Young Athletes League

The Second Young Athletes League took place on Sunday afternoon at Grangemouth on a sunny but kinda windy afternoon. The athletes - boys and girls - all performed well with the only problem being the lack of numbers - especially at Under 17 level. There was a longish delay at the start (it was made up during the afternoon and the real finishing time was kept to) because of a lack of timekeepers. There were only two there, myself and Willie Sharp from Falkirk Victoria who along with Willie Day used to run in all the road races against guys like Phil and myself. You can tell that he is not a spring chicken!!! He has been timekeeping for about 20 years and at one time was a highly qualified timekeeper but as time passed he just didn't keep up with the re-qualifying. I've only been timekeeping officially for four or five years. Neither of us is qualified to be a chief timekeeper. So there was a situation where the meeting could have gone ahead without times for the runners. SO -

since the photo electric timing was there, we both went up to the box to provide backup for the technology. Just as well we did - on many occasions, and I do mean MANY, the machine did not start with the gun. What happens then? The manual timers (me and Willie) had watches running, they start the automatic timing which records the differences between the finishers, they then take our time and using the differences picked up by the electronics calculate the actual times for the runners. Most races were actually 100% automatic photo electric times.

It does highlight however the need for officials. I have mentioned this before in the blog - it is not difficult to become an official. You simply do the one day course in September or October, get your officials log book and start working at meetings which you select to do yourself. There is a real shortage - for instance there are only ten fully qualified starters in Scotland! What a dire situation.
They are also looking for officials for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and it's not too late for anyone wanting to have a go at working there. In 1966 I was coaching only girls in the club and before I got married in July I had a team of six or seven working with the girls. Bob and Ishbel Peel from Cowal View came along to help out and then qualified as officials - Bob as starter and Ishbel as a place recorder. They were both working officially at the Commonwealth Games at Meadowbank in Edinburgh in 1970. Free blazers and flannels/skirt, expenses to Edinburgh and attendance at the Dinner. The situation in the country now is worse than it was then so if anybody out there is interested ......................