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Glasgow University Hares & Hounds, mid 60’s

Where Edinburgh was the top team of the 1950’s as far as universities were concerned, they did not have it all their own way in the next decade.  the Glasgow University teams of the 1960’s were among the best in the country with athletes like Calum Laing, Allan Faulds, Doug Gifford, Brian Scobie, Menzies Campbell, Robin Souter and many others and with a good team manager in Willie Diverty (2nd right, middle row), and St Andrews had DJ Whyte, one of the country’s best long jumpers and no mean sprinter.  

The Glasgow and Edinburgh rivals met on 30th April, 1960 at Westerlands for the annual contest for the Sir Edward Appleton Trophy and Edinburgh won 64 -55 in the men’s contest and 44 – 26 in the women’s.   The report on the event read as follows.   “A Millar (Glasgow) in the 100 and 220 yards, HM Mabon (Edinburgh) in the shot putt and discus, and J Addo (Glasgow) in the long jump and hop, step and jump, gained doubles in the men’s event.   The most exciting race of the day was the medley relay which was just won by Glasgow.   S Horn failed to hold AG Mowat over the half-mile relay, but Miller put in a splendid furlong effort and passed on to M Campbell with a slight lead.   R McCrindle held on grimly, in spite of a fine effort by RL Hay to catch up over the final quarter mile.   O Drummond (Edinburgh was the outstanding woman athlete with wins in the 100 yards, 220 yards and the long jump.”

The results were a mix of old and new faces – look at these and you will be able to spot the up-and-comers (M Campbell – Big Ming – has already been noted!)   Men’s results:

100 yards:   A Miller (G) 10.6 sec;   220 yards:  A Miller 23.1;   440 yards:  R McCrindle (G)  52 sec;   880 yards:  AG Mowat (E) 2:0.7;   Mile:  J Bogan (G) 4:27.8;   Three Miles:  A Jackson (E)  15:10.4;  Medley Relay:  Glasgow (Horn, Miller, Campbell, McCrindle) 3:40.4   120 y hurdles:  P Crawley (G) 16.1 sec;  440 y hurdles: RL Hay (E)  57 sec;  High jump:   GOA Ladido (G)  5′ 9″;  Long Jump:  J Addo (G) 21′ 7″;  Hop Step and Jump:  J Addo 43’11;  Pole Vault:   D Stevenson (E) 11′ 7″;   Shot Putt:  H Mabon (E) 45′ 9″;   Discus:  H Mabon 134′ 6″;   Hammer:  N McDonald (E) 1474′ 7″;   Javelin:  CR Keith (G) 173′ 1″     Glasgow won 10 events to Edinburgh’s 7

  Women’s Match:  100: O Drummond (E) 12.2: 220: O Drummond 25 sec;  440: A Glen (G) 63.5;   4 x 110 yards relay:  Edinburgh 53.1;   High jump:  A Langlands (G) 4′ 6″;  Long jump:   Drummond 16′ 3″; 80m hurdles:B Davies (E) 13.4;  Discus:  B Davies, 90′ 9″;  Javelin:   B Affleck (E) 74′ 1″;  Shot Putt:  B Affleck, 27′ 11″    Edinburgh won 8 events to Glasgow’s 2.

Although Edinburgh won. the men’s match was much closer and with sprinters such as Miller and Campbell for Glasgow, and field events men such as David Stevenson and Hunter Mabon coming in for Edinburgh there was promise of much good competition to come in 1960.   In the Aberdeen v St Andrews match at St Andrews the home team won by 65 to 49 in the men’s match and their women won every event in their competition.   I McPherson of Aberdeen won three of the throws events – shot discus and hammer – and DJ Whyte of St Andrews won both jumping events.   

The following weekend saw the annual St Andrews  v  Glasgow  v  Queen’s, Belfast match held at St Andrews where the home team won.   Points were St Andrews 74, Glasgow 63 and Queen’s 43.   DJ Whyte won all three jumps and had a third in the 100 yards while WM Campbell of Glasgow ran 50.3 for the quarter-mile which was eight-tenths of a second quicker than JV Paterson’s record of four years earlier.   Elkins (Queen’s) pole vaulted 11′ 9″ which added 1″ to the meeting record set by RF Edington, Glasgow 12 years earlier.  In Glasgow, Edinburgh University defeated Shettleston at Barrachnie by 78 to 64.  

Saturday 14th May was packed with action – Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities all held their club championships and St Andrews hosted a triangular match with Edinburgh Southern and Shettleston.   Points won:  St Andrews  95 points, Southern 62 and Shettleston 27.   There was a women’s competition too and the result there was a win for Jordanhill TC39, to Southern’s 36 and St Andrews 33.   DJ Whyte again won high and long jumps and the 100 yards.   In Edinburgh there were many notable results – David Stevenson ‘a freshman from Dumfries’ attempted a ground record for the pole vault but had to be content with equalling the existing record, RL Hay won 220y and 440y, AG Mowat , the cross-country captain won the half mile in 1:57.9, Adrian Jackson, the university’s long distance runner’ was defeated in the Mile by RA Clark from Paisley but did retain his Three Miles title.   Weir won the 220 and 440 yards hurdles, HM Mabon won the shot putt (47′ 4 1/2″) and discus (140 11 1/2″), the shot with a university record by 1′ 7″.

In Glasgow a record was set in the javelin when CR Keith threw 169′ 4 1/2″ but there were several other good performances: Alex Miller won both sprints from WM Campbell, who won the 440 yards from McCrindle, Stan Horn won the half mile, Jim Bogan the Mile and Three Miles.   Bobby Mills won both hurdles races, the 440 yards hurdle in 57 sec which was only four tenths outside Gracie’s meeting record.   Addo won the long jump and had second places in both high jump and hop, step and jump.   

On 21st May the Universities Athletics Union championships were held at Nottingham and there were several Scots involved.   In the 440 yards hurdles, RL Hay (E) and RR Mills (G) were second and third in the 440 yards hurdles which was won in 53.1 seconds.   D Stevenson (e) was third in the pole vault with 12 feet.   In the women’s contest the small contingent from Edinburgh was third in the equivalent contest at Leicester.   O Drummond was second in both sprints, B Davis was second in the 880 yards and J Hogarth was third in the 440 yards.   Back at home, Glasgow and Aberdeen, both under strength tied on 60 points each and Edinburgh beat Jordanhill with 68 points to JTC’s 50.

The following week was the traditional date for the District championships and many university athletes were involved in these.   A Miller (G) was third in the West District 100y and second in the 220.   Ming Campbell won the 440, RR Mills was second in the 120y hurdles but won the 440y hurdles, John Addo won the long jump, A Robertson was third in the discus and CF Riach was second in the javelin and first in the shot putt.   On the East coast, DJ Whyte won the javelin and discus and was second in the 100 yards.   I Docherty was third in the Three Miles   McLeod and Weir were first and third in the 120y hurdles and RL Hay won the 440 y hurdles.   In the pole vault DD Stevenson was in control.  HM Mabon again won the discus and shot.   

Lots of interesting results there but when it came to the Scottish Universities championships on 4th June, the top team was Glasgow with  65 points to Edinburgh’s 55; it was the first time in ten years that Edinburgh had failed to come out on top.   David Stevenson cleared 12′ 1″ for a meeting record and Hunter Mabon won the shot putt from I McPherson.   There was an upset when John Addo and J Swai (both Glasgow) beat him into third place with Addo winning not only the long jump but also the high jump.   RL Hay won the 440 yards and 440y hurdles –  the latter only by inches from RR Mills (G).   Another upset came when John Glennie (A) won the three miles from Jim Bogan (G).   The other middle distance races went to Edinburgh with AG Mowat winning the 880y in 1:56.5, RG Clark winning the Mile from  AS Jackson in 4:22.   In the women’s events, O Drummond (E) won both sprints and the long jump and Ann Glen won the 440 yards.   

 The 120 yards hurdles had been won by RD McLeod of Aberdeen University who also won the SAAA championships in 15.2 seconds which would have been a new native record but for the fact that there was a following wind above the legal limit.   Nevertheless it was a notable double.  In the longer hurdles race, RL Hay won from RR Mills in 55 seconds.  David Stevenson set a new junior championship record for the pole vault of 12′ 0″ when finishing second in the senior event.   RG Clark, Edinburgh, was second to Morrison of Larkhall in the 880 yards after having run the fastest qualifying time. 

At the start of July Hunter Watson, competing for Heriot’s AC, won the SAAA Decathlon title from RL Hay, Edinburgh University, with a total of 5103 points.   Within the competition, individual events were won by RR Mills, Glasgow University, in the 1500m of 4:27 and DD Stevenson, Edinburgh University, cleared 11′ 3 /4″ in the pole vault.   Stevenson tackled the AAA Junior championships at the end of July at Hurlingham in London and won in a new championship record of 12′ 2″.    University track rankings are below – event/name/university/time/rank.

100 yards:   A Miller (G)  10.1   10=

220 yards:   A Miller (G)  22.5    9=

440 yards:   R Hay (E)      49.7    7

880 yards:   R Clark (E)  1:55.2   8

Mile:              –

Three Miles:   –

120y hurdles:  R McLeod (A)  15.2    2;   F Crawley (G)   15.6  3;   K Gilham (St A)  15.8  6;  D Wright (E)  15.9  8

440y hurdles:  R Hay (E)  55.1 sec  1=;  RR Mills *G)  55.1  1=;  K Gilham (St A)  57.5  6;  M Weir (E)  57.6  8;  

                           E Davidson (St A)  58.5  9;   E Smith (A)  58.5  9

DJ Whyte, winning the AAA’s Junior title with 23 feet 4 inches

The 1961 season began for the Universities on 29th April when Glasgow and Edinburgh fought out the Sir Edward Appleton Trophy at Craiglockhart.   Glasgow won by 99 points to 90 in a match containing 27 events, both and women’s.   The women won their contest by six points and Glasgow won the men’s event only after victory in the final, event, the relay. The Press agreed that the performance of the meeting was by Callum Laing in the Three Miles where he won in 14:44.4 which was 14.8 sec faster than the winner of the Scottish Universities title in 1960.   RL Hay (440y and 440y hurdles), J Addo (longjump and hop, step and jump) and Miss M Thomson (E) (100y and 220 y) all won doubles.   Among the other winners were D Stevenson (E) and J Bogan (Mile).  In Aberdeen, St Andrews defeated Aberdeen University by 11 points (66 to 55) with DJ Whyte being the stand out performer with victories in all three jumps on the programme.

On 5th May, 1961, there was the annual triangular fixture between Glasgow, St Andrews and Queen’s, Belfast which was held at Westerlands.   After a closely fought men’s contest St Andrews came out on top with 74 1/2 points to Glasgow’s 71.   In the women’s event Thelma Hopkins again had a good day when she won five of the nine events on the programme.   Her best performance, relatively speaking, was victory in the high jump with 5′ 3″ which was a ground record of six years previously.   In the men’s contest, DJ Whyte of St Andrews had a triple succes winning the long jump, hop, step and jump and the high jump.   WM Campbell won two events – 220 yards and 440 yards, and G Den of Glasgow won shot and discus.   Callum Laing of Glasgow – a name that would become well known among the distance running fraternity – won the Three Miles in 15:01.5.   Hopkins won 80m hurdles, long jump, high jump, discus and shot putt for Queen’s with J Atkinson, also of Queen’s, winning the 100 yards and 220 yards, A Glen of Glasgow won the 440 yards but Queen’s won the 4 x 110 yards relay giving them eight wins from nine events.

Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities had their own inter-club at Craiglockhart where Edinburgh won the men’s match by 39 points and the women’s by 18.   More new faces appeared in this fixture – MacFarquhar for Aberdeen and Craven for Edinburgh.   RL Hay won the 220 and the 440 yards hurdles for Edinburgh.   On the track, W Russell won the 100y for Aberdeen before finishing second to TG Bower in the 440y.   Roddy MacFarquhar won the half-mile for Aberdeen, Clark the Mile for Edinburgh, then Martin Craven (E) and D Dingwall (E) dead heated for the Three Miles.   DD Stevenson (E) won both the pole vault and hop, step and jump  and J Nicholson won both shot and discus for Edinburgh.   Among the women O Drummond again took the honours with a sprint double plus the relay victory.   

13th May was the day for club championships.   Menzies Campbell won the Biles Cup when he won the 220 yards in a personal best and university record of 21.7 seconds which was 0.6 faster than the record set by the watching JAM Robertson 19 years earlier.   A Miller, the title holder who had earl;ier won the 100 yards, eased off in the finishing straight to avoid exacerbating a thigh injury.   Campbell went on to win the 440y in 52 seconds.   Callum Laing took 10.2 sec from D Johnstone’s record in the Three Miles when he ran 14:551.2.   Other winners included J Bogan in the Mile, CD Young was unfortunate to be second to two different runners in the hurdles – Crawley in the 120y and Wilson in the 440.   In the women’s events, A Paxton won three events (110y, 220y and long jump), N Fraser won the javelin in a new record of 95′ 2 1/2″and A Glen again won the 440 yards.   In the Edinburgh championships, the Donovan Cup for the utstanding performance went to N McDonald who had a club and sports day record in the hammer throw with his best of 168′ 5 1/2″ which was over 9′ better than the club record.   RL Hay won three titles – 220y, 220y hurdles and 440y hurdles, AG Mowat won the 440y and 880y, the latter in a sports day record of 1:55.5, David Stevenson won the hop, step and jump as well as the pole vault and H Mabon won both discus and shot.   Martin Craven who was second to RG Clark in the Mile, won the Three Miles in 15:28.7.     

St Andrews took on Shettleston and Edinburgh Southern Harriers at Barrachnie where DJ Whyte won all three jumping events.   

DD Stevenson, Edinburgh

In the Universities Athletic Union championship on 27th May at Motspur Park in Surrey, DJ Whyte retained his British universities championship when he won the long jump with 23′ 10 1/2″.   DD Stevenson was second in the pole vault with 12; 6″ anbd N McDonald was third in the hammer with a best of 156′ 5 1/2″.    In the West District Championships Addo won the long jump and the hop, step and jump, Menzies Campbell won the 220y, the only race he contested, and in the East Districts B Jaiyeela of St Andrews won the 100 yards, B Linley, also St Andrews, won the 440y, and there were several others who performed well, eg HM Mabon, who were competing for clubs other than the university.

The universities championship was held at Aberdeen on 3rd June, and the report from the Glasgow Herald is reproduced here. 

“Best championship performances were broken in five events on Saturday during the Scottish Universities athletic championships at Aberdeen.   Glasgow and Edinburgh tied in the team event for the Rosebery Cup, each team scoring 55 points.   St Andrews (50) and Aberdeen (15) were third and fourth.   WM Campbell (Glasgow) beat the holder, RL Hay (Edinburgh) in a record quarter-mile time of 49.1 seconds – his personal best time.   He also won the furlong race from a team mate, AM Miller, who lost his sprint title because of a bad start.   Rod MacFarquhar (Aberdeen) beat the mile champion R Clark (Edinburgh) by five yards in 4:15.5, a record.   Clark equalled the previous best of 4:16.2.   C Laing (Glasgow) won the three miles, making the pace all the way and winning easily in a new championship best time of  14:37.8.   

The other leading performers were DD Stevenson (Edinburgh) with a pole vault record of 12 feet 6 inches, and DJ Whyte (St Andrews) who set a high jump meeting record of 6 feet 0 3/4 inches.   Whytre also won the long jump and hop, step and jump events.   St Andrews won the women’s contest with 34 points, Glasgow had 28, Edinburgh 27 and Aberdeen 18.”   

There were other commendable performances – with athletes like Campbell (100 yards), John Addo (both jumps for distance) and Craven (Three Miles) filling second places, some indication of the quality of student athletics at the time is seen.   Hunter Mabon won shot and discus and CR Keith won the javelin.   In the women’s match, Ann Glen (G) again won the 440 yards, this time in 62.6, K Fossey (E) won both sprints and C Walters (St Andrews) won 80m hurdles and long jump.    

*

In the next major championships, the SAAA no less, Campbell again won from Hay in 49.0 seconds.   The rivalry between the two students from different sides of the country was producing good times.   Hay went on to win the 440y hurdles from FW Dick (Edinburgh Southern Harriers) in 54.9 seconds. and Campbell was third in the 100 yards.  There were other students competing and winning medals – FK Crawley of Glasgow was second in the 120y hurdles, N McDonald was second in the hammer throw and DD Stevenson was third in the pole vault.  There were some good athletes also competing in the Junior championships held on the same day: AJ Patrick (E) second in the 220y, WE Ewing (A) third in the Mile and AGS Tulloch (E) won the pole vault.   The indefatigable Hay took part in the SAAA Decathlon the following week and finished third with his best events being 400m in 51.1 seconds and 1500m in 4:36.1.   

