Always the Scratch Man

Surely Llanhilleth’s most successful athlete and a Wales great, sprinter Colin Weaver, of Railway Street, started his professional training at just 9 years of age.

He completed in 8 Powderhall finals including 4 Scottish finals at which his results include 2^nd in 1935, 5^th in 1937, 2^nd in 1943 and 2^nd in 1946. He also competed in the Wales final in 1931 and in 1943 he came 2^nd in the English Powderhall, to his brother Reg, more of this in the accompanying story.

These professional sprints were run under a handicap system based on runners’ previous times. In this respect Colin was, more than often, the “Scratch Man”, giving ground to the other competitors. In the 1946 Scottish final, he gave 1½ yards to the eventual winner, who beat him by just ½ yard, resulting in one newspaper calling him “the unluckiest contestant in the history of the race”. Colin was 2 to 1 On favourite to win.

Truly a sporting legend, in his day, his decision to run professionally prevented him from possible Olympic selection.

At the height of his career, in the 1930’s the media even compared him with the immortal Jesse Owen, and his achievements would be quite familiar in cinema newsreels of the period.

The Heritage Society are grateful to Colin’s daughter, Lesley Jenkins and her husband Bryn for this small insight into the illustrious athletics career of her father.