WOLVERTON EXPRESS
11 March 1932
By Eddie Kenrick
English International 1923
Northern Counties Ten Mile Champion 1922
The National - the “blue ribbon” of all cross country runners - takes place tomorrow (Saturday) at Wolverton.
The first National was started as far back as 1877 at Roehampton, when only 33 runners took part. During the intervening years the popularity of the sport has increased and the fields also. Last year something like four hundred runners ran at Kettering and this year the total may be eclipsed.
Birchfield Harriers, who gained the first success as far back as 1880 over the original National course at Roehampton, posses an outstanding record, and from 1920 to 1926 they held the title seven times in succession.
In 1881-2-3-4 they were also second the to the then redoubtable Moseley Harriers, whilst on six occasions the Birchfield club have had the honour of placing the actual winner, and on seventeen occasions they have had one or more of the runners in the first three.
In 1884, Moseley Harriers won the National with the lowest aggregate of points, 32. In 1877 Thames Hare and Hounds got within three points of that total, viz. 35 points. In 1923 Birchfield won with a score of 36 points in a field of 300 runners. In 1927 Hallamshire equalled Birchfield’s previous score.
Chief Club successes are:-
Firsts Seconds Thirds
Birchfield Harriers 22 14 4
Salford Harriers 6 2 7
Hallamshire Harriers 5 5 5
Highgate Harriers 4 4 1
Moseley Harriers 4 0 0
Birchfield Harriers and Essex Beagles dead-heated for first place in 1891, and Salford Harriers and Manchester Harriers for first place 1897.
The National is now only eligible to competitors of British Nationality, but in the past it was open to all-comers. J. Guillimot (ex-Olympic and International champion) won at Windsor in 1920 and Hereford in 1922. In 1910 J. Keyser, Paris, finished second.
The winner of the National has always shown great prominence in the following International races, and in 1903-4-5-6, 1908, 1921-2-3 and 4, the National champion also became the victor in the International race.
Among individual championship records are: P. H. Stenning, Thames Hare and Hounds, four firsts 1877 to 1880; Alfred Shrubb, South London Harriers, four firsts, 1901 to 1904; E. W. Parry, Salford Harriers, three firsts. Among modern runners Corporal Cotterell, Webster, and Ernest Harper have each won it twice. Potts, Saltweel, and Howard, Kettering, have each one win to their name.
The Present Race
The three leading championships, North, South, and Midlands, having now been decided, we can analyse the merits of individuals for premier honours.
Northern Championship. - 1 J. H. Potts, Saltwell (won by 8 seconds), 2 G. W. Bailey (Salford), 3 E. F. Swainson (Bramley). Leaving first two out, the next nine runners all finished close up.
Midland Championship - J. T. Holden Tipton (won by 25 seconds), 2 A. Bourton (Birchfield), 3 J. W. Winfield (Derby).
Southern Championship - 1 L. E. Weatherill, South London (won by 22 seconds), 2 Humphries (South London), 3 Footer
(Belgrave).
The wins of Potts and Holden appear the most convincing. Both Evenson (East Lancs, Champion) and Beavers (Yorkshire Champion) could only finish 5th and 7th respectively. The form of Weatherill, the Southern Champion, has yet to be tried. Potts, the holder, is going to want some beating this year. He has already beaten Burns, the N. E. Wonder runner, easily in his own district championships. He has the required speed and stamina to again win the National title. Winfield, of derby, who won last year’s A.A.A. 10 miles, is not showing the form that earned him second place to Potts last year in the National race. The form of men like Bailey (Salford), Swainson (Bramley), Harper (Hallamshire) is particularly good this season and they will be contending hard for the honour.
My fancy is Potts to win, with runners like Bailey, Evenson, Beavers, Burns, Swainson, Harper, Weatherill, Holden, Bourton, Winfield, and Humphries to occupy positions in the leading section.
The race for the individual honour is likely to be finer than ever.
Team Prospects
The three leading Northern Championship teams are Salford, Sheffield, and Royton. Hallamshire have gone back to fourth position. Birchfield hold the Midland senior title by fifty-three points from Tipton; Godiva are third. South London Harriers are, of course, the pick of the Southern teams. Last year they got second to Birchfield in the National.