There was a match against Atalanta the following week at Pitreavie.   The Atalanta Club was a combined team representing the four ancient universities, and for more information on the club and its competitions go to:   http://www.scottishdistancerunninghistory.scot/the-atalanta-club/

*

1962’s universities athletics season started with the contest for the Appleton Trophy contest between Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities which the hosts (Glasgow) won by 100 to 89.   Glasgow won the men’s match (68 – 51) and Edinburgh the women’s (38 – 32).   David Stevenson (E) set a ground record in the pole vault of 12′ 8″ and John Addo (G) won the other three jumping events.   Menzies Campbell (G) won both the 220 yards (21.9) and the 440 yards (49.5).    Other winners included AM Miller in the 100 yards for Glasgow but Edinburgh produced more top class endurance runners about whom we would hear more in the years to come – Chris Elson won the Mile in 4:21 and Fergus Murray won the Three Miles in 14:35.2.   FK Crawley (G) won the 120 yards hurdles and RL Hay (E) won the 440 yards hurdles.   In the throws AL Sutherland (G), another name to watch, won the shot puttwon both shot and discus.   This list of names indicated the sheer quality of University athletics at this time – Campbell in the sprints would go on to do the treble (100,220 and 440) in the SAAA, run for and captain Great Britain, and when he ran in the Olympics in Tokyo Fergus Murray was also in the team.   RL Hay was an outstanding hurdler, international athlete and Games competitor, David Stevenson top class international competitor for Scotland and Britain and another Olympian with Sandy Sutherland and John Addo  top talents in their respective events.   

In St Andrews, the home team defeated Aberdeen’s men and women in their inter-club fixture.   Top man had to be Aberdeen’s W Russell who won 100 yards (10.6), 220 yards (23.5) and 440 yards (51.6) as well as runninbg in the relay.   His team mate Alan Milne also had a double winning shot and discus and for St Andrews DJ Whyte won long and high jumps, and K Gilham won both hurdles events.   The quality here was also very high with all those already mentioned being of a very high calibre plus P Judge who won the Mile and Mel Edwards who won the Three Miles for Aberdeen in 15:16.  

May 12th was the date for the Universities championships – Glasgow at Westerlands, Edinburgh at Goldenacre and St Andrews had their annual triangular fixture with Shettleston Harriers and Edinburgh Southern at Fernieside.   In Glasgow, five men’s records were broken and two equalled, while on the women’s side one was beaten and two equalled.   The star athlete had to be Menzies Campbell who won the 100 yards in 10.0, the 440 yards in 49.2 (each equalling the best championship performance) and finished the day with a win in the 220 yards in 21.5 which eqqualled the Scottish native record.   Callum Laing improved his championship time for the mile by 8.8 seconds when he won in 4:18.1; he later won the three miles, taking 9.2 seconds off his championship best, with 14:42.3.   FK Crawley won the 120 yards hurdles in a new championship best time of 15.4 seconds, and AL Sutherland won the shot putt, also in a best distance of 45′ 6 1/2″ adding 1 1/2 inches to a 22 year old mark.   Ann Glen was the only woman who broke a championship record when she ran 63.8 seconds and J Murray equalled the champiponship best for the 220 yards and for the 80m hurdles.     CD Young won the 440 yards hurdles in 59.4 seconds.   Laing had defeated Ray Baillie to win the Mile and Allan Faulds and Cameron Shepherd to win the Three Miles, and in the steeplechase Nick Rodgers won from Dick Hartley and Jim Bogan: all of these results indicating a qualiity in depth.   In the field events, Addo had two firsts and a second in the high jump, while Sutherland won shot and discus and also finished second in the hammer.   

Across the country in Edinburgh, the top man, and Donovan Cup winner, was David Stevenson for his pole vault of 12′ 11 1/2″ which beat his previous sports record by 10″.   AJ Patrick equalled the record when he won the 100 yards and also won the 220 yards.   P Brown won the women’s  220 yards and 440 yards.   She equalled the record (26.8) in the  former and set a new record of 60.4 seconds in the latter.   Among the performers not mentioned above, RL Hay won the 440 yards and the 220 yards hurdles, F Dick won the half-mile, Fergus Murray won the Mile in 4:21.4,  Martin Craven won the three miles in 15:17.2, and Lawrie Bryce won the shot and the hammer.   

In the St Andrews triangular match, the university lost the match with Edinburgh Southern and won the match with Shettleston Harriers.   

One week later and Glasgow beat Aberdeen in Aberdeen by 72 to 47.   Menzies Campbell won both 220 and 440 yards events, after AM Miller won the 100 yards.   In the middle distance events, Rod MacFarquhar (A) won the half Mile,  Laing (G) won the Mile and A Faulds (G) won the three miles.    CD Young (G) won both hurdles races and Glasgow won the relay.   All but one of the track events went to Glasgow.  In the field events, Sutherland of Glasgow won the shot pputt, but all the other throws went to Aberdeen – A Milne discus, A Hutchison javelin and D McMillan hammer.   In the jumps, Glasgow won three – G Ladipo the high jump, W Thomson long jump and IH Bilsland pole vault – with J Grant Aberdeen’s sole winner when he took the triple jump.   Meanwhile St Andrews won their contest with Bellahouston at St Andrews.   They only won one track event – the Mile by P Judge – but in the field there were wins in long jump, triple jump and pole vault plus javelin and hammer.   

In the District championships on 26th May, there were both highs and lows for the universities contingent.   In the West Campbell was second in both short sprints to MG Hildrey and had not entered the 440 yards.   In the Mile R Baillie was second to JP McLatchie but one of the highlights was Callum Laing’s victory in the Three Miles in 14:01.5 from Mike Ryan of St Modan’s.   Laing also won the Six Miles for a remarkable double in 30:27.1.   T Moncur of Glasgow, was third in the 440y hurdles, one place behind ex-university man RR  Mills.    JJ Addo won the long jump, and was second in what was now officially called the triple jump.   AL Sutherland won the shot and discus events with P Davidson third in the former.   CR Keith was third in the javelin behind Riach of Jordanhill and Hill of Victoria Park.    On the East coast, Edinburgh University defeated the holders Edinburgh Southern for the team title, led by RL Hay who won both 44 yards and 440y hurdles.   FW Dick won the 880 yards with B Stacey third, and CJ Elson won the Mile from WH Watson, both of Edinburgh University.   AF Murray was third in the three miles behind Steve Taylor and Alastair Wood of Aberdeen.   DD Stevenson was second in the pole vault, J Balfour third in the high jump, D McKechnie (E) won the long jump and triple jump to give Edinburgh four out of four for the jumps and Hobson of Edinburgh won the javelin.   All in all an excellent day for the universities.

Fergus Murray

The programmes and the results for the inter-universities championships in 1961 and 1962 can be seen    here  .

The last big championship of the year was the SAAA Championships on 23rd June.   Campbell was second in the 220y and first in the 440y.   Stevenson in the pole vault cleared 14′ 0 1/2″ .    Other winners from the universities included Sandy Sutherland (G) in the shot putt, DJ Whyte (St A) in the long jump and RL Hay (E) in the 440y hurdles.   Placed athletes were LM Bryce (E) second in the hammer, Laing third in the three miles and CR Keith third in the javelin.   

Then on 7th July Menzies Campbell did what many had been forecasting and set a new Scottish 100 yards record of 9.8 second in an invitation event in Edinburgh.   The following week at the White City in London David Stevenson injured himelf in the pole vault when clearing 13′ 6″.   That placed him fourth but he was out of the competition.   There was an unusual result in the Gourock Highland Games where several Glasgow University men were taking part – TD Gifford was second to Ian Kerr in the 14 miles road race: it was unusual for students from any of the four universities to take part in races on the road at any time.   The furthest any of them races in summer was the Six Miles track race, and that only infrequently.   

The decade was by now well under way and the sprinters and field events athletes were all doing very well.   The field events athletes rankings were interesting.

High Jump:   David Whyte, St Andrews, 1.83m  9;   Olanyi Lapido (Nigeria)  Glasgow 1.83  

Pole Vault:   David Stevenson, Edinburgh, 4.28m  1;   Ian Cuthbert,  St Andrews,  3.66  6;  Mchael Hill, St Andrews 3.50  8

Long Jump:   David Whyte, St Andrews, 7.05  1;   John Addo, (Ghana) Glasgow, 7.02;  Ian Grant, Edinburgh 6.83  4;  David Stevenson, Edinburgh 6.65  9

Triple Jump:  John Addo (G)  14.54;   David Whyte (St A) 13.99 3;  David Stevenson (E) 13.73  5;  Ian Grant  (E) 13.61

Shot Putt:  Sandy Sutherland, Glasgow  14.58  3;  Lawrie Bryce, Edinburgh, 14.04  4;  John Nicholson, Edinburgh, 13.66  6; George Hobson, Edinburgh, 13.30   8;   James Tynan, Glasgow, 13.26  9

Discus:  Ian McPherson, Aberdeen, 43.69  4;  Sandy Sutherland, (G) 41.17 7;  Robert Robertson, Glasgow, 38.25, 10

Hammer: Niall McDonald, Edinburgh, 50.41  4;   

Javelin: Colin Keith, Glasgow, 56.41  3; George Hobson, Edinburgh, 53.24   6;  James Tynan, Glasgow 51.89 9; A Derek Fraser, Glasgow, 51.59  10

There are a good number of international athletes there including at least two Olympians and even more GB internationalists.   

 

 

Allan Faulds (G) leading Donald Macgregor (St A), Martin Craven and Fergus Murray (both E) in Scottish University Three Miles Championships, 1963 at Westerlands

From the ‘Glasgow Herald’ of April 22nd, 1963:     “Edinburgh won the Appleton Trophy when they beat Glasgow in the first inter-university  athletic contest for the seasonwith the combined aggregate of 102 points to 85 over the 27 event series for men and women at Craiglockhart on Saturday.   The men’s match was won by Glasgow by 63 points to 54,    Edinburgh won the women’s series by 48 to 22.   Performances suffered because of strong winds and a soft track, which accounted for slow times from the quarter-mile upwards.   There were four triple winners – WM Campbell (Glasgow) in the 100, 220 and 440 yards, DD Stevenson  (Edinburgh) in the longand triple jumps and pole vault, Miss P Brown (Edinburgh) and Miss A Dixon (Edinburgh). ‘

The point about slow times is well made – Campbell running outside 54 seconds for the 440 yards is a good indicator of that.   Glasgow had first and second in every event up to the 440, in the half mile Glasgow won with JC Wilson from B Stacey of Edinburgh and Barclay Kennedy (G) third; in the Mile Ray Baillie won from Jim Bogan – both Glasgow; in the Three Miles Martin Craven of Edinburgh won from Callum Laing and Allan Faulds, both Glasgow.  In the hurdles, Glasgow won the 120 yards with JF Crawley and JE Davidson of Edinburgh won the 440 yards hurdles from Carter of Edinburgh.   The only jump not won by Stevenson was the high jump which went to G Balfour of Edinburgh, and in the throws, L Bryce, Edinburgh,  won the Shot Putt and the hammer, Keith of Glasgow won the javelin and Edmunds of Glasgow won the discus.     

In the women’s events, Brown won 100, 220 and 440 yards, Dixon 80m hurdles, shot putt and javelin.   F Kidd of Glasgow won the high jump, E Bruce of Edinburgh won the long jump.    

On 4th May, Glasgow defeated St Andrews and Queen’s Belfast at St Andrews by a wide margin – Glasgow 106 points, St Andrews 43 and Queen’s 39/   Edinburgh had anpother good day when they beat Aberdeen by 75 to 43.   Aberdeen’s top men were McDonald in the sprints and McFarquhar in the middle distance events while Stevenson was the best for the Edinburgh team.   A week later, 11th May, Glasgow and Edinburgh both held their club championships.  In Glasgow the Biles Cup was awarded to Doug Edmunds@ a former pupil at Str Joseph’s School in Dumfries he set a new record in the shot putt when he defeated holder Sandy Sutherland with 46′ 3″, and he also won the Hammer.   In Edinburgh the Donovan Cup went to Fergus Murray for setting a new record in the Three Miles of 14:26.8.The winners in both events were

Event,                Glasgow ,        Perf,           Blank,       Edinburgh ,              Perf

100y,               A Gibbons,        10.2 sec,        – ,           AJ Patrick,                10.5

220y,               WM Campbell, 22.7,             – ,            AJ Patrick,                23.1

440y,              WM Campbell, 50.6,            – ,             A McLean,                 53.6

880y,              JC Wilson,        1:59.5,         – ,             R Sinclair,                  1:58.9

Mile,               R Baillie,          4:28.5,         – ,              B Stacey,                   4:32.3

Three Miles, C Laing,            15:06,         – ,               AF Murray,              14:26.8

120yH,          FK Crawley,     17 sec,         – ,               R McDonald,           17.2

440yH,        TF Moncur,       60.6 sec,    – ,               E Davidson,             54.9

S/chase,      J Bogan,            10:26.6,      –     ,           no event, ,                 –

High jump,  J Addo,             5′ 10″,        – ,                G Balfour,                 5′ 7″

Long Jump, J Addo,            22′ 1 1/4″,  – ,               R Hallett,                  21′ 2 1/2″

Triple Jump, J Addo,         45′ 1 1/2″,  – ,                DD Stevenson,        40′ 10 1/2″

Pole vault, I Bilsland,           – ,             – ,                 DD Stevenson,        12′ 6″

Shot Putt, D Edmunds,      46′ 3″,       – ,                J Nicholson,             45′ 8 1/2″

Discus, S Sutherland,          – ,             – ,                 J Boulton,                 114′

Hammer, D Edmunds,     113′ 6 1/2″,  – ,              LM Bryce,                 153′ 10″

Javelin, CR Keith,               – ,               – ,               ?Leefe,                       164′ 8″

Sandy Sutherland, Goldenacre, 1961

  Things were hotting up with the expected athletes not always winning, even at their own Sports Meetings and the Universities Athletic Union Championships were held on 18th May at Motspur Park in Surrey.   Miss AD Dixon of Edinburgh University won two titles – the javelin (94′ 4 1/2″) and the shot putt (35′ 10 1/2″) and was third in the discus (89′ 10 1/2″).   She was the only Scot to win any event at the championships although four men took second place.   Two Glasgow men J Wilson and T Steel were second and third in the half mile behind JP Boulter.   The other Scottish runners up were LM Bryce in the hammer with 157′ 4 1/2″, AL Sutherland in the shot putt with 47′ 5 1/2″ and DD Stevenson with a pole vault of 13′.    R Hallett (E) was third in the long jump with 22′ 9 1/2″.   Back at home that day, St Andrews was in a triangular match with Bellahouston and Victoriua Park at Corkerhill in Glasgow.   The most noteworthy performance by a St Andrews man was by Donald Macgregor who won the six miles in 32:06.6,  and  Glasgow University defeated Aberdeen at Westerlands.

In the West District championships at Dam Park, Ayr, there were two Glasgow University men with double victories: Campbell won won the 100 yards (10.1) and 220 in 21.6, and Sutherland won both shot (47′ 5″) and Discus (134′ 7″) from fellow Glasgow student D Edmunds whom he beat by a full 19 feet in the discus.   There were sevral placed men from the University too, Gibbons was third in the 100, Miller second in the 220, Steel third in the 880 yards, Wilson second in the Mile, Moncur was second to RR Mills of Dumbarton in the 440y hurdles,and McInroy was second in the long and triple jumps.   At Meadowbank, the East championships were being held with one track and one field event record being set by University athletes.   AF Murray won the Three Miles in 14:07.4 from Martin Craven and DD Stevenson won the pole vault with 13′ 1″.    Other University medallists were Patrick (E) second in 100, McFarquhar (A) won the 880 from Sinclair (E), Balfour (E) was second in the high jump, Hallett (E) won the long jump, LM Bryce (E) won the hammer and was second in the long jump, and V Mitchell (A) won the javelin.   

The Scottish Universities championships were held in Glasgow on 1st June, 1963 and Glasgow won the points competition over Edinburgh after a dramatic surge over the last three events.  Scores were 76 for Glasgow, 70 for Edinburgh, Aberdeen 27 and St Andrews 11.   Edinburgh did win the women’s contest however with 48 points from Aberdeen 22, St Andrews 19 and Glasgow 18.   The report read:  “WM Campbell (G) increased his collection of Scottish Universities Athletics titles when he won the 100 yards, in addition to retaining the furlong and quarter-mile titles at Westerlands on Saturday.   With the the help of a wind that varied from 12 to 19 feet per second, Campbell equalled the best champiponship time of 9.8 secondsfor the 100 yards and beat by 0.4 seconds the furlong record of 21.6 seconds which was set 40 years ago by the late Eric Liddell.   He was in such convincing form that he also took the quarter-mile by 10 yards in the respectable time of 50.3 sec and then did much to bring about the success of the Glasgow relay team, when he took over level with A Patrick (E) for the final 100 yards.   Glasgow’s winning time of 43.4 sec was also a championship best.

F Crawley (G) with 15.1 seconds, cut 0.2 sec off the best championship time for the 120 yards hurdles, but he also was favoured by the wind.   

