Back to the www.scotstats.com site where there are still no rankings for any age group other than the senior men and women, it now has the rankings for ultras on road and track. As a result Aileen Scott joins Pamela McCrossan as a second club member ranked. She is the top woman on the track but there are three who have raced the 24 hours race on the roads at Keswick. She managed a longer distance than the third of them and was not far behind the first two. Bearing in mind that she almost walked for the last 20 minutes after having made the Commonwealth qualifying distance, they should be catchable. We await the publishing of the Junior age groups rankings which should add a bit to the club representation.
A word about the history section of the same website - there was no entry for Clydesdale Harriers initially so I contacted Arnold Black who immediately copied the bit at Cliff Brown's original club website (www.clydesdaleharriers.org.uk) I have sent him something to add to bring it up to date but he has not yet managed to do so. It is an interesting website but is only in its early days and maybe needs a bit more time to cover all that we would wish - if any website can do that!
Finally and on a different topic: I only have seven copies of the most recent book of Clydesdale Harriers which includes the three amigos, Bobby Boyd, Cyril O'Boyle and even me! If anyone is interested, let me know as soon as poss because they have suddenly for some reason unknown to me become fairly popular with some from outwith the club and in recent weeks I have sold copies to members of Aberdeen, Fife and Maryhill for instance!
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Business Park
I note from the unofficial sal website (http://z3.invisionfree.com/unofficial_sal ) that there is a Monday night night group that trains in the Business Park and they did their session last night and found it OK. Somebody calling himself sub four also did a session there saying that because of the ambulance station the roads are well gritted etc and are fine for running on. I trust that our athletes were also using it.
A Word about the Young Athletes.
Since we were unceremoniously turfed off our training track at Dean Street, Whitecrook in the early 1990's we have had problems retaining good young athletes. The problem was disguised to some extent by the fact that there were seven or eight good coaches who had their own athletes and recruited to their own squads. Scott Govan (HJ and Hurdles), David Gibson (Pole Vault), Bill Hislop (Sprints), Bobby Bell (Throws), Brian McAusland (Endurance) plus Hugh McArthur from Lochgilphead all worked superbly well for the club. We had teams in the Men's League (often in Division One of the five eight team divisions), the women's league (all ages from Under 13 to veteran) and the Young Athletes League. BUT the athletes came largely from Bearsden, Milngavie, Balfron, Killearn with about a fifth coming from Clydebank. The lack of a local training venue was disguised. Although we were seventh club of the 400+ in Scotland and VPAAC was fifteenth, we had a problem building up. It became clearer after Bobby Bell moved house, Scott Govan stopped coaching, David Gibson was promoted and Bill Hislop had health problems.
We still managed with guys like Alex Fisher (Boclair Academy), Richie Blair (Thomas Aquinas), Derrick Speirs (Cleveden) and Angus McInroy (Lomond School) and there was a good number of Clydebank athletes but as the demands for more training were imposed and the cost of all the additional travel to Kelvin Hall or Scotstoun was added up we lost more and more athletes. Retention became a real problem. We needed a local facility and we needed a range of coaches covering most events.
While we can do little about the facilities problem other than keep hassling the Council about the track at St Peter's, we can get the structure right. On the structure front the key figures are Donald McLeod for track and field and Phil Dolan for endurance running. Donald has experience, he is very good with the older athletes and is the top man. If he can give Donna Campbell more responsibility and get even one day a fortnight from her while she is sorting her career as a teacher out, she can be a real asset next summer as a long jump coach and in time as a recruiting agent. If Paul Doherty can be kept involved at any level through the winter as a hj coach he can be useful as an athlete as well as a coach next year.
There is word that Jolene Ennis might be available to help Phil - women are more necessary in endurance events than in any other because for psychological reasons as well as for physiological reasons. Jolene is also a level 2 coach, a former Scottish Schools and Scottish age group internationalist and club champion who has had experience of US College athletics. We also have many very promising young athletes. On the coaching front - if Phil and Donald can figure out ways of getting the younger coaches involved - things are bright.
At Committee level we really must, must, must get the Clubmark award sorted out. OK it might just be a bit of paper BUT - Victoria Park has it, Garscube Harriers has it, West Dunbarton has it and we don't despite us having the relevant papers passed to our Committee before any of these clubs. Scottish Athletics will, when asked to recommend a club, recommend clubs with the clubmark. Schools will know about the clubmark and while other clubs can say that they have it, Phil and Donald can't. Where do the schools send their athletes? The Committee needs to get a grip on this. It's not good enough to say that it will take as long as it takes.
