SOUTHEND AC’s party evening rounded off a very busy season with an opportunity to applaud the 200-plus club champions, League winners and those receiving special awards.

For the first time the gathering was able to applaud the exploits of the older generation — most of whom had started their athletic careers as young men and women and had either continued or taken a break before returning to the sport.

Veterans took centre stage because — for the first time in many years — the club had been represented by both men and women in the Eastern Veterans' League with the biggest contingent by far in 2013. As far as the men were concerned it was notable for their stunning success in winning the league.

The club’s team managers led from the front with the trophies for highest number of points earned during the vets’ season went to the vets’ secretary and vet men’s team manager Peter Binns and vet women’s team manager Natasha Lagden.

At the other end of the age scale, the youngsters (U13, U15 and U17) were then asked to vote for both the boy and girl athletes of the year from those in attendance. The winners were under-15s Shereen Raouf and Billy Praim-Singh.

The men’s A team, who experienced British Athletic League Division One status for the first time in 2013 were also presented with certificates of achievement.

The track and field leagues, attended by the Seasiders as a whole club, was the East Anglian League with the top eight clubs in each age group qualifying for the Final.

In 2013 they succeeded in qualifying for no less than five of the age groups — under-13 boys, under-17 men, senior men, under-15 girls and the women’s squad which comprised all athletes in the U17, U20, U23, senior and vet age groups.

All team members received a certificate from the president, Mary Green, to congratulate them on reaching the finals.

For most of the season there has been just one team manager for all seven teams and the president was pleased to award a Certificate of Recognition to June Cork.

The club champion/Jimmy Lowen Trophy was awarded to the first Southend athlete home in the London Marathon, Simon Wilson