An Illustrated History of Old Sutton in St.Helens
Part 20 (of 34) - The Rapid Rise of Sutton Harriers
Researched & Written by S.R.Wainwright ©MMX Contact Me 
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This was at a time when athletics essentially meant competitive cross-country running, rather than track and field sports. It had enormous appeal with spectactors standing in the streets applauding the runners even when they were out on training runs. For the amateur athletes themselves, running in the country for their club was a means of escaping their own humdrum life and often hazardous working conditions. Although their runs in all weathers during the winter months on uneven roads and through woods and over streams and stone walls could be quite dangerous too. There were frequent reports of athletes collapsing or being injured with fatalities occasionally occurring.
Sutton Harriers at the Northern Cross Country Championship at Haydock Park - 16/02/1907
Towards the end of the nineteenth century healthy exercise was being encouraged and young men formed athletics clubs with each district and church parish having its own. St.Helens had quite a number including Parr A.C., Rainford A.C., Ravenhead A.C., Pilkingtons A.C., Prescot A.C., St.Josephs A.C., Gerrards Bridge A.C., Pembroke A.C. and St.Helens Parish Church A.C. Many of these were well established with some outstanding runners, not to mention those in clubs farther afield. So into this competitive world in 1899 entered the young pretender, Sutton Harriers.
From the year of Sutton Harriers formation, smoking concerts - live performances before an audience of men who'd smoke and talk of politics - were seen as an important means of raising funds for the club. The St.Helens Newspaper & Advertiser of October 24th, 1899 reported that "a very interesting programme of songs was gone through" during the Harrier's first annual smoking concert, held inevitably at the Red Lion.
On December 16th, 1899 their inaugural Christmas handicap was held with fifteen athletes running 6½ miles through Bold and Clockface, then back to the pub. The winner was revealed by the St.Helens Newspaper as "Genial" George Southward who they predicted would become "the pride of Sutton in the athletics world with a little care and perseverance".
In 1904 Sammy Welding (1884 - 1928), a 19-year-old, 5'7" tall collier who worked down Southport pit in Parr, joined the club paying his membership fee of two shillings. Although the Harriers already had some talented runners, such as F.W. Webber, Herbert Wilcox (1880 - 1970), and Jimmy Morris, the addition of Sammy soon made them into a formidable force. On February 18th, 1905 Sammy came second in the Northern Senior Championship held at Haydock Park Racecourse over 10½ miles. This was run in gale force winds and heavy rain and the course included hundreds of yards over ploughed land. As a result of this performance Sammy was selected to run for England in Dublin, the first of his five international appearances.
From about this time Sutton Harriers were nicknamed the 'red and blacks' as they began to wear red and black vests. On April 17th, 1905 the annual Sutton Harriers club championship was held and Sammy won the first of his many club trophies.
The club came second in that season's Northern Cross-Country Championship with Straw 1st and Welding 2nd. On March 3rd, 1906 Sutton won the team title for the first time in the national championships, a quite remarkable achievement for a club only created some seven years earlier.
However, two weeks later disaster struck as C.J. Straw was alleged to have thrown a race at the behest of bookies and was disqualified for two years. He was accused of resting on a fence when well in the lead, waiting for other runners to catch up with him, so he could be seen just losing. This was a big blow to Sutton Harriers who unsuccessfully fought the suspension, although they still had their star Sammy Welding who was appointed club captain for the new season.
The highlight of Sutton Harrier's remarkable rise to success came on January 20th, 1907 when the red and blacks as English athletic champions competed against the French national champions Stade Francais and the Parisian champions Club Amical Sportif de Saint Mande. Over ten thousand spectators lined the course at St.Cloud, Paris to watch Sutton Harriers beat the French teams and take the Vie au Grande Air Cup with Sammy Welding coming first and Joe Bailey as runner-up.
Like Saints rugby league stars returning from victory at Wembley, the team were taken on a tour of the town but on horse-drawn wagonettes accompanied by Sutton Road Prize Band. As might be expected, a very enthusiastic reception was given to the team by the people of Sutton as they made their way to the Glassmakers Arms where sandwiches were devoured by the hungry athletes.
Sutton Harriers vs. Lancaster Districts at Sutton Commercial Grounds 28/11/1908
Sammy Welding - pictured front row, 6th from right - won the event
In the following months the Harriers competed in the Northern Championships again at Haydock, which was won by Sammy Welding although the team came second. For the following season talented athlete F.J. Whittle of Farnworth and T. Greenall of St. Joseph's A.C. were recruited.
However, track and field athletics events and the growth of team sports were eclipsing the popularity of cross-country running. Spending your day off running in torrential rain through muddy fields and across snowdrifts and barbed wire after hacking coal down the pit all week, as Sammy Welding did, was no longer attractive and membership of the Harriers declined. So in 1990 the Sutton Harriers merged with St.Helens A.C. and they were renamed St.Helens-Sutton Athletic Club. However, they continue to be based in Sutton at Eltonhead Road's Sutton Sports Centre where an all-weather track had been laid and schools compete for the Sam Welding Trophy, C.J. Straw Trophy and the Morris Trophy.
Sutton Beauty & Heritage is grateful to the family of the late Ron Welding from whose biography of his father 'Sam Welding - Sutton Harrier Parr Excellence', part of this page's content has been sourced.
Research Sources, References & Bibliography
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03) Michael Hughes of Sherdley; | 04) The Sherdley Estate;
05) Sutton's Halls & Houses | 06) Dr. Henry Baker Bates;
07) Religion in Sutton; | 08) Rev. Henry Vallancey;
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Sutton Beauty & Heritage strives for factual accuracy at all times. Please do also contact me if you believe there are any errors, with details of all corrections contained within the site's update history page, which also details the regular updates. If you have any further Sutton information or photographs that you would like to share in this project, I would be delighted to hear from you. This website always credits any assistance given. I respond quickly to all emails and if you haven't received a response within 12 hours, do check your junk mail folder. Thank you! SRW
