Now, you students of form, get busy, Sutton Harriers (as reported in last week's Echo) are triple champions of St. Helens and district, and last Saturday, at the Port Sunlight ground, Liverpool Pembroke, for the fourth year in succession, won the Senior Championship of Liverpool district, after a great fight with both Liverpool Harriers and Wirral A.C., and they also added to their honours by winning the junior championship by a very narrow margin over the University and Boundary Harriers.
Unfortunately, I was absent in Manchester, attending the annual meeting of the N.C.A.A., but the reports that have come to me from the men on the spot indicate that it was a great afternoon's sport, and seldom before have honours been fought for so keenly and (be it added to the credit of the district) so cleanly. With these results before us, who is prepared to forecast the results of the West Lancashire Championships to be held next week? I never professed to be a prophet in these matters, and I am prepared to wait and see, but there can be no denying that the fight at the Makerfield Harriers' ground will be a tremendous one next Saturday afternoon, and it will be watched with all the greater interest because of the events that have gone before. Here are the figures of last Saturday's events, just to show how close the struggles were:- Senior Championship. - Pembroke, 2, 3, 7, 8, 16, 25 - 61 points; Liverpool H., 4, 5, 10, 13, 16, 21 - 71 points; Wirral A.C., - 1, 9, 11, 12, 22, 23 - 75 points; Liverpool Scottish, 14, 19, 26, 28, 30, 38 - 155 points. The other competing clubs did not complete teams. to get in front of his club mate.
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. - Pembroke, 3, 6, 8, 17, 19, 27 - 80 points; Liverpool University, 3, 11, 12, 15, 31 - 34 points; Boundary Harriers, 1, 7, 14, 21, 24, 26 - 93 points. Then followed Wirral A.C. 117 Wallasey Harriers 154, Liverpool H. 187
YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP. - Sefton Harriers, 4, 6, 7, 9 26 points; Liverpool H., 3, 8, 11, 13 - 35 points; North Liverpool Gym. H., 1, 5, 16, 19 - 41 points; Wirral A C., 2, 10, 15, 17 - 44 points. Sam Dodd won the senior individual honour again, this being the sixth occasion on which he has been so placed surely a record that will want some beating. His time was 63 min. 46 secs. The great surprise of the race was the winning of second position by Jack Johnstone, who was 72 sec. behind Dodd, and must have run the last lap with great determination to get in front of his club mate Norman Jones, who was another 52 secs. behind.
Boundary Harriers did well in the junior race, placing the first man home in L. Craine, and they made a gallant attempt on team honours, by placing their six within 26 positions. Honours were divided in the Youth's Championship, for North Liverpool Gymnasium Harriers claimed the first position through F. New, while Sefton wrested the team honours from Liverpool Harriers shown above.
THE WEST LANCASHIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The scrutiny meeting held on Monday night last in Liverpool revealed that fourteen clubs have entered teams for the Senior Championship (to be decided from the Makerfield Harriers ground next Saturday), with ten for the junior race and ten for the youth's race. Entries are very representative, for eighteen clubs all will take part. In addition to strong contingents from Liverpool and St. Helens districts, there will be Parries from Blackpool, Warrington, Widnes, Chester, and Lancaster. Proceedings will commence at 2.30 p.m. with the youths' race, which will cover one lap of the track and one lap of the full course; then the Juniors will follow with two laps round the ground and two laps in the country; while the seniors will do two laps of the ground and three laps in the country. The L.M.S. Railway Company are making special arrangements to convey teams and supporters from Lime-street on the trains leaving at 1.5 p.m. and 2.20 p.m., the former tram being due at Earlestown at 1.33 pm and the latter at 2.38 p.m. Competitors and officials for the youth's and junior's championships must travel by the first train. The special fare (by the trains mentioned) is 1/6, and return may be made by any ordinary train. Can we hope that, in view of the interest aroused, a record number of supporters from this district will give the championship their support, and thus give much needed assistance to the association? It should be noted also that for the Northern Championships at Lancaster, on February 23, the L.M.S. are putting on a special train, leaving Lime-street at 12 noon, at a fare of 3/6.
The statement of accounts presented to its delegates at the annual meeting of the Northern Counties Athletic Association, held in Manchester on Saturday last, showed that the association is in a stronger financial position than ever before, despite the difficulties of the time, for the assets now stand at over £1,000, with liabilities nil. A very sincere and cordial vote of thanks was accorded the officers for their labours during the past year. Mr. E. Barnet (Grimsby) was elected president for the ensuing year. And Messrs J. W. Turner and A. Purkis , were re-elected hon. Secretary, and hon. treasurer respectively. Mr. J. H. Hardwick was elected to the vacant vice-presidentship (formerly held by the late Mr. Fred Beresford, whose death the meeting sadly regretted), and in acknowledging the honour, Mr. Hardwick referred to the first connection with the N.C.A.A. occurring so far back as 1880. Amongst the elective vice-presidents. Mr. A. G. Nicholson (Wallasey) was successful in securing a place and Messrs. T H. Blair and H. Kelly, from this district, were amongst the representatives appointed to the A.A.A. general committee.
Pressure on space compels me to defer again my promised reference to the Canadian letter received from Mr Tommy Langley. Port Sunlight A.C. will be at borne for a training run next Saturday.
Ends
Source - Liverpool Echo - Saturday, 02/02/1935
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