50 YEARS AGO Highland champion is a real ‘northerner’!

The Herald reviewed ‘Games day’.

“Like all outdoor sporting events, when everything depends on the weather, Saturday welcomed the sun in all its glory, and the prospects once again promised well for another Games day.

“On the heavy-weight championship, Arthur Rowe of Barnsley had quite a field day. With the exception of throwing the weight for distance, where he was narrowly defeated by his rival Bill Anderson of Bucksburn, he won every other event, thus winning the Scottish Games Championship.

“Much criticism was heard during the afternoon of the unforgiveable conduct of several competitors and others who were allowed the freedom of the arena, quite unaware of the inconvenience they caused to those spectators occupying the ring seats.

“Despite several request through the loud speaker for those not engaged in the proceedings to sit down, there were cyclists and runners using the track for a practice run, and the strong men passing the time heaving the heavy weight backward and forward to each other - all very distracting and dangerous.

“There is some truth in the saying you can prove almost anything if you care to juggle about with figures. In two Sunday newspapers reporting the Games, one gave the crowd as 10,000 while the other stepped that up to 15,000.

“Which is all very amusing when one learned over the loud speaker that the official attendance was 7,485.”