Scottish Athletics Record Book
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SCOTTISH ATHLETICS RECORD BOOK March 2018 A scottishathletics history publication Scottish Records 1 Date: CONTENTS Introduction 2 Men’s Outdoor Records 6 Women’s Outdoor Records 43 Men’s Indoor Records 68 Women’s Indoor Records 75 Index to Scottish Record Holders 84 Index to Non-Scottish Record Holders 105 Cover photos –Scottish record holders Tom McKean, Yvonne Murray & Liz McColgan, courtesy of David T. Hewitson. Scottish Records 1 INTRODUCTORY NOTE This is the first attempt to document all Scottish records, national, native and all-comers’, men and women, outdoors and indoors. Further research will be carried out and this publication will be corrected and refined in future updates. This is particularly the case on the women’s side which was very poorly documented for many years. I know there are inconsistencies in the way women’s records were reported in newspapers and programmes over the years. If anyone has any information, corrections or queries, no matter how small, please contact me at [email protected]. Arnold Black, Historian BACKGROUND Official Scottish athletics records have been in aspects of the list, especially the non-acceptance existence since the very first list was established of a 51 .2 440 achieved by T.G. Connell (West of in November 1886. The following edited detail of Scotland F.C.) at Kilmarnock F.C. Sports of 1882. the development of Scottish records was The track measurement had been verified and published in the centenary history of the Scottish everything seemed to be in order, but there was Amateur Athletic Association, Scottish Athletics by apparently some doubt about the scratch mark John W. Keddie in 1982. and the performance never received an official imprimatur. Claimants to Scottish track and field records were not unknown prior to the organisation of the Needless to say clear criteria needed to be set Scottish Amateur Athletic Association in 1883. To out in this area, and the first real move in that some extent there was disharmony at that time direction came in January 1888 when the Records between the West of Scotland A.A.A. and the Committee stated that 'in future any competitor Scottish A.A.A. which was considered an east of who considers that he has established a record, Scotland body. Scottish records achieved under must forthwith lodge full particulars with the the auspices of the W.S.A.A.A. were viewed rather Records Sub-Committee, who will consider his sceptically in the east. Especially after the claim'. In addition, it was required that all courses marriage of these associations in 1884 there were were to be measured 12 inches from the inside of pressures to establish authentic Scottish record the track and not 18 inches as was apparently the performances for the standard events. Thus, in practice in some places. This rule still exists today September 1886, the S.A.A.A. appointed a as 0.3 metres (Rule 160 in IAAF Rules). At the Records Sub-Committee whose purpose was to A.G.M. held on 28th March, 1892, it was agreed issue an initial list of approved records. Claims that the following additional particulars be were put to the committee, with relevant support, lodged: (a) a certificate by a Civil Engineer that and, in November 1886, a record list was issued the track was properly measured; (b) a report by covering the following events: the timekeeper of the accuracy of the time; and 100 yards, 120 yards, 150 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards, (c) a report by the referee or a judge that the 1 mile, all distances from 3 to 10 miles, 120 yards performance was properly accomplished. hurdles, high jump, long jump, hammer, shot putt, pole vault, and 1 to 3 miles walks. Initially there was only one class of records, which was not restricted to Scots. In 1893 a list of In only one instance was a pre-1883 performance 'Scottish Holders' was separated from 'All- passed-Tom Vallance's 21’11” long jump at the comers' (where different). In fact there were only Queen's Park F.C. Sports in 1881. Rumblings of a very few records by non-Scots in the pre-1893 discontent were heard from the west about lists. From 1894 up to the Second World War, Scottish Records 2 there were basically two categories of records. In addition there are requirements for records First of all there were the 'All-comers’ records, besides mere nationality and in this respect there with, secondly, an additional list of records set by has been little change over the past 100 years. 