Records of the Midland Counties Cross-Country Association

Records of the Midland Counties Cross-Country Association comprising minutes and meeting papers; correspondence; publications, including programmes; and race results. The earliest records in this collection can be dated to 1898, some 20 years after the Association's formation. The records are mostly complete from this date until 1969. There is also sparse coverage for the years 1969-1981 and there is no material dated after 1985.

These records are of interest to those studying amateur sports, athletics culture in the Midlands and cross-country racing in the early to mid-20th century. These records cover the vast majority of the Association's years of operation, including the years of both World Wars. The minute books are a particularly valuable resource as the minutes are often accompanied by information on the Championships, relevant programmes and publicity material, and results.

The Midland Counties Amateur Cross-Country Association was formed 26 September 1879 in response to a surge of interest in cross-country running throughout the Midlands and the rest of Great Britain; it was later renamed the Midland Counties Cross-Country Association (MCCCA). The Midlands especially has a historical link to cross-crountry running, as it has been argued that cross-country running has its origins in the Rugby School Crick Run, dating back to 1837.

The Championships races in the Midlands began as a challenge between the Birchfield Harriers and the Moseley Harriers, held 15 March 1879, on a course that ran from Handsworth to Sutton Coldfield, in which 23 men participated. Following this race, Harry Mander Oliver (1855–1918) of the Moseley Harriers suggested the creation of an Association of affiliated clubs drawn from the Birmingham area. 49 men from four Clubs took part in the second Championship race in 1880 and runners from sixteen clubs in the 1883 race: a testament to the sport's popularity.

The Association was affiliated with the Midland Counties Amateur Athletic Association (MCAAA), and there was often a distinct overlap both of members and officials. MCCCA was the first Area Association to form, although both the Northern Counties (NCCCA) and Southern Counties (SCCCA) Cross-Country Associations were quick to follow. The MCCCA minutes indicate that the MCCCA and NCCCA maintained a strong partnership from their formation until at least the 1950's, as attested by the inclusion of NCCCA material in the minute books and the evidence of regular triangular matches between the MCCCA, the NCCCA, and the University Athletic Union (UAU). The UAU and MCCCA also regularly held representative matches, as well as triangular matches with the Royal Air Force.

These minutes do not cover the final years of the Association, which appears to no longer be in existence. The Midland Counties Athletic Association and the Birmingham Cross-Country League now oversee cross-country leagues in the Midlands. There are minutes from a meeting held between MCCCA and MCAAA, dated 18 February 1969, which proposed an 'integration' of the two clubs while preserving the autonomy of the cross-country group. However, there is clear evidence that MCCCA continued functioning as an independent group until at least 1984-1985.

List of Past Presidents:
1884-1886 H. W. Jope, Birchfield Harriers;
1886-1889 F. J. Gray, Birchfield Harriers;
1889-1890 J. Lane, Birchfield Harriers;
1890-1891 C. F. Hill, Burton Athletic Club;
1891-1892 J. Hunt, Birchfield Harriers;
1892-1893 R. Hewitt, Edgbaston Harriers;
1893-1894 S. Hulland, Redditch Harriers;
1894-1895 Pickering Phipps, Northampton and CAAC;
1895-1896 J. Porteous, Northampton and CAAC.;
1896-1897 S. Anstey, Worcester Harriers;
1897-1898 W. H. Pitt, Edgbaston Harriers;
1898-1899 W. H. Wallace, Walsall Harriers;
1899-1900 F. K. Ward, Leicester Athletic and CC;
1900-1901 A. Mabbett, Birchfield Harriers;
1901-1902 C. H. Mallabond, Small Heath Harriers;
1902-1903 A. J. Eggleston, Derby and County C and AC;
1903-1904 W. W. Alexander, Birchfield Harriers;
1904-1910 A. J. Eggleston, Derby and County C and AC;
1910-1913 E. B. Reynish, North Staffs Harriers;
1913-1922 A. E. Machin, Sparkhill Harriers;
1922-1925 Dennis Lyons, Birchfield Harriers;
1925-1926 J. Carson, Derby and County C and AC;
1926-1929 J. Taylor, BTH (Rugby) Harriers;
1929-1932 J. McKenna, Small Heath Harriers
1932-1935 W. H. Wallsgrove, Leamington C and AC;
1935-1938 H. S. Shacklock, Sutton-in-Ashfield HC and AC;
1938-1941 F. Smith, Derby and Country AC;
1941-1944 A. R. Churchill, Harborne Harriers;
1944-1947 A. G. Cannon, Lozells Harriers;
1947-1950 H. P. T. Phipps, Rugby (BTH) AC;
1950-1954 C. G. Austin, Birchfield Harriers;
1954-1958 S. A. Wright, West Bromwich Harriers;
1958-1962 T. Hunt, Derby and Country AC;
1962-1966 C. Angove, AEI (Rugby) and Leicestershire and Rutland AAA;
1966-1968 J. Hartley, Coventry Godiva Harriers;
1968-1970 F. Cull, Warley AC;
1970-1972 G. White, Leicestershire and Rutland AAA;
1972-1974 H. Lapworth, Coventry Godiva Harriers;
1974-1976 F. Davis, Harborne Harriers;
1976-1978 W. A. Evans, West Bromwich Harriers;
1978-1980 K. Dare, Small Heath Harriers;
[1980-1982 Bob Reid, Birchfield Harriers]
[1982-1984 G. E. Boot]
[1984-1985 J. Skidmore, Dudley and Stourbridge AC]

Sources: papers of the MCCCA; '100 Years of Midland Cross-Country Running, 1879-1979', published by the Association in Tipton, 1979, held at Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections, p q GV 1063.M53; '100 Years of Midland Cross-Country Running, 1879-1979' accessed 27 June 2014 http://www.birminghamccleague.co.uk/index.php/history/mccca-centenary-history-1879-1979

These papers have been arranged into the following three series:
Administrative records;
Programmes;
Publications.

