Archibald Fulton Wood 6.8.1934 – 3.2.2025 Aged 90
The club has just heard one of our former members passed away last week at the age of 90 in St Andrews. Archibald (Archie) Fulton Wood was one of the top sprinters in the UK/Scotland in the Youths/Juniors ranks in the early 50’s. He joined the club with his school friends Jimmy Young and Graham Everett from Hutcheson Grammar As we know Graham went on to be one of the best milers in the UK winning the AAA title, numerous Scottish titles, represented GB in international event and also Scotland in the Commonwealth Games .Archie grew up in the East End of Glasgow in Merchistson St in Carntyne and was one of the butterflies in the club as they were know -Why butterflies you may ask ? Back in the 50’s we had no indoor facilities for sprinters to train and most of them played other sports in the winter -in fact Archie was a Scottish Schoolboy internationalist at rugby. So just like butterflies they came out in the Summer!
Archie was Scottish School Champion over 110yds &220yds over various age groups -1951 (U/17) 220yds (23.4) 1952 (O/17) -100yds (10.4) and 220yds (24.0) and in 1953 (0/17) 220yds (24.0)
The club was very strong in sprinting around this time and club coach Jimmy Law had done a great job producing many Scottish champions in the Youth /Junior Ranks. In the late 40’s and 50’s ,athletics essential started at these age groups. There were no U/13 or U/15 age groups. In 1952 Archie burst onto the national scene winning) the Scottish Junior title over 220yds ( 23.3) and placing 2nd in the 100yds.He followed up this with a win in 1953 over 220yds(23.4) He was also part of the Junior relay team which won the Scottish 4x 110yds in 1951 &53 .This team of Robert Prentice ,J Ellison ,S Hunter and Archie Wood also won bronze in the AA A (English) Championships around this time .He also won titles at the Lanarkshire Championships as well as running at the various sports meeting held including the famous Rangers Sports.
The club records show Archie disappeared around this time and thanks to his daughter Joanne Gold we can fill in the blanks for the rest of a very successful life.
Dad always joked he could have been at the Olympics if he hadn’t married mum (Mary Todd) so it seems he stopped running around the time they met. Looking through photos a few months ago dad pointed out Jimmy Young to us but I hadn’t realised he was also a runner.
Mum and Dad married 9th August 1957 and had such a long and happy life together. Two sons, two daughters , 12 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Family was everything to dad. From school he went to Glasgow university but felt it wasn’t right for him and left to train and work as a naval architect with Alexander Stephens on the Clyde. From there he moved to work in Denmark, then back to Glasgow before a spell in London. Mum and dad moved back to Scotland in the early 1970s. They both ended their days in St Andrews, mum dying in 2023. “
We have been trying to get a photo of Archie in his Shettleston days can you help? On behalf of the club we would like to send our condolences to Joanne and the rest of the Woods family.
David Lang
Funeral Details
We have just heard Davies funeral will take place on Monday 24th February at 11am at the Linn Crematorium 413 Lainshaw Drive, Glasgow G45 9SP