Former Harrier Dodds remains true Wearsider in San Diego
Another name from the past has been in touch with Sunderland Harriers following the recent publication of the 1963 club picture in the Echo.
Allan Dodds, 73, who lives in San Diego in retirement, ironically like Ian Halliwell, who was featured in the previous article, emigrated to Canada and then to the States.
He became State Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of California, being in the role for 30 years.
Although he has not forgotten his Sunderland roots, spending eight weeks during the summer each year at his flat opposite the Cat and Dog Steps on Cliffe Road.
Dodds was another one of the Monkwearmouth Grammar School talented middle distance squad who earned County Schools selection for Durham on the track and over the country.
He regularly competed for Sunderland Harriers and dipped under two minutes for 880 yards as a schoolboy, which was no mean feat in those days of cinder tracks.
One of his biggest school boy rivals was Brendan Foster. He said: “We were in the lead pack in many a cross country or road race, the rivalry was fierce. A couple of years ago I enjoyed a day out at Gateshead Stadium watching the final day of the English Schools Championships. It was very nostalgic.’’
After leaving school Dodds became a Leeds University student and was elected cap
tain of the cross country team in 1968 in his third year in a strong squad. They were a top three BUSF team during his four years in the team.
His serious running ended in his 40s, but before that he did manage to compete in a few marathons in just under three hours. That included the Boston Marathon, while he lived in Connecticut for several years before heading
west to California where he has been since 1980.
“Once in New Haven, Connecticut, I joined the local "S l e e pi n g G i a nt" H a r r ie r s (named after a local landmark hill/park where we trained) and got up to steady and serious mileage in my training.
“I ran local 10k road races, building up to marathons. I sometimes placed in my age group but never won a local
10k or shorter. This included the Newport, Rhode Island marathon, timed to dovetail as a good choice for qualification for Boston.
“My best time in that race was 2:53, which got me under the three hour mark for Boston entry as a 30-year-old, which I ran twice. Boston is not a race for a personal best and my times there were near but not under three hours.
“Mentally, I am still a runn e r, but k n e e s , h i p s , a n d a p re d ic tab l e ‘out fo r t wo we e k s’ c a l f mu s c l e t wa n g anytime. I try to get going again but rule out any hope. “I remain a true Wearsider, a proud son of SR6 and I follow the Lads. I attend a few games each year when I am over, my visits are timed to do so. I am the regional representative, San Diego, CA for the SAFC
North American Supporters Association Sunderland AFC North American Supporters Association
On a Saturday morning during the season I am to be found in the Shakespeare Pub near downtown San Diego watching Premiership games live. These days I sit with my phone or laptop as a lonely Mackem watc hing our lowly game on a live stream.’’