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Post by rick on Jan 2, 2006 20:23:14 GMT
This should really have it's own thread. This could match or better the Preston team that won the last ever Lancs 8 stage relay in 1992 beating Salford, Stretford (Trafford), Liverpool & Liverpool Pembroke. As far as Im aware it was the only Preston team to include John Nuttall & Steve Tunstall in the same line up. That was a great day for me, even though I arrived late and didn't even get a run in the B team. (Thinking about it, it was also my 40th birthday which makes me think it must have been 1991). In any case, a great result. Pity we couldn't get John and Steve out together more often when they were at their peak. They never ran on the same National team although when they did run they usually finished in the medals. I've often wondered if a stronger senior team would have influenced their racing plans regarding the National: possibly not considering the close proximity of the World XC Championships. Salford. I'd be interested to hear what you have to say on this one. |
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Post by salford on Jan 3, 2006 19:24:40 GMT
Hiya Rick
It certainly was a good day....my memory maybe hazy over about the year but I thought it was '92 as I seem to remember sporting a nice tan having just got back from Tenerife. I cant remember the exact running order either other than I went first & Steve Gildert the glory leg.
Tony Barnes mulled over the clubs potential to win a major title in his much missed Evening Post articles. Looking back im not sure any of us realised at the time what a good sqaud of distance runners the club had. The standard of running nationally was better then than it is now sadly but following would be any team managers dream. John Nuttall & Steve Tunstall who everyone should know were genuine world class. The best of the rest - Ian Robinson (sub 29 min 10k, sub 64 min half), Steve Gildert (4 min miler), Richard Higgins (4 min miler, sub 30min 10k and capable of faster had it not been for the volume of hours he worked as doctor...as talented as John Nuttall as a junior), myself (4 min mile, 23.40 5miles, 29.40 10k), Vince Mckoy (1.52 800m pace but sadly always seemed to leave his best form on the training track), Wes Truran (1.49 800m performer would now be going to championships with that PB but in those days would struggle to win Stretford open meets) and Billy Burns (2.16 marathon & still one of best mountain runners in the world) - Strength in depth coming from the likes of Tim Durham, Ian Dandy, Steve Smith, Rick himself & Simon Harris....and those ive forgotten.
Mouthwatering isnt it?
No doubt that on the day Preston could have easily lifted the National Cross Country and the National six stage relay. When I moved to Salford a year or so later the President & coach Geoff Doggett told me he had been amazed by the Preston relay team at Southport as they had given his best team at the time a good beating. Compliments indeed when consider the Salford squad had talent like Steve Kenyon, Stan Curran, Tony Leonard & Nick O'Brien any of whom could match John Nuttall & Steve Tunstall stride for stride.
The circumstances were that John & Ian were mainly US based and Steves illness problems kept him out for long periods of time. The remaining runners turned out as & when they wanted. Perhaps if someone like Vince Rutland or Pete Ward hadnt moved on from the club & stayed as team managers then the full squad could have mobilised & brought home a massive title?
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Post by Guest on Jan 8, 2006 10:48:05 GMT
Wallowing in the past is all well and good, but won't achieve anything at all. The club has top trainers now, as it has had in the past. The club also has up and coming top athletes. With encouragement these are our Tunstalls & Nuttalls of the future. Let us also not forget our Clitheroe of the present. Helen has remained a loyal club member & Jeremy her top line coach. She could have left the club, like other good athletes have, but she has stayed & the club is a better place for that.
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Post by salford on Jan 8, 2006 12:10:21 GMT
Which was one of the points of the article Rick originally copied.
'Wallowing' in the past can help achieve things if you are more positive & choose the words along the lines 'learn from mistakes' instead. Fingers crossed Preston, led by a rejuvinated Adam Sutton, manage to turn the potential of the current young squad into a championship winning team and achieve more than past teams managed.
Not sure who has questioned the loyalty of any athlete, but I agree totally with the latter points of the above post. Jeremy Harries was responsible at some stage in the development of most of the runners named earlier & they all remained indebted to him for his investment in them.
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Post by rick on Jan 8, 2006 21:13:06 GMT
I've always received a wry smile from Tony Barnes when the Kiss Of Death article has come up in conversation over the years. The problem was that planets would have had to be aligned perfectly for the dream to become reality.
Peter Ward put forward a plan to fly Ian Robinson back from the States for the National but the committee didn't go for it. Pete certainly invigorated the senior men during his all too brief stay with the club. I bet there are still paint marks on the kerb stones behind the LEP where he marked out distances for Thursday night interval sessions.
Vince was certainly a catalalyst and a National enthusiast, as were Phil Walsh and Simon Harris. Vince won a AAA team bronze at the London marathon with Mandale.
