eventually collected from Maryhill Baths, Dunky having written to the club in a friendly, jocular and affable fashion advising them to collect it therefrom. 

The trophy was awarded again in 1928 and has been in every year since.

Dunky’s athletic achievements while in the club were considerable: The major victories were:

Club Championships

1920:   Championship Challenge Cup;        1921:   Championship Challenge Cup

1922:   Championship Challenge Cup;        1923:   Championship Challenge Cup

Scottish Cross Country Championship    :   1923

International Cross Country Championships:

1920    22^nd         

1921    9^th

1922    11^th

193    24^th

However the main point in the affair is the disappointment of club members at the departure of the one talent since 1919 who could bring back the ‘glory days’ again.   He was the club star and a very personable one at that – everybody liked Dunky and when he had won the championship four times, was serving a second term as President and had won the National Championship he looked like a fixture.   He could have been a good ‘recruiting sergeant’ for the club and the departures in the 30’s would have been fewer in number.  His departure was very ill timed – if he had to go, doing it at just that point was rather ill judged.   Whatever the reason – a fall out with Alex McGregor and family, or whether as Colin suggests and some others say out loud, Dunky was just a pot hunter and other clubs were winning more than Clydesdale at that point – it was not a good day for any of the parties concerned.

At the end of his athletics career he was always telling us he was still a friend of Clydesdale Harriers and he certainly helped us on several occasions.   He was present at notable club functions and in 1972 he presented the Dunky Wright Trophy to the club for annual competition in an open road race.   It is a race that has always attracted a very high class of athlete and Dunky was delighted that the first race was won by Clydesdale Harrier Allan Faulds from marathon internationalist Pat McLagan of Victoria Park AAC.   The club also won the team race.   There are several Dunky Wright Memorial races on the calendar now but ours is the only one for which Dunky himself donated the trophy.

Robert Graham, born 4th August 1909, started his career with Motherwell YMCA but spent most of it as a Maryhill Harrier.   Winner of four SAAA Mile titles, setter of four native records at different distances and competitor in the 1934 Commonwealth Games and 1936 Olympics, his career really took off in 1932 at the Glasgow Transport Sports at Helenvale in Glasgow  where he set a Scottish record for the 880 yards of 1:55.8.    The Helenvale meeting was a big one and continued right up to the 1960’s and was noted for being quite a fast track.    The Glasgow Herald of 17th August, 1932, reported the race as follows:

“Scottish Half Mile Record Broken: The sports meeting of the Glasgow Transport Club, held at Helenvale Park last night in dull weather and before a good attendance, saw the Scottish native half-mile record broken by a large margin.   This took place in one of the heats of the half-mile which had been specially handicapped for the occasion.   In this, R Graham of Motherwell had been handicapped to receive three yards from WH Calderwood, the Scottish champion.   The Motherwell youth, however, elected to run from scratch.   Calderwood was always within striking distance and the pair were 15 yards away from the leaders at the bell.   Two hundred yards from home, the pair were out alone and a ding-dong struggle ensued.   Calderwood closed with Graham entering the home straight and looked a winner, but the Motherwell man came again in the last 30 yards to win by the barest of margins in 1 min 55 4-5th secs, two seconds faster than CB Mein’s record established in 1925.   It was a memorable race and the loser has to be commiserated with as he was also well within the record.  

Graham covered the distance a week ago in the same time off five yards, so that last night’s performance was excellent because the conditions were not so good.   Graham has made a remarkable progress during the past season as a year ago at the Rangers meeting he was third in the Mile off the 120 yard mark.   It was easily the best half-mile in Scotland and Graham’s time was only 2-5th sec outside the Scottish all-comer’s record.”

 give the newly crowned Scottish champion Calderwood a shot at the record: he was clearly in form to get it as his run showed.   But to give any man 3 yards in a handicap over 880 yards is a bit of an insult as it just sets him up as a pacemaker.   The race is important not only for the record but also because it shows that Graham was not afraid to go it alone from the front but was not one to give in, finishing with his burst over the last 30 yards.   It brought him to the fore, as they might have said in 1932.   He stayed with the event the following year when he was third – “Graham ran his usual plucky race although over weighed by the winner’s pace at the finish.”

 In 1934 Tom Riddell was unable to attend the Empire Games in London and Graham was called in.   He was fifth in the Final with the first three being Jack Lovelock (4:12.8), Sydney Wooderson, Jerry Cornes.   He liked the cinder track at Helenvale because on 20th August 1935 he set a Scottish record for the Mile of 4:12.   Not only was it a Scottish record, it was also a British one – Wooderson had just improved Reg Thomas’s GB time when he ran 4:12.7 17 days earlier.   It was no real surprise because three weeks earlier he had beaten Riddell’s three quarter mile record with a time of 3:04.6.    These were quite outstanding performances on cinder tracks, at a time when training theory was in its infancy and when the kit available to even the most modest modern athlete was not available.    Two days after the record mile, the Glasgow Herald had a note saying that Graham had been selected to run at the Jubilee International where Scotland & Ireland were up against England & Wales at the White City, as a replacement for Tom Riddell who was unable to attend.    The race was on Saturday, 24th August and the headline in the paper the following Monday read “Maryhill Runner’s Fine Victory” and read “One of the best races was in the mile when in a desperate finish Robert Graham, the 20-year old Maryhill runner who recently equalled Jack Lovelock’s British record, beat AV Reeves by six yards.   Graham was always with the leaders and in spite of a persistent challenge from Reeve he managed to gain first place.”   John Keddie in the official centenary history of the SAAA says that this was his most outstanding victory.

1936 was Olympic year and Graham was obviously well in the frame for selection after his superb season in 1935.    The SAAA Championships were held on 27th June at Hampden Park and he won in a new championship best of 4:12.5.     The race was notable for the duel between Graham and JC Stothard  the half-miler.    The report read:

“SAAA Championships: Graham’s fast time in the Mile.   One of the most memorable and yet the most easily won event of the afternoon’s sport was the mile, which fell to Robert Graham of Maryhill Harriers – a title vacated by the indomitable Tom Riddell.   Interest in this event was intensified by reason of the two star contenders, one of whom was JC Stothard who relinquished his half-mile title in order to have a crack at Graham over the mile.  

Over the first quarter of a mile a clubmate of Graham, R Osborne, set a merry pace clocking 60 sec with Graham almost 8 yards behind and Stothard lying handy behind Graham.   At the close of the half mile stage, Graham took the lead timed at 2 min 6 5-10th sec and here the impression was gained that Stothard was none too happy.   Stothard was still nursing Graham at the three-quarter mile mark in 3 min 11 8-10th sec.   Graham increased his pace, compelling Stothard to extend himself much more than he could stand to retain his natural poise and balance.   Piling on pace, Graham opened up a perceptible gap at the 300 yards mark, and from that point Stothard was hopelessly beaten in a race which was a great tactical victory for Scotland’s greatest miler and now, by common consent, one of Britain’s representatives at the Olympic Games.  

