IN the Newsletter sporting headlines from 1978 local girl athletes took in the annual Staffordshire cross country championships at Hagley Park School, Rugeley.
The following day at Michelin, Stafford AC men and boys contested their respective county championships, over a course that including two water splashes, thick mud and steep hills.
In his first year as a colt, Andrew Bennett helped the club to fourth spot in the team event after finishing 12th out of 100 runners.
The Stafford boys’ team were also fourth, led home by Duncan Loch, who was nominated first reserve for the county team.
In the senior event, Mike Whittaker gained the second veterans’ award, while Chris Rhodes and Andrew Spenceley were 11th and 14th respectively in the junior race.
The annual Newsletter team darts knockout saw holders Princess Royal C move into the last 16 of the 1978 competition with a 2-0 win over Crispin B, at the Gate Inn. The same venue produced wins for Talbot A, Castle Tavern A and Lamb Stafford C.
Two members of Jim Robinson’s coaching squad at Rising Brook Sports Centre, Stafford, Deborah Jones and John Waines were favourites for the Staffs Schools Badminton restricted tournament at Northwood, Stoke. Deborah was a pupil at Hagley Park, Rugeley, while John attended Kingston Secondary Boys’ School.
Crescent A table tennis team turned in a superb performance in the Stafford league when defeating second place GPO A 8-2. Dennis Pryce led the way for the Crescent, well supported by Stan and Hugh Edwards.
Back to the county cross country championships and Brocton schoolboy David Powell won the under-13 title. The previous day he emerged the winner of the South Derbyshire U14 Schools Championship.
On the Northern Premier League front, Stafford Rangers visited strugglers South Liverpool and ran out 2-1 victors with goals from Barry Lowe and Roger Jones.
In rallying Stafford-based Mike Hutchinson was confirmed as the East Midland champion.
In his Escort Mexico, prepared by Lloyds Garage (Stafford), Hutchinson competed in 11 rallies, winning four.
It was the third year in four that Hutchinson had won this particular series, his main co-driver being Peter Halkyard from Doncaster.
