The Bels kicked off the New Year in subdued fashion at the county champs last weekend but perked up considerably yesterday in the Surrey league.  The ladies have a titanic battle with Ranelagh to savour in the final fixture, after their fine win at Petersham yesterday; while the men battled to a plucky second place on the Common.  We have to take our hats off to Thames once again though: that middle order of theirs has once again gunned us down.  Seven men in positions 16 to 24 - that’s some packing.  It was a strange race in some ways with the formbook being turned around from the previous weekend’s counties.  Even Thames were in a somewhat loopy mood.  Two of their men turned up fresh from all night drinking games in an altitude tent, another vomited profusely at around half-way before merrily continuing on his way, and another stared victory in the face before choking at the mere responsibility of it all …  [and under severe pressure from Elliot Robinson, but that ruins a good story!]

As for us, not bad at all.  Just missing those elusive three or four top men who I’m sure are dusting themselves down for greater battles to come.  A warm welcome back to these shores for yesterday’s man-of-the-match Hassan Raidi – out for ten weeks with a knee injury.  He tells us this is just the start for him – bring it on, lad.  I had always wanted to lead a Surrey League race, but my 83 metres of supreme command yesterday were bittersweet, as I lost my right shoe during metre seven.  I never did find the person who trod on my heel.  Was it you?  A clue is that the guilty party politely apologized after the act.  If you do recall saying “sorry” to someone during the race’s seventh metre…apology accepted – all part of the game!

Cross-country Capers

Just three cross-country races to go of Mission JJ.  The delights of Coulsdon on February 12, bookended by a couple of monsters.  It’s been a winter of success so far, with four trophies and that stunning near miss in Mansfield.  Can we double that trophy count?  Of COURSE!  We owe Parly Hill one after the ugliness of what happened in the Euro trial, and my belief is that the Southern on 29th January could be one of the great days in the club’s history.  Details are sketchy at present, but suffice it to say that last year’s pitiful turn-out shall not be repeated.  Can we get a dozen men to start?  At least.  I certainly haven’t seen us show such excitement over the Southern in my seven years at the club.  Please try and be there for a day to remember.

What do the names Webb, Teahan, Alsop, Wah, Anderson and Clarke mean to you?  If you immediately recoil and say: “Ugh, that bunch of reprobates!  What shame they bought upon Belgrave at Luton 1991!”…  I would rebuke you and say statistics tell not the whole story my friend.  Granted these six compiled the largest National points total in the club’s history; a spectacular tally of five thousand, two hundred and thirty-two points, but: at least they bothered to make the journey up the M1 at all, and at least they finished a team (placing 105th/236).  It’s heroes like these that kept any semblance of Belgrave’s roots as a Harriers club alive.  For five of the next seven years we failed to finish a team at all.  Although Webbo was almost always there, fighting a lonely, depressing vigil.  The 1990’s were indeed desperate cross-country times for the club (and the 70s and 80s weren’t much better).  But we kept showing up, and kept taking a beating (usually by around 65 clubs). 

At the National of 2000 we came 6th; exactly the same as 1970.  Only the history books tell of the 30 years of pain that came in between.  On February 19th we travel to Birmingham for what will be a riveting, memorable day, as defending champions.  We all have the boys of 1971-1999 – and in particular the “have-a-go-heroes” of 1991 – to thank.  Where would we be without you?