'those having the Championship qualification' Basically these requirements can be summarised where different from the 'All-comers’ records. thus: This was unchanged between 1894 and 1932 with only one modification in connection with the (1) certification of the specifications of tracks, 'Championship qualification'. From the beginning measurement, gradient etc.; the Championships were confined to Scotsmen or those of other nationalities who had been (2) verification of the accuracy of times/distances resident in Scotland in the three months with details as to time-keepers' qualifications, preceding the date of the Championship watches and measuring equipment; meeting. This residential qualification for those of 'other nationalities' was altered in 1912 to six (3) report of referee as regards details of months' residence. competition, race, and prevailing conditions; A chanqe came about in 1932-33 by which the (4) in addition, since before the First World War, classification 'Native Record' first appeared. there have been regulations relating to wind Instead of a mere 'Championship qualification' it conditions. The limit of allowable wind assistance then became the rule that besides 'All-comers’ for sprints, hurdles and jumps has been records ‘records made by Scotsmen' were to be established at 2 metres per second retained (where differing from the All-comers' (approximately 4 miles per hour), though often in records). The definition given to the term the past, before the presence of wind-gauges at 'Scotsmen' was 'one who has acquired Scottish meetings, mere human judgement was the Nationality or whose paternal parent is of criterion. In this way the performances of W.L. Scottish Nationality by birth or has acquired such Hunter (120y Hu, 15.4, 1914), A.F. Clark (120y Hu, by adoption'. (1933 Constitution, Laws, III (a)) This 15.6, l929l3l), F.P. Reid (100y, 9.6, 1933), R. certainly clarified one point which probably had Murdoch (220y,21.6,1933) and I.C. Young (100y, led to some confusion. Before 1933 there were 9.8, 1935) were disallowed. It has only been in actually no Scottish 'Native' records as such. As more recent times, relatively speaking, that the qualification for records (besides All-comers' gauges have become a common feature at major records) involved merely a residential stipulation meetings. In fact, a wind gauge was first used in as distinct from Scottish Nationality, many the S.A.A.A. Championships of 1949, having been Scottish 'records'- 'National' or 'Native' records - donated earlier that year by a Flight Lt. A.R. could have been set by someone of any Mitchell. nationality, given the residential qualification. No specific Native-Scottish lists existed. Not many Undoubtedly since the Second World War there non-Scots appeared in the record lists, however. have been increasing changes in the regulations governing records, together with a growing Of course in the early years there was interest in record breaking performances. undoubtedly less movement in society from one Records rather effectively demonstrate the area to another or from one country to another development within the particular events, and there tended to be more emigration from although they cannot reveal anything about the Scotland than there was immigration. However, conditions under which they were set-as to one can appreciate that the 1883-1933 period prevailing patterns of training, facilities enjoyed, was less cut and dried as regards Scottish 'Native' climatic conditions faced, or the state and nature records than subsequently. of the tracks, jumping pits, or throwing areas. As suggested earlier even clothing and footwear styles will play their part. The increased Scottish Records 3 stringency of record rules is implicit in the fact to metric distances and the corresponding that the 'Rules for Records' in the 1982 demise of the old imperial distances and Handbook are covered in 18 sections, whereas in measurements. It was not in fact until 1939 that a 1897 there were only five 'Rules' all encompassed distinction was made between 'Standard Events' within the space of a brief paragraph! and 'Other Events'. The former more or less corresponded to the Championship events and Between 1933 and 1955 there were no changes the latter to unusual distances or field events. in the rules governing records. However, at the This distinction between 'Standard' and 'Other' A.G.M. of 17th December, 1955, the qualification persisted, with only periodic revision according to for Scottish Native records was reduced to those changing concepts of what constitutes 'Standard' 'born in Scotland' only. Three years later (at the events. Since the re-formation of a Scottish A.G.M. of 20th December, l958) this was again Athletics Record Committee in 1989, the events extended to those 'of Scottish parentage', only at which records are recognised has been being different from the 1933 Rule in that there streamlined and, with the odd exception, now was no limitation to the 'paternal parent'. In the relate to events at which championships are sixties numerous changes took place. In 1961 the contested. nomenclature for records was altered from 'Native' to 'National'. Three years later came the Following the opening of the Kelvin Hall Arena in first distinction between National records 'made Glasgow towards the end of 1987, indoor in Scotland' and those 'made Furth of Scotland', competition developed rapidly and in 1989, a the latter representing performances made separate set of indoor records was created outwith Scotland by Scotsmen which were covering the same categories as the outdoor.