CSS League

Phil was talking last year about entering a Clydesdale Harriers team in the CSS League next summer. The Central and South of Scotland League caters for boys and girls as well as Senior Men and Women with selected events for all age groups. There were some difficulties last year with girls not getting the events they were best suited for in the YAL because selection for the Girls team was not really in our own hands and while there is no move to withdraw from the YAL, the CSSL is a step to address the problem. It will mean the boys of all ages and Senior Men competing together and the Girls and Junior/Senior Women competing as a team. The Men's League is at a separate venue from the YAL and there is an artificial divide between the Under 17 Men and the Juniors and Seniors which makes the move up an age group more difficult than it need be. Donald is tackling it by giving Under 17's a run in the Guest 100 and the relays as well as putting them into the Jumping events where there is no standard.
The last time that there was a team in the Women's League was in the late 1980's/early 1990's when it worked very well. This League has all women's age groups taking part from Under 13 to Seniors and CoG used Sandra Branney a couple of times last season. The results for us all those years ago were amazing with young athletes like Julie Bain, Nadia Hashemi and Caroline Evans progressing and thriving in the competition. The very young Seniors like Ann Murray and Lynn Hardware were the real leading athletes and the senior women road runners took part in the other track events: it was wonderful to see Marjorie Small and Hylda Stewart taking part in 1500's and 3000's and Shelagh King was a super example taking part in things like 400 metres hurdles. I have already mentioned the Sunday when her times were not good because she had raced the Ben Nevis race the day before.

The standard in the CSSL is not at all on a par with that of the Women's League or even the Men's League but it pulls the club, men and women, together and can only help morale. The women of the 60's were excellent - but there was no women's league then for them and there was a distinct lack of seniors. I don't know what stage Phil's negotiations are at but I can only wish him the vey best of luck. It is his baby and I have no part in it but if asked to be an official and it's not raining, I'll be available!