Page:The Victoria History of the County of Lincoln Volume 2.pdf/566

Rh The most important athletic gathering in the county is that held annually on the last Saturday in August, under the auspices of the Lincoln City Football Club. This meeting has been established for nearly thirty years; in point of entries it holds a position almost unique among athletic meetings. In the year 1903 for six open events there were 354 entries; in 1904 388 entries were received for the same competitions, and in 1905 the number had increased to 416. These figures represent the numbers of candidates in the foot-racing events alone. Adding the entries for the cycling and local races the grand total for the three years is 2,523. In 1905 the enormous entry necessitated the running of the twelve events in seventy-seven heats. The races then took place on a turf track 342½ yards to the lap, yet the racing was so well managed that the twelve events occupied only three hours and fifty-one minutes. A still older sports meeting—for it has been in existence for thirty-two years—and one which in Lincolnshire takes a very high position, and is always well supported, is that conjointly held by the local cricket and athletic clubs on the August Bank-holiday at Spalding. All the events at this meeting are handicaps, but the large entries invariably include the names of many of the best-known athletes. At Lincoln on Whit Monday, in recent years, an athletic meeting has been arranged by the committee in connexion with the Unionist Demonstration. Other meetings in the county are those of Washingborough, generally held at the end of July or the beginning of August; Grimsby, where the proceeds are devoted to charitable purposes; Sleaford, organized by some friendly societies; Saltfleet, where, although the meeting is under the management of a horse-show committee, open athletic events are included in the programme; Scunthorpe, also under horse-show committee management, with open foot-races; Cleethorpe, of relatively recent origin; Heckington, a meeting annually promoted by two old athletes; Saxilby; and Woodhall Spa. Small meetings of less importance are held at various villages, and a few gatherings which are not under the laws of the Amateur Athletic Association. Meetings of the unregistered class, however, are rapidly dying out, and, while athletic meetings in Lincolnshire are numerous and important, there are not many athletic clubs, and these, with a few exceptions, have but a small membership.