1896 to 1900
History of Newport Harriers
| Chapter 1 1896 to 1900 |
History of Newport Harriers |
In September 1896, an advertisement appeared in the South Wales Argus, a newspaper which has given valued assistance to the Newport Harriers club during their existence, calling for a meeting at the Greyhound Hotel, High Street in Newport for all long distance runners.
There had been previously sectional Harrier clubs in the town, which were all attached to football clubs, such as Shaftesbury Street and Caerau Harriers of which a Mr.Frank Liddington Johns was chairman, treasurer and secretary at the age of eighteen.
The meeting was held and the club formed, Mr.A.D.Davies was elected Captain, Mr.Frank Liddington Johns, Treasurer and Mr.E.J.Smith a soldier in the Mountain Battery stationed at Newport Barracks was elected secretary with Mr.Thomas Baggs of Monmouth as his assistant. Mr.G.Millier who was elected as chairman had previous experience as a member of Bristol and also Worcester Harriers.
In the first year there were 32 members, apart from the trainers but a number of these could be called active by courtesy. The clubs policy was progressive and unlike so many other athlete clubs has never been in danger of petering out . The founders launched a trim and sound craft and those still involved with the club are entitled to feel proud of its achievements. The beginnings were modest, the total expenditure in 1896/97 was £8-11-4d(£8.57) and more than half of this was spent on the purchase of gold and silver medals for competition.
In 1897 the club had the Welsh Cross Country winner when A.Turner was the champion, this win was followed with wins in 1899, A.Palmer plus the team title to Newport for the first time. Over the next decade Newport dominated the event with team titles every year from 1899--->1910 some record!, and during that period won the individual title in 1899/1900/01/2/3/6/7/8/9.
It is claimed that Frank Liddington Johns was responsible directly for the inauguration of this event , which was billed as the World Cross Country championships. In 1902 it was understood that an England Cross Country team was to meet an Irish team at the Cork Exhibition, a letter in an English paper complained that England were not appearing , so Mr.Johns wrote offering to substitute a Welsh team but the offer was to late. He then suggested that a race be held the following year, this was accepted and the Irish secretary then suggested that a Scottish team be invited, and to complete the International character of the race England were also invited. England at first refused considering that the National was sufficient competition for them but when they found out that the three Celtic nations were competing they joined in. The first race was at Hamilton Park, Glasgow in March 1903, of the Welsh team eleven of the twelve were Newport Harriers the roll call being T.Baggs, R.Davies, W.Davies, W.Grove, DG.Harris, JD.Marsh, A.Palmer, RB.Pugh, A.Rees, E.Thomas, A.Turner.
The best performance by a Welsh team was in 1904 when they came 2nd, with the club providing nine of the twelve runners.
Several of the original members noted below became outstanding personalities in the athletics world, one at least a National figure.
Frank Liddington Johns, was destined to become one of the foremost long service administrators in athletics in the UK, He was treasurer of Newport Harriers from 1896-1923, chairman for almost the whole of that period, President from 1924-27, secretary & treasurer of the Welsh Cross Country Association from 1903-07, pioneer of the International Cross Country race the forerunner of the present World Cross Country Championships, Welsh representative of the International Cross Country board in 1906,11. In 1926 the Midland Cross Country Association elected him as independent delegate to the English Cross Country Association, he was made a life member of Newport Harriers in 1916.
J.D. Marsh,
was a Castleton man, he captained the club and moved subsequently to Manchester where he became captain of Salford Harriers, in 1900 he won the senior Northern Counties title and was second in the National race and ran for England in the International race.J. Lee,
was Newport Harriers captain in 1898-99 and won the Welsh Cross Country title in that year.Mr. A. Turner,
also an original member, won the Welsh Cross Country title in 1897,1902,1903.Mr. Thomas Baggs,
not only became an International Cross Country runner but was a great organiser of, and successful athlete in, Walking races as well as a substantial track runner.
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