Wallasey A.C. were engaged in the Liverpool & District Cross-Country Championships held over Liverpool Pembroke's course, at Broadgreen, on Saturday when the club experienced one of those days when things just would not go right.
In the boys' race over two miles, the club team tied for first place with Prenton Secondary Modern School, but were placed second by the ruling that the race is then decided by the nearness of the two fourth counting runners to the winner.
Both teams had a total of 31 points but Prenton's fourth man home was in 10th place against Wallasey's 13th. Liverpool Harriers were third with 54 points.
Although the Wallasey team may not have run quite as well as in the Cheshire Championships they again packed solid and are obviously an exceptionally promising bunch of young runners who may well reverse the matters in the Lancs. event next Saturday.
Walter Hogarth was again Wallasey's first man home finishing in second position to a fine young runner from Liverpool Harriers in K. Thompson. Hogarth appears to be a consistent runner - always a sign of class - and he kept Thompson at full stretch all the way.
B. Woolford also ran a grand race to finish 4th, and he was followed by J. R. Sefton 12th, W. F. Farrell 13th, A. J. Anderson 14th, I. McIvor 22nd and T. Rollins 30th.
In the youth event over three miles W.A.C. finished third, with 114 points against the 91 of Waterloo Harriers and the 76 of Liverpool Harriers.
In the individual race Don Anderson could hardly have had worse luck as after clearly leading the field in company with favourite Kevin Gilligan of Waterloo Harriers, they both took a wrong turn near home, because inadequate course marking, with the result that the race was won by R. Fleming of Liverpool Pembroke, who turned his knowledge of his own course to full account.
Fleming was not really in the race until this point and he must have gained 200 yards by this turn of events. As if this misfortune was not sufficient, Anderson then proceeded to pass Gilligan on the run in and when leading had bad luck to slip on the greasy turf and come a cropper thereby letting Gilligan into second place.
The point at which Anderson fell was a right angle bend at the corner of a football pitch only 50 yards from the finishing line. To have such a sharp turn on the run in of a championship event is probably unprecedented and has come in for much criticism. Several runners also fell at this point. However, these two outstanding youths will have another chance to assert their supremacy when they meet at next Saturday's championships. John Warden confirmed his fine running in the Cheshire Championships by again coming through strongly to take fifth place while a rather below par Roy Parry was next up in 12th position.
Michael Greenhalgh showed much improved form to finish 23rd and he was followed by Hugh Pritchard 30th and Colin Harris 41st.
The junior team performed surprisingly well in their event over five miles and had captain Eric Maddock been available would surely have taken third place instead of fourth.
Ken Ledward and John Lynch, both still H.M. Forces with little opportunity for competition ran very well to finish 11th and 13th respectively with David Standfast close up in 15th place. Alan Moore also ran strongly to finish 25th with John Winrow 26th, Ray Scammell 27th and Dave Johnston 30th.
This race was won by Liverpool Pembroke with 15 points with Liverpool Harriers second with 40 points, while Wallasey were nosed out of third place by Boundary Harriers who totaled 60 points against Wallasey's 64.
In the senior race over seven miles, Bob Johnston had another bad race, running much below normal form to lose the title he won last year finishing as far back in 11th.
As in the Inter-Counties he was well up with the leaders in the first mile or two but then fell back to have one of those struggling sort of runs so unusual for this fine athlete. The race was won as expected by Ron Gates of Liverpool Pembroke with Morrell of Wirral in second place.
In the team event won by Wirral A.C., Wallasey A.C. finished 4th with the next runners after Anderson being Arnold Dinsdale 28th, Alan Clarke 32nd, Eric Foster 39th, Dennis Kelly 40th, and Harold Thompson 44th.
Club photograph will be taken at H.Q. today, 3 p.m., when the winning Cheshire County and teams and individuals are particularly requested to be present.
The postponed club junior championship will be run off which should prove an entertaining race between Ken Ledward, John Lynch and David Standfast.
There will be a club run for other members.
Applications for membership will be welcomed by asst. sec. Bob McCaig, 30 Taunton Road (tel. 8904).
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 31/01/1953 by R.M.
Ref 1050