Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

ATHLETICS IN THE SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES great event, an entertaining account ofwhichwill be found in the book by the late Sir Montague Shearman, to which reference has already been made. Not until 1856 is any mention made of sports at Cambridge, St. John's and Emmanuel sharing the honour of introducing them ; and in the mean– time two more Schools-Harrow and Charterhouse-had started athletic meetings (18 53). There is also some obscure reference about this time to sports at Durham University, but not until many years later did those civic or provincial Universities which existed so long ago as I 85o adopt athletics. An exception was Trinity College, Dublin, which started a meeting in 18 57. The years 1852-1853 seem to mark the general commencement of athletics in the Public Schools, and, indeed, about that ime an annual sports meeting, with competitions in running, jumping, throwing weights, and always hurdling, had come to be regarded as a regular feature of School life. But the idea of open competitions, championships or even contests between the Universities in athletic sports was still remote. However, in 1856, four Oxford Colleges-Balliol, Wadham, Pembroke and Worcester-started meetings, as did also Rugby School. Oriel followed in I 857, and so did Winchester; and in I 858 and 18 59, respec– tively, Merton and Christchurch also founded meetings. After such a general impulse, but more especially in consequence of the exertions of the Rev. E. Arkwright, of Merton, the foundation of the Oxford University Sports in I 860 was the next logical step, and this meeting was, of course, open to all undergraduates of the University. A ground at Marston was used as headquarters until 1877, when it was deserted for the present Iffiey Road; at Cambridge, Fenner's has been used ever since the Univer– sity Sports were founded in I 857. It should be added, with regard to Cambridge, that annual meetings held by separate Colleges were not frequent until I 863. PERIOD 3.-1860-1880. THR UNIVERSITIES, TH.R FIRST AMATEUR CLUBS, AND THE A.A.A. In 1863 negotiations took place for a meeting between the Universities, but were not completed when the summer term came and caused the idea to be abandoned for that year. However, on March 5th, 1864, the first Oxford v. Cambridge Sports were held on the Christchurch Cricket Ground, Oxford. The programme consisted of eight events, including two hurdle races and a steeplechase, and the result was a tie. The following year, Fenner's Ground, Cambridge, was the venue, and the year after Christchurch again. In 1867 the Sports were held for the first time on a cinder track, and in London, at Beaufort House Ground, whence in 1869 they were transferred to the newly opened Lillie Bridge Ground. In the meantime some business men engaged in the neighbourhood of Mincing Lane, London, had founded a Club which they named after that commercial centre, and which in I 866 took the title of the London 87