Fine team work, combined with a high degree of physical fitness, brought Wallasey Athletic Club a resounding victory in the West Lancashire Cross-Country Association Novice Championship held over a five miles course at St. Helens last Saturday.
One hundred and nineteen runners representing 17 teams, were out to win the coveted H. S. Finney Trophy, but after only a mile of the course had been covered the Wallasey runners had established themselves in a well nigh impregnable position. R. Johnston was 7th, R. E. Young (captain of the team and son of the Wallasey ex-champion), 8th, P. Kelly 9th, and A. Dickinson 14th. With the counting four in the first fourteen places the race was virtually over. A. Dickinson suffered a stitch at the middle distance, but his brother, D. Dickinson, was there to carry on, Johnston, who recently won Wallasey Athletic Club Novice Championship, again ran effortless and pulled up considerably in the second lap to finish 5th, 1st Merseyside runner home. R. E. Young ran hard for 8th place, followed home by another effortless and most promising runner, Denis Kelly, in 9th place. D. Dickinson ran well for his 17th position, the team four thus scoring 30 points and winning by a margin of nine points from Lancaster Primrose H. & A.C., who supplied the first man home in, J. Connor. Lancaster Harriers were third with 53 points. Some idea of the Wallasey superiority may be gained from the fact that nine Wallasey runners finished in the first 37.
This is the first time Wallasey Athletic Club have won the West Lancs. Novice Championship, although the club was second on the last occasion the race was held in December 1938. Men behind the victory were the coach, J. Edwards, and his colleagues: T. O'Sullivan, who looks after the physical well-being of the athletes, and G. Mason, who is responsible for young and inexperienced runners.
Wallasey Athletic Club are holding a dance at the Grosvenor Assembly Rooms on Wednesday evening.
To-day, Liverpool Pembroke A.C. visit Wallasey, for inter-club races with seniors and youth; start from Leasowe Road, 3-15 p.m.
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Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 14/12/1946
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