Wallasey Athletic Club had quite a successful afternoon at the R.A.F. Camp, West Kirby, last Saturday, when they were one of twelve clubs contesting the West Lancs. cross-country championships.
The races were run on a fast, easily followed course with a good straight run in, and some excellent racing was seen.
This time it was the Wallasey A.C. boys' team who took the main honours, as they fully upheld the club's hopes in this
event by winning both the team and individual races by a wide margin.
So far this season the boys have shown an exceptionally high average of ability right through the entire - team and it was hoped that this solid strength would gain the day. This certainly proved to be the case as in a field of over 60 runners drawn from the whole of the Merseyside and West Lancashire areas. Wallasey not only placed their counting four in the first ten, but actually had their whole team of seven in the first seventeen, which is really magnificent team running.
To crown this Walter Hogarth also came in an easy winner of the individual race, to add the West Lancs. championship to the Cheshire County title he won some weeks ago. As he also finished second in the Liverpool & District, Hogarth is clearly an athlete of great promise and his tactical ability in particular is much better than one expects to find in a runner of his years.
He quickly moved up to the leaders at the start and at half distance was striding it out confidently a few feet behind the favourite, K. Thompson, of Liverpool Harriers, when the Liverpool runner had the misfortune to fall heavily when jumping a fence in company with Hogath.
From this point Hogarth was never troubled and he drew away from the field to win easing up by at least a hundred yards. His time for the for the two-mile course was 13 mins. 51 secs.
Wallasey's other scoring runners were John Sefton 5th, Bill FarreIl 7th, and Roy Shaw 10th, who totalled 23 points against the 34 of Prenton Secondary Modern School. The Wallasey thus well and truly avenged their one-point defeat by Prenton, in the recent Liverpool & District championships.
The counting runners mentioned above were followed by Ken Tunstall 12th, Ian Mclvor 14th, and Alan Anderson 17th, who all played a big part in the team's victory as by finishing so high up they were denying these positions to rival team runners.
A special word of praise is due to both John Sefton and Bill Farrell, as after Hogarth they have been Wallasey's most consistent performers, with Sefton being next man up to Hogarth in all this season's championship events.
As there is as yet no national championship for boys, the only remaining target for the team is the Northern, which takes place at Sheffield next Saturday, when Wallasey should be well in the hunt. Here, however, a note of warning must be given as most of the Wallasey team last Saturday had to work their way through the field owing to being to slowly away.
As this may not be possible against the quality of opposition likely to be met in the Northern, some attention should be given to this point.
Another grand performance was that of Roy Parry in finishing second in the three-mile youth event to the favourite, Kevin Gilligan, of Waterloo Harriers.
A great tussle had been expected in this race between Gilligan and Cheshire County champion Don Anderson, but this Wallasey runner has unfortunately been under medical treatment for cartilage trouble from the time of the Liverpool & District, since which he has been unable to train.
In the circumstances it was expected that Gilligan would have an easy win as this lad is really good. However, Parry had different ideas and straight from the gun he shot away into an early lead, which he maintained until half a mile from home when Gilligan's superior strength enabled him to draw away for a well judged victory.
In putting up such a good show against a runner of Gilligan's class, Parry must be rated a real find in local athletic circles, and his easy striding was a joy to watch.
Anderson pluckily turned out for the club team and helped to gain third place for Wallasey in the team event by finishing in 12th place. He was followed by John Warden 17th, Hugh Pritchard 27th, Michael Greenhalgh 33rd and Colin Harris 46th. The team race was won by Sutton Harriers, with Liverpool Harriers second, only a point ahead of Wallasey.
In the junior race over six miles, Dave Standfast was the first Wallasey man in in 16th place, with Eric Maddock 22nd, Ken Ledward 24th, John Winrow 29th, and Ray Scammell 33rd. The general standard in this event appeared to be very high, and although the Wallasey team packed well they lacked the pace to get up near the leaders.
In the senior race over nine miles Bob Johnston lost the title he won last year to popular Billy McMinnis of Sutton Harriers from whom he won it last year after a grand race. Nevertheless, Johnston showed signs of returning form by moving through in the later stages of the race to finish in 6th place, which considering the opposition was a big improvement on his recent running.
Liverpool & District champion, Ken Gates, of Liverpool Pembroke, was unable to emulate Johnston's feat of last year in winning both these events, and had to be content with 4th place.
Alan Clarke again ran well to finish 26th, Wallasey's other finishers being Harold Thompson 49th, Jim Rimmer 53rd, and Ram Hewson 55th.
Wallasey will this Saturday have a break from strenuous competition and there will be a club run from Leasowe Road Club H.Q. commencing 3:15 p.m.
Ends
Source - Unknown - Saturday, 14/02/1953
Ref 1036