View from the back – W.Y.X-C.L. (meeting 1) Sat 17th Oct. 1992 Carnegie, Leeds

View from the back – W.Y.X-C.L. (meeting 1) Sat 17th Oct. 1992 Carnegie, Leeds

The 1992/3 cross country kicked off for most local runners on Saturday 17th October at Carnegie College playing fields, Leeds.

The meeting was a big success due mainly to the bright Autumn weather and the inclusion of female races for the first time in these ‘Complete Runner West Yorkshire Cross Country League’ events. This year was the last season in which the league comprised of just three races all held before Christmas and provided many runners with an ideal start to the season.

Spenborough had some good performances in the younger age groups, but the main event was the senior men’s race (incorporating vets and juniors) which had 291 finishers, 15 of them coming from Spenborough A.C.

One entrant missing from the starting line up as the gun went was Gary Damiani, out on his warm up, he would have probably been our third counting team member but his costly mistake did not surprise anybody as he has built up a glowing reputation for doing this sort of thing on a regular basis.

Pre-race tension does different things to different people.

The course comprised two laps of three miles and was dry and flat for a West Yorkshire League race, flat apart from the infamous Becketts Bank which seemed much longer and steeper on the second lap (it caused yours truly to lose many a place second time up !).

At the front the in form Darren Spawforth had broken away after one mile and came home a clear winner for local rivals Wakefield, but Spenborough placed two athletes in the top ten, with the ‘emerging’ Paul Dobson beating club star Jeff Hornby for the first time in placing 7th . Jeff came in one place behind (8th) to make this the second race in succession that another Spen athlete has beaten him (Jamie Warburton beat him in the last track meeting of the season). Is Jeff losing it ? I don’t think so yet, he will be back to claim more honours before this winter is over I’m sure.

Solid runs were produced by road men Ray Padgett and Keith Miller who came 42nd and 45th respectively. At the blunt end of the field Spenborough produced a string of placings, Tont Patchett’s 65th was a good run for a near vet., firmly beating yours truly into 87th which was a disgrace. Then came Mick Dransfield (97th), still on the comeback trail (two years is a long time for a comeback).

Just outside the top hundred came newlywed Dave Sunderland (101st) and hardened campaigner Frank Reddington (104th). Other Spenborough runners to get round the tough six mile course were coaching guru Alan Whittaker (123rd), comeback man Dave Baskerville, Kevin ‘the grafter’ Bentley who just made it home before collapsing in the finishing funnel, Geoff Pierce and Harry Machin also finished but first year junior Carl Wolfenden dropped out due to fatigue from lack of sleep (working commitments). Overall it was a good turn out with some encouraging runs at this early season stage. Sceptical road runners and even some of our track stars should try cross country running as it is good and it is hard.

Ranking scorers at Leeds (and overall after 1 race)

1.Paul Dobson (7th) 20pts
2.Jeff Hornby (8th) 15pts
3.Ray Padgett (42nd) 12pts
4.Keith Miller (45th) 10pts
5.Tony Patchett (65th) 8pts
6.Myles Chandler (87th) 6pts
7.Mick Dransfield (97th) 4pts
8.Dave Sunderland (101st) 3pts
9.Frank Reddington (104th) 2pts
10.Alan Whittaker (123rd) 1pt

The Glory Years - Northern Six Stage

‘A funny thing happened on the way’

It’s not uncommon for a driver to exit a motorway at the wrong junction. A car load of Spen runners managed to come off at the right junction but on the wrong motorway, taking the M1 to Knutsford resulted in three team members arriving half an hour after the start of the race on a rain soaked Tatton Park course. It was a case of last shall be first and Ray Padgett stepped forward at twenty minutes notice to start the usually high standard first leg. Michael Sykes gained eight places on the second leg, but Keith Miller found the third leg pace fast and lost four places. By this time the Motorway hoppers were seen hot footing across the park and Alf Wolfenden regained the four places, with Richard Lee gaining one more. On the last leg the runners are spread over a greater distance and Gary Damiani’s run, the fastest of the team and gaining four places, was a fine performance. The team was not at full strength due to returns to universities, holidays and injury. 67 teams finished, fastest leg = David Lewis, Rossendale (17:42).

Ray Padgett 54th 20:27
Michael Sykes 46th 20:03
Keith Miller 50th 21:13
Alf Wolfenden 46th 20:43
Richard Lee 45th 20:40
Gary Damiani 41st 19:57