Obituary
E. A. Gallagher:
Liverpool Harriers & A.C.
(Died on Saturday 24th November 2007)
Ernie was born in Liverpool in 1926. He joined Liverpool Harriers in September 1943 and together with Charles Rice, Doug Read, Tom O’Mahoney and others, helped to reform the club after the war. By 1946 he had become leader of a training group that included myself.
He was working at the Risley Research Centre as an engineering draftsman but in 1950 began teacher training in Huddersfield before taking up his first teaching post at Southport Technical College.
Others and myself travelled many times to Southport to help with his college team, the boys from which were fed into the fledgling Southport Athletics Club.
In 1956 he returned to Liverpool to teach at Toxteth Technical College.
Throughout the whole of this time Ernie maintained his first claim membership of Liverpool Harriers making regular appearances in the medley and 4 x 440 yards relays. He was an outstanding 880 yards runner and very proud, as people were in those days, to represent the County of Lancashire.
In those far off days, one of the principle events of the athletics calendar was the Inter-Counties. It carried an importance similar to that of the English Schools today and the news that Ernie had won the 880 yards at this prestigious event reached his team-mates whilst competing at the Paignton Sports in Devon.
He was a multiple trophy winner over many years at both the county and Northern level, being the Northern Champion in 1953 and 1955 and was the backbone of our club team. Indeed as Team captain on three occasions he led the club 4 x 440 yards relay team to prove that it was the best club team in Britain being defeated only by international teams from the West Indies and Germany.
Throughout his life, Ernie has been a loyal and dedicated servant to Liverpool Harriers and in the 1996/97 season following the success of Olympic Athlete Curtis Robb, was honoured as UK coach of the year. He was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the City of Liverpool.
For many years he has served as an outstanding club secretary and has left a lasting legacy by positively improving the lives of so many young people. His braveness to move forward ensured that after 100 years of dreaming Liverpool Harriers at last had it’s own club headquarters.
Ernie was a shining example of a loyal and dedicated club member who made a great impact on our sport. He will be sadly missed.
George Bunner
NOTE:
On behalf of the committee, athletes, coaches and everyone connected to Liverpool Harriers, can I thank everyone for their support and condolences during the past week after the tragic death of Ernie Gallagher.
To see so many people at the Crematorium was overwhelming and many then came to the clubhouse.
I would also like to single out a number of people who not only stayed with Ernie to the end, being Margaret Cheetham and Paul Owens but also were primarily concerned in arranging a service to remember.
Thanks once again.
Arwel Williams (Taff)
Hon. Secretary
Further tributes can be found on the following sites: