The club-spirit which characterises the regular members of the Wallasey Athletic Club, was well illustrated last Saturday, when Ted Bollard (41st) realising that the club junior team, which was weakened by conscription and injuries, would be incomplete without him, borrowed running gear and ignored his own injured leg to toil round the windy 7-mile course at Runcorn so that his club could make a showing.
Gaining confidence from his juniors, Bob Johnston (2) and support, the club's two best John McFarland (7) produced their best form. Johnston, who won the medal for the first man home in an unplaced team, ran step for step with Liverpool Harriers' Mike O'Donoghue over the last 2 miles, and was only beaten in the run in, when he was unable to reproduce O'Donoghue's decisive sprint.
Eric Weir, Wallasey Athletic Club youths' captain, finished 17th, but the rest of the team, Maddock (32), O'Connell (35), and Lynch (36), could not support him, with the result that the team earned a lowly 8th place.
W.A.C. seniors again suffered from Dinsdale's ankle injury, which caused him to drop out. In order to support his team and club this runner has persisted, in the face of recurring pain, but it is now apparent that only a prolonged and well-deserved rest will enable him to recover before the track season.
W.A.C. seniors finished: Denis Dickinson (24), Foster (28), Tony Dickinson (30), Simpson (37), Hewson (45), and McCaig (46), and the team was placed fifth to the national champions, Sutton Harriers, who packed magnificently 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8;
All hands to the pump please, W.A.C. for our Jumble Sale today. Final collection at headquarters this morning, the sale at St. Luke's Hall this afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 18/02/1950 by E.C.F.
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