Tipton Harriers & Field Events (04/05/2015)

We have recently come across a copy of a newsletter issued by the club in September 1938. In it it reports on a historic first for the club. On August 20th 1938 we competed in a contest with Harborne Harriers. Before we reproduce the report entitled "Friendship Cup" and the results we bring you an article headed "Remember????" written at the time on how the contest should be viewed in the future.

Remember ??????

"Someday in the distant future when rummaging through old books, documents, photographs and such souvenirs of his active athletic career, one of our members may chance to strike upon this issue of the “Gazette”. He may have forgotten many of his colleagues, many of his races may be beyond his recollection, but we want him to remember this one item. On Saturday, August 20, 1938 Tipton Harriers made their debut in field events, and be recorded, they won.

Dust your spectacles therefore, clean out your old pipe, take your mind back to those bygone days, and read of the first battle by your own club. If you can’t read, ask your grandchildren to turn to our report on the Friendship Cup.

And if you should find the performances mediocre when compared to those of your day, remember that those fellows of 1938 started from rock bottom and were without the facilities which their efforts helped to provide for their successors.

These pages may be yellow, the type may be faint, but it is with justifiable pride that we claim to be a club of progress. Today, you, Mr Veteran, will be better equipped to judge the truth of our statement, and we hope that you will find here in such material which will revive memories of those many happy days spent across country, on the track, Road (remember Manchester to Blackpool, and the Outer Circle?) and jumping, throwing, and pole vaulting on the sports ground."

So now we move onto the details of the actual meeting.

Friendship Cup

Surely the can never have been a more sportsmanlike contest than that at Brades’ Sports, Oldbury, on August 20, when Harborne Harriers field events section endeavoured to deprive us of the trophy won by our track men on Coronation day. Our fellows successfully read listed the challenge, however, and in doing so, made a little more history and added to our previously “best season ever” record. But it was not so much the fact that the contest was conducted in a scrupulously fair manner, or that it was totally devoid of incident which compels the praise of all concerned. Rather it was the fact that all competitors seemed anxious to see a real good exhibition of talent by someone – with a colleague or rival, was a secondary consideration.

This was our initial venture into the realm of field games, and may be regarded as an unqualified success. Congratulations, therefore, to Bernard Caddick, Tom Vaughan, John Fellowes, Billy Marsh, Jim Morrish, and last, but certainly not least, Bernard Fleming, who was delighted with our fellows great work.

Thanks to the lengthy experience of Mr F A Peace, the whole programme went along nicely, and he, together with Mr’s CE Shaw, the Harborne Honorary Secretary, was largely responsible for the success of the contest.

Our sincere thanks are also extended to Messrs RN Wright, Geoffrey B Wright, and HJ Donald, respectively President, Chairman and Hon Secretary of the Brades’ Welfare Society for their kind invitation to appear at their annual sports, and also to Jim Hartill, who is undoubtedly as popular on the Brades’ Sports Field as he is at Headquarters. He’s not too good in the sack race, though, we noticed.

Details

Long Jump

1    J Morrish, Tipton Harriers, 21’ 1¾ “
2    E Stanger, 18’ 2¾ “
3    T Vaughan, Tipton Harriers, 17’ 9¼“
4    D Joynes, 16’ 7¼”

High Jump

1    J Morrish, Tipton Harriers, 5’ 2”
2    D Joynes, 5’ 2”
3    B Fleming, Tipton Harriers, 5’ 0”
4    H Williams, 4’ 11”

Discus

1    B E Caddick, Tipton Harriers, 97’ 11¾”
2    B Fleming, Tipton Harriers, 81’ 1¼”
3    T H Forman, 79’ 10¾“
4    D Joynes, 79’ 3¼”

Putting The Shot

1    B E Caddick, Tipton Harriers, 32’ 8½“
2    J Fellows, Tipton Harriers, 29’ 1”
3    A G Carr, 26’ 8”
4    T H Forman, 26’ 7½”

Throwing The Javelin

1    W Marsh, Tipton Harriers, 111’ 7”
2    A G Carr, 100’ 7”
3    E Stanger, 97’ 4”
4    J Fellows, Tipton Harriers, 93’ 9½”