Jockie Cunningham

John (Jockie) Cunningham was born in Largo in 1881, the last of seven children. His father was a road worker and Cunningham became a miner at Wellagreen Colliery, and lived in New Gilston. Around 1900, Cunningham, like a number of other miners, began spending most of his spare time in the summer racing for cash prizes in the cycke races at the annual sports days that took place across Scotland. The flavour of these annual sports days is provided by an account of the Thornton Highland Gathering: ‘The crowd yesterday was estimated at between sixty and seventy thousand, a record for Fife's great holiday carnival. Long before the programme was opened at ten o'clock the crowd began to roll in, and continued in an over-flowing stream until well on in the afternoon. The station platform at the Junction all afternoon was one surging mass of humanity, but it was an orderly crowd, and all went well, and not a single accident marred the day's proceedings. The vehicular road traffic was far short of the pre-war standard, and many thousands had to foot the mile and a half from the station to the games park at Mid-Strathmore who would have preferred the luxury of conveyance. Horse brakes, waggonettes, motor cars, and motor charabancs brought happy parties to the games from all parts of the West of Fife. Thousands of women cycled to the meeting and not a few came long distances on foot. It was a glorious day, the hot sun being tempered by a south-westerly breeze. Within the park, in addition to the fare provided by the committee, there was an extraordinary conglomeration of showpeople, amusement caterers of all descriptions, cheap jacks, "money-for-nothing" gents, gamesters, feeding tents, etc. Music was discoursed by Balgonie Colliery Prize Band and the brass and pipe bands of the Liberton Industrial Schools.[1]

Like other miners who competed in these sports days during July and August, Cunningham often would finish work at Saturday lunchtime and then cycle to whatever event he was competing in. Many were in Fife and adjoining counties but he also competed in more distant events and it is likely the colliery management were willing to let their star cyclist skip the Saturday morning shift so he could compete. Illegal bets would have been taken on the main races at these events and Cunningham seldom let down any of his workmates who laid money on him winning. In 1904 the Strathallan Highland Gathering in Bridge of Allan, one of the largest, offered £240 prize-money across its range of events and so ‘drew together the cream of professionals in all branches of sport.’ Cunningham cycled the sixty miles to the games and competed in the three bicycle races: ‘The splendid riding of J. Cunningham was the feature of the bicycle events, this plucky and muscular little rider securing two firsts and a second out of the three races.’[2] 

His main rivals at these cycle events were two other Fife miners; T. Swan from Lochgelly and G. Bond from Dairsie. ‘These three seem to be in a class by themselves as at no meeting, however severely handicapped, do they fail to be amongst the prize-winners.’ Yet it was usually Cunningham who took first prize. ‘He romped home first in every event - the half-mile, the two miles, and the five miles. For once Swan and the others were out of it with their brother "Fifer." The five miles especially was a great race, and Cunningham showed magnificent judgment in selecting his time to break away. The lad in blue was the favourite all the time and his triple victory from scratch was warmly cheered.’[3] Local riders sometimes competed but had little chance against these hardened semi-professionals.

At the Montrose Games in 1906 Cunningham was involved in a ‘unique and novel contest cyclist versus runner’ event. C.B. Tincler, a world champion distance runner from Dublin undertook to run one and a half miles (6 rounds of the track) while Cunningham cycled two and a half miles (ten rounds of the track).  ‘Tincler was successful in beating Cunningham by 40 yards, and received well merited applause on his victory.’[4] The following year Cunningham was pitted against Mr Lomond riding his trotting horse, Little Ackie, over one and a half miles. The horse received 250 yards flying start but this time it was Cunningham who won in 4 min 38 secs.[5] At the 1908 games Cunningham had a more straightforward challenge although one he was not expected to win as he competed over three miles against two successful English cycling professionals, Flint of Croydon and Reynolds of Peckham. To the delight of the local crowd Cunningham beat both. At the 1909 Montrose Games he participated in a particularly bizarre event. Cunningham had to cycle two miles while a champion athlete, C. Gardiner had to run one mile and E. G. Fowler, the American bottle carrying champion, had to cover three-quarters of a mile with a four gallon stone bottle on his head, neck downwards. ‘Success lay with Gardiner after a keen race.’[6] Clearly Cunningham was up for any challenge if there was money in it.

