| Chapter 3 1939 to 1968 (page 31)
It is with some difficulty and hesitation that this chapter
is begun, Although there is undoubtedly a resumption of Club activities
almost immediately after the cessation of hostilities in 1946, the
author has not been able to locate any written evidence of such, earlier
than the recording of the results of the 1949 Christmas Handicap.
Significantly this event was won by a very young S.T. Rogers; a runner
who was to figure prominently in the Club's annals over the next twenty
years.
There is an old music hall song called "Following in
fathers footsteps". Whether or not Ted Rogers sons ever knew
it, we do not know; but follow in the footsteps they cerntainly did. The
names of Brian, Vincent, Steve and Peter, show repeatedly throughout the
1950s and 1960s as the next generation carried on where there father
left off.
One of the pre-war members who did come back with that
irrepressible enthusiast Bert Searle. He quickly re-established
himself as one of our most consistant and reliable runners. In 1949 he
won the Club Senior Cross-Country Championship, beating his old friend
Andy Byrne and Bob Mount into 2nd and 3rd places respectively.
On the 8th April 1950 we were strong enough in numbers to field
two teams in the annual Sefton Park Road Relay. In those days it was
known as the "marathon" relay due to it's format of 8x3
1/4miles which add up up to the magic figure of 26 miles. On the 7th and
8th legs for the "A" team Vin Rogers and Bert Searle recorded
our joint fastest times of 18.28, and in the "b" team a young
stripling named Reg Vaughan ran a time of 19.02 for his stage.
A month earlier at West Derby, Bert Searle had retained the Club
Cross-Country Title, having to beat Andy Byrne to do so. The
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