The closest race of the afternoon was the half-mile.   Rod MacFarquhar (A) always lay handy during three-quarters of the race behind JA Wilson (G) who set a warm pace, and, timing his effort judiciously, succeeded in warding off the challenges of G Reed (A) and Wilson.   Less than three yards covered the three in the fine time of 1:54.7.   Miss P Brown (E) had a fine treble in the women’s events – the 100 yards in 11.2 equalling the best championship time, the 220 yards in 25.8 sec and quarter mile in 60.6 sec – and helped her team win the relay in a best championship time of 51.8 sec.   Miss A Dixon (E) established a shot put record of 38′ 8 1/4″ .

Among the winners not mentioned above, AF Murray (E) won the mile from W Ewing (A) in 4:18.8, M Craven (E) won the Three Miles from Murray and C Laing (G) in 14:33.4.   G Shannon (E) won the high jump, J Addo (G) won the long jump and triple jump and was also third in the high jump, AL Sutherland won the shot putt and discus, LM Bryce the hammer, V Mitchell the javelin.   The women’s winners were, in addition to those already mentioned, I Mackie (A) 80m hurdles and high jump, E Patrick (St A) long jump, and M Wilson (A) discus.

Not content with winning three university titles in one day, Campbell repeated the feat at the SAAA championships on 22nd June , also at Westerlands.   10.1, 23.2 and 48.4 were the winning times this time.   There were several university athletes competing under club colours – Murray for Dundee Hawkhill won the Three Miles in 14:01.6 and Ewing for Aberdeen AAC third in the Mile – but medals won by athletes in their university colours included Miller GUAC) third in the 220y, Wilson (GUAC) third in the 880, Hallett of Edinburgh University won the long jump and Sutherland and Edmunds were second and third in the shot.   It was a very good year for University athletics but would 1964 be any better?

*

The Appleton Trophy competition between Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities is traditionally the first real inter varsity match of the summer and it took place on 18th April, 1964, at Westerlands when the visitors won by 20 points – 108 to 88.   In the absence of DD Stevenson who had won three events in 1963, Edinburgh depended on the women’s team (who beat Glasgow by 48 to 22 – for their victory.   Top men’s athlete on the day was again Menzies Campbell who won 100 and 220 yards in 9.9 and 21.6 seconds before contributing mightily to victory in the relay where the changeover was a bit of a mess-up  and he ran what was estimated to be the fastest 110 yard he ever ran.   Fergus Murray had been second in a 3000 metres race (8:18.6) at Wembley the night before was outstanding in the Mile and Three Miles.   He won both in 4:13.8 and 14:25.6.   Dick Hodelet’s 880 yards  was one of the fastest ever run at Westerlands when he defeated team mate J Steel in 1:54.5.   In the women’s match Miss P Brown (E) won the 100, 220 and 440 plus a stage of the relay.   

Glasgow staged a decathlon at Westerlands on Friday 24th and 25th April which was won by DD Stevenson (E) with 4895 points.   And at St Andrews Aberdeen defeated St Andrews and the Royal College of Science and Technology.

The next of the traditional opening matches, however, was the triangular match between Glasgow, St Andrews and Queen’s University, Belfast.   It was held on   May 2nd at Westerlands and resulted in a win for Glasgow beating Queen’s by 60 points and St Andrews by 92.   Campbell won the 100 and 220 yards races, Steel defeated Hodelet in a hard fought half mile, Wilson (G) defeated Scobie (G) in the Mile and Laing (G) beat Greenwood (Q) in the Three Miles.   Addo again won both long and triple jumps with third in the high jump, Sutherland won both shot and discus.   This was followed on 9th May by the Glasgow and Edinburgh championship meetings.

In Edinburgh, two records were set despite high winds.   DD Stevenson added nine and a half inches to his pole vault record with 13′ 9″ and L Bryce added 3″ to his hammer record with 171′ 3″.   The most prolific winner was C Young with four successes – 100 yards novice, 120 yards hurdles, 220 yards hurdles and 440 yards hurdles.   G Evans won both quarter and half mile events and AF Murray won the Mile.   At Westerlands, Campbell won the 100, 220 and 440 yards for which he received the Biles Trophy.   J Tynan won shot, discus, hammer, and javelin defeating holder Sutherland in the first two.   Wilson finished first in a disappointing half mile with the favourite R Hodelet finishing ten yards back.   It should be pointed out that Hodelet did win the Mile, and Callum Laing woin the Three Miles from B Scobie.   GL Brown won both jurdles races,  Jim Bogan won the steeplechase from A Faulds and Addo won the long and triple jumps with third in the high jump.  

The build up to the national university championships continued and on 16th May, Edinburgh University had a triangular match against Edinburgh Southern and Durham University at Craiglockhart which they won with 94 points to Southern’s 74 and Durham’s 16.   Murray was again the hero – having just qualified for the Olympic 5000m, he set a new record for the Mile of 4:08.2.   Lawrie Bryce won shot putt and hammer with a new ground record in the latter of 181′ 9″.   A new member of the Edinburgh team was E Osbourne, a former English schools champion who finished second in the 220 yards.   Meanwhile at St Andrews the students lost to Bellahouston in a triangular match with Octavians.  In the UAU Championships at Oxford on 23rd May, there were several Scots in action, notably Edinburgh’s Lawrie Bryce who broke the championship record for the hammer by more than 22 feet when he threw 181′ 10″.   E Osbourne (E) was second in the 220 yards, GL Brown (G) was second in the 120 yards hurdles, Fergus Murray second in the Mile, Miss E K Patrick (St A) first in the long jump, Miss P Brown (E) second in 220y and 880 yards,  and Miss A Dixon (E) was third in the discus.   

The last Saturday in May was the date of the District championships and at Westerlands John Addo won both long and triple jumps, Dick Hodelet won the half mile and GL Brown won the 120y hurdles.   In the East, Lawrie Bryce won the hammer  and the shot putt (both with new meeting records), DD Stevenson won the pole vault wit 14′ 0″, Chris Elson (E) defeated Murray in the Mile, Mel Edwards (A) won the Three Miles, and EL Heath won the javelin.

June 6th was the culmination of all the hard work put in so far on behalf of the universities when the Scottish Universities championships were held at St Andrews.   The team competition results for the men were Glasgow 87, Edinburgh 57, St Andrews 24, the Royal College of Science and Technology (later Strathclyde University) had been admitted to the competition and had 19.   The women’s competition result was Edinburgh 54, St Andrews 40 and Glasgow 13.   The headlines  had variations of  “Campbell wins Three Sprints”.

It was becoming a habit for Menzies Campbell to win  100 yards, 220 yards, and 440 yards as well as take a hand in the relay and this time his times were 10.0, 22.0 and 49.1 seconds, and Glasgow won the relay.   Four gold medals for one afternoon was becoming commonplace, as were meeting and ground records – the 220 and 440 times filled these slots for him.  Other notable performances included

• Miss A Dixon who held the British Universities shot putt title, also won three events – shot (36′ 8 3/4″ which was a new Scottish universities record), discus (93′ 3″) and javelin (92′ 3 1/2″) and was second in the 80m hurdles.   
• Miss E Patrick (St A) won the long jump breaking a 31 year old record with 18′ 2 1/4″, and also won the 80m hurdles.   
• John Addo (G) won thre events – long jump (21′ 8″), triple jump (46′ 9″) and high jump (5′ 10″).   
• DD Stevenson (E) won the pole vault with 14′ which equalled his ground breaking record.

In the middle distance events, RT Hodelet won the half mile, D Orr (E) won the Mile and W Eadie (RCST) won the Three Miles.   GL Brown (G) won both hurdles races, D Edmunds won the shot and discus events, L Bryce (E) won the hammer and G Hobson (E) won the javelin.   For the women in the events not already noted, the winners were E Bruce (E) 100y, P Brown (E) 220y and 440y, W McLaren (St A) high jump, and Edinburgh won the relay.   The puzzle is, why were there no competitors from Aberdeen present?   There was not a single Aberdonian among the results and, had they been there, athletes like Mel Edwards and Roddy MacFarquhar would certainly have figured among the results.   

The Scottish Decathlon championships were held on 12th and 13th June and Glasgow University student Norrie Foster was the winner with 5633 points.   At the Babcock & Wilcox Sports on 20th June, the Glasgow relay team of McGeoch, Gibbons, Ewan and Campbell won the SAAA Championship 4 x 110 relay, and then Foster, Wilson, Hodelet and Campbell won the SAAA 4 x 440 yards relay title.  None of the runners emerged victorious in the inmdividual events – whether because they had not entered or because they were ‘handicapped out of it’ is unclear.   The former is probably the reason since the SAAA track and field championships were coming up the next week.

On Monday 29th June, the headline in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ read “Campbell again takes three titles.”   Still racing in the Glasgow University colours, he won the 100 in 10.1, the 220 in 21.4 and the 440 in 48.4 seconds.   The headwind varied from 10 to 15 feet per second down the finishing straight, and that, the Herald correspondent suggested, indicated that on a still day, Campbell would have been inside the ‘seconds’ figures – ie sub-10 for 100 yards, sub-22 for 220 yards and sub-48 for 440.   Despite fields of very high quality, only one record was broken at these championships and that was in the pole vault where Syevenson cleared 14′ 4″.   There were however best championship performances by university men in the following events:

• 880 yards:     RT Hodelet,  Glasgow University, 1:52.6
• pole vault:      DD Stevenson, Edinburgh University, 14′ 4″
• three miles:    AF Murray,  Edinburgh University,  13:47.8

Other students to be placed included Mel Edwards (Aberdeen U) third in the three miles, GL Brown (Glasgow) first in 120y hurdles, J Addo (Glasgow) second in long jump, N Foster (Glasgow) second in pole vault, DM Edmunds (Strathclyde) second in shot putt, J Tynan (Glasgow) second in javelin, and LM Bryce (Edinburgh) second in hammer.

These were the highlights of the domestic universities athletics year but it was of course an Olympic year with the Tokyo Games to be held in Autumn.   Two of the winners above went to Japan with th team – WM Campbell (‘Big Ming’) was one and Fergus Murray was the other.   The latter selection caused some controversy (what selection doesn’t?) but the fact that he qualified for the 5000m and was passed over in favour of English runners (nothing new there either) for the 5000m and was selected for the 10000m  caused irritation to some commentators.   But his selection was justified and he was on the plane.    They were the only two Scots, university or not, whio were picked for the team.   How did they do?

Selected for the 200m, Campbell won the second heat of the first round in 21.3 seconds from three other athletes all clocked at 21.5 seconds.   In the second round, he was in the third heat (won by Harry Jerome in 21.2) he was sixth in 21.7 and eliminated.   He also ran in the 4  x  100m relay where in a team of Radford, Ron Jones, Campbell and Lynn  Davies, he qualified from the first heat where the team was third in 40.1 seconds.   In the semi-finals the same team qualified for the final by finishing fourth in 40.1 seconds.   In the final, won by America in a world record of 39.0 seconds, the same quartet ran faster (39.6 seconds) but finished eighth.   Only six tenths behind a world record set by Drayton, Stebbins, Ashworth and Bob Hayes and they were eighth!   

The 10000m was one of the most dramatic in Olympic history.  There were 38 starters and 29 finishers.   The field included Ron Clark, Mamo Wolde, Gerry Lindgren, Ron Hill and other top class 10000m runners.   It was won by American Indian Billy Mills in a dramatic last lap where the leaders weaved their way through the crowds of lapped runners.  Mills won in 29:24.4, an Olympic record from Mohammed Gammoudiand Ron Clark with Mamo Wolde fourth, Ivanov fifth, Tsuburaya sixth.   Many good men dropped out including Ireland’s Jim Hogan, Kenya’s Naftali Temu and Dutov of the Soviet Union.   The British runners were Ron Hill, Mike Bullivant and Fergus.   They finished 18th (29:53), 21st (30:12.0) and 22nd (30:22.4).   Imnmnediately behind Fergus were Barry Magee (NZ), Pyotr Bolotnikov (USSR) and Ron Larrieu (USA).   Very good company, respectable run.   

*

The early 60’s was a good time to be a student interested in athletics: every one of the four universities produced top class athletes and, by 1964, the four had become five with RCST becoming Strathclyde University and joining the various events.    The universities continued to contribute to the Scottish athletics scene in a big way.

 

 

Edinburgh University team, 1950’s.

The 1955 season effectively started with a match between Edinburgh University and Glasgow University at Craiglockhart with the home team winning 68 points to 50.   A second team contest between the same two universities at Westerlands was also won by Edinburgh by 48 points to 40.   The report on the first team match read: “CAR Dennis (Edinburgh) won three events in an athletics match between Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities at Craiglockhart on Saturday.  Dennis won the 120 yards hurdles, the 440 yards hurdles and the discus. I Stuart (Glasgow) an inter-universities champion, clocked 1 min 55.4 sec in winning the half-mile – probably the fastest time for the distance recorded at the ground.   HM Murray (Edinburgh ) established a University record for the hop, step and jump with 45′ 4 1/2″.   Miss W Bowden (Edinburgh) won four of the women’s events – 100 yards, 220 yards, 550 yards and 80 metres hurdles.”

There were several other good performances from both teams – for Edinburgh JV Paterson won the 440 yards in 50.3,   Adrian Jackson won the Mile in 4:22 and DWR MacKenzie won the javelin; while for Glasgow G Robertson won the 100 yards and the 220 yards, J Finlayson won the Three Miles, W Little won the high jump, R Akpatu won the long jump C Orr won the pole vault.   On the women’s side, Bowden was the outstanding athlete with R Charters, also Edinburgh, winning discus and shot.   

Glasgow regained some pride when on 14th May they took on St Andrews and Queen’s Universities at Westerlands and defeated them both comfortably – 25 points separating Glasgow from second placed Queen’s.   Top performances for the men came from Alan Dunbar (G) 100 yards in 10.3, 880 yards where I Stuart and H Stewart (Q) tied in 1:58, W Little won the high jump with 6′ 0″; while for the women, L Barr (G) won both sprints and T Hopkins (Q) won five events – 80m hurdles, high jump, long jump, javelin and shot.   Thelma Hopkins was of course the reigning European and Empire high jump champion and a high quality all-round athlete and she pretty well won the women’s contest for Queen’s all on her own!   On the same day, Watsonians defeated Edinburgh University B team at Myreside by 38 points to 36.

On 21st May 1955 at the White City in Manchester, the Universities Athletic Union held their annual championships and several Scots performed well there.   I Stuart in the half-mile was second in 1:57.3 to DCE Gorrie (Oxford) ran 1:52.8 – he too was a Scot and went on to set a Scottish record for the distance. Adrian Jackson was second in the Three Miles,  Alan Dunbar was third in the 100 yards which was won in 10.0 seconds and James Paterson was third in the 440 yards behind J Wrighton in 49.4 seconds.   In the field events, R McG (Bob) Stephen (G) was runner-up in the hop, step and jump with 44′ 7″.

On the same day there was a Glasgow v Aberdeen match at Westerlands where there was no lack of quality.   Judge for yourself.   “Although weakened by the absence of their sprinters, quarter miler and half miler, Glasgow University did not experience any problems : they won the men’s contest by 63 1/2 points to 38 1/2 and the women’s by 49 to 19.   The performances were on the whole only moderate except in the quarter mile and Mile in which Aberdeen students J Pringle and A Wood recorded the fine times of 52.5 and 4:30.5 respectively.   D Ariyanayagam (G) certainly warmed up the pace for Pringle in the quarter mile, but the latter’s powerful striding action soon wore down his rival and he won by six yards.   

In the Mile, J Finlayson (G) was expected to give a good account of himself , but Wood showed better pace over the journey than ever before and won practically as he pleased.   A dual winner in the women’s events was Miss L Barr (G).   Her 12.7 for the 100 yards and 29.2 for the furlong were commonplace but the conditions were by no means good.  Miss Barr later helped her team win the relay.”   

And in Edinburgh the University defeated Stewart’s College in a six event match.

28th May was the day for the Universities individual championships with Glasgow and Edinburgh both deciding who the event champions were.   In Glasgow Alan Dunbar was surprisingly beaten by JGR Robertson in both short sprints, Ian Stuart did not contest the half mile choosing instead to run in the quarter where he was second to DP Marshall.   Other titles went to J Finlayson (Mile), R Stephen (both jumps for distance), W Little (high jump), Robertson added the shot title to his sprints, WJ More won the discus and B Kirkland won the javelin.   On the women’s side of things, L Barr won three events – the sprints and the long jump.

James V Paterson, Edinburgh University

 

In Edinburgh at their championships, top man was DWR McKenzie who set a new Scottish native record for the javelin of 204′ 11″ .   On the track JV Paterson set a record in the half-mile of 1:57.8.   CAR Dennis had four wins this time – 220 yards, both hurdles races and the discus, Adrian Jackson won the Three Miles in 14:58.9.   

The result of all this preparation was seen in the Universities team championships on 4th June: Edinburgh won both men’s and women’s championships.   In the men’s contest they had 87 points with second placed Glasgow on 71, and in the women’s they had 42 points, ten more than nearest challengers, Glasgow.   In the actual competition, CAR Dennis had three victories: he won both hurdles races and the discus.   His 120y time of 15.5 sec equalled the championship record.   GR Robertson (G) won both short sprints (10.0 and 22.2), JV Paterson (E) won the quarter mile (51.8), I Stuart (G) took the half mile title (2:00.5), Adrian Jackson won both Mile and Three miles (4:32.3 and 15:11.8).   DWR McKenzie won the javelin fairly comfortably.