The time of 4 min 12 5-10th sec has only been beaten once in Scotland, and that by himself, and his 4 min 12 sec of last season stood as a British record until only the other day when  SC Wooderson broke it in the Southern Championships.  Note the quarter mile times of this race – 61 sec, 65 5-10th, 64 7-10th, 61 3-10th.   Graham can easily improve on his second lap without impairing the time of the final lap, because Graham took time to take a glance round as he entered the home straight, reserve which may be suitably distributed in a more even schedule of running.”

That was the victory and it won him the Crabbie Cup, awarded annually to the most meritorious performance of the SAAA Championships.   He followed this performance with a third place in the AAA’s championship and was selected for the Berlin Olympics.   Unfortunately, like Sydney Wooderson, he failed to qualify for the Final leaving Cornes as the only British finalist.

In June 1937 he retained his SAAA title and the  Glasgow Herald said:    “Graham’s Confidence.   Fears that Robert Graham might have trained off slightly were shattered when without the inspiration of company, he retained the mile championship in 4 min 19 1-4th sec.   From the pistol he ran absolutely alone and, making his own pace, beat PJ Allwell (Beith) by 60 yards.   There was no sign of sluggishness in his running and his striding was faultless.”  

He travelled to the AAA’s championship where he was third in the mile, won by Wooderson in 4:15.9.   Later that year he set a Scottish Two Miles record of 9:17.3 and ran his fastest 1500m in Helsinki with 3:56.4 in early September.   He made it three SAAA titles in  in a row in 1938 when the report read   “Until the last lap of the mile, many of the spectators thought that Jack Gifford of Bellahouston would menace Robert Graham’ prospects of retaining his title but it was obvious that Graham in the lead and confident enough to remain there had something in reserve, and when the champion did make his effort he drew clear steadily and won by five yards.   Graham finished comfortably, glancing back over his shoulder repeatedly – a habit of which he has not managed to rid himself.”

This was only the second time in the reports that I have read that the backward glance has been mentioned: it should be noted that there are at least two types of backward glance – there is the anxious look back of the weary athlete who is desperate for the line to come but fears that it may not, and there is the backwards glance of the winning athlete who is quite confident and merely checking the situation out.    I suspect that in this case it would be the latter.

He retained the championship in 1939 but there was no report on his race in the newspaper although the meeting was covered.  He had had an excellent career as a track runner and his championship best for the mile lasted until broken by Alex Breckenridge of Victoria Park in 1953 and his three-quarter mile record lasted even longer, until 1959 when Graham Stark of Edinburgh Southern Harriers took it from 3:04.6 to 3:02.5.

James C Flockhart was one of the best endurance runners Scotland has ever produced and was the first Scot (in a very short list) to win the International Cross-Country title.   He exploded on the scene in 1932 without having had any sort of apprenticeship and the impact is described in Colin Shields’s “Whatever the Weather” centenary history of the NCCU.

“The main feature of the 1932-33 season was the emergence of James Flockhart from a novice at the start of the winter to Scottish national champion and favourite for the International title just six months later.   Flockhart was 23 years of age when he took up cross-country running in the autumn of 1932 instantly proving himself a ‘natural’ athlete and one of the most amazing discoveries in distance, and especially cross-country, running.”

A bit more detail is found in the Shettleston Harriers centenary history ‘Shettleston Harriers: an East End Odyssey.’

“Jimmy Flockhart was a native of Fauldhouse in Lanarkshire.   When he was at school he regularly ran the three and a half miles from his home to East Kilbride to collect the Saturday evening sports pages with the football results.   A former cyclist who in his own words ‘simply murdered himself in road racing’, he was only five foot five and a half inches in height and weighed eight and a half stone when he took up running at the age of 23.  

At the beginning of the 1932-33 season, his brother Harry, who was a member of Shettleston, took home a photograph of club members for the forthcoming winter season.   Jimmy recognised a pal of his from his schooldays and, after visiting Gartocher Road to see his former classmate, was persuaded to run in the trial for the Midland relay championship and, according to Tommy Mitchell, left the club regulars ‘aghast’ at his turn of speed in the two mile race.   The news travelled almost as fast as Jimmy did.   On the Monday after the trial, Tommy was waiting for his train at the Bridgeton Cross railway station when a member of Plebeian Harriers who had got wind of Jimmy’s performance, approached him.   ‘I’ve never heard of him,’ said the Plebeian.   ‘You soon will!’ replied Tommy.”

Back to Colin’s account for the race itself and the rest of the season.

“His performance in the club trials showed such promise that he went straight into the first team for the Midland Relay at Hamilton Park Racecourse.   In the race, running the third fastest lap of the day in his first open race, he led Shettleston to victory for the first time, defeating holders Plebeian by 200 yards.   Flockhart fulfilled all expectations when winning the Midland 7 Mile title a few months later defeating 233 rivals from 21 clubs.  

The 5’5.5”, 8 stone 7 pounds Flockhart rapidly improved with regular training.   At that time his training schedule consisted of a fast 3.5 mile run on Tuesday, a medium 6 miles on Thursday and a 9 mile cross-country run on Saturday, always finishing with plenty in reserve.   

The largest gathering of runners ever seen in Scotland took place at Hamilton Park Racecourse for the 1933 Scottish national championship.   Suttie Smith, running for Canon ASC after another of his frequent club changes, led for the first five miles with Flockhart and Corporal James Wilson (Royal Scots and Edinburgh Southern Harriers) in close attendance.   At seven and a half miles, Flockhart had an 80 yards lead from Wilson with Suttie Smith a further 50 yards behind.   Over the final lap of the 10 miles race, Flockhart drew away in easy fashion to double his lead over Wilson with Suttie Smith, failing in his attempt to record six individual wins in a row, finishing third.  Shettleston broke Maryhill’s long sequence of team triumphs in a closely contested team race they won with 154 points from Springburn 167 points with just 10 points covering teams from second to fourth.

Flockhart’s win at the first attempt earned him both the Senior and National titles – only the third man to achieve the double in 30 years.   These titles together with the club and Midland District titles, and his rapid improvement as he gained experience, made him ‘in Scottish eyes’ the favourite for the international race at Caerleon racecourse in Newport, Wales.   He made a good start to the race and, in company with teammates Suttie Smith and Robert Sutherland, stayed close on the heels of the leader for 6 miles.   All three Scots displayed such pace and endurance that hopes of a Scottish victory were high.

Running in heatwave conditions, Flockhart suffered an injured foot crossing a section of rough, uneven, stoney ground.   As the leading group approached the steep 250 feet high ‘Heartbreak Hill’ at 7 miles he started to drop behind due to his injury.   At this point Scotland, in their best ever performance in the International, had their counting 6 men in the first 13 runners and looked to be challenging England for the team title.    Heartbreak Hill proved the decisive point in the whole race.   For, as Scottish runners faltered and tired to lose precious places, English runners picked up places to finish 6 in the top 9 to Scotland’s 6 in 18, and win the team race with 32 points to Scotland’s 62 with France third on 109 points.   

