Commonwealth Games 1970
In 1970 I was privileged to be part of Arthur Campbell's cycling organising committee for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. Arthur always said that the Meadowbank Track, constructed for these games, was built with "non existent money on non existent ground". This arose from Arthur's battle with Edinburgh's Council to even get a track built as the Council were of the opinion that cycling could be held at Grangemouth Stadium some 20 miles from Edinburgh! That was until Arthur reminded them that in the Council's presentation to win the games they guaranteed a new velodrome would be built in Edinburgh and Arthur who was politically astute and well known in the Commonwealth Games Countries told them - no velodrome, no games - and he meant it. Little did I realise that the same scenario was to occur again when the Games returned to Edinburgh in 1986 (see Commonwealth Games 1986).My duties at the games were two-fold. I was appointed medical control officer and press liaison officer. Press liaison was fairly straightforward delivering results and info to the cycling press at the velodrome and to the central press office.
I was one of the first officals in British Cycling to undertake this duty as the concept of dope control was in it's formative years and the British Cycling Federation was to the forefront of this move. I recall that Professor Arnold Becket was the scientist in charge of the Games medical controls. At the games I duly presented myself at the control where the doctor in charge was already going ahead with a control when I told him to stop as he should not have started until I was present and that he was not following the regulations. Needless to say the Doctor was not a happy chappie. He telephoned Sir Arnold to complain and when asked who was not letting him take the control he said it was a cycling official and Sir Arnold said to conduct the test under my guidance as our sport was even then better organised than others.
