Scally clan gathering as race honours a hero of Scottish running

One of the greats of Scottish athletics will have his achievements recognised when the 50th Allan Scally Road Race, staged by his beloved Shettleston Harriers, takes place at Glasgow Green tomorrow.

Scally, who passed away in 1966, was the world professional ten-mile champion in the years between the two world wars and was a serial winner at Powderhall in Edinburgh and White City in Glasgow, taking the Powderhall ten miles on five occasions.

Royal Braemar was another of his regular haunts on the Highland Games circuit.

Scally’s status as a professional disqualified him from competing under amateur rules at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, and his granddaughter Jackie Mitchell added: “It was one of his great regrets in life that he could never wear the blue and gold colours of the club (Shettleston) that he loved and was formed the same year he was born (1904).

“He went on to dedicate his life to the club and its athletes, and he passed on a love of the sport to his family. Most of the family are massive Shettleston Harriers people, including his granddaughter Elaine Mackay, who is the current club president.

“Grampa came from mining stock and was one of ten kids.

“There wasn’t much money around, but he worked as a stonemason with the railway company and he was a professional athlete during the depression.

“The miners often placed bets on his races and he sometimes donated some of his prize money to them.” Scally, pictured, swapped racing for coaching as he moved into his thirties and later helped Joe Mcghee to the Empire Games marathon title in 1954, but he was equally interested in lesser-known runners.

“He tried to do his bit to encourage people to take up athletics, especially impoverished kids in Glasgow,” added Mitchell.

“He visited local primary schools and youth clubs and he even used to spot kids trying to race trams in the streets. He was very much a talent-spotter and he saw sport as a force for good.”

The very first Allan Scally road relay was held three years after his death and was fittingly won by a Shettleston team featuring five-time winners Lachie Stewart and Dick Wedlock plus Henry Summerhill and Allan’s youngest son, Bill.

A women’s relay was added in 1993, with Elaine Mackay anchoring Shettleston to victory, and although there was no race in 2018, it returned to the calendar last year when Central AC men and Shettleston ladies won over a shortened 5km course which will be used again tomorrow.

As always, the Scally family will be out in force this weekend.

Allan’s two surviving daughters in law and all eight grandchildren will be there, including another Allan Scally – who has jetted over from Boston to honour his remarkable grandfather. Mitchell plans her own tribute after following the “Couch To 5k” programme in recent months, and she vows to complete the race even if she has to walk.