Origins of the Club
In the beginning
there was little in the way of athletics in this part of Fife. There
was the Highland games circuit where a young Terry Mitchell was already
showing a clean pair of heels to the opposition at places like Strathmiglo,
Thornton and Newburgh.
There was also, for those who had the bridge toll money a team from Dundee
called the Hawks. They started before us but as everyone knows it is
who finishes first that counts. There was also a team called
Pitreavie for those who could find where Dunfermline was but their
speciality was in youngster's teams.
And so, in the early 1970's, a number of little clubs started up in the
area. In Cupar, a youthful John Hendry, fresh from his own triumphs
on the track, along with a few others, such as Norman Brook, now a major
figure in the UK coaching scene, and Bill McCallum, started Cupar and
District, who competed for a couple of years in various Scottish leagues
including Division 2 of the Track & Field.
In the ancient town of St Andrews, Colin Mitchell, a former Scottish
schools half mile champion, Elspeth Wallace, Archie Pagan and Don
Macgregor, met to set up a club in that seat of learning which, as we know
is where St Andreans keep their brains.
In Glenrothes, Bill Melville, John Christie, Andrew Arbuckle and a few
others set up Glenrothes AC who competed with no great distinction for a
couple of years.
Also training in the area but running for other clubs were Sam Graves, Ron
Morrison, Paul Kenny and Phil Hay who all promised to join the new
club.
Then the wise heads suggested setting up a Fife Athletic Club and meetings
were held to that end. This constructive move helped create Fife
Southern Harriers who did not want to join the rest. Many an early
meeting went late into the night held in a wooden hut in the Fluthers car
park, that served as the Cupar headquarters.
There is however, proof that the first annual subscription was a massive
£5
And that was the beginning of Fife AC
It was important that the Club got off to a good start. Initially it
was a Club for seniors and here are some of the performances in the first
year.
The
Office Bearers
The success of
Fife has not been due solely to the success on hill, country and track
etc, but in the work that has been carried out behind the scenes, the
paperwork, the finances, the organising and all the background work that
make a successful club. Think of the stamina of a secretary such as
David Cowieson, who looked after Fife AC for its first twelve years as
secretary. Mel Scobie, book-keeper for many a year also typified the
tremendous behind the scenes effort that has gone into making Fife a big
success.
Other names feature regularly throughout the past twenty five years in the
support team. Frank and Margaret McLaren, who have moved house just
so that they can be geographically in the centre of Fife AC, Elspeth
Wallace and Anne McFarlane, the multi-talented Graham Bennison and Eleanor
Gunstone.
And there were those who rose above their station in life and went on to
help sort out Scottish athletics. Ronnie Morrison became our first ever
Scottish Athletics Federation president and who is now a life member -
it's a good job they are doing away with the House of Lords or else he
would no doubt be Lord Morrison of Trinity Place by now. However, he
was not the first national chairman as Don Macgregor beat him to that by
becoming the top dog at the Scottish Cross Country Union followed a few
years later by Ron. Eleanor Gunstone's stints at the top included that
of treasurer of the SWAAA.
And the coaches, those that spend hours and hours producing the next Liz
McColgan or the hundreds of others who do not go into the top flight of
athletics. That is not to say they did not benefit from their
coaching. Dulcie Graham, David Hamilton, John Linton, the Allisons,
Brian Hughes, lan Gordon, Elspeth Wallace, Dave Francis, Sheena Christie
and John Hendry. The list may not be endless but it does testify to the
many hours voluntarily given to teach the rudiments of athletics. As
everyone knows this is not a fair weather vocation. It proceeds
often in the wet, windy weather that we have in Fife.
The Official line
Fife AC has
supplied its share of timekeepers, referees and judges etc. Alan and
Kathleen Findlay have officiated at the Commonwealth games. Sam Taylor has
carried his watch for the full 25 years and if there were any awards for
long service in athletics, he would be due a long service watch. Liz and
Allan Faulds have helped all along the way. Eleanor Gunstone and Ronnie
Morrison have also carried out numerous refereeing duties. There is
no prize for guessing which Fife AC referee exasperated beyond bursting
point, floored an objector with a straight left to the chin.
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