Scotland’s positions were Sutherland 2^nd, Suttie Smith 3^rd, McIntosh 11^th, Flockhart 12^th, Slidders 16 and Tombe 18^th.”

Colin then quotes from ’50 years of athletics’, the jubilee history of the SAAA published in 1933, about Flockhart: “This novice of recent discovery has set the whole athletic universe talking: winning the Midland, National, Junior and Senior titles in one year – indeed something to be proud of.   Veterans predict a brilliant future for the youth who, like many of the veterans of the past. Has raised the level of cross-country running in Scotland to an international standard.”

There had been no Edinburgh to Glasgow relay in 1932 after two being run in 1931, so he had to delay that experience until 1933.      There were two races that year as well and on 8^th April 1933 James Flockhart ran in his first E-G.   Running on the difficult and long sixth stage, he recorded the fastest time of the day but only held on to the fourth place that he had been given.  Nevertheless, fastest time of the day on the sixth is excellent.

The National cross-country championships were held at Ayr in 1934 over the course that would be used for the international at the end of March.   Flockhart retained his title with some ease – 100 yards up at half distance, he increased this to about 200 with two miles to go but R Sutherland cut it back to ‘only’ 150 yards as the champion eased back approaching the finish.   On to the international at home and the Scots set themselves a target of four in the first ten and were hopeful of a home victory.   Unfortunately there was a very fast start to the race which caught the Scots unawares and as Colin Shields says, they were found wanting in both strength and stamina at the end of the race.  Flockhart worked his way through to sixth position but with only three in the first twelve the team could only finish third.

In the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay in November, Flockhart represented his club on the second stage where again he ran the fastest time of the day with his team finishing sixth.   In the National in 1935, there was a surprise result.   The ‘Whatever the Weather’ account reads as follows.

“The fast striding, stylish Anglo-Scot WC Wylie of Darlington Harriers, a native of Coatbridge, was the surprise winner of the National title at Hamilton.   Flockhart as usual was the early pace setter with Wylie content to run easily in his wake.   With a mile to go, Wylie struck fiercely as the runners tackled a sharp incline on the approach to the racecourse from the countryside by the River Clyde.   He quickly broke clear of the tiring Flockhart and strode to victory in 57 minutes 54 seconds with Flockhart a further 23 seconds behind and Suttie Smith third a further 18 seconds behind.”

The international that year was in Paris and Shields reports on the race.

“Wylie in his first international appearance ran remarkably well to finish second in the 1935 race at the Hippodrome d’Autevil in Paris.   Within the first mile he was spiked from behind losing his left shoe.   He ran for the next 8 miles with a bare foot taking the lead after 3 miles and leading for much of the race.  Holden’s strength told in the end and he broke clear in the final mile to win by 100 yards from the Scot who finished with a cut and bleeding foot to take the silver 2 seconds clear of Eaton of England.   Good runs by Alex Dow 10, J Suttie Smith 12 and James Flockhart 13 helped Scotland to an excellent second place behind England and well ahead of France in third.”

Although not known as a track runner, Flockhart won four senior SAAA championship races.   The first was in 1935 when he won the 6 Miles in 31:22.6.

In the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay in November, Flockhart again ran the second stage with a repeat of his previous performance: like 1934, he ran on the second stage, as in 1934 he moved up from second to first and as in 1934 he had the fastest time on the stage.

By the National in 1936, Flockhart was back in good form after the shock defeat the previous year.  Racing this time at Lanark Racecourse on a five lap, 9 mile course, he took the lead early on and running well for the entire race won his third national title from Guards Sergeant Robert Sutherland again finishing second.   Alex Dow of Kirkcaldy YMCA was third.   The International in 1936 was at Squires Gate Stadium in Blackpool.   Although of the Scottish team (Suttie Smith, Sutherland and Flockhart) had been runners-up in the race in the past, Flockhart was regarded as Scotland’s best chance of victory.   The race was run in blazing hot sunshine and Dow, who had spent time with the Army in the Far East, was quite comfortable with the weather.   Shields says “Starting in tenth position after the opening rush, he was eighth at half distance, sixth at 6 miles, and a relentless surging finish brought him home third just six seconds behind Jack Holden, three times winner, with British 3 and 6 miles record holder William Eaton finishing a clear winner.   Robert Sutherland ran his usual consistent race to finish thirteenth, but Flockhart had to struggle painfully for twentieth place, finishing an exhausted and perplexed runner with no excuses for his disappointing run except for saying ‘my limbs would not move fast enough.’   Scotland finished third behind England and France.”

Having won the 6 Miles SAAA title in 1935, James went one better in 1936 when he won not only the 6 miles but also the 10 miles.   Winning times were 31:16.0 and 54:04.2.

The 1936 Edinburgh to Glasgow had Flockhart on the second stage again.   This time he took his club from sixth to first with the second fastest time of the day with the club finishing second.   At the other end of the 1936- 37 season he won his fourth national title at Redford Barracks in 56:46 from Emmet Farrell on 57:04 and Robert Sutherland in 57:13.   The centenary history remarks that in bitterly cold conditions Flockhart had little difficulty in retaining his title.   But the best was still to come – the race that defined his career, the 1937 international  at Stockel Racecourse in Brussels on 20^th March.

The Glasgow Herald on the 19^th March had a preview headed “Scotland’s Prospects At Brussels” and after anticipating an English victory with France as their closest rivals, went on to discuss the Scottish team.   “Scotland’s team of eight arrived in London last night en route for Brussels and, although it is needless to suggest that their chances of success are bright – they have not a team victory to their credit since the inception of the event in 1904 – led by the National Champion JC Flockhart they may cause a surprise.  ….. Flockhart is Scotland’s main hope for individual honours, and while he has disappointed so often in this contest, he certainly has the pace and stamina to outlast the best of any country, and Flockhart may at last strike his real form to give Scotland victory.   WC Wylie, Scotland’s noted Anglo, was runner-up in the last Continental International at Paris two years ago and a repetition of the form would give him a decide chance of success.   JE Farrell (Maryhill Harriers) has improved quickly and is expected to be a valuable recruit to the Scots’ team.   He should not be upset by the conditions.   RR Sutherland and Alec Dow are others who will be sure to do their best.   C Smith, W Hinde and AT Whitecross need only run to form to justify their selection.”

The Glasgow Herald report on the race the following Monday had a photograph of Flockhart in action in the race and a headline that read “Flockhart’s Bid For Scotland.   Individual Triumph at Brussels.   “Although Scotland only finished fourth, their national champion, JC Flockhart, scored a magnificent individual triumph, covering the course of about nine miles in 49 min 54 4-5 sec.  He finished 65 seconds ahead of the Frenchman, Siccard.

Lockhart’s victory was one of the most convincing of the series, and after his many disappointments in this event, it was most encouraging to see him outpace such noted rivals.   The most satisfactory feature however was the excellent tactics he revealed.   Several times it looked as though he might be tempted to follow the impetuous foreign runners in their spasmodic bursts, but he restrained himself admirably, and when he did make his big effort in the last one and a half miles, no one could match his pace.   Three noted runners were forced to retire at half distance.   Jack Holden, three times international champion, injured himself and had to be assisted from the track.   M Larbi, who is one of the fastest Frenchmen, injured his stomach, and V Honoras, ex-champion of Belgium, developed cramp and had to be carried off for first-aid.  

