Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

ATHLETICS IN THE COUNTIES BY T. W. HIGGS (Kent County A.A.A.) fr is conceivable that this title may cause certain thoughts to arise in the minds of some who are closely associated with present-day Athletics, such as, " Why in the Counties ? " or even, possibly, as to the necessity cf such an article at all, seeing that the work of the Amateur Athletic /\.ssociation generally is being dealt with in other articles. It has been considered, however, that there are special circumstances relating to the growth of the athletic movement in the Counties peculiar to themselves which will help to give a clearer idea of what this Jubilee means to our Association and amateur athletics generally. Actually, it was years before the A.A.A. was established that the gospel of amateurism began to spread outside the London area, for the writer was a successful competitor at meetings more than fifty years ago, at which it was an established policy not to award cash prizes to junior competitors under the age of eighteen years, an item of interest which is sure to appeal to the minds of the Youths Sub-Committee, recently appointed by the A.A.A., as well as to many others who have associated themselves with the well-being of young athletes. Those were the days when no organized control existed in connection with sports. throughout the country as is the case to-day; when these meetings were in the hands of a few keen Clubmen, the events being for their own members and in some instances for other" gentlemen amateurs." Then, the general public had to be content with other meetings whose main interes~ were for the professional " pedestrian," and a certain clientele with an eye to the odds laid, plus, of course, the shekels which accrued from the gate, and other "arrangements" made with the so– called" bosses" or "gaffers" of those competing, and these were largely the promoters' aims. It is only fair to say, however, that from the ranks of these " pedes– trians," many of whom were really good fellows, came great runners who were hailed as champions of this or that County, of " All England," and even World's champions, and some of their performances are recorded and may be found in the files of our sporting journals. Further, it is a fact that many of these results created a widespread interest throughout the whole country in spite of certain sinister hap– penings associated with some of the meetings, which would shock the mind of the average follower of sport to-day. 79