The track at Woodbank Park, Stockport, is set in very pleasant surroundings and this allied to the weather which seemed to bless the whole country last Saturday, meant that a trip to the Cheshire County Athletics championships proved a pleasant day out for an who made the trip.
A small contingent of Wallasey Athletic Club members made the journey but although the sun shone on the spectators, fortune did not smile on our local competitors.
Before the meeting there seemed two stone-cold certainties, Carl Gee in the discus and Ron Barlow in the three miles. But Carl had caught a chill during his final training sessions and he had to be content with third place in an event which he could have won easily had he been well. He also gained third place in the shot.
I am more hard-pressed to find a reasonable excuse for the defeat of Ron Barlow by Derek Fife of Macclesfield in the three mile event. Ron ran the whole race with the leaders but was out-sprinted on. the last lap by the fast finishing Macclesfield boy. I feel that Ron would have been better advised to have taken the lead earlier and run the opposition (which included myself) into the ground.
That is pretty well the story of the 1960 Cheshire Championships. Only two short years ago, Wallasey were County Cross-Country Champions and this winter they supplied the individual winner in that great runner John Wright. But where were all these people last Saturday? I know John had other things on his mind, but surely Wallasey can supply some individual winners in the track and field spheres. I cannot believe that the only sports Wallaseyans shine in are swimming, weightlifting and cross-country running.
Some of the blame must rest with the Council, who have provided a running track at Lingham Lane but have done nothing about its upkeep, with the result that it is probably the worst in the country. An even, greater part of the blame, lies in the lethargy of the local townspeople who are content to bask in the reflected glory of the Neil McKechnies, Ron Brownhills and John Wrights.
To get to the top in any sport requires many sacrifices of time and so called pleasures. If you would like to try to succeed in athletics, come and chat to members of Wallasey Athletic Club at their Leasowe Road headquarters any Tuesday or Thursday night. You will be very welcome.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 04/06/1960 by Spike
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