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]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | William Smith Anderson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 October 1937 Bucksburn, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 12 August 2019 (aged 81) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Highland Games/Strongman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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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
- "Bill Anderson, MBE". Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- Bailey, Ben (16 August 2008). "Good Crieff, he's still a games star at 70". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- 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.
- "Bill Anderson obituary". The Scotsman. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- "World's Strongest Man finals". Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- "Highland Fling – Bill Anderson's journey from farm boy to World Champion". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- Ross, John (12 June 2009). "Legal eagle writes book on Highland Games hero". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- "Bill Anderson Reigns as King of Highlands". Saratosa Journal. 9 August 1978. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- United Kingdom: "No. 47102". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1976. p. 12.