For the past three years Birchfield have not been anything near as strong as they were in the past. This year three of their main runners will be missing, viz, Webster, Beman, and Light, but they have such a wealth of young materials to call upon, that they should again beat all the field.
In young Bourton they have a coming champion. Salford is about the strongest opposing team. They have runners like Bailey, Evenson, Platt, and Eaton, who are bound to run well up. Teams like South London, Tipton, Sheffield, Hallamshire, are likely to make up the main contending teams. There is just a chance that South London might also beat Salford, though I hardly think so.
If Salford beat Birchfield, and I don’t think is likely, they will have accomplished one of the greatest tasks of the year.
Much will depend on the day, and the nature of the soil. A heavy course may easily prove the undoing of the lighter runners, though it would suit admirably teams like Salford, Birchfield, Sheffield, and Hallamshire. The sight of some four hundred runners striving for mastery, will be one of the most awe-inspiring witnessed in the vicinity for some time.
On the result of the race the runners will be picked t represent England in the International race at Brussels at the end of March.
….wards the great event which is due for decision at Stacey Hill Course. In another column you will get all the very latest news with regard to this great sporting ensemble. Wolverton Athletic Club has done much to promote healthy recr4eative sport in the district. May its activities widen as the years go on. We all realize in the great game of football today the asset of running ability and stamina. So we give our whole hearted support today to this great national event and trust that new records will be made.
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WOLVERTON EXPRESS
18 March 1932
NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
AT WOLVERTON
Wolverton certainly justified itself on Saturday last for its selection again, this year as the venue of the blue ribbon event of the athletic world, the National Cross Country Championship. It was six years ago, almost to the date, that the champion ship was previously run at Wolverton, and it was indeed fortunate for the promoters that the weather conditions were almost identical to those experienced for the event in 1926. It was also a welcome spring day, a strong sun taking the sting off a north-easterly wind.
The attendance of spectators was large, although perhaps not quite so large as was anticipated, seeing that on the previous occasion Wolverton established a record attendance for the race up to that period. Since then, however, that record has been heat en by Kettering, but whilst Wolverton lost the record they certainly have the great satisfaction that nowhere have the local arrangements for the race been so thoroughly and perfectly made than at Wolverton.
The enormous amount of detail work entailed had been the special care of the local committee who were enthusiastic in their efforts to uphold the prestige of the town in the athletic world. It was to the credit of the local officials that everything went off to arrangements with not the slightest hitch either from the point of view of those attending the race or those participating.
A large measure of success achieved was due to the fine facilities granted by the L.M.S. Railway Company and also Mr E. Norman, of Stacey Hill Farm over whose land the greater part of the course was laid. The course was over stiff country, but was more compact than on the previous occasion, and with the exception of a matter of about 30 yards the runners were in view of the spectators during the whole of the ten miles. There were plenty of jumps and obstacles and uphill runs, and the "going" was dry and fast. The course was flagged, which was a great improvement on the “papered" course that were often laid, whilst the preparation of the course had necessitated a considerable amount of time and labour during the previous week. The layout of the course was one of the things that the Wolverton Committee can compliment themselves upon.
The slope of Stacey Hill Field afforded a natural grandstand for the 4,000 or more spectators, among whom ladies predominated.
The facilities for dressing room for the competitors could not have been better, the commodious Railway Carriage Works Dining Hall having been placed at the disposal of the Championship Committee.
The competitors were conveyed from this building to the course in saloon buses and within five minutes of their arrival at the field the 269 runners had been dispatched on their ten miles journey by Mr. J.
Purves.
The teams numbered 29, and there were also 40 individual runners. The spectacle of such a large bunch of men, clad in most varied coloured costumes, was very impressive.
There were two short circuits to make up the first 1½ miles and then the runners broke out into the country. Some fast running was seen, and in the very fast time of 53 min. 21 4/-5th sec the championship was won by J. A. Burns, a 24 year old runner, of Elswick, Newcastle on Tyne, who is the four miles A.A.A. Champion. Burns, who previous to the race thought he would be lucky if he finished in the first ten, considered his success due to his recent good training. He found himself in tip-top form on the day.
