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Belgrave Harriers vs. Blackheath Harriers - Wimbledon Common, 1941 |
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Photograph from Mavis Hall's collection
A dismal January Saturday during the darkest days of the 1939-45 war - and still our sport managed to keep going. It was January 11th, 1941, and the occasion a cross country match at Wimbledon: Belgrave Harriers vs. Blackheath Harriers. One of the stars of athletics before and after the war was the 'Heathens' famous international Sydney Wooderson, aptly wearing no. 1 above in the centre of the picture. For the Bels., Tom Carter (6th from the left ) had swept all before him in recent months: first in every club race and winner of every one of the Southern Counties Cross Country Association Team races that had taken the place of the traditional peacetime events. Others we have identified are: on the extreme left Harry Shields, third from left A.H. 'Bert' Mitchell, then next but one Tom Morrell. The tall figure behind Wooderson is Syd Jarlett.
The
club's magazine The Belgravian reported that a crowd had turned out to
see Wooderson in action but it was Carter who prevailed to win yet again with
the Blackheath man running home in 5th spot. The photograph appears to
have been taken very soon after the start, just opposite the top end of
Lauriston Road.
We
were delighted to receive a letter dated 25th October 2000 from Blackheath
Harrier Harold Thompson who ran and placed 2nd in the race described above.
Harold
tells us that the race distance was 5 miles and that after a great struggle he
managed to beat Bert Footer but could not catch Tom Carter.
He goes on to say that on this occasion Blackheath were well
represented at the front of the field but,
alas, even better represented at the tail!
Harold last met the late Tom Carter in 1960 outside the Olympic Stadium
in Rome where they were both attending the Games. In the picture above Harold is 8th from the left running
behind no. 2. Harold enclosed
this extract from Blackheath Harriers’ Gazette and Club Record:
Saturday,
January 11, 1941
MATCH
v. BELGRAVE H., AT WIMBLEDON.
An
interesting war-time match took place from Belgrave Hall, Wimbledon, on this
day, when a team of nine ‘Heathens turned out to face 13 Belgravians over a
five mile course, with eight a side to score.
Interesting to us in any case, but interesting to a small crowd of
spectators who assembled owing to the publicity the match had received in the
Press (heaven knows the athletic
writer has little enough to write about in these days !).
This publicity was largely, we presume, due to Sydney Wooderson turning
out for the Club. A much heavier
Sydney (adorned with one stripe) arrived and in due course faced the starter
and Press cameras with other members of the team.
A
lap of about a mile found that stylish runner C.T. Carter in the lead, with
R.H. Thompson comfortably hanging on to him, but presenting a complete
contrast in style, or in the lack of it.
In case this might be construed as very faint praise
to Thompson, let us say at once that he must be very fit and that he
possesses unlimited “guts,” so essential for the cross-country runner,
which more than outweighs any other deficiency.
After the first mile Thompson fell back and ran for some distance with
Wooderson, and but for this he may have challenged Carter at the finish.
Be that as it may, however, Thompson ran a great race, as also did the
supporting trio, Brooks (ever youthful), Hammill (ever enthusiastic) and
Sydney Wooderson (ever fit). Sydney
might have come in first to please the Press and live up to their
expectations, but was hardly expected to do so by those who have watched the
game for many years. A few more
races over the country and he will be able to lead home any field.
We
think that Belgrave were rather surprised to see ‘Heathens fill four of the
first six positions, but thereafter, with the exception of French, who did
well, our men were “tail” through lack of training.
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