The Atalanta Club consisting of the athletes past and present of the four ancient universities of Scotland, had a match on 11th June against the Christie Club (an imitation of the Achilles and Atalanta clubs) representing Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester Universities at Westerlands.   There were many excellent performances – JV Paterson set a ground record for the 440 yards of 50.1 seconds, DWR McKenzie in the javelin with a best of 199′ 10″, Alistair Wood set a new pb in the Mile of 4:16 when finishing third, Finlayson ran 14:35.1 in the Three Miles when finishing second and Dennis won both hurdles races.   The SAAA Championships took place on the last Saturday in June and the big surprise in thefield events was the second place in the javelin of DWR McKenzie behind Fraser Riach (JTC).   The other University men placed were Paterson who was just edged out by Bobby Quinn of Victoria Park on the line at the end of the quarter, Donald Gorrie from Oxford beat I Stewart of GUAC in the half mile, Adrian Jackson and Alistair Wood were second and third to Graham Everett in the Mile, CAR Dennis won the hurdles events, Little took the high jump, Stephen and Akpata (both Glasgow University) were second and third in the long jump with Stephen winning the hop, step and jump.    However the gold medal won in 1955 at the World Student Games in San Sebastian by Adrian Jackson in a time of 15:04.4 was probably the best individual performance of the year.   If we move from domestic student track running to cross country for a moment and look at another two of Jackson’s results we can get an idea of just how good this runner really was.   First, in  the same year (1955) he won the Universities Athletic Union cross-country championship which had been held in a course over Wimbledon Common.   He finished 31 seconds clear of the defending champion.   Second, in 1956, in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Jackson won an invitation 5000m race in 14:13.6.   Two years previously in the same stadium Emil Zatopek had won the Olympic 5000m race in 14:06.6.   In that particular final, Gordon Pirie had been fourth in 14:18 and Chris Chataway fifth in 14:18.2.   These three results indicate the quality of Jackson’s running.   

Paterson was again the hero on 23rd July at Linksfield Park, Aberdeen when he set a stadium record and equalled the Scottish native record of 1:53.4 when he won the half mile but could only finish third behind Quinn (VPAAC) and Martineau (Aberdeen) in the quarter.   At the end of the year the principal university track men ranked in the top ten of their event were 

The 1956 season started for real on 5th May when Glasgow took on Edinburgh at Westerlands for the Appleton Trophy.   Edinburgh won the men’s match by 76 to 42 but the Glasgow  women won by 35 1/2 to 31 1/2 points.   There were three double event winners – JG Robertson (G) won 100y and 220y, CAR Dennis (E) won the 120y hurdles and the 440y races and A Dow (E) won javelin and hammer.   Paterson and Jackson won the 880 and Mile races for Edinburgh and Peter Ballance won the Three Miles for Glasgow.   There were two double winners in the women’s competition – A McKinnon (G) won both 100y and 220y with R Charters (E)  was runner up in each but also won the shot and discus,

The following Saturday at Craiglockhart there was a match between what were recognised as Scotland’s two strongest clubs – Edinburgh University and Victoria Park AAC.   The close contest was won by Edinburgh with 60 points to Victoria Park’s 58 over 17 events.   The Empire Games champion Ken Wilmshurst from England won three events (long jump, hop, step and jump, 120y hurdles) for Victoria Park while he was in Scotland for five weeks for business.   Otherwise doubles were scored by JV Paterson (quarter and half miles), W McNeish of VPAAC won shot and discus.   There were very good performances all round by some excellent athletes,  eg. Ronnie Whitelock (V) won the 100y, WH Watson (E) won the mile, Ian Binnie had a brilliant run in the Three Miles which he won in 13:58.9, the third fastest of his career and W Piper (V) won the high jump with 6′ 1″.   

On 18th May both Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities held their own championships, and St Andrews had a match against Edinburgh Southern and Shettleston Harriers.   At the Glasgow championships, sprint champion JGR Robertson was suffering from a thigh strain so he passed on the sprinting but won medals in two events nevertheless – first in the discus and second in the shot.   The sprints titles wen to RM Beaton (100 yards) and Dickson (220).   Beaton had two seconds too, the 220 yards and the 440 yards which was a hard fought affair against R Cairney.   McFarlane won the 880, Ballance the Mile (he had won the Three Miles midweek) and in the hurdles, W Beresford was triumphant in both.   Little won the high jump, Akpata the long jump and Sephen the hop, step and jump.   In the women’s events, LCJ Barr had three wins – 100 yards, 220 yards and long jump.  At Craiglockhart, A Hannah won three hurdles championships – 120 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards hurdles races were all taken.   The strength of the Edinburgh middle distance events was seen when JV Paterson won the 440y (49.6) and 880y (1:57.5) in record times, WH Watson won the Mile in 4:19 (a meeting record) and Adrian Jackson took the Three Miles (14:35.5 – another record time).   Mensah, Leitch and Murray won the high, long and hop, step and jump, with Findlay, Lunde and Dennis taking the shot, javelin and discus.   P Robinson won the women’s 100y, 220y and long jump and J Morrison won the 440y and high jump.   In the inter-club with Edinburgh Southern and Shettleston there were some notable performances by St Andrews athletes – W McDonald won both sprints, P Kirch won the shot, EL McKenzie the javelin and their team won the 4 x 110 relay.

In the British Universities Championships the following week, Adrian Jackson was one of two Scottish winners when he won the Three Miles in 14:05.2; the other winner was IS Bain of Oxford University in the hammer.   Bob Stephen (G) was second in the hop, step and jump, DWR McKenzie (E) had a second in the javelin and AS Dunbar (G) third in the 100y.   St Andrews took on Jordanhill TC and Tubingen University from Germany in a triangular competition at Jordanhill and was third of the three teams.   W McDonald (StA) was runner-up in both sprints, but A McAdam from the University had three wins to celebrate – 440y, 880y and 440y hurdles.   There were two double winners in the women’s events, both by St Andrews athletes.   F Franklin won the 100 and 220, V Menzies won the shot and discus events.   

On 2nd June the Scottish Universities championship was held at St Andrews and as expected Edinburgh won by an even bigger margin than heretofore: 93 points to Glasgow’s 58 with St Andrews 18 and Aberdeen 15.   In the women’s competition, Glasgow’s 47 beat Edinburgh’s 334, Aberdeen’s 16 and St Andrews 10.   Three Edinburgh students had double wins : JV Paterson (440 in 51.1 from team mate CAR Dennis; and 880 in 1:58.7), WH Watson (Mile in 4:34.3; and Three Miles in 16:04.3) and A Hannah (120y hurdles in 15 sec, and 440y hurdles in 58.2).    Glasgow’s Robertson won both sprints with Robertson and Sutherland of Ediburgh second and third in them both.   In the field events, Lunde (G) pole vault and javelin with second in the long jump, Stephen (G) won the long jump and was second in the hop, step and jump, Little (G) won the high jump and Dow of Edinburgh won the hammer.   In the women’s events, Barr (G) won three events (100y, 220y and long jump), and D Will (A) set a new record of 109′ 8 1/2″ in the discus.    

It had been a good championship and showed the strength of the Edinburgh squad which won handsomely even without the services of Adrian Jackson and with champion hurdler Dennis competing only in field events.   As for the women, Glasgow was the stronger outfit and Barr seemed out on her own as far as the sprints were concerned.

Hunter Watson: 18

The end of year rankings did not show very many university field events athletes at all compared to the track events so it will again be an extract from the track rankings to illustrate the strength of the university runners vis-a-vis the general standards.   AS Dunbar who had run for the University at the start of the year was by now listed as VPAAC (100y)  or JTC  (220y) and was not counted.

*

4th May, 1957, was the date set for the annual Edinburgh v Glasgow contest for the Appleton Trophy, held at Craiglockhart this time round.   It usually set the tone for the rest of the universities athletics fixtures.   Edinburgh won by 67 to 51 points in the men’s event, and Glasgow won the women’s by 41 to 27.  Similar results but the Edinburgh winning margin was not as big as it had been in 1956.   The report read: 

“The best ‘double’ win of the programme was gained by JV Paterson, Edinburgh, with times of 50.4 for the 440 yards, and  1:55.8 for the 880, and he also led Edinburgh’s successful relay team.   JTA Johnstone, Glasgow, had very creditable wins in the long jump and 120 yards hurdles, surprising his more mature rivals in the latter event and finishing with the splendid time of 15.0 sec.   Two other noteworthy performances were accomplished by A Hannah, Edinburgh, the Scottish national champion, who won the 440 yards hurdles in 56.6, and WH Watson, Edinburgh, who ran the Mile in 4:23.4.

Miss C Martin, Glasgow, Was the only ‘double’ winner in the women’s events with moderate performances of 12.7 for the 100 yards, and 14.2 for the 80 metres hurdles.”

There were several recognisable names among the winners – JGA Robertson, Glasgow, won the 100 yards, KA Robertson, Edinburgh the 220 yards, HM Murray in the hop, step and jump, and RS Scott, Glasgow, in the hammer.   An interesting new name was that of the multi talented J Freebairn who won the high jump and would go on in the sporting sphere to be a noteworthy professional highland games athlete and later Scottish national coach for throwing events.   It promised to be an interesting season.

The following Saturday it was a female athlete who made the big headlines in university athletics – and she wasn’t even Scottish.   It is worth reprinting the entire article.

MISS HOPKINS’ FIVE WINS AT ST ANDREWS.

Miss TE Hopkins, holder of the British women’s high jump record, won five individual events, helped her team win the relay, and broke a ground record on Saturday when when she was a member of the Queen’s University (Belfast) team taking part in a triangular match at St Andrews against the Universities of St Andrews and Glasgow.   There were also three ground records in the men’s events.

Glasgow won the men’s contest with 91 points, Queen’s scoring 46 points and St Andrews 45.   The women’s section was won by Queen’s with 44 1/2 points of which Miss Hopkins scored 25.   St Andrews were runners-up with 38 and Glasgow gained 23 1/2.   Miss Hopkins successes were in the 80m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot putt and javelin.   She has often achieved better figures in all of them – her ground record high jump was only 4′ 10″ – but the conditions were unhelpful.   

Miss R Menzies, St Andrews scored a sprint double but with moderate times,   The best performances in the men’s track events was a 1 min 56.8 half mile – a ground record – by JR Boyd, Glasgow, who promises to be a good rival to the Scottish title holder JV Paterson in the inter-university championships at Aberdeen on June 1st, and the Scottish Championships at Meadowbank on the last Saturday in June.   MM Armour, St Andrews won the shot puttwith 44′ 11″, and the discus with 116′ 2″, a ground record.   The remaining ground record was achieved by R Scott, Glasgow, with a fine hammer throw of 155′ 9″.   JGR Robertson, Glasgow had a sprint ‘double’  for Glasgow.”

Among the remaining Scottish winners were WJ More (Glasgow) in the Mile (4:29), D Johnstone, Glasgow (15:35), A McAdam. Sr Andrews, 440 yards hurdles (59 sec),TA Johnstone, Glasgow high jump (5; 10″ ), E Ericsson, St Andrews, long jump, (24’4 1/2),  G Stalker, Glasgow, hop, step and jump (43′ 5 1/4″) and J Freebairn, Glasgow, pole vault, (10′).

On the same day, a team billed as Edinburgh University B defeated Watson’s College: this ‘B team’ included JV Paterson, reigning SAAA and Scottish Universities champion at both 440 and 880 yards who won the 440, and A Hannah who won the 120 yards hurdles and the 880 yards.    The University won by 54 points to 16.   

The Glasgow Herald report of May 20th:

“JTA Johnstone, Glasgow, formerly of Ardrossan Academy, was in good form despite the poor conditions in the inter-university athletics match between Glasgow and Aberdeen at Westerlands on Saturday.   He won three events and helped the Glasgow team to win the relay.   He won the high jump, long jump and 120y hurdles with creditable performances in the circumstances.   His time for the hurdles of 16 seconds was relatively the better of his performances, and if he could increase his speed towards the “trig” his long jump performance of 20 ft 5 1/2 in could be increased by as much as two feet.   RA Patterson (Strathallan), a former holder of the Scottish Schools and national junior half-mile titles, made all the running in the half-mile winning in the excellent time of 2:04.6.   Aberdeen disappointed, their only success being by B Grassick in the javelin, and the points aggregate in favour of Glasgow was 73 to 23.   

The principal feature of the women’s events was the triple win of Miss V Friel (Glasgow) who won the high and long jumps and the javelin.   The team result was Glasgow 39 1/2 points, Aberdeen 15 1/2 points.”

The times on the day were all slow – R Beaton winning both sprints in 10.9 and 24.4 seconds, the Mile going to D Johnstone in 4:43.5.   There were no women’s races beyond 220 yards and the winning times were outside 13 seconds and 29 seconds.   

On the same afternoon St Andrews had a home match against Shettleston and Edinburgh Southern Harriers which ESH won from St Andrews.   Notable performances by the university were the 100  and 220 yards victories by W McDonald, high jump win by J Oladapo. long jump by S Ericssen, 120 yards hurdles by RK Carruthers, 440 yards hurdles by A McAdam, Hammer and shot putt by MM Armour and the javelin by C McDonald.   

Further down the sports column, with smaller headlines, was the report on the British Universities championship at Reading.   Several Scots did well – DCE Gorrie had the headline for his victory in the 800m in 1:54.2.   JV Paterson was third in the 440 yards with  49.4.   WJ More of Glasgow was fourth in the Mile in a personal best of 4:20.6.   In the field events, R Scott of Glasgow was second in the hammer, HM Murray, Edinburgh was third in the hop, step and jump  and I McClung, Glasgow, was fifth in the same event.

On 1st June at King’s College, Aberdeen, Edinburgh won the inter-universities title with 77 points to Glasgow’s 72, St Andrews 25 and Aberdeen’s 9.   The women’s contest was also won by Edinburgh with 40 points from St Andrews 39, Glasgow 29 and Aberdeen 8.   JV Paterson set new records for the quarter and half mile events of 48.8 sec and 1:52.8.   WJ More of Glasgow set a ground record of 4:20.8 for the Mile, and A Hannah, Edinburgh, broke DK Gracie’s record for the 440 yards hurdles with a time of 54.1.   In the 120 yards hurdles, J Johnston, Glasgow, equalled the Scottish native record of 15.3 which broke the universities record.   R Scott, Glasgow, won the hammer with 142′ 11″.   HM Murray of Edinburgh had the unusual experience of clearing a better distance than the Scottish native record and not achieving a  universities record!    How did this come about?   When, on 1st July 1958 he triple jumped 14.74 metres, John Keddie, in his Centenary History of the SAAA, gave the reason for Hugh not having been credited with the Native record, which was that although both his parents had been Scottish, Hugh had been born in Wales. The following year the rule governing Scottish Native records were changed. Had the new rule been in force when Hugh covered that distance in 1958 then he would have been credited with the Native record for the triple jump.   Miss D Will of Aberdeen beat her own discus record with 111′ 5″, and Miss S McLeod, Glasgow, beat Miss J Pringle’s record for the shot by 7″ when she threw 30′.    

Among the other winners, Glasgow had a first and second in the Three miles, won by I Asher from D Johnston and the 440 yards hurdles featured two former winners behind Hannah – CAR Dennis was second and A McAdam third. 

The business of breaking records but not getting the recognition continued at the Glasgow Police Sports on 15th June.   “In winning the Scottish one mile medley relay, Edinburgh University put up new record figures of 3 min 27.2 sec.   The foundation of their success was laid by JV Paterson who returned the fast time of 1 min 54.2 sec for the half mile.   The students’ time will not be recognised as a native record as CAR Dennis is not Scottish.   Bellahouston Harriers whose team clocked 3 min 30.2 sec and beat Victoria Park’s previous best time of 3 min 31.7 sec, will be the new record holders.”

Paterson was the headline act in the SAAA Championships the following week in Edinburgh.   “JV Paterson (Edinburgh University) favourite for both 440 yards and half mile, was only a fifth of a second short of equalling the native record of 48.4 sec for the quarter mile standing in the name of Captain Halswell.   Probably if Paterson had not still to compete in the final of the half-mile he would have broken the record.   He completed an afternoon of excessive competition by winning the half mile in a new championship best of 1:53.1 beating by half a second the previous championship record made by JC Stothard at Hampden Park 22 years ago.”

Paterson was known for his very fast first laps and this was in evidence on the first Saturday in August at Ibrox Park in the Rangers Sports.   Lined up in the invitation half mile against English stars Mike Farrell, Derek Johnston, Brian Hewson and Mike Rawson he took them through the first lap in 52 seconds but where the domestic opposition would have been well behind by that time, the four Englishmen were still on his shoulder.  Farrell won in 1:49.2 with the next three given the same time of 1:49.6.   Such was the pace that the first Scot to finish, JR Boyd of Glasgow university in fifth, set a new native record of 1:50.7.    

