Athletics: Capital bid for league place

Boosted by the presence of the new Commonwealth Youth Games 200 metres gold medallist Tom Holligan, Edinburgh AC head to Abingdon, Oxfordshire for the senior men’s British League division four qualifier.

With just two teams able to get back into the league from eight aspiring clubs, the Capital outfit know this match will be far tougher than the league itself as they discovered in 2009 when they made their last attempt and finished seventh.

That was the year they had finished last in the BAL’s new division four, after finishing bottom in division three the previous season. But things have changed since then, notably wth the emergence of a new wave of exciting young athletes who have been making their mark in age-group competition.

Team manager Keith Ridley, one of those who have done much to bring on these athletes, believes it is important to put down a marker at the qualifier and establish a base for next year even if they do not make it this time.

In addition to Holligan, the likes of Gary McKay, Peter Loudon, Andrew Crichton, Toby Harris, Seumas Thomson and Cameron Goodall are all capable of picking up points and Edinburgh’s biggest problem could well prove to be a lack of throwers.

“It all depends on how strong the others are, but there are certainly a number of our old rivals including Bedford, Bristol, Luton and Brighton,” he says.