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Individual Members
Peter Allwell, Scottish 2 miles record holder, International Team 1938, 1939, see photo P90 of Whatever the Weather. For financial reasons, he turned “professional” but continued to support the club in his later years.
Wilson Armstrong was an experienced runner in Greenock before moving to Uplawmoor and joining Beith Harriers. He did not have time for training due to his farm work and depended on brute strength and guts to gain his achievements both in the ½ mile and cross country races.
Jim Auchie joined the club as a veteran but soon made his way into the cross country team. He was followed by his two sons, Ian and David, who were well to the fore before setting up their own Dalry Thistle Boys Club.
Matthew Barr and his brother, James, were in many of the winning teams pre-war. Even after the war, at the age of 40 and weighing 14 stone, Matthew could give George Lightbody good competition in the club cross country championship. Matthew used to light the coal fire on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays and accompanied the runners to all the cross country races. He was famous for his tall tales, eg when the club was short of a man for the second relay team, he did two laps on the heavy course which suited him and passed himself near the finish. He used to argue with all the old members about various results and would produce his scrapbook “Bible according to St. Matthew” to prove that he was right. He said that Beith Harriers were not always the fastest but they were the heaviest. Hence the motto for the M Barr Sports Trust Beith, “Celer, fortius, gravissimus”.
Albert Barrett was another member who kept the coal fires burning in the clubhouse before the war and continued to train on the road after the war.
Tom Cochrane, South Western CC Youth Champion 1953, Ayrshire 6 miles CC Champion 1963, South Western Champion 1960, 1962, 1963,1965,1966, 1967, 1968, 1969. International Team 1963, 1964. Tom continues to run and coach in the Bournemouth area.
Michael Connelly joined the club when in his thirties to compete in road races. He soon became interested in coaching and was looking after children in Beith and Kilbirnie and a Ladies Section in Beith, with excursions to the Linwood and Kelvin Hall tracks.
Tom Findlay, Ayrshire Junior Boys CC Champion 1962, South Western Senior Boys CC Champion 1964
Jim Golder, South Western Youth CC Champion 1972
Alan Gourlay, South Western 3 mile CC Youth Champion 1974, South Western Junior CC Champion 1975
Jackie and Andy Hayes were in the club in the late 50s before emigrating to Canada. Jackie could not run well but he was very loose jointed and mobile in gymnastics and weight training. He did a lot of repair work in the clubhouse and acted as photographer at the races.
Ian Harris, South Western Champion 1961, 1964, , International Team 1961, Army Marathon Champion
David Law, Ayrshire High Jump Champion 1928-29
George Lightbody was good at any distance from 100 yards to 10 miles cross country. After the War, there were only two other runners in the club, Jimmy Davidson and Frank Thomson and George had to ask footballers to make up a relay team. He specialised in the half-mile and was the back marker in many races. He eventually coached a string of athletes all about 2 minutes for the half mile and capable of getting through their heats. It was common to see five black and white Beith vests in the final of the half mile worn by George, Arthur McGookin, Wilson Armstrong, Sam Paterson and Kenny Phillips. In the medley relays, he usually ran the 440 yards, Tommy Allan and Bert Crawford as sprinters ran the two 220 yards but it was difficult to choose the runner for the 880 yards with so little between them.
Danny McFadyean, Navy Marathon Champion. Won the Craufurd Cup Handicap 6 weeks after breaking his leg in a skiing accident.
John McRobbie British All-round Weight Lifting Champion 1950, 1951. Cycled but did not run. Coached the runners in weight training. At weight lifting exhibitions, he was famous for his one-arm bent press, which as well as strength was more about balance, mobility and technique.
The Maxwell Brothers, Harry, Steve and Willie, from Stevenston joined Beith Harriers when Eglinton Harriers folded. Harry went on to become Secretary of the Ayrshire Harrier Clubs’ Association and was instrumental in promoting mass participation in Ayrshire Athletics. He acted as Starter for 40 years at Brodick Highland Games.
Susan McIsaac, Club Coach and Treasurer. See Gallery, 2006 Beith Citizen of the Year.
Jack Millar, National Novice Champion 1929, South Western Champion 1934. Jack often failed to qualify in the trial for the first team but would come out in the actual race with the fastest time of the day. The Committee changed the rule therefore for the first three in the trial to be in the team and the fourth man selected by the Committee on past performances. Coach 1946-60, Coached Youth Panel Athletics in Beith, Dalry & Kilbirnie. He was the driving force in the club after the War. While the boys in Beith Harriers were running cross-country on Saturday afternoons in the winter, his wife, Margaret, took the girls for badminton in the Backburn School. After training, the boys joined the girls to continue with badminton and mix socially. Jack organised many trips to places like the Maidens, Millport and the Trossachs and the club thrived under his leadership.