It was remarkable how fresh many of the runners finished the course, some giving the impression that instead of ten miles of strenuous running they had only completed one mile. It was a great race, which must have given a thrill to every spectator.
ORDER OF FINISHING
1. J. A. Burns (Elswick H.), time, 53 min. 22 sec.
2 G. W. Bailey (Salford H.), 53.26.
3 J. T. Holden (Tipton H.), 53.42.
4 J. H. Potts (Saltwell H.)(holder), 53.56.
5 R. R. Sutherland (Birchfield H.), 54.14.
6 H. Evenson (Salford H.), 54.32.
7 A. Dougall (Birchfield H.), 54.36.
8 Cpl. J. Wilson (Aldershot Command),
54.39.
9 W. Beavers (York H.), 54.45.
10 E. Ceney (Sutton-in-Ashfield), 54.46.
11 G. Forryan (Birchfield H.), 54.49.
12 E. Harper (Hallamshire H.), 54.54.
Team Contest.
1 Birchfield H.(holders) 66 points;
2 Salford, 79;
3 Aldershot Command, 190;
4 Tipton H., 228;
5 Hallamshire H., 248;
6 South London H., 273;
7 Wycombe Phoenix H., 317;
8 Royton H., 356;
9 Sheffield Utd. H., 385;
10 Belgrave H., 437;
11 Enfield A.C., 488;
12 Polytechnic H., 502.
After the race the runners were conveyed
back by buses to the Dining Hall where hot baths were in readiness.
Afterwards tea was served in another part of the same building and the massive trophies were presented to the winners by Mrs Power.
Mr E. J. Holt, the Hon. Secretary of the National Cross Country Union, expressed appreciative thanks to the L.M.S. Railway Company for all the facilities played at their disposal, and also thanked Mr. Purves, Mr F Swain and Mr S. Coles and the local committee, whom he congratulated upon the excellent arrangements for the race.
At the tea the team to represent England in the International Cross Country Championship, to be decided in Belgium on Sunday, 27th March, was announced.
The officials included: Referee, Mr. W. Wallace (President N.C.C.U.); starter, Mr.
Purves (President, Local Committee); chief steward, Mr. F. J. Swain; honorary stewards, Lord Hillingdon, Lieut.-Col. L. C. Hawkins, Lieut.-Col, J. Williams, M. C., Mr. H. E. Meacham, the Rev. Canon W. L. Harnett, M.A., Mr. W. Purslow, Capt. Sir G. Bowyer. M.C., ,Messrs. E. J. Boyce, H. Lunn, E. G. Milner, W. W. Carlile, O.B.E., D.L., A. E. Peters, A. T. Fletcher, J. Knight, E. F. Merrett; chief
press steward, Mr. C. M Webber; megaphone stewards, Messrs. W. Crooks, T. Impey; course stewards, Messrs. H. H. Coker, A. J. Westley, W. J. Brown, B. F. Tapp, J. Cartmale, F. J. Knight, W. T. Panter, C. B. Johnson, S. Swain, G. White, T. Bull, F. Bates, W. Cave, R. Remington. W. Barnwell, J. Ager, A. Rose, F. Powell, C. Pearce; finance stewards, Messrs. C. W. F. Pearce, R. R. Thurlow, D. L. Mackey, J. W. Mutlow, A. Boughton, W. G. Dunkley, E. A. Thompson, H. Watts, W. Hilton, J. Murphy, J. Elliott. S. Freeman, W. Fielding, and W. Gardener; dressing room stewards, Messrs. J. G. Knight, G. Cross, A. Meacham, T. Beckett, A. Sabin, D. Biddle, H. Dolling, F. Guntrip; programme stewards, Messrs. W. J. Parker. H. Basketfield, J. Hands, and the 1st Wolverton Group Boy Scouts.
There were 17 members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade on the course with a marquee and two other tents for the reception of patients. Dr. P. B. Atkinson, New Bradwell, was in charge, with Messrs. J. D Atkinson, J. Smart, and R. S. Mantle as his chief assistants. Fortunately their services were not in great demand, and their only patients were four or five runners who met with minor injuries. One of the runners had the misfortune to collide with a tree.
