Distinguished Members
History of Newport Harriers
| Chapter 2 Distinguished Members |
History of Newport Harriers |
Thousands have passed through the club and a number have become prominent in parliamentary, municipal, professional, industrial and commercial circles. In the first 50 years the club has found and developed some brilliant athletes, at the risk of being invidious a few have been mentioned in the following notes.
In 1906 a "Thursday" section was founded for members unable to run regularly on Saturdays, the principal day for athletics. These members were mainly shopworkers who worked on Saturday but because of the half day closing on Thursday could run Thursday afternoon.
In the first fifty years of the club, they entered the senior Welsh Cross Country championships 39 times winning on 21 occasions the team race, their most dominate period was between 1899-1910 when they won 12 consecutive titles and during the 39 races have won the individual title 17 times:
1897 A.Turner,1899 J.Lee,1900 A.Palmer,1901 A.Palmer,1902 A.Turner.1903 A.Turner 1906/7/8/9 T.Arthur,1914 C.F.Price,1920 T.J.Miles,1922/4/6 E.Thomas, 1923 E.J.Edwards, 1925 D.J.P.Richards.
The Welsh junior Cross Country Championship have been won 8 times with wins in 1907, 1920/1922, 1926,1929,1930/1,1933, with individual winners 1907 L.Lloyd, 1913 C.F.Price, 1914 S.Judd,1920 R.G.Lovell, 1922 J.Bassett. 1924 E.R.Leyshon. 1926 I.Thomas. 1933 L.Tongue.
The Welsh novice Cross Country championships resulted in team wins in 1928,1931 while in 1922 and 1933 we tied for first place and had individual winners in 1926 J.Prosser, 1931 L.Tongue, 1933 W.Screen.
Early in the clubs existence they decided to make a bid for higher honours by competing at the Midland Championships, the most formidable of all area championships. The Midlands jurisdiction extended to cover 13 counties in England plus the whole of Wales & Monmouthshire, a total of 26 counties in all. First run in 1879, Birchfield were the most dominate club, at the clubs first attempt at Wolverhampton in 1903, the clubs junior team were second to Birchfield, our scorers were L.Turner,R.G.Davies and T.Baggs, in 1904 the juniors went one better winning with the same team as the previous year. In 1908 at Caerleon, North Staffs won but the Harrier’s had the individual winner in H.E.Loney, they then had to wait until 1922 in Leicester before they had another success with Ernie Thomas winning and the club again placed second behind Birchfield by only ten points. The following year the juniors gained revenge beating Birchfield by 9 points , the team was D.J.P.Richards 6th. D.Phillips 9th.P.Waters 17th. J.Bassett 23rd. S.Webber 27th. B.Hammond 34th.
The seniors in the Midlands never won but were placed 2nd in 1905 at Cheltenham behind Birchfield who had a membership greater than those running in the whole of Wales. In 1906 at Coventry we were 3rd, and in 1923 again at Coventry were placed 2nd with D.Phillips 4th. E.J.Edwards 8th. DJP.Richards 10th. The Newport team the following year at Caerleon were again 2nd with E.Thomas 4th. Richards 8th, at Arley in 1925 the club were 3rd with Richards winning the race and in 1926 at Coventry we were placed 2nd again with E.Thomas in 3rd place . During the 1920's the club were very strong in Cross Country events and their most notable success’s in the National were in 1922 at Hereford where they came 6th with E. Thomas leading the way in 4th place. At Beaconsfield in 1923 the team was placed 4th again with Richards the highest scorer for the club in 15th followed by D.Phillips 20th and P.Waters 21st in a field of 340 runners. In 1925 at Hereford saw our best ever performance in the National when we finished in 2nd with Richards 4th, E.Thomas 7th, B.Hammond 9th, E.R.Leyshon 18th, I.Thomas 48th, and D.Phillips 52nd.
A. Palmer.
Was the Welsh Cross Country champion in 1900 and the following year, lost his life in an accident at work.
Norman T. J. Moses.
Club secretary in 1901/2/3, an all round athlete, he won many prizes and titles at rowing, golf, gymnastics, swimming, as a high jumper, track and Cross Country runner, race walker including winning the Welsh one mile track walking championship in 1904.
T. Arthur.
Won the Welsh Cross Country title in four successive 1906/7/8/9, was killed in action during the First World War.
W.A.Fisher
W. A Fisher also demands a special notice, he joined the Harriers in 1911, and did much to rebuild the club in 1919 after the first World war, he was secretary from 1928/33 when he was elected Chairman of the club until 1936, he was also Treasurer of the WCCA for 11 years and a member for 19 years of the WCCA.
Clifford Price.
A better athlete has not been produced in Wales, that is the opinion of F.L.Johns, with a Cross Country and track career of only three years he was outstanding until he lost a leg in France during the First World War. His star performance on the track was when representing England in the International 4 miles at Glasgow between England, Scotland & Ireland, he finished 3rd to GW.Hutson the then English record holder, he won the Welsh mile title in 1912/13 and 4 mile titles in the same years plus the Welsh Cross Country title in 1914.
Ernie Thomas
Won 16 vests for Wales in International Cross Country events, 6 times Welsh Cross Country champion, winner of the Midlands Cross Country junior title in 1922, and 4 times Welsh Champion over 4 miles on the track.
D.J.P.Richards.
Won over 150 prizes, in Cross Country his most notable achievement was winning the senior individual Midlands title in 1925, he has however won about 30 different championships for walking , running on the track and Cross Country, in 1946 he was still the Welsh champion walker having won his first Cross Country championship in 1922.
David Phillips.
A total of 14 appearances in the "International", was club captain in 1925/26, gained many Welsh vests.
W.A. Cook
Bill Cook joined the club in 1926 and was awarded the Past President Cup, a trophy awarded for the best all round service by a new member, he was made captain in 1928 & 1929, Team manager 1932&1933 and secretary in 1937.
Ivor Thomas, MP
Ivor Thomas, was parliamentary under secretary for the Colonies, gained a blue at Oxford, won the Welsh junior Cross Country title in 1926 and ran for Wales in the International race, it would require a catalogue to name all the others who have become outstanding figures in other spheres.
I.C.Lloyd.
Joined the Harriers in January 1946, was placed 7th in his first Welsh Cross Country Championships in March 1946, selected to represent Wales in the International race at Ayr, Scotland, won the Welsh three mile title, all in his first year.
The club has indeed been fortunate in securing hard working , competent officials and devoted members over the years, the club secretary is a pivotal role and outstanding men in this position have been C.A.Porter, F.C.Waite, W.Johnson, E.Hughes, W.E.Fisher, W.A.Cook and the present secretary Ivor Adams.
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