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This page is designed to record any knowledge or contact we receive from or about our past members.  If you hear anything about our ex athletes, please get in touch with Gordon Innes

Katie Horne (or Dunlop)                                                          From 19th November 2009

Katie sent in her apologies for the AGM as she has now officially retired from competitive athletics.  I've copied her e-mail and attached a couple of her wedding pictures.  In case your in any doubt, her new husband Keith is an 800m runner who competes for Edinburgh A.C.

Hello,
Just to let you know that I have officially retired from athletics now so to send my apologies for the AGM.  Totally loving having a lot more freedom and keeping myself busy having taken up hockey goalkeeping (I just like jumping on people with all my pads on, I don't actually know how to play hockey!) and rock climbing which I totally love and even hoping to do a 10k soon (I can run really far really slowly!). 

I've had a great last 17 years with the club and met people I would never have met and been places I would never have been if it wasn't for athletics.  Hopefully once I get a bit of the madness out my system I'll get back into coaching as I really enjoy doing that so hopefully you haven't seen (or heard...) the last of me!
 
Keith and I got married last month and I've included a couple of photos of me in a dress.  Plus our cake topper was a wee Keith and I in our club vests, Glasgow and Edinburgh united!  We had a fantastic day and looking forward to our honeymoon in New Zealand in Feb.
 
Hope you are all well and my best wishes to all at the club, here's hoping it goes from strength to strength!
 
Cheers
Katie
(Mrs Dunlop!)

I've attached a picture of Katie and Keith at this link and a picture of Katie with her bridesmaids Carey Easton and Lee McConnell at this link.

Boksburg Athletic Club                                                                From 15th March 2009

Ronnie Johnstone, one of our older competing members is currently residing in the South of France where he sent in this interesting picture.

Ronnie, while working some years ago in Central Gauteng Province in South Africa became a founder member of Boksburg Athletic Club along with Tommy Malone, an ex Shettleston Harrier. 

At the Inaugural General Meeting of the Club, Ronnie and Tommy offered the 150 members present a choice between two vests, Victoria Park or Shettleston.  The rest of course is history.

Boksburg Athletic Club is one of the largest clubs in South Africa with over 500 members.

Ronnie returned to Boksburg recently for a holiday and turned out for his old Club.  This picture was taken at that time.  Ronnie is on the left of the picture in the white shirt.

John Ward                                                                            From 15th March 2009

We received the sad news that John Ward had passed away on Thursday the 9th of April at Gartnavel Hospital. 

John and his late wife June were coaches and office bearers of Victoria Park Ladies section from 1970 till 1985.

Our thoughts are with his children, Brian, Avril, Angela and Heather.

The funeral service will be at Clydebank Crematorium, North Dalnottar on Thursday 16th of April at 10am.

All family and friends are invited.

David Williams                                                                     From 7th March 2009

We received the sad news on Tuesday the 7th of March that after a long and courageous fight, David Williams has lost his battle against cancer.  He passed away in a clinic near Munich where he had been receiving treatment.

David had been the City Of Glasgow AC treasurer for many years prior to the merger and continued in that roll with VP-Glasgow.

He made a tremendous contribution to the running of our Club over the years, generously giving many hours of unpaid service and his knowledge and experience will be greatly missed.

Our thoughts are with his wife Phyllis at this sad time.

Death of Sandra McCracken                                                 From 26th February 2009

We received the sad news this week of the death of Sandra McCracken at the age of 63, wife of one of our most popular Coaches, Andy McCracken.

Sandra was heavily involved with Victoria Park AAC behind the scenes for over ten years.  She helped out with admin tasks, scoring at league meetings and she raised funds by operating a Club tuck shop in the Pavilion at Scotstoun.  Both Sandra and Andy, who coached our middle distance athletes until he retired two years ago followed their daughter Eileen into the sport.

Sandra's funeral will be at Woodside Crematorium in Paisley at 9.30am on Saturday 28th of February.

Death of John Innes                                                               From 23rd December 2008

Late on Monday 22^nd of December , we received the sad news that our friend, club-mate and Membership Secretary John Innes had died having failed to recover from a major operation he underwent at Ross Hall Hospital last week.

John’s association with the Club and the athletics community began 30 years ago when his children Fiona and David became competing members.  No one knew at that time how much time and effort he would eventually give to guiding and supporting athletics throughout the country.

John’s influence spread throughout UK athletics where he was very highly regarded and heavily relied upon.  The respect and admiration felt by all past and present members of our Club knows no bounds and his loss will be hard to bear.

We’ll hear over the coming days about John’s work ethic, his encyclopedic knowledge of athletics, his fairness and even handedness and his commitment to the sport at all levels.

