A (Very Personal) History of Barnet and District AC
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A (very personal) history of Barnet and District AC In early 2017 the club magazine Editor wrote to me, saying: “I'd like there to be some things in the next issue relating to the club's 50 anniversary/history etc. Would you be able/willing to contribute something?” Without hesitation I said yes, and here it is. I have chosen to write three parallel intertwined stories. They are the main points in the development of the club in the early years, illustrated with some results and reports from those days from the relevant club magazines, and interspersed with some observations on my own short running career once I arrived on the scene (thankfully for you that was not until 1982!). There are thousands of results and reports, and I have tried to select items of interest and/or relevance. I have tried to not dwell on, or comment too often on, the ‘but things were different/better in them days’ aspect of athletics. I leave you to interpret the content as you wish. Considerable license has been taken in editing down mag reports to their core detail. STEVE CHILTON (with thanks to Brian Fowler and all the club magazine editors) 1 Early days Barnet and District AC was formed in 1967, after a merger of Hampstead Harriers with Barnet AC. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find copies of the club mags from the years before 1974, so the first 6 years are something of a mystery (I copied all Brian Strong’s club mags from 1973 onwards a while ago, at the time I was editor, as he was editor for many of the early years). In order to get the story of the very early days (and before) I asked Brian Fowler to pick up the story for us. This next bit is his recollection of the formation of the club. [There are other points in the story where he has provided information I did not have at hand, and they will be displayed in the same style as this.] Earlier there had been a club called New Barnet A.C., which was founded in 1904. It became dormant during the Second World War and for a few years after that. The efforts of athletes who had enjoyed successful careers prior to the war led to the re-birth of the Club. Some of these were W.J. Pop Randall, a formidable cross country runner in his day, along with Bill Nankevill (a miler), Sid Francis (an excellent sprinter), Harry Hatt, Ernie Davis and our own Derek Wood. Derek joined New Barnet AC on 13th Feb 1953, having been at that time first claim to Surrey AC. Pop Randall, who had lost much of his right arm in the war, was very much my inspiration as a 14 year old. He was a timekeeper, holding his clipboard in the stump of the damaged arm. He would run out with the youngsters over the cross country course at Tudor Sports Ground [photo] and into Hadley Wood. It was early in 1954 that the decision was taken to expand the catchment area by changing the Club name from New Barnet A.C. to Barnet Athletic Club. Pop’s son, Stan Randall, became Club CC Captain and another son, Bill, in due course became Club Secretary of Barnet & District AC. My own introduction to the Club occurred when I was a member of the local Scout Group. Our group had never won the coveted Scouts cross country title, so our young leader decided that should change, so for several weeks he organised four of us on training runs before Scout group night. In the Championships, held at Tudor Sports Ground and organised by members of Barnet A.C., our team of 4 placed in the first 4 places. The District Scoutmaster, Jack Campion, who was a Vice-President of the Club invited us to join the club. Three of us took up the offer and Jack paid our first year’s subscription of 2/6d (12.5p). One dropped out after a few months, one stayed for a year or so, whilst I am a member 63 years on having joined in April 1954. 2 My first track race with my club came a few weeks later, when Derek Wood and Ernie Davis came knocking on my door, saying I was needed for a track match at Stirling Corner. I turned up on the day and was entered into the u15 220 yards. I raced hard against a lad two lanes out from me and narrowly won. My pleasure was short-lived, because both myself and the lad who I narrowly beat were berated by Stan Randall. Neither of us knew that we were club mates, as neither of us yet had a club vest, it was the first time I had met Ted Spirito, who became a friend. Apparently we should have been saving our strength for the next race. Fortunately it didn’t turn me off athletics! In that time our home track was a grass field behind Livingstone School in New Barnet, there we would mark out the track with whitewash. I can recall doing that task along with Derek Wood as a 17 year old, by which time I was Club Captain. At the AGM in about 1958 it was proposed that Harry Hatt be replaced by Pop Randall as President. The then Secretary Ernie Davis opposed the move as there was still a whole ream of letterhead paper with the President’s name on it! But Pop did become President later. In order to embrace the move towards more formal matches and sophisticated training the Club moved to Bethune Park [photo], a facility that we shared with Hampstead Harriers. Although some track matches were held at Oakhill Park, where there was at the time a marked out grass track used by schools and a long jump pit. At that time in order to get in more competition I was a member of both Barnet & Hampstead. Bethune was a four lane cinder track of 440 yards, which was later changed to 400 metres. It became very mushy when it rained. It was in 1966 that first discussions took place on the possibility of a merger between the two clubs and the special general meeting to achieve the merger took place on 12th December 1966 at The Black Bull Pub in Whetstone. It was very democratically organised, as it allowed for Fred Burton of Hampstead Harriers and Don Vanhegan of Barnet AC to propose the merging of the two clubs to form a new club to be known as Barnet & District A.C. It was further proposed by Bill Randall (Barnet) and Tom Holton (Hampstead) that the rules having been circulated be adopted. There was a further proposal by Joyce Smith & Brian Fowler that the club take over all existing fixtures as from 15th January 1967. And finally it was proposed by John Taylor (Barnet) and Daphne James (Hampstead) that all rights of Life Members of both clubs be carried into the new club. Fred Burton became President, and there were Joint Secretaries in Geoff Adams and Bill Randall, with Dave Oakley as Treasurer, and I became Fixture Secretary. 3 And so to the early days of the present club What some current members may not be aware of is that in the 1970s Barnet was one of the leading club’s in women’s athletics, being led home at many races by Joyce Smith, and other international standard runners. The following results from the March 1974 mag illustrate the point: Southern Counties, 2nd Feb at Hendon With the last day of the Commonwealth games on the television, the temptation to watch must have proved too strong for many, for there were only 63 finishers in the Senior race. Joyce was the individual winner for the sixth year running. With only 19 points we were comfortable team winners, defeating our old rivals Aldershot. 1 Joyce Smith 16-18, 2 Carol Gould 17-05, 7 Kay Barnett 17-52, 9 Margaret Beacham 18-21, 49 Barbara Nelson 21-39. Teams: 1 Barnet 19, 2 Aldershot 43, 3 Hillingdon 85 National, 23rd Feb at Leicester Yes our Senior girls have done it again. They are National Team Champions for the third time, in 1967 at Blackburn, 1969 at Aldershot, and now in 1974 at Leicester. But there might easily have been no team medals at all for our girls, because a week previously Joyce was a very doubtful starter. She was worried about some trouble with her leg and she had done practically no training for a fortnight. In contrast to last year’s appalling conditions at Rawtenstall, Lancs, when Joyce won and Carol was fourth, conditions today were ideal. 2 Carol Gould 20-06, 3 Joyce Smith 20-07, 14 Kay Barnett 20-55, 31 Margaret Beacham 21-40, 112 Barbara Nelson 24-32. Teams: 1 Barnet 50, 2 Cambridge 92, 3 Stretford 109 It could be said that the ladies overshadowed the men at this time. As an indicator: the Senior men were 7th overall in the Chingford League at the end of that season, and at the National (at Sheffield, with admittedly ‘a sadly depleted team’) the club was 98th out of 100 complete teams, with Ian Nuckey leading the team home in 585th place. The next newsletter noted that the men had its ‘most successful track and field season in the nine year history of the club’. The shining light in the club was a Junior, as the magazine noted: Guy McCallum had a splendid season.