Wallasey A.C. members experienced the biting cold and deep snow to the full when they travelled to Sedgefield Park racecourse, Darlington for the Northern Counties Cross-Country Championships.
The conditions had a remarkable effect on form and some suprising results were recorded.
The boys' race was run by Field of Manchester & District L.C.H. and Wallasey's men included 13th, Ron Barlow, a good run, but one feels that in better conditions he would have been further up; 45th Tony Townsend, rather disappointing and well below his usual standard, and well below his usual standard, and 72nd, Freddie Jamieson, a good run considering the class of race.
The youths fared badly, finishing 16th against 12th last year, though this can in no way be attributed to their captain Roy Shaw, who confirmed his West Lancs. form and finished 13th.
Roy seems to thrive on heavy going and when he goes into the forces shortly the specialised training should bring him to the fore in the cross-country world. Ian McIvor was the only other youth to run well. He finished 64th after running through the field.
Neither juniors nor seniors could raise a team, indeed only 2 Wallasey men finished in each race.
In the junior race, won by Bob Beecroft of Clayton-le-Moors, Colin Harris ran well to finish 78th and Hugh Pritchard nearly caught him finished 80th. Roy Parry, while running well up in first twenty collapsed from the extreme cold and was so robbed of a chance of finishing amongst the best, as he was running very well at the time.
The senior race was won by popular Ken Gates of Liverpool Pembroke, and Wallasey had the distinction of having the last two men home. Ray Scammell the marathon prospect, finished 186th, just beating John Winrow 187th, on leave from the army in Germany.
This week there will be a club run at 3 p.m. prparatory to the English National Championship to be held at Bedford next week, all team members should turn out.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 26/02/1955 by SPIKE
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