King Leopold of Belgium was an interested spectator throughout, and immediately the race was finished, Flockhart was escorted to the royal box and presented to the King.   His Majesty discussed the race with the champion and, after congratulating him warmly, presented him with a plaque in commemoration of his achievement.  

Alec Dow fully justified the confidence of the Scottish selection committee.   In finishing seventeenth he was second counting man for his country beating RR Sutherland by three places.   JE Farrell ‘stitched’ badly at one point of the race, but hung on grimly and eventually finished fourth counter for Scotland.   Scotland’s next two counters were WC Wylie (30^th) and C Smith (31) who finished together.”

Result:   1.   J Flockhart (Scotland)   49:54  4-5

2.   A Siccard (France)   50:03

3.   J Ginty (England)   50:13

4.   JH Potts (England)   50:26

5.   JA Burns (England)   50:29

After winning the international championship, Flockhart eased back a bit but still managed to win the SAAA 10 miles championship that summer in 53:16.8.

Colin Shields spoke of the winter 1937-38 campaign as follows: “James Flockhart, after his 1937 international victory at Brussels decided on a late start to the 1937/38 season and had a very low key approach to the season up to Christmas.   He finished 60 yards behind SAAA 6 Miles champion W Donaldson in Shettleston’s trial for the Midland relay championship.   On the day of the relay race at Garscadden , Donaldson pulled Shettleston from fourth into a big lead at half distance with the fastest lap of the day leaving James Flockhart and W Sutherland an easy task over the final two laps.  

In the Edinburgh to Glasgow race in November, he was on the sixth leg again and again ran the fastest time of the day (22 seconds faster than the second man) but could only hold sixth place for the team.

In the National of 1938, Flockhart was sixth but nevertheless was eligible for selection for the international.   Shields points out that it was a disappointing race for Flockhart, best in Europe less than a year earlier, who had been passed by Tom Gibson and Tom Lamb (both Bellahouston) in the final half mile when he was badly tired after a serious lack of training had robbed him of his dream of a fifth individual victory to equal the record total held jointly by Suttie Smith and Andrew Hannah.    The international was a disappointment with only champion Emmet Farrell running well.   Flockhart was down the field in thirty seventh place.

In the Edinburgh to Glasgow in November he was again on the sixth stage and was equal second fastest with Tommy Lamb of Bellahouston with Emmet Farrell of the winning Maryhill Harriers team having the fastest lap of the day.

In the national in 1939, Flockhart finished seventh and third Shettleston Harrier to finish, behind A Craig 3rd and J Ross 4^th with the team in third place.   The international that year was at Ely Racecourse in Cardiff and Flockhart ran well to be twelfth, second Scot and fourth British runner in the race.

The 1939-45 war started later that year and all athletics was put on hold until 1946 but Jim Flockhart had had a sparkling career since taking up the sport in 1932 –

• Victory in the International Cross-Country Championship
• Four National Cross Country Championship titles
• Four SAAA Track titles: two at 6 miles, two at 10 miles
• Fastest time (with one exception) in every E-G he had run
• Five club championships

Flockhart served in the Army during the war but started running again and in the National finished fourth in 1946, 33^rd in 1947, fourth in 1948, fifth in 1949 and 18^th in 1950.   Needless to say that with running of that standard, he won Scottish international recognition in 1946, ’47, ’48 and ’49 (when he was 40 years old) making a total of 11 vests won – more than any Scot other than Andy Brown (Motherwell YMCA) who had 12 and Jim Alder who had a total of 14.    He also won the club championship a further four times (1946,  ‘48, ‘49, and ’50) finishing second in 1951 to Ben Bickerton.   When the Edinburgh to Glasgow started up again in 1949 he raced the second stage in April and – there being two races this year – the sixth in November.   That made nine E-G’s and he only ran two stages, the second and sixth which were by far the most difficult in the event.   We’ll look at some of these runs in more detail later but what was Jimmy Flockhart like?    Emmet Farrell said that ‘he had a bit of a temper but a semi-genius at running.’   I haven’t heard or read much about him having a bit of a temper anywhere else but there are two anecdotes that should maybe be recounted here.   Before the War, and for some time afterwards, there were not too many fixtures on the calendar and clubs indulged in inter-club runs.  ie one club would invite another club or clubs to do a longish Saturday run with them from their own headquarters and then the favour would be repaid later in the season.   The ‘Clydebank Press’ told of an inter-club involving Clydesdale Harriers and Shettleston from the Shettleston clubhouse.   “When we entered the clubhouse, a wiry lad was arranging tables and laying out the crockery.   He seemed to be popular with all of his clubmates and had a word with them all as they came in.   He was James Flockhart, champion cross-country runner of Scotland.   No swollen head and no leaving others to do the club work but doing his share.   Some good runners and some who think they are good act as if they had no right to the affairs of the club.   James Flockhart is an example to all true sportsmen and we are glad to have met and trained with him.”    The other is from the Shettleston Harriers centenary history and is of the time when a schoolboy arrived at the club’s Gartocher Road HQ and asked Jimmy who was getting changed along with two other Scottish internationals “’Where do I change?   Is this the special end?’   Back came the reply from Jimmy, ‘There’s nae ends in this clubhouse, son, you strip wherever you like.’”

The Scottish Cross-Country Association had a programme of muster runs at various venues in Central and Western Scotland and held their final ‘unofficial’ cross-country championship in March 1946 at Hampden Park to help choose their team for the international to be held at Ayr.   Charlie Mclelland of Shettleston won from Emmet Farrell and Gordon Porteous with James Flockhart in fourth.   The SCCA had been formed at the start of the war “to preserve cross-country running in Scotland and present it in as healthy a state as possible to the post-war era.”   The body wound itself up in August 1946 and handed over to the NCCU.   The first post-war international championships were a great success.   With NCCU secretary George Dallas being the guiding light behind the organisation and Tom Fraser acting as Appeal Fund Secretary.   The French and Belgian teams travelled by ship, a full turn-out of the Home Countries ensured that all six countries were well represented.   Scottish hospitality was fulsome, as Colin Shields, reports with teams and officials being taken to Hampden Park and Rangers Football Ground the day before the race, with Glasgow Corporation entertaining the teams to dinner in the City Chambers and a celebratory after race banquet at Ayr Town Hall.   To complete the hospitality, the teams and officials each received a bottle of whisky, a beautifully bound volume of Robert Burns and a tartan tie.

The race itself was a disappointment for Scotland – and for all the home countries – who ran below form.   Scotland’s chances were not helped apparently by the team manager having the team walk the entire 10 mile course in the morning  just hours before the race.    But it was a start, a picking up of the reins where they had been dropped before the hostilities began.   “Only James Flockhart of Shettleston Harriers, a near veteran at 38 years of age, could be satisfied with his 15^th place after finishing fourth in the recent trial race.”

