Despite an exceptionally fast time set by the leading runners in the All-England Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships at Leicester on Saturday, Cheshire still came 11th, only two places lower than last year.
The absence of Wallasey's Ron Barlow, who, made 14th place in last year's race probably accounted for this drop. He is still nursing a foot injury but had he done as well this year he would have saved Cheshire 113 points.
Wallasey A.C. secretary and marathon international, Brian Woolford made a useful contribution to the team coming 114th in a field of 350.
Woolford was 4th counter for his team in a very fast race over an undulating course of 7 ½ miles and his time of 36:20 was 3m 26s behind the winner, Dick Taylor of Warwick, who is considered the 'find' of the season and who beat Lancashire's Ron
Hill by 100 yards.
With four teams in today's West Lancashire championships at Blackpool, Wallasey A.C. have a chance of medal placings in three of these; namely the boys', youths', and juniors' events.
It is in the latter that most interest will lie with a first outing for a potentially good team with Barrie Smith, Alan Keating, Mike McNamee and Ken Rosso receiving support from newcomer Dave Cavanah, who is making his first appearance for the club today.
Forecasting in a cross-country event is a hazardous business, but it is difficult to imagine the youths' performing, as badly as in recent weeks and with four to count, as in the boys' and juniors' races, they should be in with a chance.
The senior event assumes frightening proportions to the middle distance runners when they are expected to complete a nine-mile race in company with some of the most talented runners in the country and Wallasey's prospects are diminished by Barlow's absence.
John Wright coming back into a team which should include B. Woolford, L. Durkin,
D. Hanna, M. Teahan and C. Gee should prove fit enough to score in the first 30 runners and in doing so will also place 2nd of his team counters.
Individually, Brian Woolford in the senior race, Barrie Smith and Alan Keating in the junior, Dave Lockley in the youths' and Melvin Schless in the boys' race are the pick for honours with team results depending upon the determination with which the runners must show for any success.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 28/01/1967 by DISCOBOLUS
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