International runners took three of the first five places at the senior cross-country championships of the West Lancashire Cross-Country Association held at Woolton over nine miles last Saturday.
Wallasey Athletic Club after a promising start, placing seven runners in the first twenty after one mile had been covered, fell away afterwards and had to be content with fourth place.
First man to finish was the brilliant Sutton Harrier, T. Fillingham, who ran a fine race over the brick-hard, and in some places, snow-covered, ground to win by about twenty yards from the Northern Ireland and Wirral A.C. runner J. Barry. Fillingham first came into prominence just over 10 years ago when he won the West Lancashire Novice Championship, being only 15 years of age at the time. He is trained by his fellow club-mate A. K. Tyrer, the celebrated international athlete, who himself finished twelfth on Saturday. Sutton Harriers also captured the team title with 1, 3, 6,
10, 12 and 37 giving them 69 points, 6 points ahead of Liverpool Pembroke who led by their ex-international, N. Jones (4th) staged a real surprise come-back with their team six in the first twenty-three.
J. Edwards, the Wallasey A.C. captain, was not ready for the starter and was consequently left well behind, but the team went up well only to falter and disappoint by losing many places between two and four miles, the team six ultimately finishing in the first 33. W. R. Bee, who ran so well in the Wallasey championship a week previously, failed to find his form and appeared to suffer from the intense cold. R. E. Young (18th) was third home and ran very creditably in his first race since Christmas D. Dickinson was 30th, G. K. Williams (32nd) and A. Dickinson (33rd). Edwards ran into 14th place without appearing to be unduly exerting himself, the team pts. being 14, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 33 - 163 points. E. C. Foster and W. G. Williams also finished the course: J. S. Arkless was a non-starter.
Denis KeIIy, new youths champion of Wallasey Athletic Club, ran extremely well and right at the top of his form to gain third place in the youths race over three miles, showing sound judgement throughout and running very powerfully in the middle stages. He was awarded the medal for being first man home of an unplaced club. Here again the Wallasey team, probably owing to the absence of R. Johnston the Novice Champion, lacked cohesion and lost many places after the first mile. Kirby of Liverpool Harriers was the individual winner and his club took the team championship.
This Saturday there will be a training run from Leasowe Road at 3 p.m.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 15/02/1947
Ref 1662