Skip's Surrey League Stat Attack
What a classic day of Surrey League action yesterday. A bumper field, laden with venom, and Thames – for the third time this century – letting the Surrey League title slip from their grasp when they had it all but won. (They lost by just 6 points in 2002 as well, and went into the decider in 2000 with a lead of 74 points… aye, it brings a tear to the eye).
Here, for you Surrey League buffs wherever you are, is an update on my stat attack from last year, tracking the most regular attendees at Petersham since 2000. I have introduced a flurry of new names, and a minimum of four runs are required to feature. Think you should be there? Let us know!
The list will show interesting things to different parties but here’s what stands out to me. First of all, hats off to super-vet Keith Newton, what a winter! He arrived yesterday with four goals: for HHH to win the league, to record four top ten finishes in a row, to win the vets competition, to win the open competition. Check; check; check; check! If he’d wanted to replicate his mighty run from five years ago, he’d have succeeded there too. Inspiration to us all.
Another vet, Iain Lockett’s results since 2003 make for remarkable reading – good grouping or what?
Multi Surrey League winner and Thames skipper Larry Mathews deservedly takes the accolade of the league’s most flamboyant runner with his range of finishes. And Stuee Major remains the most consistent performer – he was on the course yesterday, and could have popped a top 20… but goodness what havoc that would have played with his stats, so I barred him.
For about the 30th time I ran round a Surrey League race with Dave Robinson, who is just 5 places off his 2000 finish (improved though). But the prize for most improved runner 2000-2008? Lockett, right? 55th-8th? No! It’s yet another HHH super-vet Vic Maughn 88th-33rd.
Of the seven ever-presents from last year, five returned in ‘08, and I have found one more: Ranelagh’s Mick Lane. I wonder who else? I haven’t spent too long on this, honest… [although I notice the wife and baby have moved out and left no forwarding address.]
As for the Bels, one more runner has crept into the mix, the irrepressible Steve Zealey of late-80s vintage. But the last word has to go to the legend that is Sharpy: three Surrey League runs at Petersham (‘01, ‘03, ‘08), and three wins. Now that’s magic!
Most featured Surrey League Division 1 runners at Richmond Park, Petersham
2000-2008
Runners bracketed (alphabetically) into number of runs
Name
Club
Runs
’00
’01
’03
’04
’07
’08
Avg pos
Andy Bickerstaff
RAN
6
76
82
63
77
65
101
77.33
Will Cockerell
BEL
6
25
20
10
15
19
14
17.16
Knut Hegvold
BEL
6
29
21
34
25
31
45
30.83
Mick Lane
RAN
6
67
74
66
61
55
93
69.33
Iain Lockett
HHH
6
55
61
9
11
10
8
25.66
Dave Symons
THH
6
54
111
22
24
28
24
43.83
Paul Doyle
RAN
5
-
68
44
30
27
59
45.6
Mike Farmery
THH
5
98
140
112
88
-
131
113.8
Marcus Gohar
RAN
5
56
50
40
38
70
-
50.8
Tony Harran
HHH
5
65
39
39
32
42
-
43.4
Andy Howse
THH
5
64
54
53
33
-
53
51.4
Al Kennis
THH
5
61
97
72
27
-
86
68.6
Andy Lea-Gerrard
HHH
5
-
161
157
143
139
180
156.0
Vic Maughn
HHH
5
88
58
51
55
-
33
57.0
Ali Moses
RPR
5
-
3
13
8
18
32
14.8
Keith Newton
HHH
5
24
22
7
-
26
7
17.2
Simon Wurr
THH
5
-
10
15
17
21
27
18.0
Nick Altmann
THH
4
17
14
5
-
-
48
21.25
Mike Boucher
AFD
4
62
72
33
58
-
-
56.25
Pete Haarer
RAN
4
-
-
20
19
33
37
29.75
Stuart Major
SLH
4
6
9
3
7
-
-
6.25
Larry Mathews
THH
4
18
44
48
-
-
126
59.0
Lyndon McKevitt
HHH
4
36
91
18
21
-
-
41.5
Dave Robinson
HHH
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.