It was estimated that over one mile of rope was used on the course.
Before the race commenced the Wolverton Town Band, under the conductorship of Mr. A. P. Brooks, rendered an enjoyable programme of music. They took up a position on the crest of a hill from which a large number of people afterwards watched the progress of the race.
The Gaumont Co., Ltd., had the exclusive right to take cinematograph pictures (sound and silent) during the race, and the operations of the van containing their apparatus was followed with more than ordinary interest.
It was interesting to note that among thee stewards was Mr. Charlie Pearce, of Newport Pagnell, who was the Midland Counties champion in 1890-91. Although about 70 years of age he still has a. great interest for athletics.
The police arrangements worked very smoothly under the supervision of Superintendent E. Callaway. Bletchley. A number of police from North Bucks were drafted into the town to control the traffic and the large crowd.
Quite a. large number of motor-cars brought visitors to the town, whilst the L.M.S. Railway ran three excursion trains for runners and supporters. The first excursion to arrive was at 1.24 p.m. which started from the north and carried runners from principally Lancashire and Yorkshire. There were approximately 250 passengers. About 700 or 800 arrived by excursion trains run from the London area and south, which arrived about half an hour later. All the usual running trains held full complements of passengers, especially those from the Birmingham district and Northampton. The Wolverton Railway Station staff, under Mr. A. T. Sabin, very ably coped with the heavy passenger traffic and in the evening got the special trains away right on schedule time, which was a tribute to their arrangements.
During the early evening the Stratford Road, Wolverton, presented a very animated appearance. A large crowd thronged the street awaiting the departure of their trains for home. Shortly after seven o'clock when the last excursion left, Wolverton returned to its normal serenity, as though nothing unusual had happened that day.
It was a matter for congratulation that the crowd who had invaded the town had been on its best behaviour and there were no accidents or untimely disputes to necessitate the services of the ambulance men or police officers on duty.
A tribute must be paid to the very energetic work of Mr. S. Coles, junior, the Hon. Secretary of Wolverton Amateur Athletic Club, for the splendid way he carried the innumerable duties that fell to the lot of the local Hon. Secretary for the race.
The National Cross Country Union conveys its appreciation and thanks to Mr. E. Norman and the Wolverton Industrial and Provident Society for the privilege and free use of the land over which the race was held; Mr. J. Purves, for the granting of the free use of the Railway Dining Hall for dressing rooms and teas; the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Boy Scouts, and all those who helped in any way; Mr. F. J. Swain and Mr. S. Coles, and all members of the local committee who had so wholeheartedly worked for the success of the race; and Mr. A. Wilson for preparing a plan of the course.
The catering arrangements for over 400 persons in the L.M.S. Dining Hall were carried out by the Wolverton Co-operative Society.
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WOLVERTON EXPRESS
18 March 1932
The Wolverton Technical College pupils held their annual cross-country races on Monday morning last at Stacey Hill Farm, Wolverton, The seniors’ event followed for 3¼ miles the course used for the National Cross Country Championships the previous Saturday. Forty pupils competed and 7 or 8 of them entered the last lap together. Petts and Valler then raced on the for last 200 yards, with the latter winning by 8 yards. His time was 28min. 22.2sec.
The first four runners to pass the winning post were: 1 G. Valler (Potterspury), 2 R Petts (Wolverton), 3 K. Hartup (Bletchley), 4 J. Richardson (New Bradwell). The team placings were: 1 Newton House 50 points, 2 Kelvin House 73, 3 Stephenson House 97, 4 Faraday House 98.
The juniors’ event was over a much shorter course of two miles and was taken part in by 20 runners. Result: R. Brimley (Olney), 2 G. Tapp (New Bradwell), 3 E. Garratt (Hanslope), 4 D. Dawson (Wolverton). House placings: 1 Kelvin 12 points, 2 Newton 14, 3 Faraday 22, 4 Stephenson 29.
Mr E. G. Milner, B.Sc. (Principal) was judge, with Mr W. H. Knight, the latter also acted as starter,
The recorders were Messrs. Longley, Shorrock, Williams, and Pond. Time keeper Mr W. Gardner.
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