Billy Grantham

In the early part of the 20th century, William Grantham, known as Billy, was rapidly establishing himself as a talented middle-distance runner on the northern race tracks. Having comfortably won his first mile race in 1903 he continued to attract a great deal of attention, notably after winning a two miles handicap event at Atherton in 1904. Grantham was given a 160-yard start over the reigning international cross-country champion, Alf Shrubb, and the Alderley Edge man shot to the front at the bell, and with 150 yards to go, Shrubb gave up his pursuit, and Grantham captured a notable scalp.

Grantham was employed as a train driver with a local brickworks near to his Alderley home. His talent attracted the attention of the the crack Salford Harriers team whom he joined. He switched his attention to steeplechasing in 1907, and the following year placed third in the AAA steeplechase, but failed to finish in his heat at the Olympics. In 1911, he won the Northern Counties ¾-mile steeplechase after a dramatic finale to the race. Grantham and A. Holland of Hallamshire were neck-and-neck going into the final water jump, but Holland fell and Grantham romped home an easy winner. In the mid-1920s, Grantham’s son Frederick was, like his father before him, making a name for himself as a miler in handicap races on the northern circuit.