In season 1946-47 the National was held at Lanark Racecourse when the country had been in the grip of exceptionally bad winter weather with snow and frost and on the day of the race, many football and rugby matches were cancelled because of the hard, rutted and dangerous conditions.   Of course that did not deter the runners!   In the first official Senior Championships after the war, 230 runners tackled the 10 mile course.   It was won by Andy Forbes (Victoria Park) who had already won the Midlands (Junior) title and he became only the sixth man ever to win the Junior and Senior titles in the same year.   “James Flockhart had a disastrous run, finishing only 40^th, but he had injured his foot on icy roads just 48 hours before the race and was unable to wear spikes.   Taking this into account, the Scottish selectors showed their faith in his ability, and his talent of bringing himself to peak fitness for important races, by selecting him for the international at the Hippodrome de St Cloud in Paris.   There Flockhart revealed himself worthy of their trust finishing seventh just 50 seconds behind R Pujazon (France) and being first Scot and second Briton (behind A Olney of England) home.   This was his best post-war performance and he went on to gain two more vests in 1948 and 1949 to bring his total to 11 – equalling Dunky Wright’s record of appearances.

It is only of course conjecture, but Flockhart’s record of appearances could have been greatly increased by the missing 7 years during the War between 1940 and 1946 and could have exceeded the 12 ICCU international vests achieved by Andrew Brown in the Fifties and Sixties, or the 14 IAAF and ICCU combined international vests achieved by Jim Alder in the Sixties and Seventies.”

The above report of course is from “Whatever the Weather”.

The National of 1948 took place at Ayr Racecourse and was won by Emmet Farrell who had previously won the event ten years before in 1938 and was another who had seen what would have been his best years taken from him by the War.   Flockhart was fourth this time and again selected for the international, held this time at Reading where he finished thirty seventh.   In the National of 1949, held in heavy rain that had been falling for 24 hours at Ayr Racecourse, conditions were said to be the worst for over 30 years.   Uncovered barbed wire fences resulted in numerous competitors finishing bleeding profusely and a stream on the course which had to be crossed three times was swollen and in spate.   Jim Fleming of Motherwell won the race from James Reid (West Kilbride) and Emmet Farrell.   In the international that year Flockhart was fortieth and it was to be his last international appearance.   Later that year he ran in the revived Edinburgh to Glasgow relay in April and took on the second stage again for the team that won the event.    Seven months later on 21^st November 1949, the club achieved the unique feat of winning the race twice in the same year with Flockhart on the sixth stage where he lost one place to Andy Forbes of Victoria Park AAC.   He ran in the National at Hamilton in 1950 where he finished eighteenth for the winning Shettleston team.   This was his last National and his last championship was the following season when he tried to win the club championship yet again only to be beaten into second place by Ben Bickerton.

 Flockhart was undoubtedly a top class runner who would have mixed it with the best in any era – good on the road and on the track but outstanding over the country at a time when cross-country required real skill and strategy to negotiate the natural hazards around the course which involved, fences, burns, ditches and dykes unlike the current grassy race tracks.

 The Shettleston Harriers history finishes the profile of James as follows:

“Jimmy died in 1982 and shortly afterwards the club instituted a cross-country race to honour his contribution to the club and to Scottish athletics.   Sadly, due to pressure and competition from other more established events, the race had to be abandoned and the Flockhart Trophy is now awarded to the first senior Shettleston counter in the National cross-country championships.”

A footnote:   I received an email from Alex Wilson,a regular contributor, on the topic of ‘The Jimmy Flockhart Mystery’ and it read:

“I enjoyed reading your piece on Jimmy Flockhart. He is without doubt one of Scotland’s all -time greatest cross-country exponents. But did you know that that he was not born by that name Flockhart? That , I suspect, is the reason why statisticians have been unable to determine his date of birth. I discovered this after failing to find a birth record for a James C Flockhart. Working back from his death notice, I knew he must have been born during the period between 1908 and 1910. However, no such record exists! The answer to the mystery may be found many years later, in his marriage certificate, dated 13 July 1933.  Herein we find him named “James Coats Flockhart (formerly McLean) , housepainter (journeyman)”. The answer, then , is that he was born James Coats McLean in Govanhill on 26 April 1909. His father, Neil Coats, a professional soldier in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was killed in action in Belgium in 1915. This we also glean from his marriage certificate. His mother Jeanie later remarried, adopting the Flockhart name.  “J.C.” died in 1981 in East Kilbride.

As far as I can see his best times were:-
 3 miles   14:45.2     Glasgow 12 May 1937
6 miles   31:16.0     Glasgow  27 Jun 1936
10 miles   53:16.8    Edinburgh   24 April 1937″

Very interesting and informative indeed!

Tom Riddell was born in Dennistoun, Glasgow on 3^rd June 1905 and was educated at Glasgow High School.    He went on to win eight SAAA Mile titles between 1925 and 1935 – it would probably have been more because he was working in Cork, Ireland, in 1927, 1928 and 1929 and was unable to compete.   A member of Shettleston Harriers, he first contested the championship in 1924 when he finished second to WR Seagrove who went on to win the AAA Championship in London a week later in 4:21.2.    This first defeat could be put down to experience, or lack of it, against a class runner.

The following year Tom gained the first of eight victories when he won in 4:27.8.   A very consistent runner he was never slower than 4:30 in his championship triumphs.   In 1933 he set a championship best performance of 4:18.6.    He had already lowered the Scottish record to 4:18.0 at the Rangers Sports in 1931.

The charismatic Riddell was one of the most popular athletes of his day because he was an out-and-out competitor and a man who liked to run from the front.   In the Rangers Sports two years later he improved his mile record again.   John Keddie says in his centenary history of the SAAA, “Alongside the Scot were the English cracks Reggie Thomas (RAF), the English native record holder at 4:13.4 and Cyril Ellis (Birchfield H) towards the end of an illustrious running career but still Scottish All-comers Record holder (4:16.2 in 1931) and the great New Zealander Jack Lovelock, who even before his great Olympic triumph  was one of the world’s top milers.   He was the British All-comers record holder (4:12.0 in 1932).   Thomas led over the first lap of the race (61.0), shortly after which Riddell took over, leading the field through the half mile in 2:03.8 and three-quarter mile in 3:10.6.   Tom held on grimly cheered on  by enthusiastic fellow-countrymen, but could not hold off Lovelock’s irresistible burst in the home straight, and it was the New Zealander who went on to win by four yards from Thomas who was about the same distance ahead of Riddell with Ellis fourth.   The times were outstanding: for Lovelock, a new Scottish All-comers record of 4:13.6. for Thomas 4:14.2, very near his best and for Riddell a new Scottish record of 4:15.0.   Truly one of Scotland’s ‘miles of the century!’”

Apart from thrice setting a Scottish record he also set new figures for 1000 yards, the three-quarter mile (twice) and one and a half miles.   His last public race was a real triumph.   Having beaten Alf Shrubb’s British one and a half miles record of 6:47.6 (set in 1902) by six seconds at Largs on 15^th July, he raced the distance again at Helenvale in Glasgow on 20^th August and set a new record of 6:36.5.   This stood for twenty five years before it was broken.

