As the Clocks Spring Forward heralding lighter mornings and the promise of warmer days, my thoughts in the late ’60s and early ’70s always turned to one thing…… No not that! Still a wee bit young for that….

No I excitedly looked forward to the  Annual School Sports Day.

The smell of cut grass. The red ash pitch being raked and the Jannie with his tin of paint and brush cleaning up the flag poles and hurdles (more on them later)  

Maths teachers with their buckets of whitewash, brushes and measuring tapes getting ready to paint the lanes for the sprints and the other events’ markings: Shot-putt, Javelin and Discus. These three particular events were always very dangerous for officials and errant spectators.

After the Easter break the Great Day would arrive.

The Art department had a bit of a laugh at the pupils and staff.

The programmes were printed,

I was competing in both 100m and 200m sprints, the long jump and the 4 x 100m relay.

Every competitor had been allocated a number to pin on their vest and the hours (minutes, seconds) of training were finally over…..

I always ran everywhere from a very young age, but my first introduction to actual athletics was the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. I was totally captivated by the spectacle, despite viewing it on a 18″ flickering, black and white TV screen. 

I can even still hum the theme tune.

I was hooked and became an avid fan of every future Summer Olympic Games.

In 1968 I won both the 100m and 200m yards sprints to help my primary school win the annual Dunbartonshire County Sport Shield. Both the boys and the girls teams triumphed on the day.

Yes that’s me back row 1st left with the over serious face and the terrible Calimero haircut. Haha! 

Eets an Enjustisss……

The winning girls’ team (pic courtesy of OUAT’s own Pauline Allan nee O’Rourke) has Pauline 1st right back row with her cousin Maureen Black nee O’Rourke next to her and Katrina McKirdy nee Campbell sitting 1st left.

Thinking back, the School Sports Day was a great melting pot: kids you didn’t really know were now competing against you or in the case of the relays, your teammate. 

Quiet boys were ‘suddenly’ good, nay great at the shot putt and/or javelin. The studious kid always with his head in a book was a brilliant 880 yards runner or high jumper. 

Even the teachers, released from their stifling, grey classrooms, were cast in a new light. The no nonsense science teacher was relishing his job as starter and official time keeper, laughing and joking with the surprised kids, me included. The hard man Maths teacher was now full of banter and enthusiasm, encouraging contestants from the side of the track and even consoling the non medal winners! 

All very bizarre!

There was the usual number of winners and losers, triumphs and tragedies. Marvels, mayhem and mishaps!

One such mishap befell a close friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) He was a strong sprinter but fancied competing in the hurdles too. 

He’d secretly trained for months, working out his stride lengths and indeed the number of said strides between the hurdles and was ready to amaze everyone.

Unfortunately on the day nothing went to plan. Nada, Zip Zilch!

At the starting gun blasted GO he sprinted forward, (almost) perfectly leapt over the first hurdle but somehow managed to clip it with his trailing foot. This threw his stride totally off and stumbling to regain his balance crashed through the second hurdle and then, still dragging it with his lower right leg, slid under the third hurdle.This final act was accompanied by much hilarity from the gawping spectators. I had to stifle my own laugh as it really was damn funny but I couldn’t let him see me joining in.

Through the barricades right enough!

Ach at least he’d tried something new…..but he never competed in the hurdles ever again.

Each competitor who won their event was now in the running (sorry….) to be selected for the school team to compete in the Dunbartonshire County Sports.

Hey maybe I even competed against some of you Bearsden guys? 

Strangely enough I have absolutely no memory of this event. I must have performed so badly that I have blocked it from my mind.

The 1972 County Sports, held at Greenfaulds HS in Cumbernauld, was far more memorable. By this time, although I still competed in the 100m, my coach had decided that my best event was the 200 metres.

He explained that I seemed to always get a ‘second wind’ and was able to accelerate around the 150m mark and I had in fact won the recent school 200m race using this very ‘technique’ 

Technique??

All I did was run as fast as I could for as long as I could. 

Anyway I took his advice and trained for the upcoming event using this information.

This race was the first time I’d ever worn running spikes. All my previous wins were achieved wearing sandshoes or gutties as they were known. 

Nae fancy Nike Air Max in those byegone days. 

And I never, ever used starting blocks.

The race was on a black cinder track and I was drawn in a middle lane. I led from the start and within 25m didn’t have any other runner in my line of sight. I comfortably crossed the finishing line 5 metres ahead of everyone else winning the gold medal.

Yes these are the actual medal and the running vest I wore 54 years ago!

And YES I AM a hoarder although I prefer the term ‘Nostalgist’ Haha!

I briefly joined The Clydesdale Harriers. The sprint coach there had me running the 400m against a 4 x 100m relay team! Ooft that was tough going but it did increase my stamina.

I went on to compete in the Scottish Schools Sports Championship in Fife. 

I had to get two trains early on a wet Sunday morning, on my own. Got a bit lost trying to find the venue and very nearly missed my qualifying heat. 

I somehow managed to finish second in my heat and made it to the 200 metres final. 

However I started very badly and only finished 4th. Then, to make the day even more miserable, somebody stole my sweatshirt from the changing room!

That was my last ever Athletics Meet as by then playing Basketball totally consumed me and all my spare time.

I’ve often wondered, that given the correct modern coaching ‘techniques,’ advanced nutrition, footwear and equipment, just how far I could’ve progressed in Athletics……but I loved it at the time and have absolutely no regrets.

Twenty five years later I used what I had learned during my time in Athletics, to coach both my sons to school sprinting success.

(Post by Mark Arbuckle from Clydebank – March 2026)