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Cardiff Amateur Athletic Club celebrate their 50th anniversary in November this year – and dai-sport are dedicating a series of articles celebrating that first half century. First, we talk to John Lister MBE, a successful competitor and administrator at club, Welsh, UK and European levels for more than 50 years.
It was a masterful decision when the athletes of Roath Harriers and Birchgrove Harriers joined forces half a century ago.
Newly-formed Cardiff Amateur Athletic Club quickly earned national success – and 50 years later still have a reputation up there with the best.
The momentous decision to amalgamate, taken on November 1, 1968, immediately hit a problem when Cardiff Athletic Club, a multi-sport organisation and owner of the Arms Park, took exception to the names being similar.
“We settled on CAAC thinking it did not clash with CAC,” says John Lister MBE, a leading member of Cardiff AAC since the club was formed.
“But during a meeting we had a message saying we could not use the name chosen and if we did they would sue.
“There was a discussion, we carried on, nothing happened and Cardiff Amateur Athletic Club was born.”
The new club quickly earned national status, starting a period of huge success with Cardiff dominating not just Welsh, but British club athletics.
They should have been crowned inaugural British League champions in their first year of existence, but a young Geoff Capes, surprisingly marred their day.
Birmingham’s Birchfield Harriers won the title, ahead of Cardiff, and it was Capes who made the difference.
He was a member of Holbeach AC in Lincolnshire, but turned out for Birchfield in the final British League meeting – and points earned by the man who would later become Commonwealth and European shot putt champion made the difference.
Cardiff and Birchfield were among six teams in the top division of the new British League and going into the last of four meetings it was a close battle.
Birchfield led the way, but Cardiff felt confident, particularly as the meeting was held at their home venue of Maindy Stadium.
“It was between those two clubs as to who would be champions,” said Lister. “Birchfield, though, shipped in Geoff Capes from a small club.
“The issue was whether they were entitled to use him. The points earned by Capes made the difference and we sent off as letter outlining our view, but, looking back, I can understand they did not want controversy in the first British League season.
“We finished runners-up, but morally we felt we had finished first!”
That first year of the BAL, or National League as it was first called, meant a lot of work for the National Union of Track Statisticians – helped by a computer.
Performances of the leading athletes at the top 45 clubs in the country were fed in, assessed and the findings resulted in the leading 18 teams being allocated to three divisions of six.
Cardiff were assessed to fourth strongest in the country and took their place in Division One with Polytechnic Harriers, Birchfield, Thames Valley, Blackheath and Brighton.
Cardiff AAC finished runners-up, but were hungry for success and it came during the 1970s. They were outright British League champions for three consecutive years (1973, 1974, 1975).
Although they have not won the title again, Cardiff remain one of the few British League clubs to retain their place in the league and are among the top dozen or so UK clubs.
Lister won 12 Welsh athletics titles between 1963 and 1966 as a hurdler, decathlete and high jumper, while he has been a leading administrator at club, Welsh, UK and European levels for more than 50 years.
He was one of the driving forces behind the amalgamation of Roath and Birchgrove, who would socialise after training at local pubs including the Royal Oak, Broadway and the Maindy.
Roath Harriers were formed in 1882, while Birchgrove former during the early 1950s when Maindy Stadium opened.
There were two clubs, two secretaries competing for new members and Lister recalls: “The would situate themselves either side of the main gate at the stadium. If they saw somebody who looked a likely athlete it was the first one to get to him.
“Birchgrove were pretty strong on the men’s side and had a few female athletes, while Roath were reasonably strong on the women’s side.
“There was rivalry, but we were all mates sharing what, looking back, we primitive facilities. Everybody mixed in together and it seemed silly to have two clubs sharing.
“The catalyst was British League athletics, which started in 1969. We twigged that if we entered the competition separately we would not be that powerful, but if we merged our team could be pretty good.
“Talks went ahead at the Maindy after training and, when the British League started in 1969, Cardiff AAC were in the First Division.”
Cardiff City FC and Cardiff Blues RFC wore blue and the athletes followed suit, although they included red and white side trimmings.
After finishing British League runners-up in that opening season, Cardiff AAC started to grow in numbers and sporting quality.
“We rallied around Cardiff and athletes would coming to us,” said Lister. “A couple of our members were at RAF St Athan, who were strong on sport. Eventually, all athletes transferred to St Athan joined Cardiff AAC.
“That led to other RAF athletes coming to train and compete with us, even if they weren’t based at in Wales.
“They helped form the nucleus of a strong team and Cardiff went from strength to strength, winning the British League in three consecutive years during the 1970s plus the knockout cup in 1974.
“We were dominating British club athletics.”
Cardiff competed in the first European Clubs competition, held in Liege during 1975.
“There were teams from Germany, Italy and many other countries,” says Lister. “We were the first British team to compete in that European event and finished fifth. It was a great experience.
“Those early days at the club were terrific and over the last 50 years we have remained among three or four British clubs who have been in the main league system since the beginning and never dropped out.
“Birchfield are one, we are another.
“Athletics has changed markedly over the last 50 years and Cardiff AAC have retained a strong reputation throughout Britain and farther afield.”
Cardiff AAC history – the first decade
1968 Cardiff AAC formed by merger between Roath Harriers and Birchgrove Harriers.
1969 British League formed with Cardiff AAC competing in the top division, finishing runners-up to Birchfield.
1969 Pilot Welsh Track and Field League is held.
1969 Welsh track and field championships go metric – and move to Cwmbran after 18 years at Maindy.
1970 Cardiff’s Lynn Davies retains his Commonwealth long jump title in Edinburgh.
1970 Cardiff AAC team of John Ingram, Graham Spencer, Bob Maplestone and Bernard Hayward win 4×1,500m in 15:34.6 at the Bracknell Relays to set a new UK clubs record.
1972 Cardiff’s Bob Maplestone becomes the first British athlete to run a mile indoors under four minutes when he clocks 3:59.5secs in San Diego.
1974 John Davies and Berwyn Price take silver medals in the Auckland Commonwealth Games. Davies breaks the UK record in the 3,000m steeplechase to win his medal, whilst Price is second in the 110m hurdles. Ruth Martin-Jones becomes the first Welsh woman to win a medal at a major Games by taking the long jump bronze.
1974 Cardiff AAC win their third successive British Athletics League title, also winning the inaugural League Cup competition.
1974 Cardiff AAC take the AAA marathon team title, ahead of the Japanese national team.
1975 Cardiff AAC become the first British club to compete in the European Clubs Track & Field Championships, finishing fifth in Liege, Belgium.
PART TWO will be published soon when dai-sport reveals how former World mile record holder Jim Ryun played a part in the club’s early days – and remembers Cardiff AAC’s flight into Europe.