He only ran in the AAA’s championships once when he was third behind G Baraton (4:17.4) and Tom’s 4:19.0 was the fastest by a British runner for that summer season.    A week later he won the Triangular International in a slow 4:30.8 in a tactical race against the 1925 AAA winner B Macdonald.   He ran for GB several times with his fastest time being 3:54.2 for the 1500m in the match against Germany in Munich in August 1935 behind FW Schaumberg (3:53.9).    This was estimated to be the equivalent of a 4:13.0 mile.   He was short-listed for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932 but had to turn down selection for business reasons.

He had a very good military career, surviving Dunkirk and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.   He retired to Fintry and kept his interest in athletics with not a few letters to the ‘Glasgow Herald’ about the sport.

His career is beautifully covered in Doug Gillon’s obituary in the ‘Herald’ of 22nd August 1998 which reads:

Tom Riddell, athlete; born June 3, 1905, died August 16, 1998
TOM Riddell may not have been the greatest athlete of his generation, for that honour, he would concede unequivocally, belonged to his contemporary, the Chariots of Fire inspiration, the 1924 Olympic 400 metres champion, Eric Liddell. Yet Riddell, who died peacefully in a Stirling hospital on Sunday in his 94th year, and who was believed to have been Britain’s oldest surviving international athlete, won more Scottish titles, set more national records, and in his own right was one of the most remarkable and charismatic of this nation’s twentieth-century sporting figures. It was only when he burned his legs quite severely, two years ago, setting his trousers alight as he disposed of rubbish in the garden of his home near Fintry, that he was forced to restrict his recreational activities. ”You are supposed to be dead before you cremate yourself,” was his comment on the matter. Yet even after, until the onset of the cancer which finally killed him, he performed stretching exercises, walking and jogging several miles daily; and rode an exercise bike which he kept in the hall of his cottage – a natural continuation of the discipline which helped earn a record eight Scottish mile titles and a clutch of records at various distances in the decade from 1925. He flirted with the idea of a knee replacement, ”so that I can get back running again,” at the age of 91, but even the burns never quenched his spirit. He was a regular writer of letters to this paper on a range of issues – but often a commentary on the decline of traditional values. He resigned his honorary life membership of the Scottish Amateur Athletics Association because he despised their hypocrisy in retaining the word ”amateur”. Yet he applauded the relaxation in the rules which allowed such as Tom McKean and Liz McColgan, from working-class backgrounds, legally to earn the money without which they could never have run at all. Born in Dennistoun and educated at Glasgow High School, Tom McLean Riddell won the first of his mile titles at the age of 20, and would undoubtedly have won more but for a three-year absence, while working in Ireland. He set two Scottish mile records, the second (4min 15.0sec) at a packed Rangers Sports in 1933, when he finished close behind Jack Lovelock. The New Zealander was then the British all-comers’ record holder, and became Olympic 1500m champion three years later. Shettleston Harrier Riddell also set several records at 1000 yards, three-quarter mile, and one and a half miles. He was named for the 1930 Empire Games and 1932 Olympics, but rejected both because of work commitments. His last two recorded public races, in 1935, saw him take 11 seconds from Alf Shrubb’s 31-year old UK best for a mile and a half. What nobody knew was that Riddell, aged 40, after the end of the Second World War, ran for his regiment in a battalion race in Germany. Dragooned into it by his superior, he won the three-mile event. The officer confessed he had ”won plenty off the wee man, here, in a wager,” – Field Marshall Montgomery. Riddell’s superior, General Sir Brian Horrocks, confessed he had backed Riddell only to finish in the first 10. ”You’re hell of a generous, sir,” retorted Riddell. ”There were only 12 in the race.” Horrocks, however, presented Riddell with #5 from his winnings, sufficient to forfeit his amateur status. Riddell gave the #5 to his men, to buy beer, kept mum, and remained an amateur. He set his fastest 1500m time in a match between Great Britain and Germany in Munich, in 1935. Though narrowly beaten by FW Schaumberg, he clocked 3-54.2 – equivalent of a 4-13 mile, and faster than his existing Scottish record. That night, Riddell was in the Munich Hoffbrauhaus, when a stylish young Nazi introduced himself, chatted fluently in English, and departed clicking his heels as he presented his card. It was Rudolf Hess. Their meeting was to provide one of history’s ironic twists of fate. A Dunkirk veteran, Riddell picked up an extra rifle while being evacuated from the beach head. Soon after, when his brother-in-law in the Home Guard bemoaned their armoury of pitchforks and sticks, Riddell gave him the rifle. When Hess landed at Eaglesham in 1941, he was detained at the point of that very same gun. ”There was no ammunition in it, because I had none to give,” Riddell recalled. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and his decorations included a military OBE, and the Czech equivalent of the Military Cross. He was a JP and a fellow of the Institute of Highway Engineers, ending his working life, at 75, as managing director of the Glasgow firm of McCrea, Taylor. Even in his ninth decade, his boyish enthusiasm and sense of mischief remained unquenched, as he visited his long time crony, the former Scotland rugby player Jimmy Ireland, also in his 90s. Sweeties from Fintry’s famous home-made confectionery shop were always produced from his pocket for visiting kids, old and young. When asked to open a children’s play area in his native Fintry recently, he was asked by a local newspaper if he could manage to sit and pose on the bottom of the slide. Tom looked, amused, at the photographer, skipped up the steps, and gleefully wheeched down. He is survived by Jean, his wife, and their daughter, Jan.

Hugh Barrow sent the following from his collection of cuttings, photos and memorabilia – a tribute to one great Scots athlete from another.

Recollections of Eric Liddell By The Hon. Lt. Col. T.M. Riddell

In 1923, to most School Boys, Eric Liddell was a Hero and this was not misplaced because he turned out to be – and is – the Greatest Athlete that Scotland and indeed the World has produced.

In 1923 I was privileged to represent The High School of Glasgow, at the Scottish Schools ‘Inter Scholastic Sports’ held at Inverleith and this in the Mile race. Fortune favoured me to the extent that I was “first through the Tape.” As I left the Arena I was confronted by My Hero, Eric Liddell, who shook me by the hand and expressed the hope that I would continue in the Sport and that he would meet me at the Season’s Sports Meetings. This was the beginning of a friendship which lasted until the War when we lost touch with each other.

On several occasions at country meetings I ran the 880 yards leg in the ‘Medley Relay’ while Eric ran the 440 yards leg.

Apart from Sports Meetings I met Eric with his Great “Guide – Philosopher and Friend” Neil Campbell, a fellow student who became Professor of the Faculty in which he and Eric qualified. Another of Eric’s co-operators was the Rev. D.P. Thompson, together they held seasonal Evangelical Meetings in Edinburgh and at Montrose Street Church in Glasgow. Those meetings were crammed to the door by two generations of young people.

