Since joining the Clydebank club in November 1966, Dolan has done almost every conceivable job at the Harriers, as well as an athlete he has been the club vice captain and captain, in more recent times he has been club secretary, served as club president and currently he is the junior head coach.

Despite his years of service Dolan is still motivated to devote time to the club and he has told SportScene what keeps him going at the Harriers.

He said: “The fact that the club has survived all this time. Few clubs would last this length of time they would come and go, all I’m doing is putting something back into to the club, but that is just repaying the debt of those who have given time and money into the club in the past and those involved just now.

“It is the one organisation where I felt comfortable. I have found that no-one who has been involved in the club has had a side to them.

“People aren’t in it for themselves they give time and money for the benefit of those who attend the club.” Clydesdale Harriers are the only athletics club in West Dunbartonshire which has a junior section and the club is able to subsidise the fees members have to pay, through the generosity of previous members who have left money to the club.

The importance of the club’s youth section continuing and finance not blocking children from competing in sport is not lost on Dolan.

He said: “West Dunbartonshire is a deprived area with high unemployment, so it is important that kids have a vehicle to participate in athletics, not everyone likes football so it’s important to have other options which families can afford to pay.

“We charge £2 per child, for that the club covers the cost of all the league fees we have to pay, we are only able to do that because of the legacy’s left to the club by past members.” Between the senior and junior section of the club the Harriers will normally have around 80 people attending their meets.

Dolan is keen not to be seen as the club’s figurehead despite his length of service, recognising the hard work of many others which the club needs to keep going.

He added: “The reason the club has existed for so long is there have been a whole variety of people who have given up their time without whom it wouldn’t be possible. John Hanratty, Pauline Campbell, Robert Paxton and Peter Rudzinski put in a huge amount of work to keep our junior section going.” Not every club can boast Clydesdale’s rich history, several founding members were directors of Rangers and one of their first recruits for the 100 yard sprint was Willie Maley, the first manager of Celtic.

Dolan himself has a piece of athletics history — he was the first Brit to finish the Boston Marathon in 1977-a race founded by Jock Semple, a Clydesdale Harriers member.

If the Harriers continue to attract further interest from the local community, it will be hard not to see that history being added to.

Clydesdale Harriers meet every Tuesday and Thursday at St Peter The Apostle High School, 7pm.