A Wallasey Athletic Club team travelled to Victoria Park, Warrington, last Saturday for an inter-club track and field meet in which six clubs took part.
In spite of the heavy rain, which completely spoiled the afternoon for competitors and spectators alike, Wallasey scored a fine victory over Pilkington (St. Helens A.C.) and Warrington A.C.
The result was in doubt until the last event the 2-miles team race. Before this race Pilkington's led by two points but. Wallasey runners Kevin Mather and John Wright secured maximum points, to make the final placings:-
1 Wallasey 91 points; 2 Pilkington A.C., 78; 3 Warrington. 50; 4 Waterloo Harriers, 29; 5 Pembroke, 21; 6 Widnes A.C. 19.
In the women's section, the club had only one competitor. Lynda Breeze, but she ran very well to win the 80 yards in 10.3 secs., and was placed second in the 150 yards in 19.4 secs. Maurice Price made a welcome appearance in the senior 100 yards, and, although unplaced, recorded 10.7 sees., a creditable performance after not having run for some time.
The boys 100 yards was won by T. Dunn, who recorded 13.5 secs. The track was later found to be 120 yards too long, because the judges had used the wrong finishing line, in the longer event Wallasey soon began to score valuable points, with no fewer than seven wins in eight races. John Morley won the youths 440 yards in 55.4 secs . And was beaten by inches in a combined junior and youth 220 yards. David Duncan was third, only a few minutes after winning the junior 88 yards in 2 mins. 3.8 secs.
Kevin Mather led all the way in the senior mile, winning in 4 mins. 30.8 secs, with Brian Woolford, an athlete who prefers the longer distances fifth in 4 mins 38.3 secs.
Ron Barlow showed some of his former aggressiveness in the.senior 880 yards, but although he was leading until the last 80 yards, fast finishing Frank Wilson of Pembroke passed him and Ron had to be content with 3rd place in 2 mins., 1.8 secs.
At this stage the field athletes came into prominence. Carl Gee won the discus and the shot putt (37 feet 10 inches) and M. W. Shepherd put in one of his rare appearances to take the youth's shot putt with 35 feet 10 inches.
Matt Smith was the only competitor in the senior high jump and cleared only a nominal height to win maximum points. John McWilliam was second in the youths' high jump with 4 ft. 10 ins., and later won the youths' 440 yards, with Peter Meldrum. both runners recording 2 mins. 15.2 secs.
The field event performances were excellent, considering the conditions, as competitors had to be on the spot all the time, waiting for their turn to throw or jump, and all were very wet and miserable.
With only two events left Wallasey were five points behind Pilkington's A.C., but an excellent yards by D Gibbons, in the boys' race, in which he finished second, reduced the margin to two points. In the two-mile team race Brian Chalton showed the way for the first mile, reached in 4 mins. 52 secs., but that Kevin Mather and John Wright went into the lead and soon dropped the rest of the field. Mather eventually winning in 9 mins. 44.6 secs., with Wright second in 9 mina. 47 secs. It is interesting to note that John was still taking off his tracksuit when the race started and he was left some 80 yards behind.
The next inter-club meet at Warrington is on July 1 and all members who would like to compete should see Carl Gee or Matt Smith.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 24/06/1961 by W.J.M.
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