Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

A.A.A. JUBILEE SOUVE IR E. Harper (Hallamshire Harriers), J. E. Webster (Birchfield Harriers), and C. E. Blewitt (Birchfield Harriers), J. Williams (Hallamshire Harriers), R. Stanton (Birchfield Harriers), England scoring the lowest possible number of points (21). I am not despondent over the International results of the past four years. We have plenty of good material in this country, and given a 10-mile course for the race, as it always was, and England's representatives will, I am confident, still go on putting up sound performances. D1sTRICT Assoc1ATIO s The Midland Counties Amateur Crosscountry Association was founded in l 879, and is the oldest of the affiliated Associations attached to the ational Union. The first Championship under its auspices was held in 1879. In 1892 a Junior Championship was instituted, and it has proved a great success and is now the most popular contest of the Midland Associa– tion. In the early 'eighties a split by Junior clubs almost broke up the Association. The Junior clubs left the Association and promoted two Championships, both of which were won by A. Mabbett (Birchfield H.), but eventually returned to the Senior body. In 1909 a ovices' Race was established, and a Youths' Championship (fifteen to eighteen years) in 1926. These events, Junior, Novice and Youths' races, in entries outnumber those of the Senior event. Sporting and financially, the Midland Association is the strongest attached to the ational Union. The Northern Crosscountry Association was founded in I 882, under .the presidency of H. M. Oxley (Cheshire Tally-Ho), with J. H. Hardwick (Salford Harriers) Hon. Secretary. The first Championship was run at Manchester in 188 3 ; T. Crellin (Liverpool Harriers) won individual honours and his club the Team Championship. In I 899 a Junior Race and in 1922 a Youths' Race were added to the list of Championships. To-day, ninety-eight clubs are affiliated to the orthern Association. In its constitution and management of its Championships the orthern Association stands out as an example to all kindred Associations. The Southern Association held its first championship in I 884, under the Presidency of "Tommy" Shore. In that race South London Harriers made history by scoring with six of the first seven home, J. B. Foreman gaining the Individual Championship. They also won the two following years, and last February completed a second set of three. Their performances, however, pale into insignificance beside those of Highgate Harriers, who registered ten consecutive wins from 1903 to 1912, and have actually been champions fourteen times. Altogether the famous "gatebearers" have been "placed" in twenty-six Southern Championships and S.L .H. in seventeen. There is no Junior Championship in the South. Such an event was II4