Ron Barlow, the Cheshire and West Lancashire Champion and easily the best prospect Wallasey Club has ever had, fulfilled all the club's wildest hopes when he won the youth race at the Northern Counties Cross-Country championships at Port Sunlight last Saturday by a masterful display of cross-country tactics.
Ron's race was over 3 miles of fairly flat country made very difficult by its frozen condition. This however did not seem seriously to trouble the well built Wallasey boy. He was content to stay 5th for the first of the two laps but at the start of the last lap the announcer excitedly sent out the news that Ron had moved up to the leaders and was now in 2nd position. He maintained this position far nearly all this lap and many Wallasey supporters, thought that Ron had at last met his master but to our great surprise this was not so, for, with 300 yards to go, Ron turned on a pulverising finish which left the rest of the opposition wallowing in his wake as he went to win by some 60 yards and so brought the first ever Northern Counties winner's medal to Wallasey.
Thoughts must now turn to Ron's potentialities and his chances of a coveted National Title. Without a doubt Ron is the best prospect Wallasey has ever had and I include Don Anderson, Bob Johnson and Wally Hogarth. He is much more strongly built than any of these and has speed matched only to Don Anderson, he has the unusual capacity of being able to train to the modem 'track man' schedules without becoming bored, and this should stand him in good stead in fulfilling any Olympic hopes he may have.
The team race for the boys was won quite magnificently by Halifax Harriers who had the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 14 positions giving them a total of 23 points. Liverpool Pembroke were second with 61 points Wallasey had Gerry Williams 43rd, Brian Anthony, Billy Morris and Ron Edwards. Liverpool Harriers won the team race for the youths.
Alan Cocking of Bramley & District Harriers, who trains locally with Wirral A.C., easily won the junior race, He beat B. Grubb of Sheffield by about 50 yards,
The senior race saw some of England's finest cross-country runners in action. Derek Ibbotson the Longwood Harrier and international 'three miler' kept his track action all the way when he defeated the holder Ken Gates of Liverpool Pembroke by over 200 yards. First man for Wallasey was Harry Lutas who finished 167th, he was followed by Ray Scammell. Sheffield United Harriers won the team race with 76 points.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 25/02/1956
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