For the young athletes I am optimistic. About recruitment we need a local facility and on a lower level we need the clubmark.
We still managed with guys like Alex Fisher (Boclair Academy), Richie Blair (Thomas Aquinas), Derrick Speirs (Cleveden) and Angus McInroy (Lomond School) and there was a good number of Clydebank athletes but as the demands for more training were imposed and the cost of all the additional travel to Kelvin Hall or Scotstoun was added up we lost more and more athletes. Retention became a real problem. We needed a local facility and we needed a range of coaches covering most events.
While we can do little about the facilities problem other than keep hassling the Council about the track at St Peter's, we can get the structure right. On the structure front the key figures are Donald McLeod for track and field and Phil Dolan for endurance running. Donald has experience, he is very good with the older athletes and is the top man. If he can give Donna Campbell more responsibility and get even one day a fortnight from her while she is sorting her career as a teacher out, she can be a real asset next summer as a long jump coach and in time as a recruiting agent. If Paul Doherty can be kept involved at any level through the winter as a hj coach he can be useful as an athlete as well as a coach next year.
There is word that Jolene Ennis might be available to help Phil - women are more necessary in endurance events than in any other because for psychological reasons as well as for physiological reasons. Jolene is also a level 2 coach, a former Scottish Schools and Scottish age group internationalist and club champion who has had experience of US College athletics. We also have many very promising young athletes. On the coaching front - if Phil and Donald can figure out ways of getting the younger coaches involved - things are bright.
At Committee level we really must, must, must get the Clubmark award sorted out. OK it might just be a bit of paper BUT - Victoria Park has it, Garscube Harriers has it, West Dunbarton has it and we don't despite us having the relevant papers passed to our Committee before any of these clubs. Scottish Athletics will, when asked to recommend a club, recommend clubs with the clubmark. Schools will know about the clubmark and while other clubs can say that they have it, Phil and Donald can't. Where do the schools send their athletes? The Committee needs to get a grip on this. It's not good enough to say that it will take as long as it takes.
For the young athletes I am optimistic. About recruitment we need a local facility and on a lower level we need the clubmark.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Festival Race?
Having heard that some clubs have just renamed their Christmas Handicaps to things using words like Festival instead of Christmas, why don't we do like wise and have an all-club handicap one Saturday after which the seniors can go and do their real training? Or have all the prizes bought for the event been eaten, drunk or worn by now?
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Monday, 4 January 2010
Tuesday Training Night
The session for tomorrow 5th Jan. has been cancelled on the advice of John Hanratty due to poor & treacherous underfoot conditions.
Hopefully conditions will improve before next Tuesday - we'll keep you updated!
Hopefully conditions will improve before next Tuesday - we'll keep you updated!
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Turkey Trot - Ayr
John McArthur ran in the Turkey Trot at Ayr on Boxing Day.
John was the only club man running and he finished sixteenth in 38:41 to make him fourth M40 veteran.
John was the only club man running and he finished sixteenth in 38:41 to make him fourth M40 veteran.
Park Run over Festive period
Here is a picture of Michael Diver running at Pollok Park on Boxing Day where he finished 6th in 19:28. Well done Michael!
Friday, 1 January 2010
www.scotstats.com
It has been known for some months that Colin Shields and Arnold Black have decided not to publish any more of the Annual Yearbooks of Scottish Athletics Statistics. Many of us deplore that but since there were fewer copies sold every year then their viewpoint is understandable, Instead they have decided to set up a website and do all the things there that the statistical handbook would do and more. Unfortunately you can't put a website on the book shelf and printing it out doesn't give the same result either! However, today, 1st January 2010, Arnold sent out an email saying that the new website is up and running. It is to be found at www.scotstats.com
I have had a look and it includes a lot of stuff about different aspects of the sport including ranking lists.
The only senior club member that I could see in the road rankings was Pamela McCrossan in the Women's 10 Miles with her time of 64:37. Anyway, it's worth a look!
I have had a look and it includes a lot of stuff about different aspects of the sport including ranking lists.
The only senior club member that I could see in the road rankings was Pamela McCrossan in the Women's 10 Miles with her time of 64:37. Anyway, it's worth a look!
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