The Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championship will be held next Saturday at Bingley, Yorkshire. Lancashire are the holders, and have every hope of retaining the trophy. The team, chosen after the county championship last week, includes seven who were in the winning team at Brighton in 1960 and two newcomers to the cross-country side, Michael Freary who has been running excellently with his new club, Bolton, and the track international, Stan Taylor, one of the fastest mile runners in the country.
Although the South abounds in internationals these are spread thinly over the various counties and in no one team are they grouped in any great strength. It is from Yorkshire that the realchallenge will come.
By not holding their own championship until later in the season, Yorkshire do not conform to the general pattern, and consequently there is not much information about current form. They call upon very powerful clubs for their team and their runners are very familiar with the Bingley type of course. This is both hilly and heavy with a long and deep mud stretch on each lap.
Yorkshire have won the championship once in the post war years, but on several occasions have had the most astonishing ill luck with their team. With the race on their own territory there is no doubt that an all out effort will be made this year.
Gerry North was on great form in winning the Lancashire championship at Sherdley Park and would probably have opened a much bigger gap than the half minute between himself and the holder. Brian Craig, had the course been the requisite seven miles in distance. About six and a half miles were covered and all the leaders came in very fast, and with the exception of Dave Spencer, of Barrow, all seemed to do the running expected of them.
M. W. Freary and S. G. Taylor are valuable acquisitions who finished fifth and seventh, and it was good to see Dave Swarbrick, the Northern Junior Champion, who has not received much notice this season, able to hold fourth place in this company.
Last year's youth champion, Roger Carter, who now runs with Rochdale Harriers, nearly ran himself into the team with a very respectable tenth place only 1 minute 34 secs behind the winner. He was followed by none other than Bob Beecroft, who is training again for the steeplechase and hopes to get the county place at Whit. Geoff Warriner completed the first twelve home.
Colin Broom of East Cheshire, came out of his shell at last to pull off a surprising win in the Cheshire Championship, pushing back such a formidable holder as John Wright of Wallasey.
Now, John Wright is a runner who can win a very high position in the inter-counties championship and by this portent, Cheshire must be able to field a very good team.
Ron Barlow did not come up to form but can be expected to keep company with his club mate.
Johnny Wild, of East Cheshire, has had the great experience of winning the Northern Championship on this same course at Bingley in 1958, and that alone should inspire him to improved performance. With M. Berisford and B. Woolford to complete the counting six with last week's form. Cheshire can look for a place among the first half dozen.
Ends
Source - Unknown - Saturday, 07/01/1961
Ref 2981