Wallasey A.C. spent last Saturday afternoon enjoying a relatively easy run from their Leasowe Road H.Q. in preparation for this Saturday's Northern Cross-Country Championships at Sheffield.
Wallasey's brightest prospects again lie in the boys' event over two miles, when the club team, who have already won the Cheshire and Wallasey championships, will make a big effort to gain even higher laurels.
The standard in these championships is always very high as can be expected when the competing clubs are drawn from the whole of the North of England, and the Wallasey boys can expect to meet very stiff opposition.
Subject to the team getting away to a good start, which is not always possible in a big field, Wallasey should be fighting it out at the top end of the field. It will also be interesting to see how young Walter Hogarth fares in such company.
Competition for places in the team has been very intense during the past few weeks, and the final selection to represent Wallasey is Hogarth, Sefton, Woolford, McIvor, Shaw, Tunstall and Farrell.
Wallasey also have teams in the youth (16-18) and junior (18-21) events, where it is hoped the Wallasey runners will acquit themselves creditably.
In the youth race Don Anderson and Roy Parry should be well up, although too much cannot be expected of Anderson as his training has been very restricted by a continuance of his cartilage trouble. John Warden should also run well, and he will be supported by Michael Greenhalgh, Hugh Pritchard and Colin Harris.
The junior team will consist of Dave Standfast, Ken Ledward, Eric Maddock, John Lynch, John Winrow and Ray Scammell, who will have to show more pace than hitherto this season to finish in the top half of the field.
The senior team this season has been the weakest for some years and Wallasey will only have two individual entrants in Bob Johnston and Alan Clarke, who can both be expected to run reasonably well.
Team and supporters leave by coach from Seacombe Ferry at 8.45 a.m., which will also call en route at Birkenhead Town Hall at 9 a.m.
Applications for membership to assistant secretary Bob McCaig, 30 Taunton Road, telephone 8904.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 21/02/1953
Ref 2496