On the few times he was unsuccessful it was often the result of a puncture or mishap. In 1913 he contested two events at Strathallan and after winning the Two Mile race was back on the track for the Five Mile. As he was racing a spectator ran across the track sending Cunningham flying over his handlebars. 'The determined cyclist regained his bike and set off but after a short distance dismounted and then collapsed unconscious. He was carried to a hotel in the town and fortunately recovered.'[7]  He continued his winning form in 1914 and appeared at such events as the Kirkcaldy Police Sports Day and a festival in Ceres to mark the unveiling of the memorial to Bannockburn. He ended that successful season by winning at his favourite distance of one mile at the Fauldhouse Games in West Lothian in early September. Four weeks later Britain was at war and all racing came to an end.

Although the war ended in November 1818, the Treaty of Versailles formally ending the conflict was not signed until June 1919 and servicemen and women were still being demobbed through that year. So it was not until 19 July 1919 that the end of the war was formally marked with a special holiday, ‘Peace Day’. The war’s terrible death toll meant that Britain still grieved and there were discussions among organisers of the sports days as to whether it was appropriate to restart them in the summer of 1919. The organisers of the Jedburgh Border Games explained their decision to restart in the programme’s introduction: ‘It was, after some deliberation, decided to resume them again at this time. It was a resolution of hope, and of confidence in the public, as was also the further decision that the programme should be as extensive and complete as in former years.’[8]

Thus Jockie Cunningham dusted down his racing bike and on 12 July 1919 competed at the Alva Games in front of 8,000 spectators. Clearly the long lay-off from competition had not dulled his speed as he won the Two Mile race. A week later he was at the Montrose Games and won over one mile. As this was the holiday week, Cunningham raced at Ayr Games on the following Tuesday, being beaten into second place, and at the Thornton Highland Gathering on the Friday. ‘Thornton Highland gathering is its old self again. It is the premier athletic carnival in the country, and in the brilliant summer weather obtaining crowds rolled up to the games park at Mid Strathore. The whole of the West of Fife is on holiday. Every miner and his women folk seemed to be forward, while the coast and the north and the east sent up large crowds. The traffic at the railway station was enormous, but it was skilfully handled, and it was surprising how speedily the platforms were cleared by the moving mass of humanity. By road motor charabanc and horse-driven vehicles of all sorts and sizes did a roaring trade to the games. Displays were given by the Reays, chain acrobats and hand balancers, and by the Tyko Trio, ladder and perch performers. The pipe and brass bands of the Industrial Schools, Liberton, and the Balgonie Colliery Prize Silver Band provided music. The competition programme included a dozen confined events, 35 open events, and couple of trotting matches. On the fringe of the Games Park there was a big representation of gentlemen of the good tongue, who, among other commodities, were disposing at a rapid rate at five shilling a time of strings of pearls, "guaranteed value of £2000 apiece," and fountain pens at half-a-crown, warranted to last for ever. The bookies were out in force, over two score lusty lungs shouting the odds on the events on the field. An army of inspectors, sergeants, and constables were on the grounds and while it was a very orderly crowd, the public were advised to keep a sharp look-out for light fingered gentry. All the leading athletes the country were forward, and the fields were large. At two o'clock, when the crowds were still rolling in, it was computed that between sixty seventy thousand people were inside the enclosure. The cycle racing was good, and it was that noteworthy that J. Cunningham, New Gilston who is now 37 years of age, and has been riding scratch at Thornton for 17 years, was first in the two-mile race and second in the mile.’[9]

Cunningham continued his successful racing career into the 1920s and in 1927 his son raced alongside him in the Dunlop Cup. A Fife rival, W. Wilson, was well in the lead into the last lap but then skidded on the rain soaked grass and fell, allowing the Cunninghams to race past. Jockie’s son won and it may be that Jockie slowed up in order to let his son gain his first win. Cunningham senior was still winning events at summer games when almost forty-years-of-age. After he retired from competitive racing he would attend many of the events at which he had gained past glory, and in 1955. at the age of 74, rode at the Thornton Highland Games: ‘During the years 1898-1925 Jock was Scottish cycling champion, winning everything that Highland Games officials could muster for competition, and just to show that at seventy four his spirit is still undefeated he borrowed a bike yesterday and circled the track twice; accompanied by the youngest rider present David Meldrum. It was tender moment, for sentiment runs high among the regular competitors and officials at these gatherings, and Jock had scarcely dismounted before the arguments about how well he would have fared against the modern crop of champions began to rage.’[10]

In 1925 a reception in Cunningham’s honour was held under the auspices the Scottish Cyclists’ Union and he was presented with a gold demi-hunter watch. The organiser of the Forfar Games said: ‘Cunningham has been a regular attender at the Forfar Games for over years, and I do not think I have ever met a more honest or wholehearted athlete during the whole time I have been associated with that meeting. He was always an attraction and Highland games and meetings of every description in Scotland were under deep debt of gratitude and obligation to our friend Cunningham.’[11]

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