JR Boyd, Glasgow University, in his Ayr Seaforth club strip

1958 started in May with the Appleton Trophy meeting between Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, held at Westerlands it was a narrow victory for the home team by 97 points to 89.   In the women’s match, Glasgow won comfortably by 42 to 26.   The match was notable for the first appearance in a Glasgow University strip of John McIsaac who won the 440 yards in 49.5 seconds which was a ground record.   It had been expected that JV Paterson would have made a real contest of it but, suffering from a pulled thigh muscle,  the Edinburgh man could not run.   JTA Johnstone won three events – high jump, long jump and 120y hurdles with the hurdles time of 15.5 being his best.   It was a hard fought race with A Hannah (Edinburgh) being first over the final hurdle and Johnstone surging past him almost on the line.   Edinburgh in the form J Sutherland won both sprints with JGR Robertson of Glasgow being second.   R Paterson of Glasgow won the half mile in 1:59.5 but the Mile was a hard fought race between Adrian Jackson and W J More – Jackson just got home ahead in 4:20.5.   The women’s events were reported to be of a moderate standard but C Martin and N Fraser gained doubles for Glasgow – Martin in the 80m hurdles and long jump and Fraser in the shot putt and javelin.   On the same day, St Andrews beat Aberdeen at St Andrews in both the men’s and women’s matches – the men by 81 to 33, and the women by 49 to 18.   There were two match records set -D Carter in the Mile in 4:25.3 and I Docherty in the Three Miles in 15:02.3.   

Glasgow won at Westerlands the following Saturday too, when they defeated Queen’s Belfast, and St Andrews with three of their men scoring double victories.   One was new boy McIsaac who won the 100 yards (10.5) and 220 yards (22.7) with JL Graham of Queen’s taking the 440 in 52 seconds dead.   JTA Johnstone won the 120 hurdles (15.7) and high jump (5′ 9″), and I McLune won the long jump (21′ 5 1/2″) and hop, step and jump (44′ 8 1/2″).   Stan Horn (Glasgow) won the Three Miles in 15:01.5 and RA Paterson won the half mile in 1:59.4.   In the women’s events, Martin, Fraser and Menzies of St Andrews all achieved doubles with R Menzies’ being the sprint double.   

In the Universities Athletic Union championships at Cardiff on 17th May, John McIsaac had a brilliant run to win the 440 yards in 49.4 in ‘a gusty wind and constant drizzle’ .   The time was only 1 second outside Arthur Wint’s record for the championships.   Top make it even better for the Scots Hay of Edinburgh finished third.  Adrian Jackson was narrowly beaten by Bruce Tulloh – he challenged for the lead four times on the final lap but couldn’t quite get there    Glasgow only had two women representing them, but between them Misses C Martin and N Fraser garnered enough points to finish third in the team competition.    Back at home, St Andrews took on Shettleston and Edinburgh Southern in a triangular match at Barrachnie in Glasgow where their top performers were A Duncan who won the B races at 100y and 220, RK Carruthers who won the 120y hurdles, M Denny who won the high jump, C McDonald who won the javelin, and they also won the medley relay race.

John McIsaac

“St Andrews University with 42 points beat Jordanhill Training College, 38, and Pitreavie, 4, in a triangular contest at Jordanhill.   Four events had to be abandoned because of the rain.   St Andrews and Jordanhill each won six events, but the University had more minor placings.   CF Riach, Jordanhill, was the most successful athlete with firsts in the javelin and discus and a second in the shot putt – won with a distance he has often beaten.   One of the most notable competitors apart from Riach was A McAdam (St Andrews) who easily won the 440 yards hurdles in the good time of 57.8 sec.”

The university winners were W McDonald, 100 yards in 10.4 sec, A Barrie, Mile in 4 min 46 sec and Three Miles in 15:19.5, M Denny, long jump 20′ 4″, and L McDonald, shot putt of 39′ 6 1/2″.  

The Edinburgh University championships were also held at the end of May in heavy rain but it didn’t prevent Adrian Jackson setting a meeting record for the Three Miles of 14:29, HM Murray added 4 1/2″ to his own record for the hop, step and jump,  and S Nealey, a student from Idaho, broke the discus record  with a throw of 141′ 9 ” but it was not near the club record because HL Duguid had recorded 155′ 3″ in 1951.  J Sutherland won both sprints, EL Hay won the 440, WH Watson won the half mile in 1:585, MG Elder took the Mile in 4:24, and A Hannah won both hurdles races.

In the West District championships on 31st May McIsaac won the 440 yards in 48.8, only 0.4 sec slower than Halswell’s record for the distance.   Jackson and Hannah both won races at the East championships and helped the University to lift the trophy for the club with most points.   

They also won the Rosebery Bowl for most points in the Scottish University championships on Saturday 7th June.   They had 95 points to Glasgow’s 57 in the men’s competition and Glasgow won the women’s competition with 34 to 27.  Again the Mile produced a good race between Jackson and More with Jackson winning in a new meeting record of 4:16.2.   Jackson later won the Three Miles from Stan Horn of Glasgow.   McIsaac continued his unbeaten run with ease in 49.6.   There were many familiar faces among the winners – DWR McKenzie won the javelin, JTR Johnstone won the 120y hurdles and high jump, HM Murray won the hop. step and jump and there were some new ones as well – Nealey won the discus for example.   On the women’s side of things, R Menzies of St Andrews won both sprints and C Martin won 80m hurdles and long jump. 

McIsaac had a wonderful run at the Glasgow Police Sports at Ibrox Park on 14th June when he broke Halswell’s record for the 440 yards exactly 50 years after it had been set, and on the same track.   Where he had missed it by four tenths earlier in the season, he broke it by four tenths this time.  Leading from Les Locke, an Anglo based in London, he was challenged in the home straight by Donnie McDonald of Garscube but won by 10 yards.  The winning time was exactly 48.0 seconds, and, it not being a a university match, he appeared in the blue and white hoops of Victoria Park.   A moment of triumph but it was followed the next day with misfortune.   He spiked himself running a relay on an Empire Games training day at Redford Barracks.   Taken to hospital for treatment he returned to Redford for the rest of the day.   

Not surprisingly, McIsaac missed the Scottish championships six days later.   Other university athletes performed well though – JTA Johnstone, Glasgow, won the 120y hurdles narrowly from A Hannah, Edinburgh by inches and DWR McKenzie won the javelin.   The team was selected the next day and it contained four Varsity men for the 440 yards – McIsaac, Paterson, RL Hay and R Thomson (Cambridge).   Other university men were Paterson and Locke in the 880, A Hannah for the 440 yards hurdles, HM Murray for hop, step and jump, and Miss AM Ireland for the women’s discus.     There were several men listed as Atalanta but they had not competed in University athletics that year (ECK Douglas, R Scott, etc), and there were more who had been University athletes but were now club members and listed as such.  (AS Dunbar, AJ Wood, etc).   The University presence in the Empire Games team was marked.   

Although all the major championships had taken place, and the Games team had been selected, life went on and at the famed Stewarton Bonnet meeting on 28th June WJ More who was running as a Glasgow University club member, although he was also a member of Kilmarnock Harriers, won the race of the afternoon when he took first place in the half mile where he ran as back marker conceding starts of up to 34 yards.   On the strength of his form in the University matches, he was chosen for the Atalanta v SAAA match the following Tuesday.   

The Empire Games started on 19th July in Cardiff with several Scots in action against many of the world’s very best athletes.   The events and results for the ‘weel kent’ names are below.   Remember that it was a six lane track.

The Rangers Sports were held on 2nd August that year and several athletes used it to turn in best performances. The meeting organisers had many athletes from the Empire Games – countries such as South Africa, Belgium, Canada, Jamaica, Canada, British Guiana and Uganda were all represented.    A Hannah, the hurdler from Edinburgh, ran 53.8 sec for the 440 yards hurdles when finishing third behind Potgieter of South Africa.   The time took 0.5 from David Gracie’s native record.   JR Boyd, now in the RAF, ran an excellent half mile in 1:50.8.   This was only 1 second short of his own native record and seemed to justify the claims for his inclusion in the Empire Games team.  There were several other meetings on that day and John Freebairn was the most successful student at Strathallan Gathering when he won the high jump.   

*

4th May 1959 saw a change of pattern to the usual Glasgow v Edinburgh on the first Saturday of the month.   Glasgow took n Sheffield University and Edinburgh faced Victoria Park, while Aberdeen and St Andrews met in Aberdeen.   On a day when there was a headwind in the home straight, John McIsaac won the 100 in a slow 10.9 defeating an Englishman who had run 10.0 for the distance, before winning his specialist distance of 440 yards from another Glasgow man, R Galbraith, in 52,5.   He also ran in the 4 x 100 yards relay for the winning team.   Glasgow won 11 of the 15 events on the programme.   Appearing for the first time in the Glasgow was R Mills who won the 440 yards hurdles.  Among the other winning Scots were D Hamilton (880), D Johnston (3 miles), G McLune (long jump and hop. step and jump), J Keating (javelin), and D Bonnar (discus).   In Edinburgh, the University defeated Victoria Park by the unusually wide margin of 71 – 52.   RL Hay for the University won the 220 and 440 hurdles in 23.4 and 52 seconds respectively.   Top man in the field events was Hunter Mabon who won the discus and set a ground record for the shot putt of 45′ 8 1/2″.   Back on the track the closest race was the 440 yards in which R Birrell (VP) ‘lunged over the line and just beat MEL Weir of the University.   

Among the winners were such as a young Alan Houston, a high jumper from Victoria Park who would go n t be an international competitor, Ronnie Whitelock, a stand out Scottish sprinter for many years – also Victoria Park and Adrian Jackson who won the Three Miles.   It was a surprise though to see Tom McNab, ex-Glasgow University and more usually linked with Shettleston Harriers, jumping for the Glasgow club.   

The UAU championships were usually dominated by the English Universities but in 1959 one of the races of the day was the 440 yards where the top English runner was Mike Fleet, an established GB runner.   Herald report:

“McIsaac received stern opposition from another Scot, RL Hay (Edinburgh), who finished second, only one tenth of a second behind.   McIsaac was drawn in the third lane with Hay in the fifth, and after Fleet Loughborough) had looked dangerous on the back straight, McIsaac swept to the front and stayed there although Hay pressed hard.   Scotland had a clean sweep in this event for R Galbraith, Glasgow, finished third in 50.3 in spite of drawing the unfavoured outside lane.”

Adrian Jackson made a very good bid for the Three Miles title – he led from MBS Tulloh with 400 yards to go, but Tulloh stayed within two yards and then sprinted past with 40 yards to go and won by 0.6 seconds in 14:21.   Tulloh’s reputation in Scotland was not a good one – he chose to run for Scotland until the English selectors wanted him when he switched allegiance.   A soldier of fortune.   In the field events, HR Murray did 46′ 4 1/2″ in the triple jump where, although equal in distance to the winner, he was second because his next best was shorter.   Stalker of Glasgow was third.   N McDonald of Edinburgh was third in the hammer.   

Meanwhile back in Scotland, Glasgow beat Aberdeen by 77 to 41 at Westerlands.   Top men were I McPherson (A) in the shot putt, McLeod (A) in the hurdles.   Glasgow won 11 of the 17 events with, for instance, first two places in both 100 and 220 yards.    Watson won the 440, CP Wilson the 880, Stan Horn won the Mile, J Gray the Three Miles, R Mills the 440 yards hurdles, J Addo both high jump and long jump; for Aberdeen I McPherson was the top man winning discus, shot and hammer.

Ian McPherson, Aberdeen

The District championships were held on 30th May, 1959, and McIsaac was one of a select few to retain his title in the West Districts – winning his heat in 51.9 and then the final in 49.4 which were run with a strong wind down the back straight.   R Galbraith of the university was second.   Other Glasgow students to win titles were Bobby Mills in the junior 120y hurdles and the senior 440y hurdles and John Addo in the long jump.   Meanwhile on the east coast, J Sutherland of Edinburgh University won the sprint double, RL Hay won the 440, Adrian Jackson won the Three Miles, all six medals in the hurdles races went to university athletes – the 120y hurdles 1-2-3 were R McLeod (Aberdeen), RT Wright and ID Burns (both Edinburgh), while the first three in the 440 yards hurdles were RL Hay, MEL Weir and G Burns (all Edinburgh).   In the field events, winners from the universities were AD McAdam, Edinburgh) in the long jump and MG Hill (St Andrews) in the pole vault.   

These meetings all led to an excellent day’s sport at the Scottish Universities championships on 6th June at Westerlands:

The meeting trophy for men was won by Edinburgh with 74 1/2 points to Glasgow’s 65, and for women by Glasgow with 46 points to Edinburgh’s 35.   

•   McIsaac won the 440y by eight yards from RL Hay in 48.6 which was 0.2 inside JV Paterson’s record.   He had already won the 100y  in 10.7 with both first and second (DJ Whyte, St A) being timed at 10.7 sec.
• Adrian Jackson broke his own meeting record, set in 1954, by 6.8 seconds with 14:44.2.   He had already won the Mile in 4:22.9.
• Miss D Will (A) won the discus with a new record of 117′ 5 1/2″.   

Other notable title winners were RL Hay who won the 440y hurdles from Mills and Weir in 56 sec and DJ Whyte won the long jump and high jump.   In the women’s events, E Hoggarth (E) won both sprints and C Martin (G) won both long jump and high jump.   

The programme and detailed results can be found at  this link .

On 20th June, Glasgow University finished second to Victoria Park in the SAAA 4  x  100 yards relay before winning the 4    440 yards relay championships at Golden acre.   

McIsaac led a universities clean sweep of the medals in the SAAA championships at the end of the month, with Hay and Galbraith filling the second and third slots, in 48.4 seconds.   There was another such clean sweep in the 120y hurdles with McLeod, Wright and Burns being the first three but there were only two medals in the 440y hurdles – Hay being first and Weir third, separated by Beresford of Airdrie Harriers.   These were the winners but there were many more scattered through the programme picking up seconds and thirds.   

That McIsaac was not invincible was shown one week later when he was beaten in the East  v  West inter-area match.   The winner was WR Galbraith in what was described as the finest win of his career in 49.4 seconds.   He won by 10 yards from McIsaac whose time was only 51.2.   He was described as not moving with his normal fluency and he was absent from the AAA;s championships the following week when the only student to win was DJ Whyte of Dundee Hawkhill in the long jump.   McIsaac took a few weeks off and returned to compete in the invitation quarter mile at the Rangers Sports at Ibrox where he finished second to England’s John Salisbury in 48.4 – four tenths outside his native record.   Galbraith ran a personal best of 49.3 in this event.

Of all the Universities, Edinburgh’s men had been by far the most consistent in track and field throughout the 50’s   while Glasgow women were the most consistent of the teams from the four universities.   Would the same be true in the 1970;s?

 

 

DK Gracie, Glasgow University

The University athletics season began very quietly on 22nd April, 1950, with the St Andrew’s University Championships where the highlights were a new University two miles record of 10:33 by J Buchan, and a throws double by A Herdman in shot and discus.   A week later on the final Saturday in April, St Andrews University and Edinburgh University competed at University Park, St Andrews.   “WN Laing, a St Andrews University coloured student cleared 47 feet in the hop, step and jump beating by half an inch the record set by AS Lindsay who represented Scotland at the Empire Games. ”   How much of that has changed!   ‘a coloured student’.  ‘hop, step and jump’ and the Empire Games are now the Commonwealth Games.  Edinburgh won the contest and in the match between the Royal ‘Dick’ Veterinary College and Edinburgh’s second team, the University made it a double delight by winning that match too.   The season really started to come to life on Saturday 6th May when Glasgow University lost to Queen’s, and Edinburgh beat Aberdeen at Craiglockhart.      DK Gracie was the top man in the Glasgow team as he would be again and again.  The Larkhall man was the country’s top quarter  The next week, the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews took part in inter-club fixtures with other non-university clubs.    Edinburgh lost to Victoria Park AAC by 20 points to 30 at Goldenacre, and St Andrews lost to Shettleston Harriers and Edinburgh Southern at Westerton.   

On 27th May there were three separate University Championships – Glasgow, St Andrews and Edinburgh.   The short review that preceded the detailed results in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ read: “Two coloured students created new Scottish all-comers records on Saturday at their respective Universities’ championships.   SO Williams beat the previous best broad jump by over 7″with a leap of 24′ 2 3/4″ in the Glasgow University event at Westerlands, and at the St Andrews title meeting WN Laing bettered his year old record for the hop; step and jump with a splendid effort of 47′ 3 1/2”.   Williams also won the high jump and the hop, step and jump with DK Gracie taking the 440 yards.   In Edinburgh, the star performer was Miss Pat Walker who won the 440 yards and the javelin, although she lost her discus record to Miss Toni Ireland.   