So much has been recorded about Eric’s Athletic Achievements but they were in fact, as far as he was concerned, a Catalyst in the formation of his character and his perceivable Missions in life, which were:-

“To walk humbly with his God
and
to fulfill the ‘New Commandment'”

Gospel of St. John
Chapter 13,
Verse 34.

Note:

A great deal, due to his influence, I was “first through the tape” eight times in the Scottish Mile Championship and represented Great Britain Internationally over that distance on many occasions.

Thanks, Hugh

James Wilson in Paris

James Wilson was a truly outstanding Scottish runner of whom lamentably little is known in today’s Scottish athletics.   Alex Wilson has written this excellent profile of a man unique in Scottish distance running.

Anglo-Scot Jimmy Wilson has the distinction of being Britain’s first and, so far, Scotland’s only medallist in the Olympic 10,000 metres. It would be another fifty-six years until another Briton – Brendan Foster – repeated that feat in Montreal. Since then, two more Britons have made the podium in the Olympic 10,000 metres, these being Mike McLeod, who won silver in Los Angeles; and of course Mo Farah, who by clinching gold in London brought Britain’s grand total to just four in the hundred-year history of the event.

Whereas Jimmy Wilson’s athletic achievements are documented well enough, it has always been something of a mystery as to why this rising star of English athletics switched allegiances to Scotland.    This mystery can now, at last, perhaps be cleared up.

James Wilson was born in Windsor, Berkshire, on October 2, 1891. He and his twin brother, John, were the youngest of the five children of Isabella and Robert Wilson. His parents were Scottish migrant workers. His father hailed from Aberdeenshire and was the herdsman at the Prince Consort’s Shaw Farm in New Windsor, where he was responsible for Queen Victoria’s award-winning pure-bred cattle stock. This position came with privileges that included living at the Shaw Farm Lodge on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Children of Crown estate workers were eligible to attend Windsor Park Royal School, where in addition to the ‘three R’s’ the boys were taught farming and gardening. Every year on Christmas Eve the royal employees and their wives and children were invited to a banquet at Windsor Castle where Queen Victoria personally handed out presents and gifts of toys, clothing and books to the children.    Jimmy Wilson’s upbringing was, therefore, not exactly what you would call run-of-the-mill.   After leaving school, Jimmy did an apprenticeship with a local blackmith.

A life-changing event occurred in the summer of 1908 when the Olympic Marathon started from the East Lawn of Windsor Castle just a mile from the Wilson home. Like all the residents of Windsor that day, Jimmy was given the afternoon off to cheer the marathon runners.    Jimmy and his twin John must have been inspired by what they saw, because soon afterwards they joined local club Slough Harriers as novices.

Within months of joining Slough, Jimmy began to show great promise in the club’s regular muster runs from The Reindeer Inn and the Prince of Wales Public House and was selected to run in the 1910 North of the Thames Cross County Championship at Eastcote where he finished 59^th. The following month, he lead his club’s team home in 67^th place in the Southern Counties Cross Country Championship. Slough Harriers in their 1910 Annual Report referred to this as a “very creditable performance for a first-year man”.

After showing continued promise in 1911, Jimmy made a real breakthrough in 1912 when he won North of the Thames Cross County Championship at Wembley Park and led his club to a surprise team victory. Shortly afterwards he was guest of honour at a celebratory dinner held by Slough Harriers to mark the club’s historic double. Asked by the reporter for the Slough Chronicle for “training and dietary hints that might be useful to others wishing to emulate his feats”, he had little to divulge save that hard work was, he reckoned, the “best training a man could have”. He had apparently spent the fortnight before the race working from seven in the morning till nearly eleven at night. For all his reluctance to talk, however, Jimmy exuded a quiet confidence. Asked whether his success was unexpected, he immediately replied “Oh, no, I was pretty sure of winning”.

Jimmy continued to progress in leaps and bounds in 1913, finishing an unlucky runner-up the Southern Counties Cross Country Championship and 13^th in the National Cross Country Championship at Wolverhampton whereupon he was selected as an English reserve for the International Championship but did not compete.On the track he showed his paces that year by finishing 6^th in the AAA 4 mile championship at Stamford Bridge in 20:40.0.

James Wilson in the colours of Slough Harriers

Picture from Greenock Glenpark Harriers and Alex Wilson)

 Jimmy finally came of age in 1914 when he came 3^rd in the National at Chesham Park behind AAA steeplechase champion Charlie Ruffell and Ireland’s Frank O’Neill over a course acknowledged to be one of the longest and toughest in the event’s history. Selected to represent England in the International Championship, which was also held at Chesham Park, he justified the selector’s faith by finishing 6^th and earning himself a winner’s medal in the team contest.

That year it came to the attention the membership of Greenock Glenpark Harriers that Jimmy was of Scottish extraction and, perhaps, not averse to the idea of running for them. George Wallach might well have had something to do with this for he , like Jimmy, was an Anglo Scot, being a second claim member of Greenock Glenpark Harriers. No doubt the enterprising Willie Struthers, club president and senior S.C.C.U. official, also had a hand in recruiting Jimmy.

Jimmy made his first appearance on a Scottish track in the Scottish championships at Powderhall on 27^th June 1914 when he outsprinted Wallach to win the 4 mile championship in 20:30.0. To give an idea just how much of an unknown commodity he was at the time, Scottish sports journalists expressed surprise at his win.    A week after becoming Scottish champion Jimmy finished 4^th in the AAA four mile championship in 20:01.0 having had the misfortune to be spiked after leading the way for three miles.    Afterwards Jimmy was invited to run for England in the inaugural Triangular International between England, Ireland and Scotland at Hampden Park on 11^th July but, significantly, declined as he had already accepted Scotland’s invitation.

The Slough Chronicle reported that Jimmy had “the rather unique record of being both an English and a Scottish international,” adding, “It should be explained that he is qualified to represent England by residence and Scotland by birth.”

However something evidently tipped the balance in favour of Scotland. One could speculate as to why, but perhaps he just got on better with his Scottish friends.

After war broke out, Slough Harriers saw their numbers decimated by the members joining the military but initially kept up their winter fixtures and training runs as it was still widely thought that that the war would be won by Christmas. This was not to be and by 1915 however Slough Harriers were haemoraging members and forced to disband.

Jimmy did not enlist, unlike his twin brother, who was sent to the front and died in 1916 after contracting peritonitis.   Through his contacts in Greenock, Jimmy was able to spend the war in Greenock where his metalworking and fabricating skills made him eligible for an essential occupation, be it building dreadnoughts or submarines or manufacturing torpedoes or munitions.    While living in Greenock during the war Jimmy kept himself fit , appearing in various sports meetings in aid of war charities.   Even in 1915 some still thought that the 1916 Berlin Olympics could go ahead as planned and a  series of Olympic trials was held over metric distances at Ibrox Park.

 After the war Jimmy quickly regained his foothold running a close 2^nd to Willie Ross of Edinburgh Northern Harriers in the Scottish 10 mile championship on 5^th April 1919 in 56:12.4 and following up with a successful defense of his Scottish 4 mile title at Parkhead on 28^th June in 21:01.0.

