Bill Anderson (Highland games)
Encyclopedia
Bill Anderson (born 1937) is 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.
, 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 toss
ing and hammer throwing
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 (45.7 m) in 1969. 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 in 5 in (37.62 m) with the 22 lb hammer still stands. 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 (40.5 m).
He is the grandfather-of-five and still works part-time. He also judges at the Aberdeen, Crieff, Aboyne and Braemar Highland games.
He was made a member of the Order of the British Empire
in 1977 by Queen Elizabeth II
.
Anderson was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
in 2007.
Anderson competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man
contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury.
A biography, Highland Fling was published by Argyll Publishing.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
heavyweight sportsman. He won the World Highland Games Championships
World Highland Games Championships
The World Highland Games Championships is a well recognised event in both strength athletics and Highland Games. The championships are also known as the IHGF Official World Heavy Events Championships, being organised by the International Highland Games Federation...
in 1981 and the Scottish Highland Games Championships 16 times. He has also held every possible Scottish record in Highland Games.
Biography
Bill was born on Greenferns Farm, BucksburnBucksburn
Bucksburn is an area of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, named after the stream that flows through it. Bucksburn was formerly a market village before being swallowed up by the spread of the city. It is now categorised as a "Neighbourhood" by Aberdeen City Council...
, close to Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
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 toss
Caber toss
The caber toss is a traditional Irish athletic event practised at the Irish Highland Games involving the tossing of a large wooden pole called a caber. It is said to have developed from the need to toss logs across narrow chasms to cross them. In Irishtown the caber is usually made from a Larch tree...
ing and hammer throwing
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 (45.7 m) in 1969. 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 in 5 in (37.62 m) with the 22 lb hammer still stands. 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 (40.5 m).
He is the grandfather-of-five and still works part-time. He also judges at the Aberdeen, Crieff, Aboyne and Braemar Highland games.
He was made a member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1977 by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
Anderson was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame in Scotland, initiated on St Andrew's Day 2001. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and the National Museums of Scotland. It is also funded by BBC Scotland and...
in 2007.
Anderson competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury.
A biography, Highland Fling was published by Argyll Publishing.
Accomplishments
- 1981 World Highland Games ChampionshipsWorld Highland Games ChampionshipsThe World Highland Games Championships is a well recognised event in both strength athletics and Highland Games. The championships are also known as the IHGF Official World Heavy Events Championships, being organised by the International Highland Games Federation...
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