The 1950 Scottish Universities Championship took place on 3rd June at Craiglockhart, Edinburgh and again Williams and Laing set the records.   Both were Nigerian, and in the broad jump Williams did 24′ 1 1/2″ for a championship record,  and Laing 48′ 5 3/4″ to set  Scottish all-comers record.   Other best performances were  Gracie in the 440 yards equalled Liddell’s 50.2 seconds championship best, TB Begg (Glasgow) set a record of 1:56. in the half-mile, DA Stewart (Edinburgh) in the 440y hurdles ran 58.4, RL Duguid (Edinburgh) set a record in the discus of 138′ 3 1/2″, W McNeish (Glasgow) in the hammer with 150′ 1″, and B McInnes (Glasgow) in the women’s javelin with 90′ 2″.   The Glasgow men’s medley relay team also set a CBP of 3:34.5.   Overall, Glasgow won the team contest with 61 points against Edinburgh’s 48, St Andrews’ 8 and Aberdeen’s 4.    A full team of two per event was chosen after for both men’s and women’s teams to compete at Newcastle at the start of July in a match against English universities. 

Before that though there were some other contests – on 10th June Glasgow University defeated Aberdeen at Hilton Park with McNeish winning four field events – shot, discus, hammer and pole vault – and the track team winning every event bar the 120y hurdles and the relay. In the British Championships on 17th June in London, Williams set a new British record but since there was no wind gauge there were problems with it being recognised.     

The quality of student athletics at the time can maybe be judged from their places in the SAAA championships in June and these are listed below:

100 yards:   1st  AT Bruce, Edinburgh University      220 yards:   3rd D Mercer(Edinburgh University)

440 yards:  2nd DK Gracie   880 yards:  TR Begg (Glasgow University)

120 yards hurdles:   1st JGM Hart (Edinburgh University); 3rd  RD Unkles (Glasgow University)

440 yards hurdles:   1st DA Stewart (Edinburgh U);   2nd.   RM Boyd (Glasgow U)

High Jump:  2nd SO Williams (Glasgow U).  Hop, step and jump:  1st WN Laing,  2nd SO Williams  

 Long Jump:  1st SO Williams;  2nd G Mackie (Jordanhill TC),  3rd WN Laing (St Andrews U)

Pole Vault:  1st  RF Edington (Glasgow University)

Discus:  1st  RJ Duguid (Edinburgh U),   2nd  DG Milne (Oxford U and Achilles)

Javelin:  GNM Fraser (Cambridge U and Achilles.)

Of the five men selected to represent the association at the AAA’s championships, three – Williams, Laing and ECK Douglas of Edinburgh U) – were university men.

SO Williams,  Glasgow University

On 5th May, 1951 Glasgow defeated Queen’s Belfast, and St Andrews Universities at St Andrews in a triangular fixture.    Since Glasgow still had the services of Williams, Gracie and Unkles it augured well for the only university in the west of Scotland for the rest of the season.   The quality was emphasised a week later in an inter-university match between Glasgow and Edinburgh at Craiglockhart when HI Duguid of Edinburgh – the reigning SAAA discus champion – set a new British record for the event  bettering John Savidge’s record by 7 1/4 inches.   Glasgow won the contest by only 9 points.   SO Williams won both long and triple jumps.   The matches came thick and fast at this point.   The following weekend, Edinburgh University was beaten by Victoria Park at Scotstoun, St Andrews lost to Edinburgh Southern at New Meadowbank, and Glasgow comfortably defeated Aberdeen at Westerlands.   St Andrews only winner was Laing in both long and hop, step and jump events, Edinburgh’s top man was again Duguid with wins in shot and discus, while Glasgow won every event except the Mile (K Coutts) against Aberdeen.   

The Glasgow University championships on the last Saturday in May saw a triple win for Gracie in  220 yards, 440 yards and 440 yards hurdles.   It was his first public run over the hurdles and he was timed at 58.3 seconds.   Hugh Hatrick won the half mile but another very interesting result was Bobby Calderwood’s victory in the Mile in 4:42.2.   Calderwood would be one of the first students to continue running for his club, in his case Victoria Park, while attending university.   On the same day Jordanhill Training College defeated St Andrew’s University.   The Scottish Universities Championships were held at Westerlands on 2nd June when the Glasgow Herald reported on the event as follows.

No fewer than 14 records, 4 of which were Scottish, were established at the Scottish Universities Athletics championships on Saturday.   The four Scottish records were made by women: Q Shivas, (Aberdeen) 11.2 sec for 100 yards and 12.2 sec for 80m hurdles; DE Walby (Glasgow) 5′ 0 1/2″ in the high jump; and E McInnes (Glasgow) 107′ 7 1/2″ in the javelin.   

The six other University records were:- Men:  K Coutts (Aberdeen) 4 min 24.3 sec in the Mile, SO Williams (Glasgow)  6′ 0″ in the high jump; HL Duguid (Edinburgh) 146; 11″ in the discus.   Women:- Miss C Clephane (Edinburgh) 26.3 sec in the 220 yards; Miss J McGowan (Glasgow) 63.3 sec in the 440 yards and Edinburgh women 52.3 sec in the 4 x 110 yards relay.   DK Gracie (Glasgow) equalled the university record for the 440 yards hurdles, 56.5 sec.   Edinburgh won the men’s team title aggregating 52 points.   Glasgow had 48 1/2, Aberdeen 11 and St Andrews 7 1/2.   Glasgow won the women’s team championship with 36 1/2 points.   Aberdeen had 19 1/2, Edinburgh 17 and St Andrews 1. “

Laing won the hop, step and jump and Hatrick the half mile.   

The SAAA Championships were held at Hampden Park on 22nd/23rd June and Laing, Williams and Duguid  all retained their titles while Hatrick, Gracie and McKenzie (EUAC) won the 880, the 440/440 yards hurdles and the javelin events.    The students were all doing well and all were interesting characters.   SO Williams graduated that year and went on to Purdue University in Indiana, USA.

Sylvanus Olatunde Williams had been born on 16th September 1922, son of a watch repairman, he attended dthe Methodist Boys School in Lagos and then Higher College, Yaba, before matriculating at Glasgow University in 1947 to study Civil Engineering.   He attended classes at the Royal College  of Science and Technology (now Strathclyde University) and Glasgow University and graduated with a BSC (Hons) in 1951.   The then studied Civil Engineering at Purdue where he graduated with an MSc in 1955.    Athletically, he was awarded his full blue in 1949.   That year he won the first of three consecutive SAAA long jump titles.  He won the British Universities title for the event in 1950. was seected for international duty against France where he won the long jump.   A versatile athlete he also won Scottish medals in the triple jump and high jump.   Internationally he represented Nigeria at the Olympics in 1952 in Helsinki where he could only finish 16th with 6.98 metres, and in the Empire Games at Vancouver in 1954 where he was third with 7.22 metres.   After returning to Nigeria to work as a civil engineer, he also took an active interest in Sports governing bodies serving as chairman of the Amateur Athletics Association of Nigeria, president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (1969-79) and was a member of the Nigeria Olympic Committee from 1954 to 1974.   These were recognised with awards of Officer and later Member of the Order of the Niger.   He died in Canada in 2006.

Although there were as many talented athletes at the various seats of learning as ever, 1952 had to be DK Gracie’s year which will be summarised later but to start at the beginning: 

The report in the Glasgow Herald on 12th May, 1952 indicating that the universities athletic season had started in earnest, read.

“INTER-UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Hurdler equals Record

Glasgow, although they did not field their best team – JJ Donnelly and H Hatrick for instance were absent – were too strong for Aberdeen in an inter-university contest on Saturday at King’s College Grounds, Aberdeen.   They won the men’s contest by 66 points to 39, and the women’s contest by 32 points to 31.   RD Unkles (Glasgow) equalled the ground record for the 120 yards hurdles, 16.2 seconds.   Miss J Pringle (Aberdeen) with the aid of a following wind beat her own ground record for the javelin with a throw of 91 ft 3 in.”

“St Andrews University beat Edinburgh Southern and Shettleston in a triangular contest at St Andrews.   “Doubles” were scored by JP McAslan (Edinburgh Southern) in the 120y hurdles and long jump, and by K Akinsete (St Andrews).   

. Two weeks later in the Glasgow University championships. JJ Donnelly lived up to his billing as one of their best athletes by winning both 100 and 220 yards titles in 10.1 and 22.6 seconds and Hatrick won the half mile.   Now that Williams had moved on the long jump was won by NC Smith with 22′ 3 3/4″.   In the women’s events Miss NP Kerr won three events – 100, 440 and high jump.   There were however some notable names missing from the results sheet.  The London Caledonian Games were being held on that day and DK Gracie won the 400 metres flat race and the 400m hurdles beating England’s two top men in the event – Harry Whittle and RW Scott trailed in behind him.   ECK Douglas of Edinburgh University won the Hammer and old friend SO Williams won the long jump.    While Douglas was winning at London, his club best was being beaten by WJR Leckie when Edinburgh University hosted Victoria Park.   Ken Coutts, who ran for Aberdeen University in previous years, was now at Edinburgh, along with JL Hunter and RWS Rankin were also missing from the University side.  

On 31st May Edinburgh won the Scottish Universities men’s championship at St Andrews for the 25th time.   They had 57 points, Glasgow was on 39, St Andrews 16 and Aberdeen 8; St Andrews won the women’s with 25 to Glasgow’s 17, Edinburgh’s 16 and Aberdeen’s 14.   There were several double on the men’s side – JJ Donnelly won both 100 and 220 yards, WN Laing won both horizontal jumps, WJM Leckie (Edinburgh) won both discus and hammer throws.    On the women’s side, J Pringle (Aberdeen) won all three throws – shot, discus and javelin – setting a new record in the shot putt.   Gracie of course won the 440 yards hurdles and Ken Coutts of Edinburgh won the Mile.   It being Empire Games year, the SAAA championships were held early – on 7th June – and Gracie set a new Scottish all-comers record for the 440y hurdles of 54.7 seconds which took 0.4 seconds from that set by American HF Ault at the Glasgow Police Sports three years earlier.   He also won the 440 yards flat in 50.5 seconds.   DW McKenzie of Edinburgh University retained his javelin title with a windy 183′  3 1/2″.   Other students who performed well were WJ Leckie who was first in the discus and 3rd in the hammer,  Ken Coutts of Edinburgh who won the Mile in 4:21.7, CAR Dennis of Edinburgh (3rd in 120y hurdles), H Ferguson (Glasgow: 2nd in long jump) and  S Olafsen of Edinburgh (3rd in the shot).   A good day all round, topped off by the selection of Gracie for the team to go to the AAA’s in London later that month.   The boy from Larkhall (Gracie) did not take a week off between championships – the following week he was competing at the Motherwell and Wishaw Pipe Band Sports at Fir Park where he won the short limit handicap 440 yards and anchored his club team to victory in the relay.

Reported as being ‘rather slack from the blocks’ in the AAA’s, Gracie finished third.

Gracie was a quite outstanding athlete and his career is detailed in the Shields and Black book “The Past Is A Foreign Country” and it is required reading for anyone interested in the standards at the top of Scottish running.   Doug Gillon, of course, wrote a marvellous piece about him on 21st July, 2016.   David Gracie won seven SAAA titles in six years, set nine Scottish records in eleven days in 1952, won gold and silver in the World Student Games, set a UK record and was ranked in the world top 10 as well as running in the 1952 Olympic Games.    On the Helsinki Olympics running, Gillon says: ‘Gracie ran two rounds within three hours on the opening day, advancing to the next day’s semi-finals.   The first three qualified for the six man final later that evening, Gracie was fourth in 52.4 – faster than all but the winner of the other heat.   That time would have placed fourth in the final.’   His best 400m hurdles time would have won the Scottish title 24 times since 1969 and 8 times in the past 15 years.   On only 4 times in that 47 years would he have failed to win a medal.     Gillon’s  article is well worth reading – easily found on the internet. His results from Helsinki – 

First round, Heat 7:   1st DK Gracie 54,2   2nd Wilson Carneiro (Brazil)  56 seconds

Second Round:  Heat 3: 3rd DK Gracie 53.9

SF 1:  1st Y Lituyev (USSR) 51.8;  2nd John Holland (NZ)  52.0; 3rd A Yulin (USSR) 52.1;  4th D Gracie 52.4

He was a superb athlete and Scotland was very lucky to have him.

* 

By the end of 1952 there were University athletes ranked in almost every event on the calendar

100 yards: JJ Donnelly Glasgow 4th  10.1;   JR Moorhouse, Edinburgh,  10th  10.2

220 yards (straight):  JJ Donnelly,  1st and 2nd fastest times  22,,1 and 22.6 sec; DK Gracie 4th 22.8; IB MacKenzie, Edinburgh 5th, 22.8

440 yards:  DK Gracie, 1st 49.4; JM Cameron, Glasgow, 6th, 51.3; WHJ Campbell, St Andrews 8th, 51.5

880 yards:   HA Cumming, Edinburgh, 7th, 1:59..3; H Hatrick, Glasgow, 8th, 1:59.4

Mile:  K Coutts, 1st, 4:21.2;   GD Hillary, Ednburgh, 6th, 4:24.6;   J McDonald, Aberdeen, 9th, 4:28.1

3 Miles:  JW Brydie, Edinburgh, 7th, 15:05.5

120 y hurdles:  RD Unkles, Glasgow, 4th, 16.0;  CAR Dennis, Edinburgh, 4th, 16.0

440y hurdles:   DK Gracie, 1st, 52,7; DH McKenzie, Edinburgh, 57.5

High Jump:  AG Ramsay, Glasgow, 8th, 5′ 10 1/2″

Long Jump:   WN Laing, St Andrews, 2nd, 22′ 3″;  HC Ferguson, Glasgow, 4th, 22′ 0 3/4″;  G Storey, St Andrews, 7th, 21′ 7 1/2″;  JL Hunter, Edinburgh, 7th, 21′ 7 1/2″

Hop, step and jump:  WN Laing, 1st, 47′ 9″; HK Lawson, Edinburgh, 4th, 44′ 11″

Pole Vault:  EO Akinsete, St Andrews, 4th 10′ 6 1/2″; D Corbet, Aberdeen, 5th, 10′ 6″; W McNeish, GUAC, 5th, 10′ 6″

Shot Putt:  S Olaffsen, Edinburgh, 2nd, 32′ 0 1/4″;  HK McLachlan, Glasgow, 7th, 40′ 0 1/4″

Discus:   WHJ Leckie, 2nd, 137′ 2″;  L Velecky, Glasgow, 4th, 125′ 2 1/4″

Hammer: WHJ Leckie, 3rd, 150′ 1 1/2″.

Javelin:   DWR McKenzie, 1st, 183′ 3 1/2″

That’s the list at the end of summer 1952: members of Atalanta, and members of Achilles or other English Universities are not included.   The influence of  the Universities was great and entirely beneficial.   The inclusion of athletes from outwith Scotland – Williams, Laing, Akinsete, Olaffsen and the rest – all helped to raise the standard for Scottish students which would be taken back to the clubs for discussion and probably implementation.

On 2nd May, 1953, the first of the year’s inter-varsity matches took place at Westerlands where Glasgow University defeated Edinburgh by 104 points to 84.   Several of the top men from 1952 were in action – Unkles, Finlayson and RS Scott were winners for Glasgow while Smart won the half mile for Edinburgh.   In the Ladies triangular match between Maryhill Harriers, Edinburgh Southern and Glasgow University, they clubs finished in that order.   Edinburgh was in action again two weeks later – this time against Aberdeenat King’s College Grounds.   They won by 76 points to 37 and the top athletes on show were LB McKenzie (E) who won both sprints, CAR Dennis (E), who won both hurdles races, while good performances were put up by Coutts in the Mile, Nisbet (E) in the discus and McKenzie (E) in the javelin.   David Gracie ran in the YMCA Championships at Alloa on the same day and won both 100 and 220 yards.   The following Saturday, May 23rd, Glasgow University defeated Durham University and a Northumberland & Durham side at Westerlands with only five victories in total (two on the track, three in the field).   Their key men were AR Smith with two victories in the horizontal jumps, RS Scott in the Hammer, H McLaughlin in the javelin, Duthie in the 880 yards and Finlayson in the Mile.   On the same day, Jordanhill TC beat St Andrews University in a combined men’s and women’s match at St Andrews.   Jordanhill had one triple and one doubles – CF Riach winning shot, discus and javelin, and WP O’Kane 220y and 440y,   St Andrews had G Storey winning long jump and hop, step and jump.   On the women’s side, St Andrews beat the Scottish women’s record for the 4 x 110y relay with 52.1.   R McLaren of the University won 100y and 220y, A Gaudin (St A) won both javelin and shot putt and I Todd of JTC won the 80m hurdles and the long jump.

Both Edinburgh and Glasgow had their championships the following weekend and both were reported in the Glasgow Herald with full results coverage.   Of the Glasgow event, it ran as follows:

RS Scott established a Glasgow University championship record at Westerlands when he threw the hammer 142′ 1″.   His distance beat the previous best by W McNeish by no less than 8′ 1 1/2″.   For the achievement he was awarded the Biles Cup.   DK Gracie also established a new championship best in the 440 yards hurdles whch he won in 57.2 sec.   Less than an hour earlier he had won the 440 yards hurdles at the Glasgow Highland Gathering in 55.8.  The Ure Primrose Cup was awarded to AS Dunbar who beat RH Ward in the 100 yards.   Ward reversed the result in the 220 yards.   For his first in the high jump and third in the broad jump TJA Johnstone was awarded the Tiger Trophy.”   

