5 replies to this topic

[thomo]

Saw this in CoolRunning Latest news.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/revised-pla...91125-jrx7.html

and this doing a search

http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/...funding-misuse/

No wonder the sport of track and field athletics struggles. Councils just don't seem to get it.

The background of both the track and the clubs / people would take many pages to give it the full credit deserved.

I have never been a member of the senior or Little A's clubs mentioned. However I was around when the track was talked about, hearing how it was laid, watching the Commonwealth trials when it opened. I know some of the background how Randwick Botany Club helped raise, I think they were called debenture shares. They also had a licensed club headed by Logan Irwin.

I set many P.B's at that track competing for my club, won a few races, had lots of fun. It is shame that the track and clubs are being treated with such distain.

Edited by thomo, 03 December 2009 - 01:38 PM.

[CBs]

I agree Thomo, my Dad competed at Hensley Athletics Field for the St George Club back in the seventies, its got lot's of history with many great athletes having competed there. There's dozens of footy fields around Sydney and the council should be at least preserving their local history if not upgrading it to IAAF standards, not changing it to something else. CBs

Edited by CBs, 10 December 2009 - 12:17 PM.

[thomo]

Yes CB's it is a great shame.

Without that track we would of still been competing at the time on a cinders track that was at ES Marks (Sydney Athletic Field), that had been created when Adam was a boy.

[FakePlasticTrees]

I don't understand why they would do that. About 500ms away is Heffron Park. A massive park that must contain at least 4-6 soccer fields. There's 50 odd netball courts, 70+ tennis courts. A lovely bike path for the kids. Leave the freaking athletics track as an athletics track. The should be forced to use the money to upgrade the facilities.

[wilburs on the road again]

YES ,Those were the days thomo....

Logan Irwin could run an entire track meet and record all times on his own with just a clip board and pen.
He ran the Thursday nite vets races for years and years(was it 20cents enrty fee)???

I well remember how windy it used to get at times AND the smells from the surrounding factories like ICI and Kelloggs could almost knock you over.
Hensley was the only Tartan track in Australia at the time of those Comm Trails - was it 1970??or 74

I still remember the likes of John Farrington,Ralene Boyle and Denise Boyd at those trials..

Saturday interclub was also very strong in those days. I think at the time the women were competing at Sydney Sports Ground on grass(now SFS)
and the men at Hensley.

You are right about there being heaps of room for other sports at nearby Heffron and Mutch Parks and Daceyville

Edited by wilburs on the road again, 11 December 2009 - 08:54 AM.

[Quinkin]

Unfortunately, it seems that cricket, soccer and rugby league will all win over athletics in these kind of arguements. So easy to diminish athletics groups that are never considered on equal footing with other sports.

Not only in Sydney but all over country. I live in a country town Coffs Harbour (40000+ plus people) that wants to rate itself as some international venue for sport, but it doesn't even have a proper athletic track. The little athletics are forced to run on a grassy cricket field that is marked out with tar lanes. You can't run in barefeet because there is often glass from smashed beer bottles there.

I remember the green tartan of Hensley. I actually ran my 5km track PB there in the Metropolitan athletics champhionships. They also used to start the 25km road championships outside the ground.

My local running track was Sylvania Waters back in the day when it was a grey synthetic surface. I might go back there this year to have a look. I did my speed work there and ran in Friday night competition before Interclub started