This should be read in conjunction with the comments made here
Mr Peter Buchanan is again secretary of the Whitehill School Games which will be held at Celtic Park on June 1. The programme includes three handicaps open to former pupils, the distances being 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards.
Amateur running has taken a fresh lease of life in London. Over 70 entries have been for the 100 yards handicap at the London AC meeting on Saturday last. It is twenty years since this number was equalled at one of the LAC Gatherings.
In the event of Australia not being represented at the Olympic Games, WA Stewart of the London Hospitals AC and holder of the 100 yards Scottish championship, will probably be included in the England team. It is understood that Stewart will take part in the England trials on Saturday first.
Sports may be held at Kirkcaldy during the season; at any event there is a movement on foot to run an amateur meeting on up-to-date lines and if the influences at work meet with any encouragement, Fifeshire once more should be in line with all the progressive sporting centres.
There is a statement to the effect that Glasgow University AC is setting its house in order in view of the approaching inter-University games at St Andrews next month. We hope that this is true. Glasgow is far behind in these academic contests, and it is just about time that the ‘honours’ were going round.
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In young Patterson Glasgow Academy has a natural hurdles racer and he is also a very good high jumper. His hurdle performance at the school games was perhaps the most polished example of running during the whole proceedings, and in expert hands he would make almost as good a ‘timber topper’ as Norman MacLeod or Bertie Stronach, both of whose names stand high on the merits of amateur running in Scotland.
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The Queens Park FC have intimated to the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association that the new committee has decided not to hold sports on June 22nd – a date exclusively reserved for them by the Association. This means that the recommendation, if not the reasoned decision of the old committee has been rejected, and it also means a regrettable departure for the time being, if not for all time, from the line of policy in regard to amateur athletics which has won for Queen’s Park the admiration of all broad minded sportsmen.
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GRL Anderson, the old SAAA Champion, has gone back to his first love – hurdle racing, at which he accomplished two brilliant performances at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. He was competing at the London Athletic Club Sports and won the 120 yards hurdles challenge cup in 15 1-5th sec beating K Powell, the old Oxford crack, by a couple of yards, while in the open handicap he won his heat, owing 18 yards in 17 1-5th secs. Anderson did not take part in the Final which Powell won in 17 2-5th secs owing 16 yards. The outstanding feature of these performances is their consistency. Anderson and Powell will represent B retain at Stockholm.
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The English and Scottish Olympic Trials are down for decision on Saturday, the former at Stamford Bridge, the latter at Celtic Park. Both tracks will facilitate the performers, so on that score there are no reflections to make. Each has a Marathon race. The English entry is a very influential one, embracing as it does all the great amateur distance amateurs across the Border, and if the trumpet call of the AAA meets with the same response from the other events, there will be some brilliant racing. Of course, England has some rich resources to draw upon and it is well for the reputation of Britain that this is the case, for the best of our athletic talent will be required at Stockholm if the national sporting supremacy is to be upheld. The Scottish trials are always later in getting into form than those across the Border, the recent genial weather has been the means of luring many of our leading runners from their winter cloisters earlier than has usually been the case. Entries have been received from, among others, JF Soutter of St Andrews University AC, FG Black of Cambridge University AC, and WM Crabbie of Edinburgh Academical AC. Neither Soutter nor Black has appeared so far this season but both are said to be in good form. Crabbie on the other hand the 1000 metres trial at Watson’s games, while on Saturday he was third in the open mile handicap at Stewart’s College sports. The time was slow – 4 min 45 1-5th sec. Soutter is said to have entered for four events.
The Marathon is naturally exciting considerable interest. Unlike other races of a similar kind, however, that of Saturday is confined to Scotsmen, or those of other nationalities who have been resident in Scotland for six months prior to the race. The arrangements are in the hands of the West of Scotland Harriers , who have all the necessary experience, as they have already held two Marathons – one at Hampden and the other at Celtic Park. The country is easier reached from the former than from the latter but the ‘West’ have mapped out a course in the East End which combines admirably the elements for the Marathon test. We understand that the en try, like that of the AAA, will include the cream of distance runners and a strenuous struggle is anticipated. Those who go to Celtic Park will witness the start and the finish, while in addition there will be a number of flat and field trials, three flat handicaps, and three Scottish Cyclists Union championships, the whole constituting a bill of fare which for variety at least has rarely been surpassed in the city. It will be a wonder therefore if Parkhead is not fully taxed on Saturday with lovers of sport.
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