Arnold’s Archive

Welcome to Arnold’s Archive, the scottishathletics history blog.

Alongside the other history pages on this website, this blog will be home to articles by our historian, Arnold Black, covering a range of topics, often relating to present-day events. Arnold has an extensive and detailed knowledge of the history of athletics in Scotland, and we are absolutely we’re delighted to have the space for him to recall the people and events that have brought our sport to the present day.

This page will feature the most recent 12 articles in the archive – if you’d like to delve back further, you can find earlier posts on Arnold’s own Scotstats website.

The man from Golspie – Adam Beattie Gun

Born in Golspie on 24 December 1872, Adam Beattie Gunn emigrated to the United States in 1893, getting a job with the General Electric Company in Buffalo, New York. He represented the United States at the 1904 Olympic Games at St Louis. Adam was 2nd in the All-around at the 1904 Olympic Games at St Louis. The medallists were: 1 Tom Kiely (Ireland) 6,036 points; 2 Adam Gunn (USA) 5,907 points; 3 Truxton Hare (USA) 5,813 points. In winning the silver medal, Adam became the first Scottish man to win a medal in the Olympic Games Track & Field competition. Click here to read more…

The extraordinary Mrs Chrimes . . .

Rosemary Chrimes turned 87 years old this year. She has not competed this year, but in 2019, set four British Masters’ records. Rosemary now holds 19 British outdoor Masters’ records and seven indoor records. She holds 10 age records in the discus ranging from W35 to W85 , is the World record holder for W70 Shot and W80 High Jump. Kelso-born Rosemary represented Scotland on no fewer than four occasions at the Commonwealth Games, her achievements including a discus gold on the opening day of the 1970 Edinburgh Games. Click here to read more…

90 years of women’s athletics in Scotland

25 September 2020 marked 90 years to the day since the formation of the Scottish Women’s Amateur Athletics Association, as 13 clubs gathered in Glasgow and become path-finders for the sport as we now know it in this country.  Arnold traces the origins of women’s competition; he has also set down a series of landmark moments for women’s athletics in Scotland and we have split those into two separate articles – up to 1969 and then from 1970 to the present day. Click here to read more . . .

Hampden roars for Glasgow 2014

It had been a traditional venue for Scottish athletics events for many years, so a redeveloped Hampden was the perfect stage for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Arnold strolls down Memory Lane again to complete his look at the three times the Commonwealths have been staged in Scotland – after analysing Edinburgh 1970 and 1986. Glasgow 2014 saw Scotland land four medals via the performances of Libby Clegg, Mark Dry, Eilidh Child and Lynsey Sharp, with that surpassing the tally of each of the previous five Games. Click to read more…

Liz Triumphs amid off-track drama – Edinburgh, 1986

After the great success of the 1970 Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh put itself forward for a repeat performance in 1986. But if the 1970 Games were the Friendly Games, then 1986 was anything but. Arnold looks at the drama on -and off – the field of play. Click for more…

The Friendly Games – Edinburgh, 1970

In 1970, the Commonwealth Games came to Edinburgh, and to a newly-opened Meadowbank Stadium. With a still-unsurpassed four Scottish gold medals – for Rosemary Payne, Lachie Stewart, Ian Stewart and Rosemary Stirling, there was plenty for the home crowd to enjoy. Arnold delves into the memorable performances of the Friendly Games. Click for more…

Track and (Football) Field

There has always been a close connection between athletics and football. Many football clubs were built with a track round the pitch which enabled the hosting of athletics events. Clubs took advantage of this and at one time would attract large crowds to athletics events with a five-a-side football tournament as the accompaniment. Arnold looks at the times that athletics and football went hand in hand… Click for more…

Scotland’s athletics club: old and proud . . .

With Greenock Glenpark Harriers celebrating their 125th anniversary in 2020, Arnold takes time to recognise that many of our clubs are steeped in a long and proud history, focusing on the ten oldest clubs in Scotland. Click for more…

Olympic Dreams (on hold)

The Olympic Games has been put on hold. It’s one more year until the dreams may be realised. One more year added to the time since Allan Wells became the last Scot to win an Olympic gold medal. 41 years. For the middle-aged and elderly among us, the only Scot we have witnessed live winning the ultimate athletics medal.
Join Arnold to revisit the Scottish Olympic medalists of previous games, while we wait one more year for the next event Click for more…

Onwards and upwards

The 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was the first time in the history of the event that the Scotland team contained three women high jumpers. With Emma Nuttall announcing her retirement this year, it means that all three team members – Jayne Nisbet and Rachael Mackenzie were the others – are no longer in the event. But with Nikki Manson setting a new Scottish indoor record this year, and threatening the outdoor record in the coming season, we take a look back at the history of Scottish women’s high jumping Click for more…

That elusive hat-trick

As the Lindsays National Cross Country 2020 approaches, there are plenty of honours up for grabs. But one that nobody has attained since 2001 in the Senior Men’s race, is the glory of three individual golds.

While six athletes currently have two wins under their belt, it’s been many years since anyone attained that elusive hat-trick in the men’s race – so we take a look back at those who have achieved it in years gone by. Click for more…

Expand Social Feeds