Most of our members under the age of 40 still refer to John as ‘Mr Innes’, a simple title but a measure of the respect held for his commitment, knowledge and authority.

It was no surprise that John bore his illness with characteristic courage and dignity to the end.

Our thoughts are with his wife Ann, his son David and daughter Fiona.

Messages of support have been posted on the Scottish Athletics Forum from the wider athletics community.

His funeral will take place at 1130am on Wednesday 31st of December at St Mungo's Chapel, Linn Crematorium, Lainshaw Drive, Glasgow, G45 9SP. 

His wife Ann would like all friends and family to join her at the Busby Hotel after the service.

A tribute to John has been sent to The Herald newspaper and is included at this link.

Willie Jack                                                                              From 13th December 2008

The Club has received the sad news that one of our oldest Life Members, Willie Jack who was in his late 70's died on Tuesday the 9th of December after a long illness.

Willie still holds the Club record of 10.5s for 100m set at White City, London on the 3rd of July 1954.  He was also the first Scot to run 100 yards in under 10 seconds when setting a Native record of 9.8s.  His achievement was all the more remarkable as it was set on a grass track at Westerlands, Anniesland in 1952.

Willie's proudest moment was possibly representing Great Britain at the 1952 Olympics at Helsinki, Finland, where he finished 4th in the semi final of the 100m.  Sadly in those days only 6 athletes qualified for the final.

Away from the track, Willie enjoyed a successful career as an Engineer, having earned his Engineering Degree at the Royal Technical College in Cowcaddens, Glasgow.

He had been retired for many years and was living with his wife in West Kilbride, Ayrshire.

His funeral will take place at 3pm on Tuesday the 16th of December at Holmsford Bridge Crematorium, Dreghorn, Irvine, Ayrshire.  All friends and family are invited.

Bob Izzatt was clearing out his garage recently and came across some old newspaper cuttings that he thought we might be interested in.

The first is a cartoon recording one of Victoria Parks best days at the Scottish Championships on the 26th and 27th of June 1953.  The same cartoon was also sent in by Hugh Barrow.

There are two articles about Ian Binnie.  The first tells of Ian breaking the Scottish 3 mile record at Westerlands which at that time was held by his club-mate Andy Forbes.  The second article records his success at the Scottish Championships in 1953 when he broke seven different records.

There are also two articles about Alex Breckenridge.  The first is an article about Alex which records "Scotland's Stars In Sport" and the second tells of his success in breaking the Scottish 2 mile record at Helenvale Park.

If anyone else has any interesting newspaper articles, can they send them in to the current Secretary.

We received the following e-mail from Miles Simpson.

My father Jimmy Simpson asked me to send you an e-mail, he received a letter from Bob Izzatt and a copy of the letter by James L. Logan on the club history, we have looked at the site and found some photos’ and interesting history of the old days. Jimmy has quite a number of good photo’s from those days but they do not scan very well, I’ll have to find another way of getting you some copies. 

My dad was a member from pre war years until he came out to South Africa in 1953, he asked how many of the old boys are still around and if they remember him.

He is now 87 and still going strong, no more running, but played tennis until 75, before having two hip replacements, worked until he was 80 and still swims in his pool each morning throughout the year (summer and winter) the water at present is 4 deg. C.

Jimmy sends his regards to all at Victoria Park Athletics Club.

Kind Regards,  Miles Simpson.

We received the sad news that Andy Herron died at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on Saturday the 8th of December after failing to recover from a routine operation.

Andy was a talented Sprinter who represented the Club in the 1950’s. He trained with and competed against some of the Clubs best ever sprinters in the shape of Bobby Quinn, Ronnie Whitelock and Willie Jack.

The Secretary received a letter from Andy’s son Cameron saying how much he had enjoyed his career with Victoria Park, how he often reminisced about his athletic days and the friends he made through the Club.

His father told him on numerous occasions that Victoria Park provided him with the happiest period of his life.

“My Dad's interest in athletics never left him. He would never miss a meeting on television and was looking forward especially to next year's Olympic Games in China. He dreamed of seeing a Scottish athlete once again making a name in the sport just as Wells, McColgan and McKean had all done previously”.

Andy was very popular with all his fellow athletes of this era and still looked remarkably fit for his age playing golf regularly and going for long walks in the country. His daughter Susanne recently presented him with twins (boy - Ross, girl - Lucy) but he only had the pleasure of their company for four weeks prior to going into hospital for the failed operation.

He will be sadly missed by family and friends. Funeral to be held at Clydebank Crematorium at 11:30am this coming Friday, 21st December.