Club Race Reports Season 1954-1955
Liverpool & District XC Union
Round 1 - Race 3 - Woolton Woods - 23/10/1954 - Senior Men
Last Saturday junior and senior Wallasey A.C. travelled to Woolton for their first league match of the season, a triangular match against Liverpool Harriers and Boundary Harriers.
The club, unfortunately, could raise only the necessary six members, to count in the match, and so the team was not really up to full strength.
The result was a win for Liverpool H. with first six places and 21 points.
Second were Boundary H. with 93 points. Wallasey got 101 points.
Individual winner was Ron Davies of Liverpool in 32 mins. 0.6 secs.
The club's counters were ninth Ken Ledward, and tenth John Lynch - two juniors of whom great things are expected this year.
Both might well have done better, for Ken had a bad arm and John suffered from severe stomach cramp.
Colin Harris in 13th place gave us a pleasant surprise.
These three runners put us in line for second place, but unfortun-ately there was rather a lapse until John Ryan, a newcomer, ran in 21st.
Alan Clarke, still unfit, was 22nd, and Ramsey Hewson was 26th though he has still not shaken off the 'flu.
Round 2 - Race 2 - Leasowe - 30/10/1954 - Senior Men
Last week's match was another League triangular against Liverpool Pembroke and Wirral A.C.
As expected, Pembroke won with 24 points, but Wirral rather suprisingly defeated us with 64 points to our 166 points.
First man home was Ken Gates in 35 mins. 51 secs., and Wallasey's men were 21st R. Miles, 26th John Lynch, a little off form; 28th, Jim Johnston, brother of the well known Bob Johnston, making a welcome return to the sport; 29th John Ryan, a big improvement, 30th Alan Clarke, who is getting fitter with each race; 32nd Jim Rimmer, in his first race season; 35th Ram Hewson, now recovered from flu'.
Round 3 - Race 1 - St. Helens Junction - 20/11/1954 - Senior Men
Wallasey Athletic Club members who missed last Saturday's race against Sutton Harriers and Sefton Harriers - there were unfortunately many of them - missed one of the best runs the club has had this season.
For various reasons the club could only field four athletes in the combined senior and junior race, a team of six is needed for a league race. Of these four only two finished, there was no real incentive to give of one's best.
The individual winner was the brilliant young Sefton Harrier, Steve Rogers in 35 mins. 37 secs., Second was Bob Maleedy of Sutton.
Wallasey's men were 23rd Alan Clarke, not up to his usual form and 27th, Ram Hewson, a runner who though often near the back can be counted on to finish every time.
Wallasey's two other runners were Dave Standfast who fell heavily and decided not to carry on as we had no team, John Ryan also took this view when he got cramp in his leg.
Round 4 - Race 3 - West Derby Village - 27/11/1954 - Senior Men
Conditions at Leasowe last Saturday were ideal for cross-country racing when Wallasey A.C. entertained Warrington A.C. and Waterloo Harriers.
The course was very muddy and the Birket provided us with a magnificent water jump, all of which helped to give us a really enjoyable and friendly run.
Wallasey's turn-out was much improved this week, and the result shows that we have the necessary talent if only the people concerned would make an effort to turn out. The individual winner was Wallasey's county representative in last year's inter-county championship, Roy Parry.
This young junior should establish himself as one of Cheshire's outstanding distance runners as he seems to be greatly improved through the running he does in the army. Roy won be nearly half a minute from Briston of Warrington in 32 mins. 50 secs.
The result of the match was a win for Warrington with 33 points; Wallasey were second with 53 points and Waterloo third with 93 pts.
lt is perhaps important to note that Wallasey's six counting men were all juniors, this augurs well for the future.
Wallasey's men were:-1st, Roy Parry; 4th, John Lynch; a welcome return to form, 8th, Ken Ledward; quite a surprise as we have not seen much of him owing to hockey; 9th, Dave Standfast who is showing some of the form he produced at school.
John Ryan, a much improved newcomer was 14th and Alan Nichols who is shortly going abroad completed our counters at 17th.
We also finished three seniors who, though they have improved a great deal could not hold the younger runners.
They were: 18th, Alan Clarke; 19th, Roy Scammell and 23rd, Ram Hewson.
Perhaps the outstanding feature of the match was to see Ram pursued by all the youths and boys who had been acting as markers.
They urged him on so much that he made up nearly 70 yards on a Waterloo runner and only just failed to catch him.
Cross Country Championships
National - R.A.F. Cardington - 05/03/1955 - Senior Men
Wallasey Athletic Club's youth team gave both themselves and local enthusiasts a pleasant surprise when they gained 7th place in the National Cross-Country Championships held at Cardington last Saturday.
Seventh position may noy not sound very exciting, but when one remembers that last year, at Arrowe Park this club were only 21st and that this year there was a record entry of 83 teams, it will be seen that this club did not fare so badly.
The course was fairly flat and though there was no snow, the ground, which was mostly ploughed, constituted one of the heaviest courses experienced by this young team.
Wallasey's first man home was Roy Shaw in 43rd place. There were nearly 400 runners, so this was no mean feat, and was a fitting climax to a really good season. Roy went into the Army last Monday. Roy was followed by Bill Farrell in 64th position. Bill seems to have realised now that he can run better if he does not take the lead; third man up was Pete White, a little troubled by the very heavy going, but at least an improvement on his Northern form. He finished 97th. Brian Woolford completed Wallasey's counters in 116th place. This was quite a surprise, as Brian has not run up to form all season. Wallasey's other two representatives in this race did not disgrace themselves, and both finished in the first half of the field. They were: 171st Ian McIvor and 225th Ray Wood.