Access to all registered researchers.

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

This collection was previously in the custody of the National Centre for Athletics Literature (NCAL).

Other archive collections, formerly held as part of the National Centre for Athletics Literature (NCAL), are catalogued as collections distinct from this collection. They comprise both institutional archives and collections of personal papers of athletes, athletics administrators, journalists and others associated with the athletics world.

Catalogues of the institutional archives available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1880-1992. Finding No: ATH/AAA;
English Cross-Country Union: papers, 1911-1989. Finding No: ATH/ECCU;
Midland Counties Amateur Athletics Association: papers, 1900-1991. Finding No: ATH/MCAAA;
Midland Counties Cross Country Association: papers, 1898-1985. Finding No: ATH/MCCCA;
Midland Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1949-[1980s]. Finding No: ATH/MCWAAA;
Northern Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1933-1989. Finding No: ATH/NCWAAA;
Northern Cross-Country Association: papers, 1906-1983. Finding No: ATH/NCCA;
Northern Women's Track and Field League: papers, 1982-1983. Finding No: ATH/NWTFL;
Southern Counties Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1958-1983. Finding No: ATH/SCAAA;
Southern Counties Cross-Country Association: papers, 1911-1990. Find No: ATH/SCCCA;
The Sports Council: papers, [1940s]-2001. Finding No: ATH/SC;
Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1932-1989. Finding No: ATH/WAAA.

Catalogues of personal papers available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Abrahams, Harold Maurice (1899-1978), athlete, administrator, commentator and journalist: papers, 1902-1989. Finding No: ATH/HA;
Adam, George Mair (1898-1989), athlete, coach and athletics administrator: papers, 1909-1989. Finding No: ATH/GA;
Binks, Joseph (Joe) (1874-1966), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [1920s-1950s]. Finding No: ATH/JB;
Brown, Audrey Kathleen (nee Court) (1913-2005), athlete: papers, [1930s]-2005. Finding No: USS22;
Cardew, Martin H. (b 1927), athlete: papers, 1964-1988. Finding No: ATH/MHC;
Cullum, Dennis Noel Johnson (1913-1985), athlete and coach: papers, [1930s]-1985. Finding No: ATH/DC;
Humphrey, David (b 1933), athlete: papers, 1944-1958. Finding No: ATH/DH;
Ives, Bert (1890-1975), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, [1920s-1970s]. Finding No: ATH/BI;
Jarvis, Walter (c 1888-c 1935), athlete: papers, 1910-1996. Finding No: MS4;
Jewell, John Christopher (1912-2001), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, 1897-2002. Finding No: ATH/JJ;
Lloyd-Edgley, Ralph: scrapbook, [c 1924]-[c 1931]. Finding No: ATH/RLE;
MacLean, Duncan (1884-1980), athlete and coach: papers, 1948-1977. Finding No: ATH/DM;
Monk, Walter Harry (Wal) (1896-after 1965), athlete: papers, 1918-1961. Finding No: ATH/WHM;
Morgan, Wilf (b 1935), athlete and athletics historian: papers, 1937-2012. Finding No: ATH/WM;
Newton, Arthur Francis Hamilton (1883-1959), athlete: papers, [c 1904]-[1990s]. Finding No: ATH/AN;
Payne, Howard (1931-1992), athlete: papers, 1899-[c 1975]. Finding No: ATH/HP;
Percy, Joe W. (1912-2001), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1910-1997. Finding No: ATH/JWP;
Perry, George (b 1903), athlete: papers, [1920s]-1956. Finding No: ATH/GP;
Powell, Edgar Robert Leslie (Peter), (fl 1920s-70s), athlete: papers, 1813-1988. Finding No: ATH/ERLP;
Richards, Wilf (b 1906), athlete and journalist: papers, 1924-[mid 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/WR;
Roberts, Dave (fl 1930s-1990s), athlete and statistician: papers, [1930s]-1991. Finding No: ATH/DR;
Simpson, Colin J. (1929-2011), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1945-1990. Finding No: ATH/CS;
Tatham, Wilfrid George (Gus) (1898-1978), athlete: papers, 1908-1960. Finding No: ATH/WGT;
Thomas, Dr Philip, athletics administrator and coach: papers, [c 1900]-[late 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/PT;
Vargas, Charles Climaco (1905-1975), athlete: papers, 1921-31. Finding No: ATH/CCV;
Ward, Leonard H., athletics coach: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/LW;
Watman, Melvyn Francis (Mel) (b 1938), athletics journalist and statistician: papers, 1980-1993. Finding No: ATH/MW;
Wight, Robert M., athletics administrator: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/RW;
Winter, Arthur E. H. (d 1990), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [early 20th century]-1983. Finding No: ATH/AW;
Yarrow, Squire Stevens (1905-1984), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1938-1984. Finding No: ATH/SY.