Five titles out of a possible six were won by Wallasey athletes in the Cheshire County Cross-Country Championships at Runcorn last Saturday, Bob Johnston winning the senior event with a fine performance and Don Anderson retaining his, individual championship in the youth race, the team event being won by Wallasey.
It was a real day out for the local athletes, Wallasey Athletic Club being stoutly supported by the Wallasey Grammar School team.
All three individual titles were won - men's, youths' and senior - in addition to the boys' and youths' team events. The youths' title was won by Wallasey for the third successive year.
On such a day it was hard indeed to pick out a best performance, but surely pride of place must go again to Bob Johnston for his grand win in the senior event. With all due respect to the brilliance of many of our younger athletes the senior event is, of course, the greatest test owing to the longer distance and the fact that the opposition is invariably composed of runners mature both in natural ability and tactics.
As the race started with two laps of Castner Kellner's sports ground the start was very fast, but Johnston was always right up with the leaders and before long it was clear that the race was going to be fought out between himself and P. Smith, of Sale Harriers.
Smith was leading by two or three yards going out on to the country when he quickly opened up a gap of fifteen yards only for Johnston to close up again and take a slight lead, which he was never to lose.
These two runners gradually drew away from the rest of the field, with Johnston always those few yards in front until about two miles from home he really put on the pressure to win convincingly by about 80 yards. His time for the seven-mile course was 39 mins. 48 secs., which is very fast considering that the course included a severe hill on each of the three laps.
Johnston's style was fluent and easy throughout, and this was probably his best technical performance to date.
This race was expected to be won by that remarkable little runner Johnny Wilde, of East Cheshire Harriers, but when it was learned during the preceding week that he was suffering from a broken toe it was obvious that here was a case of opportunity knocking for the other top class Cheshire runners.
Johnston deserves every credit for taking his chance so well as the field included such stars as Wirral international Johnny Green, Tom Smith of East Cheshire, the Smith brothers of Sale, and Knott and Callaghan of Stockport, all of whom ran in the Cheshire team last season which finished eighth of twenty five teams in the inter-counties' championships.
Wallasey's senior team finished in fifth place, the other scoring runners being Dave Standfast (38th), Alan Clarke (40th), Eric Maddock (43rd), Ken Ledward (48th), and Harold Thompson (52nd).
Standfast's performance was particularly notable as this 18-year-old is only in his first real season of competitive running, while Harold Thompson continues to get nearer to his old form.
The youth race provided a double success for W.A.C., who won both the team and individual awards.
As already stated, Don Anderson duly retained his individual championship won last year, while in the team event, he was backed up in great style by Roy Parry (2nd), John Warden (4th), and Hugh Pritchard 15th, for Wallasey to gain an easy victory over Wirral A.C. by 22 points to 48 points.
Anderson was lying a comfortable third moving out to the country but he quickly moved into a slight lead, where he was joined at the halfway stage by Roy Parry and John Warden a grand sight this to see Wallasey's red vests packing 1, 2 and 3 in a major championship.
Three quarters of a mile from home, Roy Parry edged Anderson out of the lead for a short time, after which they were running shoulder to shoulder for a while before Anderson put in his usual devastating finish to win in a time of 18 mins. 33 secs. for the three-mile course, with Parry second in 18 mins. 43 secs.
Anderson looked comfortable throughout and always gave the impression of having something in reserve, although Parry again ran beautifully to be the only runner to extend him at all. Parry keeps on improving and with his fluent style and long easy stride looks as if he will trouble the best this season.
John Warden, finishing fourth in 18 mins. 57 secs., also turned in a surprisingly good performance and this strong runner is a valuable addition to the club youth team. Hugh Pritchard ran tenaciously to finish in 15th position to complete Wallasey's scoring four.
As J. M. Greenhalgh and Colin Harris finished reasonably well up in 21st and 24th positions, Wallasey's youth team is likely to take some holding in the forthcoming Liverpool & District and West Lancashire championships, when the first six runners home will all score.
To complete the Wallasey successes the Grammar School team won the boys' event by placing W. Hogarth 1st, I. Mclvor 7th, W. Farrell 13th, and A. J. Anderson 19th for a total of 40 points against the 42 points of Rudheath Secondary Modern.
Wally Hogarth ran ia splendid tactical race to win in a time of 12 mins. 40 secs. for the two-mile course, showing fine judgment in taking over the lead a quarter of a mile from home to finish 3 seconds in front of C. E Broom, of Rudheath S.M.
Another creditable performance was that of R. G. Sefton, who was W.A.C.'s first boy home in 5th place, who was supported by T. Rollins (20th), K. Tunstall (37th), and J. L. Williams (48th).
As those members of the W.G.S. team who are club members will be running for W.A.C. in the Liverpool & District and West Lancashire championships it would seem that the boys' team also will have some success in these championships.
This Saturday, Wallasey A.C. travel to Waterloo for an inter-club fixture versus Waterloo and Sefton Harriers, and members are asked to meet at Liverpool Pierhead at 2 p.m. prompt. Applications for membership will be welcomed by assistant secretary Bob McCaig, 30 Taunton Road, Wallasey (Tel. 8904).
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 10/01/1953 by R.M.
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