The Cheshire senior championship at Bromborough, on Saturday last, resulted in an easy win for J. H. Green, the Wirral A.C. international cross-country runner.
The absence of anyone of his own calibre in the race enabled him to go to the front very early on, as he likes to do, and from then on he seemed to enjoy his afternoon out. We must remember, however, that a runner with such delightful as Green always makes it appear effortless and the time betrayed his speed. If the distance of seven miles was correct and there is no reason for thinking otherwise, then the time of 38 minutes 40 seconds shows that he was running very fast, and the runner-up J. Price (East Cheshire H.) did very well to finish 84 seconds behind.
With no junior race on the card, had been built up with the best of the juniors, East Cheshire H., who are the English junior champions, were thus able to bring in three of their championship team to assist their seniors with devastating results for the opposition. They scored 42 points by finishing J. Price 2, T. Smith 3, J. Wild 4, I. Bradbury 5, G. Haynes 13, N. Oldham 15.
Wirral A.C. were second with 90 points, their placings being J. H. Green 1, K. Hall 12, R. Wilson 16, J. Gilmore 17, N. Graves 24 and G. Torrible 26. Stockport H. were third with G. Knott 6, D. Coleman 8, A. Callaghan 9, H. Clayton 23, H. Frith 30, L. Fitzsimmons 33 - 109 points.
In the youths championship, the leaders on the first lap succeeded in taking the whole pack through a shortcut, thus reducing the total distance by about 600 yards. As everyone had gone the same way before the mistake was discovered the result was allowed to stand, and so we had the unique experience of seeing the English junior javelin-throwing champion winning a county cross-country championship.
M. E. Morrell (Wirral A.C.) has not deserted his first love, but running cross-country as his out-of-season exercise, and making the most of it evidently. His time (short course) was 14 minutes 45 seconds. The team race was very keenly fought out by Wallasey A.C. and Wirral A.C. and the former were the victors by 21 points to 24.
Wallasey: K. Ledward 2, D. J. Anderson 4, E. G. Maddock 7, H. Foot 8. Wirral A.C.: M. E. Morrell 1, J. Ball 5, R. W. Jones 6, B. Rushton 12. Sale H. (third): B. Smith 3, R. Monreiff 9, D. R. Davies 16, B. Kenyon 20 - 48 points.
Competitors changed in what was for cross-country runners, the lap of luxury. They are indebted to the Stork Margarine Sports Club for the use of the excellent accommodation, so very different from the rough quarters so often their lot.
The following team was selected to represent Cheshire in the inter-county championship to be held at Aylesford, Kent on January 20. J. H. Green (Wirral A.C.), J. Price (East Cheshire H.), T. Smith, J. Wild, I. Bradbury (East Cheshire), R. Johnson (Wallasey A.C.), G. Knott, D. Coleman, A. Callaghan (Stockport H.)
Ends
Source - Liverpool Echo - Saturday, 16/12/1950 by J. C. RICE
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