Bill Anderson (strongman)

Bill Anderson MBE (6 October 1937 - 2 August 2019[1]) was a Scottish heavyweight sportsman. He won the World Highland Games Championships in 1981 and the Scottish Highland Games Championships 16 times. He has also held every possible Scottish record in Highland Games.[2]

Bill Anderson
Personal information
Birth nameWilliam Smith Anderson
Born(1937-10-06)6 October 1937
Bucksburn, Scotland
Died12 August 2019(2019-08-12) (aged 81)
OccupationHighland Games/Strongman
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Medal record
Highland Games
Representing  Scotland
World Highland Games Championships
Champion World Highland Games Championships 1981
Scottish Highland Games Championships
Champion 1959
Champion 1960
Champion 1961
Champion 1962
Champion 1963
Champion 1964
Champion 1965
Champion 1966
Champion 1967
Champion 1968
Champion 1969
Champion 1970
Champion 1971
Champion 1972
Champion 1973
Champion 1974
USA Highland Games Championships
Champion 1976
Champion 1977
Champion 1978
Champion 1979
Champion 1980
Canadian Highland Games Championships
Champion 1977
Strongman
Representing  Scotland
Britain's Strongest Man
2nd 1979 Britain's Strongest Man
Representing  United Kingdom
World's Strongest Man
9th 1979 World's Strongest Man

Biography

Bill was born on Greenferns Farm, Bucksburn, close to Aberdeen in Scotland. He began competing as an 18-year-old at Alford in 1956 and went on to compete at the top of his sport, excelling at caber tossing and hammer throwing.[3]

Anderson dominated the heavy events for three decades, winning 16 Scottish championship titles as well as British, European, American, Canadian and World championships.

Anderson claimed his first Scottish title in 1959 and he became the first man to hurl the hammer 150 feet (46 m) in 1969 at the Lochearnhead Games.[4] Of the heavy events, the Scots hammer was Anderson's, wooden shafted and thrown from a standing position. His 1969 Scottish Championship record of 123 feet 5 inches (37.62 m) with the 22 lb hammer set at the Crieff Games still stands.[4] The one and only time he threw the wire hammer was on national service in Aden in 1957 when with a standing throw he reached 133 feet (41 m).

Even after retiring as a competitor, he remained active on the games circuit, judging at the Aberdeen, Crieff, Aboyne and Braemar Highland Games.[4]

Anderson competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury.[5]

A biography, Highland Fling was published by Argyll Publishing.[6][7]

Bill Anderson died on 12 August 2019.

Accomplishments

  • 1981 World Highland Games Championships Champion
  • Four times World Caber Tossing Champion
  • Winner of 16 Scottish Highland Games Championships
  • Five times USA Highland Games Champion 1976–1980
  • Canadian Highland Games Champion 1977

Awards and honours

He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1977 New Year Honours by Queen Elizabeth II, for services to Highland Games.[8][9]

Anderson was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.[1]

References

  1. "Bill Anderson, MBE". Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  2. Bailey, Ben (16 August 2008). "Good Crieff, he's still a games star at 70". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  3. Smith, Graeme (20 September 1980). "King of the Highland Games Circuit … and still going strong after 25 seasons". The Glasgow Herald. p. 22. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  4. "Bill Anderson obituary". The Scotsman. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  5. "World's Strongest Man finals". Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  6. "Highland Fling – Bill Anderson's journey from farm boy to World Champion". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  7. Ross, John (12 June 2009). "Legal eagle writes book on Highland Games hero". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  8. "Bill Anderson Reigns as King of Highlands". Saratosa Journal. 9 August 1978. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  9. United Kingdom: "No. 47102". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1976. p. 12.
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