STOP PRESS : Adrian Edwards is holding another training day this coming Sunday, April 13th at Woodbank Park, Stockport from noon to 5.00 p.m. Well worth supporting.

We are grateful to Dave Ainsworth and the Essex Walker for this article celebrating Bill Sutherland’s 80th. Its appearance allows us also to indulge in some nostalgia particularly around the 1970 Commonwealth Games 20 miles in Edinburgh and some of my early encounters with Bill in 1969 and 1970.

BILL’s MILESTONE

Regular Essex Walker contributor Bill Sutherland is to celebrate his 80th birthday on Sunday April 6th.  Bill was an established name from the mid-60s onwards soon coming to the attention of International Selectors, and included among International appearances were major events such as European Championships and Commonwealth Games plus National Championship titles. Bill’s name was synonymous with the famous Highgate Harriers, who in such earlier times could put out ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ & ‘D’ teams in 4-to-score Open races, County, Area and National Championships. Bill’s name was often first on Middlesex County team sheets.  He was a loyal member of the Metropolitan Police and British Police Representative teams and turned out for both with regularity.

 Those were times when top race walkers were active most weeks and for the Met. he’d be there for Inter Club races, as indeed he was for Highgate.  He was always prominent on the much missed “Highgate One Hour races which saw packed tracks (at both Parliament Hill Fields and Copthall Stadium) over 4 graded races – to wit ‘A’-to-‘D’ Sections with Bill a leading light as an ‘A’ competitor.

 He was the first Scottish athlete to gain a medal in the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games – bronze in the 20 Miles Walk clocking 2:37.24.  He didn’t get quite the kudos merited; as when entering Meadowbank Stadium for a lap of the track towards the finish line, legendary BBC athletics commentator David Coleman didn’t know who he was – apart from him being a tall Policeman. Bill had some luck as “smart money” was on an Australian 1-2-3 but for some unexplained reason they only selected 2, who came 1st & 2nd, leaving out 1968 Olympian Frank Clarke, who a couple of years earlier had a brief spell with Ilford AC. Bill failed to appear in Scotland’s official Commonwealth Games team photograph – as when sent his blazer it didn’t fit so needed alteration. It wasn’t returned in time for the photograph and an official prevented him taking a place before the lens as he wasn’t attired like the others. 

Come 1972 Bill’s name was “on the radar” for Munich Olympic selection.  Paul Nihill & Phil Embleton, both sadly no longer with us, were 20k “certs” so a 3rd spot was up for grabs. Things didn’t go Bill’s way in the Selection Committee room – though when names were announced the one-and-only Arthur Gold told Bill he should have been selected.  Despite Arthur being “all powerful” he couldn’t overturn a Race Walking Association recommendation.  Upset as Bill was – and still is – he put profound disappointment aside to campaign hard, with others, against a decision to cease race walking as an Olympic event.  Bill spent much time visiting places here-and-there, often using his own leave to do so in a bid to drum up support for retention of our our discipline on Olympic programmes.    

Bill had a spell away from Highgate Harriers to join Ilford AC and was so active he was elected as a most popular President in 1994/95. When at the top table for Ilford’s Annual Dinner & Dance at Chigwell’s Police Sports & Social Club his chosen after-dinner guest speaker was another “one-and-only” person – the late Mel Batty. It was a memorable occasion.  Bill’s a proud B.E.M. (British Empire Medal) recipient – when at Buckingham Palace to receive it from a now late Queen Elizabeth II he acquired a top hat and put it under his chair in the presentation hall.  A Palace flunkey tapped a shoulder to inform him guests are required to place such items in cloakrooms!

He was an Organising Committee member of a 1989 “Arthur Eddlestone BEM Memorial 100 Miles Walk at Hendon Police Training School (100 x 1 mile around its perimeter in atrocious weather) which was a major successful promotion.  Bill was determined to complete a 100 Miles’ Walk, for membership of an exclusive Centurions organisation, open only to athletes completing this distance in under 24 hours. He did so at the 1991 Ewhurst 100 Miles in Surrey around a 10 x 10 miles course, clocking 23:49.36 to become member 890.  As the task got tougher during the cold of the night, Bill’s wife and greatest supporter for decades, Kath, cheered up spirits by singing “Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner”. When interviewed by a reporter from his local newspaper (Islington Gazette) about this feat he was asked where he’d put up for the night?  Bill told her 100 miles start one day/finish the next, with competitors competing through the night – not sleeping!  The journalist was most impressed. Bill contributed to The Centurions by serving as their Honorary Secretary from 1994-to-1999.

Bill has returned to Highgate Harriers and nowadays is prominent as an ideas and suggestions man, following in footsteps of great Highgate Harrier Charlie Megnin R.I.P., a 1946 European Championship 50K Walk bronze medallist.  He main love in recent times is parkruns where he’s complied a long list of both appearances as a participant and as an official/helper, having  received service awards for so doing.  We wish Bill well on his 80th birthday. 

AND so do all at the Lancashire Walking Club

Below you will find my report, which you might find rather harsh. on the Commonwealth race. In hindsight I do! It is taken from the publication ‘RACE WALKING ’71’, which Julian Hopkins and I produced and Ron Wallwork printed. We were on the roadside, cheering and gnashing our teeth as Ron slid out of contention. Can you believe that security at the Games Village was so relaxed that we slept and ate therein for a couple of days? Bill was a revelation on the day. Perhaps the script was written in the Scottish stars?

Thanks to the Athletics Weekly archives for these two reports with Colin Young’s a touch harsh too!

For the historical record too I was going to include here Ron’s own reflections on the race, which appeared in the Race Walking Record but the RWA web site is unavailable at this precise moment. I will add when I can access.

Finally, if you’ve got this far. will you allow a moment of personal indulgence? Bill and I crossed paths in a number of championships in 1969 and 1970. The results, including the DQ, while lying second, in the 1970 National 10, illustrate how well Bill was preparing for Edinburgh. Looking back it gives me some satisfaction to see that in 1969 Bill beat me by only two seconds in each of the National 10 and the AAA 10,000 metres. In the former I was sandwiched between Bill and Roger Mills, who himself went on to win a European bronze. In the 1970 AAA 10,000 metres Bill gave notice of the Commonwealth performance to come. whilst I managed third behind Roger. It didn’t last but it was great to be in their company.

1969

1970

Interestingly Bill had a disappointing race in that year’s National 20 miles at Redditch, finishing 9th, exactly 7 minutes behind Ron Wallwork. I’m not sure if he was written off but he bounced back in July with what Colin Young described as ‘an outstanding performance’.

Once more thanks to the AW archive for these reports.. It’s the bargain of the century for any athletics lover to subscribe for only £3.99 monthly at https://athleticsweekly.com/aw-archive-membership/