 He kicked off his 1920 season with a comfortable victory in the Scottish Cross Country Championships at Rouken Glen, leading all the way and passing the finishing post quarter of a mile ahead of Alex Craig.

The following week Jimmy made the trip south to compete in the English National Cross Country Championships on his old home turf at Windsor Great Park. Although still a first claim member of Slough AC he was not allowed to run for the club at Windsor as, it was argued, he had not put in the necessary three qualifying runs. He was, however, allowed to compete as an individual for Greenock Glenpark Harriers and did well in the circumstances to finish 4^th in a race won, notably, by France’s Joseph Guillemot.

 Jimmy spearheaded the Scottish cross country team in the I.C.C.U. championship at Belvoir Park by Belfast on 3^rd April. Rain during most of the week rendered the going heavy, which suited Jimmy to a “T”. A crowd of 3,000 spectators watched in awe as he raced into an early lead and eventually won by a clear 150 yards from England’s Chris Vose. He of course also ran his way into the history books by becoming Scotland’s first ever winner of the international contest. But despite Jimmy’s commanding win, the Scottish team without the injured George Wallach too depleted to challenge for the Lumley Cup, the second Scot home being Angus Kerr in 18^th place.

On 17^th April Jimmy made short shrift of a domestic field in the Scottish 10 mile championship at Celtic Park, where he showed he meant business by racing through the first mile in well under five minutes and lapping the entire field after just four-and-a-half miles. His ground-eating stride and textbook running action eventually carried him to an easy win some two and a half laps ahead of an up-and-coming Dunky Wright. His time of 52:04.4 lowered George Wallach’s Scottish record by more than 44 seconds. Not only that, all of his intermediate times from five miles and up were also better than the previous marks.

On 26^th  June Jimmy made an impressive imperious defence of his 4 mile title, overcoming a stiff breeze to win by 500 yards in 20:22.4.   Though Jimmy did not contest the AAA 4 mile or 10 mile championships, he was selected to run in the 5,000 metres, the 10,000 metres and in the cross-country team contest at the upcoming Olympics in Antwerp where the Olympic flag with its five rings symbolising the participating continents made its first appearance.

An incredibly demanding timetable prompted Jimmy to opt out of the 5,000 metres and concentrate instead on the 10,000 metres and cross-country race.    The heats of the 10,000 metres were run on Thursday 19^th August in heavy rain before paltry crowd of spectators. Jimmy used his front running tactics to good effect, breaking away on the first lap and winning by about 60 yards from Finland’s Paavo Nurmi in 33:40.2. Jimmy was incidentally the only Briton who ever defeated the Flying Finn in any race whatsoever.

 The 10,000 metre runners had just one day to recover because the final was held the following day. The favourites were France’s Joseph Guillemot and Nurmi, the latter looking to avenge his defeat at the hands of the Frenchman in the 5,000 metres final three days earlier. Jimmy raced straight into the lead and set about carving out a fast pace which carried him clear of everyone except Guillemot, with Nurmi and Italy’s Augusto Maccario running together in close order. Jimmy was left to do all the donkey work until five laps to go when Guillemot made a break which Jimmy and Nurmi , unlike Maccario, were able to cover. For the next four laps the lead swung back and forth between Guillemot and Jimmy with the Nurmi drafting in their slipstream and poised to attack. When the bell rang Nurmi hit the front for the first time and utilised his superior stamina to win comfortably in 31:45.8. Extant footage shows an exhausted Guillemot staggering over the finishing line in 31:51.0e and Wilson finishing third about 30 metres ahead of Maccario in 31:56.0e.

Three days after the 10,000 metres final Jimmy was back in the Olympic Stadium for the cross-country race which was again witnessed by just a sparse crowd. The event followed the usual cross-country format of being both an individual event and a team event with separate medals awarded for each. The British team started with its full complement of six. In all, 48 runners faced this starter. Though advertised as 10 km the course was only about 8 km, starting and finishing in the Olympic Stadium. With lingering fatigue in his legs Jimmy was for once unable to take advantage of the heavy conditions; unlike the indefatiguable Nurmi , who despite running his fifth race in seven days looked remarkably fresh throughout and easily saw off the challenge of Sweden’s Eric Backman to claim his second individual gold of the Games. Nurmi’s principal rival Guillemot was forced to abandon the race after spraining an ankle at a level crossing a kilometre from the finish, allowing Jimmy to finish 4^th 30 seconds behind Nurmi and just 8 seconds behind bronze medallist Heikki Liimatainen of Finland. With three to count, the British team, which also included Frank Hegarty and Alf Nichols, won silver behind Finland in the team contest.

Jim Wilson’s 1920 Olympic Medals

(Participation, silver and bronze)

By winning bronze and silver in Antwerp, Jimmy Wilson belongs to the elite band of British distance runners to have won multiple medals at a single Olympics, the others being Sid Robinson (1900), Jack Rimmer (1900), Arthur Robertson (1908) and, most recently, Mo Farah (2012).

On his return to Britain Jimmy detoured via Paris to compete in an international meeting at the Colombes Stadium on Friday 28^th August. He ran in the 3000 metres and showed continued good form, narrowly losing to England’s Jim Hatton in a personal best of 9:01.4.

 After the 1920 Olympics Jimmy relocated to London and found work with London Transport as a mechanical engineer at the Neasden Power Station, the coal-fired power station built by the Metropolitan Railway for its electrification project. The Evening Telegraph lamented, “He will be a loss to Scottish athletics, as Wilson has given distinction to distance running the few years he has been in Scotland“.

 Ill health, injury and work commitments kept Jimmy away from athletics for a few years but he returned to competitive action in 1923 and joined Surrey Athletic Club.

On January 5 1924 Jimmy helped Surrey AC to victory in the inaugural ten-stage London to Brighton relay race, which was to become the most prestigious inter-club fixture in the UK race calendar until it was replaced by the National 12-Stage Road Relay in 1965.

After finishing 12^th in the National at Doncaster, Jimmy was again nominated to run for Scotland in the International at Gosforth Park. He placed 19^th behind team-mates Archie Craig (16^th), James McIntyre (17^th) and Dunky Wright (18^th), the Scotttish team packing well enough for 3^rd in the team championship.

Wilson opened his 1924/25 cross country campaign win a comfortable win in a match between Surrey AC and Oxford University at Wimbledon. He was slighted by The Times as a “former Scottish international” but that did not stop him from finishing a creditable 14^th in the I.C.C.U. championship at Baldoyle.    The 1925 season was however to be his last, the highlight being a 6^th place finish in the AAA 4 miles championship at Stamford Bridge.

A lifelong batchelor, Jimmy was a celebrated and upstanding citizen of Neasden until his death in 1973, aged 82.

After the profile was completed Jimmy’s grandson, Graham,  sent more information about his grandfather.  He married Annie Williams who was also known as Marge.    Unfortunately later in life he contracted bowel cancer which proved fatal after it ultimately spread to his spinal cord.    He had had an outstanding career being one of the top runners of his generation.

James Wilson has been inducted into the Scottish Athletics Hall of Fame.