1881 - The club is founded

Back as far as we Go

A brief history of the Club by Maurice Dean

It is interesting to learn how athletic sports in Preston , particularly in Victorian England when the population in the town was growing so rapidly through each decade. As well as trying to cope with the developing social needs of the time, the authorities were also struggling against poor sanitation, overcrowding and devastating epidemics. Some how the vision of a few pioneers and promoters established athletics in the town and later, in the twentieth century, the Scandinavian Sport of Orienteering was started in England by a small group of sportsmen and climbers in Preston .
Foot race: The earliest foot race recorded in Preston was in 1675, the course was four miles long and the prize, a fifteen pound plate. The Patron was the Mayor and each contestant had to pay Ten shillings via his footman, to enter.
Professional events came to the Town in 1859, first with a Grand Highland Gathering at the Borough Gardens , which was situated at the Tram Terminus, adjacent to the cemetery and within Farington Hall grounds.

Prizes were awarded for most of the traditional Scottish Sports and included a foot race of half a mile for men in Kilts. This was followed a few days later by another Promotion on the Moor Hall Estate. This seems to have been originated by a number of gentlemen of the Town, and was a very well attended gathering with temporary grandstands and refreshment Booths being built, making a profit of over One Hundred Pounds. The year following the event moved onto the marsh area, West of Strand Road, and continued to be held in this location until 1869, with success and large attendances.
Amateur Athletics came to the Town in July 1870 with an Athletics Festival on Preston Marsh, with Mayoral permission and organised by the newly formed Preston Gymnastic Club. Fifty Medals were awarded for prizes for the various events, including Flat racing, Jumping, Pole Leaping, Gymnastics, Pole Leaping, Boxing, Walking and Cycling. Admission to the Ground was sixpence, with the Grandstand and occupants of Carriages being charged half a crown. The following year the Athletics Festival took place on the ground of the Preston Agricultural Show, Deepdale.
In 1875 a new Preston Gymnastic and Athletic Club was formed with the aim of promoting Preston Athletic Sports meetings. Early in1876 an approach was made to the Preston North End Cricket Club, based off Deepdale Road , to consider a temporary amalgamation and a fifty pound guarantee each. The two clubs succeeded in promoting an event in the summer, 29th July, with an attendance of up to five thousand spectators. Admission to the ground being sixpence; grand stand, one shilling and two shillings, occupants of carriages two shillings and sixpence.
The following year was a greater success, with an attendance of seven thousand spectators, this became an annual sporting event up to the turn of the century, under the title of Preston Athletic Sports.
The next milestone to be reached was the formation of Preston Harriers on the 15th September 1881, at the White Horse Inn in Friargate, some of these foundling members were also members of the Gymnastic fraternity. This new club was to figure prominently in the Preston Guild Sports events of 1882, around the same era, the Preston Athletic Association was also formed.

In the latter period of the nineteenth century there were several prominent amateur and professional athletes, who turned in World Class performances in Preston, on the Preston Nursery Pleasure Gardens track of 600yds. In 1879, two meetings were held, the first, a race over 440yds, with the winner undecided, the second a fortnight later, a One mile handicap, won by R Needham, beating W Cummings the Professional Champion of Great Britain, In 1880 Walter George, running a mile in 4mins 23.2secs and establishing a World Record for one and a half miles in 6mins 43.5secs in July, being the fastest amateur at the time.

William Jeffrey Cummings, Prestons professional based runner, broke the world record for one mile, in a time of 4min 16.2secs in 1881, on the Preston Nursery Pleasure Gardens Ground. Another milestone was reached in September of that year with the formation of a Harriers Club, at the White Horse Inn in Friargate, with some of the foundling members joining from the Gymnastic Club. The Preston Guild 0f 1882 surpassed all other Guilds for patronage, prestige, with professional sporting events taking place on the Borough Race Grounds, with the Preston Athletic Association Festival being held on the North End Cricket Ground, Deepdale. Also Amatuer Athletic Sports being held on West Cliff. Cross-country: Inter club events were arranged against the leading clubs, prominent members being Dickinson and Brown, who also ran for Salford Harriers. In 1879 the N.C. A.A.A. the was founded at Southport from within local clubs, which controlled and steered the passage of a turbulent period of athletics in the right direction, regarding rules and the organisation of events and meetings.

In 1905 the Harriers regrouped under a general heading of Preston Harriers and Athletic Club, possibly due to the influx of accomplished athletes (Wallach,Aspinall, Calvert) from outside the Town and organised changes in athletic activities. With C. J. Bryant winning the Northern Junior X.C.Champs: in 1911, also finishing fourth in the Windsor Castle to Stamford Bridge Marathon in1921.

