By Katy Barden
The distinctive diamond-shaped logo of Springburn Harriers, an adaptation of the trademark of the famous North British Locomotive Works in Springburn, represents a club steeped in history.
Athletes such as Graeme Williamson – who became one of Scotland’s best middle-distance runners under the guidance of famed Springburn coach (and athlete) Eddie Sinclair – helped make a name for the Bishopbriggs club. Athletes such as Michelle Sandison continue to do so.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, in parallel with a strong senior contingent, the club’s junior section flourished. According to Scottish Distance Running History, Sinclair’s U15 athletes won medals in 16 out of 19 national championships between 1962 and 1981.
By the late 1990s, however, the club’s make up was totally transformed. Springburn operated as a male-only club that shared its historic Huntershill clubhouse with Strathkelvin Ladies, a successful women’s-only club with a young females section.
The two clubs linked up for league matches and later joined forces under the banner of Springburn Harriers, but their new-found collective senior strength was never matched by the once dominant junior presence which eventually faded to nothing.
In the years leading up to Glasgow 2014 the prospect of a home Commonwealth Games inspired conversations, led by then-President John Owens, to return the club to its former glory.
‘If there was going to be a time to highlight athletics, it was then,’ says Barbara Knox, Junior Convenor at Springburn and a former member of Strathkelvin Ladies.
Knox, together with a team-mate from her Strathkelvin days, had already generated local interest through an after-school running club. It eventually acted as a gateway for aspiring athletes who wanted to join Springburn Harriers.
Planning meetings in January 2014 led to a come and try session in May which was so successful the committee (re)launched the club’s junior section in June 2014.
Those initial training nights – as Hampden prepared to host the Commonwealth Games – proved a catalyst for growth. From around 30 members at its inception, junior membership now stands at around 300 and represents a Glasgow 2014 legacy that led to Springburn being awarded the 2022 4J Studios/scottishathletics Impact Club of the Year award.
Gary Beggan receives our 2023 Community Coach of the Year award from Scout Adkin (photo by Bobby…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at Scottish Athletics…