The Edinburgh Championship report read:
“With a time of 61.3 for the 440 yards, Miss W Bowden beat by 2.8 sec the Edinburgh University record in the championships on Saturday at Craiglockhart.   She also broke the 100 yards record by 0.3 sec in a time of 11.9 sec, and won the 220 yards.   Miss J Kirkland broke the 80m hurdles record by 0.4 sec with 13.5 sec.   In the men’s events, DWR McKenzie , Scottish javelin champion, although his 174′ 8″ throw was not his best, broke the university record by 9′ 1″.   HE Lawson, a Jamaican who has also done better, raised the hop, step and jump by 3 1/2″ to 44′ 8”.   

For his brilliant running in the mile, K Coutts, the Scottish champion, received the Donovan Cup, and CAR Dennis was  awarded the Fahmy Cup for his style in the hurdles.   Miss Bowden won the Haultain Cup for the outstanding performance in the women’s event and she was awarded the Points Cup.   Miss I Smith who had three firsts in the field events was awarded the Pavilion Cup.”

These pretty well cover the events and a good competitive national inter-universities championships was in prospect.   These were held on 6th June at King’s College, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh won with 64 points.   Glasgow had 39, St Andreews 14; in the women’s contest, St Andrews won with 37 points to Edinburgh’s 15 and Aberdeen’s 12.   Gracie was absent so both hurdles events were won for Edinburgh with CAR Dennis.   In the women’s events. W Bowden  set a new Scottish universities and ground record for the women’s 440y in 61.9.   J Pringle of Aberdeen won the javelin and the shot, being second in the discus.   Winners:  MEN –

100 yards: A Dunbar (G) 10.2;   220 yards:  RM Ward (G)  23.1;   440 yards:  J Johnston St A  51.5

880 y:  CDG Hillary (E) 1:59.2;   Mile:  K Coutts 4:25;  Three Miles:  JW Brydie (E) 15:05

120y hurdles:  CAR Dennis  16 sec;   440y hurdles:  CAR Dennis  57.2 sec

Shot:  S Olaffsen 42′ 6 1/4″; Discus: J Jarvis (St A) 114′ 5″;  Javelin: DWR McKenzie 168’1″;  Hammer: RS Scott 141′ 3″

High Jump: RS Scott  5′ 9″; Long Jump:  AR Smith (G)  21′ 3 1/2″;  Hop, step and jump: HK Lawson 44′ 5 1/2″;  Pole Vault:  E Akinsete 9′ 6″

WOMEN: 

100 yards: R McLaren 11.6;   220y  R McLaren  26 sec;  440 yards:  W Bowden 61.9 sec;  8om hurdles:  M Mellor (St A) 12.7 sec

Discus:  Smith (E) 91′ 7″;  Javelin:  J Pringle 97′ 6″;  Shot:  J Pringle  32′ 0 1/2″;  High Jump:  M Mellor  4′ 9″; Long Jump: M Mellor 16′  9 1/2″

Alan Dunbar

St Andrews University took on Queen’s, Belfast, and Glasgow University at St Andrews on 8th May, 1954.   Glasgow won the men’s match and St Andrews won the women’s contest.  Alan Dunbar, Glasgow, won the 100y and the 220y and team mate Peter Ballance won the Mile and the Three Miles, and tem mate    I. Stuart won the half-mile in a ground record of 1:58.5 .  On the women’s side, M Mellor won the 80m hurdles and the high jump, while R McLaren won both sprints.   On 15th May at Westerlands Edinburgh beat Glasgow by 64 points to 33.   I Stuart in the half mile was again  the top athlete on the day – he came through 440 in 55.5 and won as he liked in 1:1:57.5 from Boyd of Edinburgh.   McKenzie won the javelin with 192′ 9 inches.   Both were ground records.   Old faces such as Alan Dunbar in the sprints, CAR Dennis in the hurdles and McLauchlan in the field events were joined by up and coming athletes like Adrian Jackson of Edinburgh who won the mile in 4:32 and L Nisbet in the throws.   In the women’s events, L Barr won both sprints and W Bowden won the 440.   Away from the inter club, RL Scott of Glasgow won the hammer at the inter university championships at Motspur Park.   Across London at White City, David Gracie ran away from the country’s best hurdlers to win in 56.5 seconds.   The following week Gracie won the 100y and the 220y at the Scottish YMCA Championships  and Edinburgh took on Victoria Park and the Albert Foundry (Belfast) team in an inter-club.   The Edinburgh winners included CAR Dennis in both hurdles races, Hunter Watson in the Mile and Adrian Jackson in the Three miles, McKenzie in the javelin and Nisbet in the Hammer. In the Glasgow University championships on 29th May, there were several good performances but many of the top athletes were missing.   The same could not be said of the Universities championships on 5th June at Craiglockhart.   They were all there – Gracie, Dennis, Jackson, Olaffsen, Nisbet, McKenzie were all winners.  The women’s competition was no less well attended – R McLaren, Bowden, Mellor and Gaudin also took titles.   

Adrian Jackson running second here behind ‘the one who got away’, Bobby Calderwood

In the SAAA Championships at the end of June several of the athletes ran in club rather than university colours – Alan Dunbar ran for Victoria Park for example – but those in the universities colours performed creditably.   Gracie won the 440y hurdles while Dennis won the 120y hurdles and collected bronze in the longer race; Adrian Jackson won the mile, WA Little (Glasgow) won the high jump, McKenzie won the javelin and there were several second and third places.   

There was a match between English and Scottish Universities at Linksfield Park, Aberdeen on the first Saturday in July which resulted in a win for the English squad.   The Scottish winners were JV Paterson (Edinburgh) in the 440, P Ballance (Glasgow) in the Mile, Adrian Jackson in the Three Miles, CAR Dennis in the 120y hurdles, W Little in the high jump, RM Stephen (Glasgow) in the hop, step and jump, S Olaffsen (Edinburgh) in the shot, DWR McKenzie in the javelin, L Nisbet in the discus and RS Scott in the hammer.   

There are several names there who would feature significantly in Scottish athletics over the next few years – Jackson and Paterson in particular.

 

 

 

If there is any doubt left in anyone’s mind about the quality of Jim and Carol McLatchie’s coaching, the latest results from the Summit cross-country teams should dispel it.   The target of a straight ten consecutive State Championships was brought to us on 29th October when Jim sent results of their latest District Championships victory when he noted that they were going for the record the following week. 

Then on November 4th the local newspaper, the Bend Bulletin, published the story that the girls of Summit had won their tenth straight State championships.  I quote: “With senior Taylor Vandenborn winning her first individual state title and five more Storm runners placing in the top 10, Summit claimed its record-setting 10th straight girls cross-country state championship Saturday at Lane Community College with 15 points — the first perfect score ever posted, by any gender in any classification, in OSAA history. ”   Reporter Grant Lucas went on to say that   “No program had ever won more than nine consecutive cross-country state titles in OSAA history, and while Summit was heavily favored to win the championship Saturday, Vandenborn said there was no stress to break the record”.    

Many school coaches in all countries have a very good record but when it is examined you find the they have a lot of team titles with the Under 13 athletes, not as many with the Under 15’s, several at Under 20 level and hardly any at Under 20.   In other words, as the coaching effect takes place, the runners perform less well!   Not the case with the McLatchies.  

Taylor Vandenborn, mentioned in Lucas’s story above, is leading the pack above and has been improving year-on-year for the past four years.  For example look at her placings in the State championships:   2014 10th;   2015  4th;  2016  2nd;  2017  1st.    Regular year on year improvement.   The obvious question is how do they do it?  

•  Interviewed by Lucas she started by saying that the level of expectation for the teams going into this event “was not pressure, it was motivation.”   For a whole team to think that way is not accidental, it is an attitude that is taught, perhaps without the coach realising it, session on session, year on year.  
•  How about team spirit?   “We just love each other so much that we just work hard for each other. We’re not working for ourselves; we’re working for our team, and that makes it really strong.”    
•  Then the question that coaches and athletes like to ask – how are they trained?   Team mate Fiona Max who was second: “This whole season, we do these gnarly hill workouts, we do workouts running through swampy grass, and then recovery after that.  It’s all a process. We believed this season that if we put our minds to it, collectively as a group, and put our best foot forward, then we could accomplish it.”  
• As a runner Jim McLatchie was a real hard athlete, he never gave anyone an easy race in his life.   The same attitude has been passed to the runners: “You can’t even describe it,” Vandenborn said. “It’s just a lot of hard work and a lot of pushing and mental toughness that you would never expect yourself to have. You dig deep down, you don’t even know it’s there, and it’s amazing.”

These are of course all qualities that serve well in life after running – team spirit, hard work and mental toughness.    But regardless of who or how good the coaches are, it is the runners who deliver the goods.   They are the ones who do the work, the training and the racing.  

Another look at the photograph above:

PLACES ON PICS LEFT TO RIGHT:  2,1,9,14,3,5,ALT,ALT,ALT,6,ALT,ALT 

 

 

 

.

Two of Scotland’s best ever athletes win AAA’s titles in 1906: Wyndham Halswell and RS Stronach.   Picture from Hugh Barrow.  Thanks, Hugh.

The Annual George Fox Classic in October was another great result for the Summit team: just for a change, Jim tells us that the weather was good and not the usually grim and drizzly stuff that it usually gets.   Not that it makes any difference to the teams that they turn out.

5,000 Meters Varsity Gold

Official Team Scores 1. Summit 73 2. Xavier College Preparatory 103 3. Lincoln 122 4. St Mary’s Academy 128 5. Camas 143 6. West Valley 180 7. Wilson 184 8. South Eugene 248 9. West Linn 254 10. Tualatin 277 11. Forest Grove 280 12. La Center 309 13. South Medford 317 14. Catlin Gabel 327 15. Hood River Valley 332 16. South Salem 436 17. West Salem 470 18. Roseburg 48

 

The winter of 2017/2018 started with some excellent team results for Summit.   For coach Jim’s comments which tell us a lot in a few words, he says

“The kids did ok – especially the JV – good bunch of 14 year olds

 Mens Results

Probably the biggest relay meeting held in Scotland was the inter-club championship help in Glasgow in June which had at least five relays and at one point six as an essential part of the programme.

Bobby Graham

There have always been clubs in Scotland that do sterling work for the sport and then just disappear, almost without trace.   Perhaps because the spark that created them has left the sport for whatever reason, perhaps because good as they were the club was in the shadow of a much bigger outfit whose sheer size and momentum prevailed.   One such club was St Peter’s AAC which was based in the west end of Glasgow.   The club competed well  and contributed to athletics in the area but its real contribution was in the organisation of the big Inter-Club Meeting in June every year from 1928 to 1936.

Held on 2nd June, 1928 at Shawfield Park and before a crowd of 2000 people, there were to start with four open races – 100 yards handicap, 100 yards scratch, 440 yards handicap youths and half-mile handicap.   The real business however was the inter-club contest which involved six relays, a four miles team race, and five field events.   All branches were involved: sprinters, middle distance men, long distance runners, hurdlers, jumpers and throwers all were catered for.   The trophy awarded was the “News of the World Challenge Trophy”.   That particular newspaper sponsored many events across the length and breadth of Britain with the four multi-stage inter-city relays being the biggest and best.   The event would settle into the second Saturday in June at Celtic Park, but the first was on the first Saturday.

It was reported on in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ as follows:

“It was generally expected that with the strength at their disposal, Maryhill Harriers would take pride of place at the meeting organised by that enterprising young club, St Peter’s.   In the mid-distances with D McLean, WH Calderwood, W McRoberts, GP Inglis and A Mair they have a string that no other club can compete with at the moment, and winning four of the six relay flat events they won the trophy with a comfortabkle margin from the West of Scotland Harriers.   The last-named club, for whom PW Brown confirmed his fine running of a week ago, were not over-weighted in the shorter distances, and won two events, the quarter mile and the mile, due in no small measure to smart understanding at the hand over.

The best race of the afternoon was the three miles team event.   Here only one point separated Maryhill and Plebeian Harriers, and it was Donald MacLean’s final burst to the tape that earned the former their victory in this event.   The mile champion ran also in the two miles, and here the expected duel between him and JD Hope did not materialise, as he took over with a lead of 20 yards and this was an impossible start for Hope to concede.   Hope, making his first appearance of the season, showed good form, and A Nicolson, the Scottish champion, had a creditable effort in the weight of 42 ft 11 ins.   Interesting too was the running of J Crawford, the Queen’s Park footballer.   He has cultivated a new style which does not please the critics, and any increase in speed which he has made has been at the expense of smoothness.”

It will be noted straight away the some names appear more than once – in inter-clubs there are always demands made on athletes to ‘double up’ no matter which decade in athletics history we are speaking about.   The quality of these athletes was very high indeed and the results of relays and team races are noted here.

440 yards relay (4 x 110): 1.   West of Scotland (PW Brown, JG Scott, S Bernstein, AF Clarke).   2.   Maryhill H;  3.  Shettleston H.

880 yards relay (4 x 220):  1.   Maryhill (WP Andreoli, DE Duncan, T McLean, R Kennedy); 2.  West of Scotland; 3.  Bellahouston H.

Mile Relay (4 x 440): 1.   West of Scotland (AF Clarke, PW Brown, H Elliott, JD Hope); 2.  Maryhill; 3.   Shettleston.

Two Miles Relay (4 x 880): 1.   Maryhill (W Roberts, WH Calderwood, D Sharp, D MacLean); 2.  West of Scotland; 3.  Cameron Highlanders

Four Miles Relay (4 x 1 Mile):  1.   Maryhill Harriers (GP Inglis, T Cowan, WH Calderwood, D MacLean; 2.  Garscube H;  3.  Camerons.

480 yards hurdles relay (4 x 120):  1.   West of Scotland (J Porteous, AF Clarke, T Clark, C Clark); 2.  2nd Cameronians

Three Miles Team Race: 1,   Maryhill ( D MacLean 1, D McL Wright 4, WH Calderwood 5: 10 pts); 2.  Plebeian (Combe 2, Gunn 3, Connolly 6)

Championship Cup:  1.  Maryhill 20 pts;  2.  West of Scotland  13 pts;  3.  Cameronians 11 pts.

As far as the field events went, Maryhill only won the high jump while the Field Events Club won the hammer, 2nd Cameronians took the long jump, Glasgow Police won the putting the weight.

If 1928 was a success, 1929 was a revelation of the interest taken in an inter-club contest by Scotland’s athletes.   The meeting was on 8th June and all cncerned were assessing the athletes form for the SAAA Championships which were to be held on 22nd June – just two weeks later.

It is pleasant to be able to record in these supposedly materialistic days, that 15 clubs, representing some 500 athletes, can be fund willing to take part in an inter-club contest where individual glory plays second part to the team spirit.   It fell to the lot of St Peter’s, one of the youngest but one of the most enterprising clubs in the Western area, to discover this fact a year  ago, and the success which attended their meeting at Scotstoun on Saturday demonstrated that the clubs were again more than anxious to participate in a meeting of this kind.   

The competition throughout was keen and it was not until the very last event on the programme, the broad jump, that victory rested with Glasgow University by a bare margin of 2 points over Maryhill Harriers who were winners a year ago at Shawfield.   

In a meeting of this kind it is somewhat difficult to assess individual values, but several of the candidates for championship honours acquitted themselves well, and we had the added satisfaction of seeing two Scottish champions, in James Crawford and KM Smith, in action for the first time this season.   The Queen’s Park flyer, who ran in Shettleston’s colours in the two shorter relays, moved well enough to suggest he will be fit and ready for June 22nd.   He was beaten in the final leg of the 440 relayn by JA Robb on practically equal terms, but an impartial survey of the race suggests that this was due as much to an indifferent change-over as to any inferiority in pace.   ….

In the distance events the reserve strengt of Maryhill Harriers was apparent, their victory in the mile, two miles and four miles being earned somewhat easily.   Donald MacLean, the Scottish champion, moved in freer style than in his previous races this season, and his mile was unofficially times at 4 min 41 3-5th sec, so that there is every hope that he may be back to form ere the championships.   In these sections WH Calderwood, C Freshwater and J Hood all acquitted themselves well, and among the younger runners, none did better than A Fisher of West of Scotland.   To defeat a tried performer like AH Blair was no mean feat.    …..   “

The report goes on to discuss the three miles team race, won by Plebeian Harriers over Springburn by three points with Maryhuill thirs.   Meeting relay results:

480 yards relay:  1.   Glasgow University (Wright, Smith, Borland, Robb).  2.  Shettleston H.   3.   West of Scotland Harriers

Half-mile relay:    1.   Glasgow University (Wright, Smith, Borland, Robb)    2.  West of Scotland H;  3.   Maryhill H

One Mile Relay:   1.   Maryhill H (Duncan, Turner, Allison, Devlin);  2.  Bellahouston H;   West of Scotland H

Two Miles Relay:  1.  Maryhill H (Herbert, McRoberts, Blair, Calderwood);  2.  Glasgow University;   3.  Shettleston H

Four Miles Relay: 1.  Maryhill H (Maclean, Kellas, Blair, Calderwood);  2.  Glasgow University;  3.  Bellahouston H

480 yards hurdles relay:   1.   2nd Cameronians;   2.  West of Scotland Harriers;   3.  Shettleston H

Three Miles team race:   1.  Plebeian Harriers (Gunn 1, Rayne 3, Lamont 11 = 14 points); Springburn Harriers (J Stevenson 4, R Allison 6, A Stevenson 7 = 17 pts;  3.  Maryhill 28 pts.