Jim Millar, Ayrshire 3 mile CC Youth Champion 1961, South Western Youth Champion 1961, South Western Junior Champion 1964
William Monahan was not a fast runner but tried the Goat Fell race for fun and, starting last at the bottom of the hill, he gradually overtook all the other runners and found himself first at the top. He was asked to give a commentary to the spectators in Brodick by radio about the spectacular view on such a clear day and got so carried away with his description that he forgot he was in a race and let many of the runners start on the downward run before him. He ran in many hill and road races thereafter and many of his former friendly adversaries continue to ask about him.
Murdoch Brothers, Charlie, Willie and George, were the mainstay of the team from 1923-1939.
Napier Brothers, Archie and Gordon, joined Beith Harriers from Paisley and helped to fill the team in the 2 miles track and cross country events for many years.
Kenneth Phillips Specialised in the mile but also ran the half-mile and cross country. Competed in the National cross country championships 50 times. His favourite course was at Stewarton where the field was similar to that at Beith, rough, sharp corners and 8 laps to the mile. He often won both the ½ mile and 1 mile at the Bonnet Guild Sports and, one year, was the first to break the 4 minute mile when he was the only competitor to realise that the lap counter had made a mistake with 3 laps to go instead of 4. On another occasion at Stewarton in the Medley Relay, Kilmarnock and Beith were neck and neck at the final changeover for the final ½ mile. Kenny was up against the Ayrshire Champion, Willie More, and dropped the baton when it was accidentally knocked out of his hand by Willie. Willie, being a perfect gentleman and sportsman marked time until Kenny caught up and passed him. Kenny then hugged the sharp corners and made Willie run wide each time he tried to pass. By the time they reached the final uphill stretch, Willie was exhausted and Kenny easily romped home for the winning team.
Typical summer season -
15/5/54 Glasgow Telephones, Helenvale 1 mile open 90yds Unplaced
22/5/54 Stevenston 1 mile open 90yds 1st
29/5/54 Glasgow Highland, Ibrox 1 mile open 90 yds Unplaced
5/6/54 Singers 1/2 mile open 3rd in heat
1 mile open 75yds Unplaced
12/6/54 Glasgow Police, Ibrox 1 mile open 75yds Unplaced
16/6/54 Bellahouston, Saracen Park 4x1/2 mile relay
2 mile Team
19/6/54 Babcock & Wilcox 1 mile invitation 75yds 4th
26/6/54 Stewarton 1 mile 75yds 1st
29/6/54 Glasgow Transport, Helenvale 1 mile 65yds Unplaced
10/7/54 Saxone 1 mile 65yds 4th
21/8/54 Bute 1 mile 65yds 3rd
28/8/54 Dirrans Medley Relay (1/4) 1st
2 mile team 2nd individual 1st team
1/2 mile open 30yds Unplaced
Secretary and Treasurer of Beith Harriers. Secretary and Treasurer of Ayrshire Harrier Clubs Association. SAF Official. Formed an offshoot at the Stewarton Sports Association (Athletics Section) and promoted the Stewarton Cross country Races for 35 years. Coached Rose Reilly, who could run and jump well but became a football star in Italy. Promoted the Garnock Valley Athletics Project with branches in Beith, Glengarnock, Kilbirnie and Dalry schools where the children were coached by Michael Connelly, Robert Campbell, Margaret Johnstone, Trish Sloss, Jim McLaughlan, Stewart Ferguson, Lindsay McMahon and Vari McClymont.
Matthew Porter, Gary Haro and Keith Haro were three boys from Stewarton who came over to the Beith Sports and were 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the mile. Matthew then unexpectedly came in 2nd in the National Cross Country Championships at Irvine Beach Park, being in the lead all the way along the shore and up the Dragon and just being pipped at the post by a more experienced runner. He later joined Kilmarnock Harriers but dropped out of the game when his club omitted to enter him for the next championships.
James Reid. Scottish mile champion and Cross Country internationalist. Formed his own club in West Kilbride, where he coached champions Gilbert Adamson and Danny Lapsley.
Jim Sloss Club Champion 11 times, Ayrshire 6 miles CC Champion 1962
Patricia (Trish) Sloss coached the children in Dalry and Kilbirnie in the Garnock Valley Athletics Project and acts as an official at the Goatfell Race, Brodick Highland Games, etc. She is recognised as an outstanding artist.
Hugh Walker was Treasurer for many years and was a constant member of the 6 miles team.
Isobel Wilson was one of the few women in the club coached by Jack Millar in the late fifties and was good at both running and jumping.