What to a great number of the district clubs are their most important events of the year, the Liverpool & District Cross-Country Union Championships were decided from the Bebington Show Grounds last weekend.
A tremendous amount of thought and care had been lavished on the various preparations for the events in many instance clubs deliberately abstaining from competing in bigger championships with the idea of concentrating all their energies on winning the local race.
This sort of spirit is splendid for the sport provided that the keenness of the rivalry does not entirely carry the participants with it; but generally speaking, it can at once be said that the races were run with wonderfully good sportsmanship, in fact, in several instances this was shown in a very marked degree.
The attendance was fairly good, unfortunately almost as many spectators as were in the enclosure preferring to view the race out in the country without having to undergo the formality of paying. This is of course inseparable from any competition which is not entirely held on a closed ground. The racing was splendid and starting with the senior race first it will be many long years before such wonderful packing will be seen again as that accomplished by the winners Wallasey Harriers and A.C.
Sep Francom, Wirral A.C. won as everybody expected he would do, but then Wallasey actually finished six men and with one intervening seven in the first nine, thus totalling the record score of 27 points with Wirral 67 points second. Of course such a wonderful performance has never been done before in the history of the race and Wallasey H. are to be congratulated on their remarkable running. Every man ran like a hero and the thoroughly deserved their extraordinary success. R. Young the club champion, who could not finish in the first fifty of the West Lancashire owing to a domestic trouble, ran splendidly, but made the mistake of staying with his club mate C. J. Hewson, who was third rather too long.
He was far too fresh at the finish. If so strong a runner had only made more use of himself earlier on he would certainly have been much nearer Francom, to carry the idea no further. E. Plant ran a storming race to finish fourth, and Peter Scott, than whom there certainly can be no finer honorary secretary or better sportsman living was fifth despite his obvious unfitness. H. N. Terry, sixth, was magnificent and he, with A. M'Masters seventh and A. G. Scoins ninth were object lessons in determination. Wirral A.C. as holders ran very disappointingly, and after Francom, who as usual, was very steady, there was a big drop, their next man being T. H. Langley, tenth with H. Davies eleventh, T. C. Jones thirteenth, S. W. Bird fifteenth and G. Jenkinson seventeenth.
Success cannot always attend great efforts, and the Wirral men took their defeat like true sportsmen. This is really on of the finest phases of cross-country running, and if honours do not go round, competition soon dies and with it the sport itself. Liverpool Pembroke H. ran a very exciting race with West Cheshire H. for third place, just securing the honour by the narrow margin of 2 points; 144 to 146. W. Sablick (twelfth) and G. Millington ran splendidly, the latter having done no practically no training. E. G. Montgomery, who finished eighteenth was West Cheshire's first man home. R. J. M'Caughey, North Liverpool Gymnasium, who finished eighth, ran steadily and well and gained the medal for the first man home of an unplaced team. He is a really fine cross-country runner. H. H. Herbert, Liverpool Boundary, sixteenth, gets the second unplaced medal.
The junior race was splendidly won by Liverpool Boundary Harriers as I anticipated and in only counting 14 points they did a splendid performance. T. Thompson was disappointed the club so at Runcorn ran well to finish second, with P. Smith fifth. A. Middleton sixth, and G. Murphy seventh paved the way to a capital victory. A. Illy the individual winner won as all expected he would. He ran in fine style and with care he should develop even further. His club Knotty Ash Harriers have reason to be proud that they have the junior champion in their ranks and they and they are certain to foster their champions in every way possible. Wirral A.C., as in the senior, were second totalling 92 points, Knotty Ash Harriers (100 points) third, Wallasey Harriers (156 points) fourth, Sefton Harriers (181 points) fifth, and North Liverpool Gymnasium Harriers (190 points) sixth, the remainder failing to finish teams. H. Cotter, Wirral who was third ran well but R. Hooe (Knotty Ash) should develop into quite a class man in fact Knotty Ash generally have reason to be proud of themselves as a first year club. If enthusiasm can do anything then they are certain to go far S. G. Edgar, Wallasey Harriers who ran really well to finish eighth gets a medal for first man home of an unplaced club, and M. Burns, Sefton Harriers, who is still at school and actually finished twelfth was second unplaced medal. The course was splendid, the officials did their work well, and generally the afternoon was extremely enjoyable.
Ends
Source - Liverpool Express - Saturday, 28/03/1914
Ref 2105