Inter Club competitions flourished, with track and cross-country championships strongly contested, until the interruption of the world war one, which saw the early and sad deaths of many local athletes. Towards the close of world war one, a silver medal awarded by Preston Harriers Athletic Club to the winner of the 440yds race in 1912 championships was found on the body of an unknown British soldier. The Imperial War Graves Commission made enquiries to trace the identity of the soldier through the local press, apparently without success. Sadly, the club records for the events in 1912 had been lost. In 1919 the Club reassembled, from which a vibrant committee was elected with J Pickles as Secretary. There were many inovative events, such as evening handicap races by moonlight between Penwortham and Leyland Road bridges, inter club track and cross-country events contested annually. In June 1923,the renowned Hop, Step and Jump Pioneer, Jack Higginson won the A.A.A. championships, in September, Track championships took place on the Brookfield Football Grounds. 1924 Jack Higginson represented G.B. in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, Medals were won by the junior cross-country runners, being placed second in the West Lancs. Champs. On the 31st March 1925, the First Annual Dinner and Smoking Concert was held at the Old Black Bull Hotel in Friagate, which was reported as a resounding success, “ speeches, trophy presentations, toasts and harmonious singing with piano backing ” being the order of business, helped along with good ale, a tradition carried out to good effect by the present day Fell running section.

In 1926 the club took a pioneering move with the organization of the Longridge to Preston road walking race, a distance of eight miles, from this event the club developing into one of the strongest walking sections in the northern area. The race was promoted for a period of five years. During the 20’s and 30’s saw many great athletic meetings and outstanding performances in all disciplines by club members, holding their own against top class opposition, some of them being held at Preston North End Football Ground at Deepdale. Once again a World War was to interrupt the world of sport, but again athletics was revived after the war ended. Cross-country running and athletics were very popular with road walking going from strength to strength, an influx of young apprentices from Leyland Motors, changed clubs, joining the Harriers, in the late 1950’s, from this core group came Manchester-Blackpool walkers, with two members qualifying for Centurion Badges, (100mile plus). In the Guild of 1952, Preston Harriers were given the honour of escorting the Guild Scrolls, in a ten-man relay from Liverpool to the Preston , after its return from commonwealth countries by boat, this tradition has continued at all subsequent Guilds. The apprentice’s contingent were once again to the fore-front when the Lake Mountain District Trial was advertised in the L.E.P. by A.H.Griffin, and organised by the Y.H.A. Lake District Group, on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary. The individual honour went to R Moore, leading the group to team victory and repeating the result again the following year, the first two years, Boots had to be worn, the rule was amended in 1954. This race developed into an annual Lakeland Classic event and has recently celebrated its fiftieth Anniversary. In 1961 winning the team event with G Barrow, Dave and Brian Clarke.

Club members were also prominent in the organisation of many amateur fell races, perhaps the most notable being the annual Three Peaks race, first organised by Fred Bagley in 1954, and lately the Chipping Show Fell Race, re-starting in 2000 August as a new millennium event.

Tracks and training grounds in Preston varied considerably over the years, marsh-land, open spaces, cricket, football and rugby grounds, in the 1930’saw the influx of athletes from local educational establishments and grounds, parklands were used, and adjacent athletic club grounds. In1965 the Council built London road came into use, with a shale surface, many fine meetings and athletic endevours were carried out till the turn of the century. In the 2000 Preston Harriers reverted back to its original title to avoid any clash of identity with Preston Athletic Club, which was formed in 1949/50 era, after a disagreement with the committee. In November 1927 the idea of a running track was first discussed, with the eventual funding of a new track, coming on stream in April 2000, after years of effort by club members with a new Track at the Preston Sports Arena, based with the University Complex at Cottam. In 2003 the Harriers membership varies between 4-500, and with a roll of honour of Preston Olympians, which includes such notables Jack Higginson (Hop, Step and Jump), Eric Turner (Javelin), Andrew Holden, John Nuttal, Steve Tunstall and Helen Clitheroe, all middle distance athletes.

The people of Preston have played their part in the development of Pedestrianism and have lived up to its title of Proud Preston.

Orienteering: Prestonian’s were also to the fore in bringing Orienteering to England in 1963. The people involved were first drawn together by a tragedy in March 1962, which befell the Smith family from Lostock Hall, when two of their children died of exposure on the Bowland Fells, although the police organised a diligent search and rescue attempt, it was felt that a local mountain rescue team should be formed to give support at any future mountain accident. Thus, because of the tragedy, by May 1962 the South Ribble Fell Search and Rescue Team had been founded with its headquarters in Penwortham, near Preston . About this time the Scandinavian sport of orienteering was taking root in Scotland , with members of the mountain rescue team attending many of their events, thus becoming very keen to start the sport in England . They were also attending as a support team at many of the local amateur fell races, such the Three Peaks race. On the 24th November 1963 two Preston members of the team, Ken Turner and Gerry Charnley, organised the first English orienteering event, which was held at Whitewell near Clitheroe. A few months later on the 4th December 1964, Englands first Orienteering Club was founded, mainly from rescue team members, and named South Ribble Orienteering Club. Sadly, Gerry Charnley was tragically killed in an accident on Helvellyn in December 1982. The sport of orienteering flourished in England with many more clubs and local associations being formed, and is now a vibrant sport, enjoyed by many people from all walks of life.

Picture of Maurice at Lake District Mountain Trial in 1953.

M Dean.