To Guest I'd say this thread is hardly wallowing in past glories, more just looking at a particular period in the club's history and wondering what might have happened.
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Post by Tony Croft on Jan 9, 2006 19:22:25 GMT
Getting back to the original event, Aidan is correct - it was the last of the old style Lancs relays with Manchester and Merseyside teams. Held in Southport on 10.10.92 it also included six-stage B teams. The course was two laps around the ornamental gardens (about 3.5m) and not the traditional pier-back-to-pier course (3m) traditionally used.
Preston Harriers A Team won in 2.15.35 with the B team also first in 1.49.01. Unfortunately I don't have the full results.
For the record, Preston Harriers also won the first of the new-style Lancs relays in Blackpool on 09.10.93 - Steve Smith, Ray Kenny, Mark Crook, Lionel Gowland, Steve Tunstall and Billy Burns.
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Post by rick on Jan 10, 2006 5:24:33 GMT
Tony,
Thanks for the clarification. Same event, different years.
I always thought it was short-term memory that went first. ;D
Rick
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Post by bobshepherd on Jan 10, 2006 16:34:56 GMT
Rick, It depends what you mean by first. Both my long term & short term memories have gone, but I can't remember which went first. It is good to hear from you older runners talking about your halcyon days. The more I read, the more I realize what a good gang you had in those days. I am blessed also with seeing Steve Tunstall still running. I know I'm repeating myself but.........outside my house is a field with a steep climb. Steve still runs up that hill much faster than I can run down it. It's great to just watch him go..... In addition, & to support in a way, what Guest said the other day, we really do have a good lot of young runners that need our encouragement now. One of the older, younger runners, I went to Clitheroe with Alan Appleby to watch win in great style, breaking the course record for the second year running & probably PB'ing too, is Helen Clitheroe. Wow just how she can run. I took my camera to take some pictures for the Harrier Magazine, but she was just too quick for me! So in the next magazine watch that blank space. Helen is one of our stars & she is setting a great example to her younger fellow athletes. Further, on the subject of The Glory Days, do you know that Maurice is putting together loads of memories for everyone to enjoy, on the web site? If you have trouble finding them you can see the Hall of Fame at www.prestonharriers.com/memory_lane.htmIf you would like to contribute your memories, why don't you email them to me & I'll add them to Maurice's Magnificent Moments! bob.shepherd@tesco.net |
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Post by bobshepherd on Jan 10, 2006 23:38:59 GMT
Tony,
You kindly sent me some pictures. I tried to reply but was unable to get through to you. So thanks, but any idea why?
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Post by rick on Jan 11, 2006 4:57:41 GMT
I visited the track last summer on a Thursday night and it was packed with junior members.
I remember reading that the club had found it difficult to field a full strength team for the Northern League matches. (Note: see earlier post re. memory reliability).
How many of our current senior athletes came through from the juniors?
Unless things have changed it's not that many. So. Why do we lose them?
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Post by bobshepherd on Jan 14, 2006 8:18:12 GMT
The young athletes go away for a variety of reasons. College, Universtity, employment etc.. One well loved athlete of 10 years or so ago will be featured in the next Harrier mag. She went to University & now works abroad. One of our well loved athletes of a bit longer ago went to America.
Back to the thread, Glory Days..........Glory Days of even more than the Nuttall era........... Malcolm Withnell phoned me earlier this week. He tells me that he was Club Captain in the 50's. He held the mile record at 4.45 until Mick Rainford took it from him! He sent me a goldmine of memories in the form of two scrap books. Included is a letter from Roger Bannister. Malcolm is I think the great uncle of a young member, Mark Harrison. (Who in 2 years will go to University &............).
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Post by Ella gildert on Dec 9, 2017 19:01:27 GMT
This should really have it's own thread. This could match or better the Preston team that won the last ever Lancs 8 stage relay in 1992 beating Salford, Stretford (Trafford), Liverpool & Liverpool Pembroke. As far as Im aware it was the only Preston team to include John Nuttall & Steve Tunstall in the same line up. That was a great day for me, even though I arrived late and didn't even get a run in the B team. (Thinking about it, it was also my 40th birthday which makes me think it must have been 1991). In any case, a great result. Pity we couldn't get John and Steve out together more often when they were at their peak. They never ran on the same National team although when they did run they usually finished in the medals. I've often wondered if a stronger senior team would have influenced their racing plans regarding the National: possibly not considering the close proximity of the World XC Championships. Salford. I'd be interested to hear what you have to say on this one. |
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Post by Ella Gildert on Dec 9, 2017 19:05:12 GMT
Hey, i was wondering if you meant Steve Gildert, blue eyes either bald or blonde? Am one of his daughters and am thinking it would be good if you could send some articles and pics if so as it would be a good Christmas present.
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