RUSS RICHARDSON is probably the only reigning national champion in Crook.

At 65 years of age, he gained a national champion's jersey at cycling after winning a 25-mile national time trial in North Yorkshire last month.

He said: "The course for the time trial started in Topcliffe, went to just past Thirsk where we turned at the South Kilvington interchange and returned to Topcliffe. We had to do two laps of that course, which was twelve-and-a-half miles long. 

“It took me 54 minutes 24 seconds to complete the 25-mile course but because of my age my time was adjusted to 48 minutes and nine seconds. I beat second placed Richard Bideau by only 10 seconds."

The Northern Echo: Russ Richardson, Crook's only national champion

Russ (above) is a member of the Zurbaran Racing North Over 40s group, which includes South Durham riders John Hewitson (a close rival in racing), Chris Peareth (good organiser), Chris Scaife and Dougan Collins (two dedicated riders).

Russ said: "Time trials are all about power and speed, which is totally different to road racing or bunched racing, as it is sometimes called, which can become tactical. 

“My training involves a lot of road work, plus interval sessions on my turbo trainer using a power meter calibrated in watts. Intervals include eight lots of four minutes, with one minute recovery inbetween, six lots of 10 minutes with three minute recovery, and three lots of 20 minutes with five minutes recovery at max power. And then there are long endurance sessions at plus 300 watts. 

“I train all week and enter competitions on most weekends, all over the country, but not too far south.

"When I'm riding in competitions my clothing is designed to increase my speed, so I wear a tight fitting skinsuit, and an aero helmet, plus aero shoe covers. 

“In time trials, the rider needs to be as aerodynamic as possible. My clothing all helps to reduce drag as the wind is the biggest enemy in time trialling.”

Russ is extremely motivated and competitive and his next championship event will be the 30-mile national championship time trial in Sterling, Scotland. 

He said: "My training will remain the same for this event as any other. Unlike road racing, time trials are called 'the race of truth' as riders cannot hide behind other riders, which happens in road racing. When I am training, I spend a lot of hours on the time trial bike in racing position.”

Russ was born in Eldon but moved to Shildon when he was six. On leaving school, he started an engineering apprenticeship at Shildon Shops. When they closed in 1983 he moved to Doncaster until the company stopped paying his digs money, so he returned home. For the last 18 years he has been working as an engineer installing CCTV cameras on buses and wagons.

He first joined the Shildon Athletic Club before moving to Crook Athletic Club, where he developed a hip problem so a chiropractor advised him to take up cycling. 

"That's how it all started, which was around 1993, so you could say I have devoted the last 30 years of my life to time trials and I'm really happy to have won a national champions jersey."

The Northern Echo: Cockfield

A FEW weeks ago we mentioned Jonty Raine who was the coach/manager of the Howden-le-Wear FC Sunday morning team after his playing days with Bishop Auckland, Howden-Le-Wear and Cockfield were over. 

By chance we came across this photograph (above) of Jonty in a Cockfield team (second from the left in front row).

Jonty told a story of how his father, the secretary of Howden-le-Wear FC in the 1950s, appealed to the committee of a cup competition after Howden were beaten in the cup by Leewoolin, a factory side from West Auckland. Raine senior claimed that Leewoolin had played two players who were ineligible. 

Howden won the case and were awarded the tie. 

Back at Howden, Jonty senior celebrated as he told his committee: "We did well there lads because we played two wrong uns as well."

DON BUTTLE recalls John “Jack” Holliday, a Cockfield centre forward from the 1920s, who joined Middlesbrough in March 1930, but found his first team opportunities limited because of George Camsell. 

Holliday joined Brentford in May 1932, and in his first season, 1932-33, scored 39 goals in 35 games as the Bees won the Division Three South championship. As far as we know, his 38 League goals and five hat-tricks are still a Brentford record. 

In the 1934-35 season, he scored 25 goals as Brentford won the Division 2 championship. 

The war years limited his appearances but in seven years of competitive football with Brentford he scored 121 goals in 222 games with his final game, against Reading, being on the last day of the 1943-44 season. 

He died in 1987 but in 2013 Brentford supporters voted him Brentford's fourth-greatest ever player.

  • Thanks to Russ, Chris Raine, Don Buttle and Michael Burke. The speakers at the next meeting of the Sporting Memories group at Heritage Park on Thursday, May 18, at 10.30am are former Bishop Auckland and non-league footballers Dave Lobb, Tony Boylan and Gary Parle.