Cross Country Team 1952/3
This photograph, from the School archives, was sent in by Alex Bateman. The names have been identified by Tony Youdale.
Back Row (L-R): A. Wilson, T. Gough, x, x, J. Green, x,
Front Row: M. Humphrey, L. Chapman, Tony Youdale, Mr. Charles Crinson, B. Lord, Nigel Walsh, Colin Gent.
1952/53 Captain: B. Lord
Colours: L. Chapman, C. Gent, T. Gough, J. Green, M. Humphrey,
B. Lord, C. Ruhl, J. Stewart, J. Sheriff, N. Walsh, A. Wilson, T. Youdale.
We won the Ealing event for a third year in a row, B. Lord winning, but were third in the Finchley Harriers race. Towards the end of the season, the club showed better form finishing 3rd in the Ranelagh Harriers Race then 2nd in the Middlesex Grammar Schools. At the end of the season we competed in the new Queens Park Harriers Relay, our first entry into a relay event. This took place in Northwood on a circuit starting near Eastcote Cricket Club, went up Cuckoo Hill then through the back streets to reach Northwood Hills before returning down Joel Street. Our team selection for this race seems strange because our "A" team were 7th behind our "B" team in 6th.
Tony Youdale writes: "The reason for the "strange" team
selection for the Queens Park Harriers Relay was that I picked the teams (with
Charlie Crinson's smiling approval) and because of ARS's rule that Rugby came
first, some of the team were only part time cross country. I decided that the
full time runners would be the "A" team and the part timers (even if
they were better runners) would be the "B" team. It seemed the right
thing to do and it was a way I (and Charlie Crinson) could have a dig at ARS.