Such was the emphasis on the inter-club nature of the event, that even the field events were included but with the results calculated as for distance track races.   eg Maryhill won the high jump with the aggregate height of two representatives being 11′ 0″ (Smith 5′ 8″, Bulloch 5′ 4″) with the Field Events Club being second with a total height of 10′ 8″ and the 2nd Cameronians third with 10′ 2″.   With three throws and two jumps, the field events were important in deciding the destination of the event.   The News of the World Trophy in 1929 went to the University who had a total of 16 pts, from Maryhill on 14 pts and the Cameronians on 9 pts.

Walter Gunn, Plebeian Harriers

The St Peter’s Inter-Club contest was held on 14th June in 1930 at Celtic Park,  and success continued unabated.   Glasgow University again won the trophy, defeating Maryhill – but not until the last event, the javelin this time, was over.   Edinburgh University won that from Glasgow University  with Shettleston third and it was good enough to see the Glasgow students win with exactly the same scores and points difference as the previous year – their 16 points defeating Maryhill’s 14 by two with Edinburgh University two further adrift on 12 pts.   The attendance was reported as ‘moderate’ but that was not the point of such an event.  There were some changes in the format – one was that the Four Miles Relay became a One Mile team race.   It was still part of the inter club but saved a fair bit of time on the programme!  Results of the relays:

440 yards relay:   1.  Maryhill H (Anderson, McBride,  t McLean, Turner);  2.  Shettleston H;  3.  Glasgow University

880 yards relay:  1.  Glasgow University (Murdoch, ? , Wright, Borland); 2.  Maryhill;  3.  Edinburgh University

Mile relay:   1.  Springburn Harriers (McLaughlin, Scott, Mackill, Devon); 2.  Glasgow University;  3.  West of Scotland

Two Miles relay:  1.  Maryhill (Muir, Blair, Calderwood, D MacLean); 2.  Edinburgh University;  3.  West of Scotland H

480 yards hurdles relay:  1.  Edinburgh University (Decker, Campbell, Barker, Holmes);  2.  Field Evcents Club;  [GUAC second but disq)

One Mile Team Race:  1.  Maryhill Harriers (MacLean 1, Muir 3, Blair 4); 2.  Glasgow University AC;  3.  Bellahouston

Three Miles team race:   1.  Maryhill Harriers (D Wright 1, Muir 3, Robertson 4); 2. Bellahouston H;  3.  Garscube H.

Glasgow University won the trophy largely because Maryhill Harriers got almost no points at all in the field events wheras the students picked a couple of firsts, a second and a third.

The changes referred to above were interesting in their own right:

a.   open events had increased in number from four in the first match to eight this time round plus two cycle races.

b.  The events were 100 yards, 440 yards (both handicaps), 100 yards junior scratch; 100 yards novice scratch;

c.   There were three races for women, one of which was a relay -100 yards,  220 yards; 440 yards relay .   Edinburgh University and Maryhill Harriers were the strongest women’s teams with Glasgow University also providing a placed runner.

d.   Celtic Park had a concrete cycle track outside the cinder track and so for the first time it was possible to hold a 440 yards cycle race and a one mile cycle race without interfering with the state of the track.

The meeting on 13th June 1931 was again held at Celtic Park and there were again innovations and changes to the format.

Results:

440 yards relay:  1.  Maryhill H (Turner, McBride, Stewart, Hamilton); 2.   Dublin Metropolitan Garda; 3.  Shettleston H

880 yards relay:  1.  Maryhill H (Turner, Brown, McBride, Hamilton);  2.  Shettleston Harriers; 3.  West of Scotland H

Mile Relay:   1.  Maryhill H (A Edmiston, Lieut A Harvey, P Dolan, R Hamilton);  2.  Springburn H;  3.  Dublin Metropolitan Garda

Two Miles Relay:  1.  Maryhill H (McNiven, Wilson, Calderwood, MacLean);  2.  Springburn H;  3.  Shettleston H

480 yards hurdles relay:  1.  Dublin Metropolitan Garda;  2.  Fied Events Club;  3. West of Scotland H

Mile Team Race:  1.  Maryhill H  (MacLean 2, Calderwood 4, Blakely 6); 2.  Plebeian H;  3.  Springburn H

Three Miles Team Race:  1.  Maryhill H  (Muir 4, Blakely 5, Blair 9);  2.  Heriots FP;  3.  Springburn H

Two Miles Junior Relay:  1.  Plebeian H (Blackwood, Armstrong, Black, Illingworth); 2. Garscube H;  Victoria Park.

Two things stand out here – one is the addition of yet another relay – the two miles junior event (4 x 880), which seems to prove the popularity of the format; and the arrival on the club scene of Victoria Park AAC.   The club had been formed only one year earlier.   We can go further and note that the events for women were now over 100 yards open, 100 yards  (confined to St Peter’s), 220 yards, half mile and 440 yards relay.   This time there were more clubs involved – Shettleston, Bellahouston and Maryhill were all represented.   As for the contest – Maryhill won with 24 points, from Dublin Metropolitan Garda on 19 1/2 pts with Shettleston well back on 9 pts.   Previously regarded as the unofficial club championship of Scotland,  the entry of the Irish team maybe complicated things.   Maryhill had made a clean sweep of the track events, bar the Junior Two Miles relay for which they had not entered a team and they competed better in the field events than the year before with 2nd in the broad jump and hammer, plus  3rd in the high jump and weight.   The absence of the University teams was to be regretted since they had their own championships at Craiglockhart that same Saturday

 

The Inter-club competition the following year was held on 4th June 1932, and was again at Celtic Park.    It had moved about between the first three Saturdays in June sinceits inception because of the other events being held.   The Queen’s Park Sports were on the first Saturday and St peter’s wanted to keep clear of that date, but if the Irish international was on the second Saturday, they had to move back a week.   Or forward.   The University championships were usually on the second Saturday of the month so it was sometimes better to go to the third Saturday.   However, the report on the ’32 version started as follows:   “The strength of the Glasgow University team in the field events made the Students’ victory in the inter-club contest at the St Peter’s AAC meeting at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon much more decisive than was anticipated.   They actually collected 17 of the 18 points at stake in this section and although Edinburgh were handicapped by the absence of their champion, RW MacKay, the relative placings of the two teams at the finish should give the teams every encouragement for their meeting in the inter-university contest at Westerlands on Saturday first.   Glasgow University’s final tally was 30 points, Maryhill Harriers being runners-up with 18, while Edinburgh University and Springburn tied for third place with 5 points each.   In only one of the ten events, the three mile team race, did Glasgow fail to score, and they never fell behind second place.”   

440 yards relay:   1.  Glasgow University (Stead, Clark, Kitchen and McCush) ;  2.  Edinburgh University;  3.  Bellahouston Harriers

880 yards relay:   1.  Maryhill H (Brown, McBride, Bell, Dolan);  2.  Glasgow University;  3.  Victoria Park

Mile relay:   1.  Glasgow University (Glen, Young, Barlow, Borland);  2.  Springburn H;  3.  Maryhiull H

Two Miles relay:  1.  Glasgow University (Glen, Barr, Wynne Roberts, Murison);  2.  Maryhill H;  3.  Springburn H

480 yards hurdles relay: 1.  Glasgow University (Selkirk, Souter, Taylor, Kitchin)  walked over.

One Mile team race:  1.  Maryhill H (Calderwood 1, MacLean 4, Muir 5); 2.  Glasgow University;  3.  Plebeian Harriers

Three Miles team race:  1.  Maryhill Harriers (Blakely 1, DM Robertson 3, W Nelson 4); 2.  Plebeian H;  3.  Garscube H

There were two records set at the meeting – Tom Blakely of Maryhill set a new Scottish record for three miles of 14 min 38 1-5th sec and Constance Johnston, SWAAA champion set a new record for the half mile of 2 min 24 1-5th sec.   The open track events were held but this time there were no cycle races at all and the two miles junior relay had been dropped.

“For the fourth time in the six years that have elapsed since the meeting was first instituted, Glasgow University won the inter-club contest held at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon under the auspices of the St Peter’s club.   This has come to be regarded as the unofficial all-round championship and a test of the strength of the clubs in track, field and heavy events.   Let it be said that the Glasgow students by gaining first place with their total of 22 points fully deserved their claim to be the best team in Scotland, as in only one of the 12 events on the programme – the three miles team race – did they fail to secure points.   They won four events (Mile relay, high jump, broad jump, javelin), finished second in three (880 yards relay, two miles relay and putt), their third placings being in 440 yards relay, 480 hurdles relay, one mile team race and hammer. “

Glasgow Police were second and Maryhill and Edinburgh University tied for third.    Results:

440 yards relay:   1.  Maryhill H (Turner, McBride, Bell, Brown);  2.  Edinburgh University; 3.  Glasgow University.

880 yards relay:  1.  Maryhill H (Brown, Bell, McBride, Turner);  2.  Glasgow University; 3.  Springburn Harriers

Mile relay:  1.  Glasgow University (Murray, Wright, Young, Glen);  2.  Glasgow Police;  3.  Springburn H

Two Miles relay:  1.  Glasgow Police (Wilson, Lyons, Davie, Scott);  2.  Glasgow University;  3.  Maryhill H

One Mile team race:  1.  Shettleston Harriers (Sutherland 2, McCubbin 3, Young 12); 2.  Garscube H;  3.  Glasgow University.

Three Miles team race:  1.  Plebeian H (Tombe 1, Gunn 2, Armstrong 5); 2.  Maryhill H;  3.  Garscube H.

Although there was no team in the team race from Heriot’s FP, JF Wood was first to finish in the three miles in 15 min 7 3-5th sec.

JF Wood, Heriot’s FP

16th June 1934: For the third year in succession and the fifth time since the inception of the event in 1928, Glasgow University in the inter-club contest held under the auspices of St Peter’s on Saturday proved themselves to be the best of the Scottish clubs in an all-round trial of strength in track, field and heavy events.   They finished first of the twelve clubs competing, and in only two of the twelve events, the mile and the three miles team events, did they fail to register points.   Their total of 22 points was taken from firsts in the 880 yards relay, 480 yards hurdles relay and the high jump, seconds in the 440 yards relay, one mile relay, two miles relay,  high jump, putt and hammer, and a third in the javelin.   Shettleston, who alone of the Harrier clubs have devoted much time to the field and heavy events, were a good second with 14 points, and it is to be noted that this section of the club, led by JK Braid and ER Walker, collected all but three of the total.   Maryhill was third with 8 points, and Glasgow Police and West of Scotland tied for fourth with 7 points.   It ios pleasant to see the last named, one of our oldest clubs, coming back into the limelight after several seasons of partial eclipse.”

Results:

440 yards relay:   1.  Maryhill H (Turner, McBride, Brown, Williamson) ;  2.  Glasgow University;  3.  Bellahouston H

880 yards relay:   1.  Glasgow University (Bishop, Stone, Robertson, Murdoch);  2.  Maryhill H;  3.  Glasgow Police

Mile  relay:   1.  Springburn Harriers (C Campbell, Carson, McKell, A Campbell);  2.  Glasgow University;  3.  West of Scotland H

Two Miles Relay:   1.  Maryhill H (Graham, MacLean, Scholes, Calderwood);  2.  Glasgow University;  3.  Victoria Park

4 x 120 yards hurdles relay:   1.  Glasgow University (Chassels, JA Kitchin, TH Souter,  AS Kitchin);  2.  Shettleston H;  3.  West of Scotland

One Mile team race:  1.  Plebeian Harriers (Gunn1, McGregor 4, Robertson 8);  2.  Shawfield Harriers;  3.  Shettleston H

Three Miles team race:  1.  Garscube Harriers (Bennett 3, Lindsay 5, DB Brooke 7);  2.  Shettleston H;  3.  Springburn H.

In the field events, Shettleston Harriers won the shot and the javelin, Glasgow University won the broad jump West of Scotland won the high jump and Glasgow Police won the hammer event.   It should be pointed out in defence of the Harrier clubs, that one of the reasons they did not embrace the field and heavy events was probably a lack of appropriate facilities.   The Universities with exclusive use of Westerlands and Craiglockhart with equipment for all the events available on demand.   They also of course had the time for training and in addition the actual work done by most athletes in the shipyards, factories and coal mines was more physically demanding than the life of most students.   The university teams might well have won the championship in any case – they had some superb athletes – but the above factors (access to facilities, less time for training and a more physically demanding lifestyle) are offered in defence of the harriers.

When St Peter’s held the event at Celtic Park on 8th June 1935, the Inter-Universities Championship was held at Craiglockhart in Edinburgh and this not only reduced the number of teams competing in Glasgow, but made the championship more open than it had been for several years.   It was held on a wet and heavy track with nasty cross-winds but went ahead as usual.   Results:

440 yards relay:   1.  Garscube Harriers (Walker, J McIsaac, JT McIsaac, Pitcairn); 2.  West of Scotland H;  3.  Maryhill H.

880 yards relay:   1.  Bellahouston H (Thomson, Gallagher, Lawn, Fraser);  2.  West of Scotland;  3.  Maryhill.

Mile relay:   1.  Maryhill H (Terry, Cairns, Scholes, Morrison); 2.  Victoria Park;  3.  West of Scotland.

Two Miles relay:   1.  Maryhill H (MacLean, Morrison, Osborn, Calderwood);  2.  Victoria Park;  3.  Plebeian H.

480 yards hurdles relay:  1.  Bellahuston H (CG Gordon, Arnott, Wyper, OG Gordon);  West of Scotland finished but were disualified.

One Mile team race:   1.  Maryhill H (MacLean 1, Osborne 7, Calderwood 8);  2.  Garscube H;  3.  Plebeian H.

Three Miles team race:   1.  Bellahouston H (Campbell 1, Lamb 2, Mowat 5); Maryhill H;  3.  Plebeian H

Championship:  1.   Maryhill H 18 pts;  2.  West of Scotland  17 pts

*

There was no St Peter’s AC Inter-Club contes held in 1936 – or in 1937 or 1938 either.   There were so many other meetings that they may have been crowded out of the calendar.   There were only three Saturdays available in June: the fourth was always the SAAA championships, and on that Saturday there were a couple of minor meetings such as Lugar Sports.   The first Saturday in June was always the Quen’s Park FC Sports which was a very attractive draw for athletes and the other regular meetings were the Singer’s Factory Sports at Clydebank and the Alloa meeting.   It would have been hard for a club to get all their best men out for a meeting such as the inter-club on that date.   The second Saturday was not any easier and that was traditionally the date for St Peter’s event: the Universities usually had their championships on that date and we hav seen how important their presence was for the Glasgow meeting.   It was also unfortunate that the Babcock’s Sports had been going for five or six years by 1936 and it was offering the Empire Exhibition Trophy to the club with most points at the meeting which had two relays (4 x 100 and medley) and a track team race in addition to points for places in most events on the programme.   It almost duplicated some aspects of the St Peter’s programme and it was easier to forward a team.  And it was on the same day.  On the third Saturday it was the Glasgow Police Sports: formerly a professional meeting it had joined the amateur ranks and proved to be very successful with some really good relays (normally two per programme).   There was also an Edinburgh meeting on the third Saturday and the Dalmuir United FC had their sports on that date.

The situation for St Peter’s was one where they had to decide to either

a.   Keep the date they had which clashed with the Universities champ[ionships, and, possibly more important, with Babcock and Wilcox Sports with the Empire Exhibition Trophy’;  or

b.   Move back a week and face the challenge of the Queen’s Park Sports which most athletes found quite attractive;; or

c.   Move forward and clash with Glasgow Police Sports being held at Ibrox; or

d.   Stop holding the meeting.

They were a small club, crowds were usually described as ‘moderate’ with no figures given, and they maybe just did not have the personnel or the drive to continue.   However it turned out, there were no more inter-clubs held by St Peter’s.   This was a pity because it was at a time when there were no track leagues of any form and whole club competition has a lot to commend it.   It filled a gap, and right well did it do it.

The 1938 British Empre Games were held in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia from 5–12 February 1938.   They were timed to coincide with the celebrations of the foundation of British settlement in Australia exactly 150 years before. Venues included the Sydney Cricket Ground (the main stadium), the Sydney Sports Ground, the North Sydney Olyumpic Pool and Henson Park. An estimated 40,000 people attended the opening ceremony.   Continuing the tradition of the athletes village established in Canada eight years earlier, a competitors’ residential village was established within the grounds of the Sydney Showground.   Due to the onset of the Second World War, the games were not held again until 1950.