Scottish sportsman, 1947-2019
Kirkliston Heritage
Society member, Jack Davidson has accumulated a wealth of information over a
number of years about various sporting individuals with a Kirkliston
connection, some of whom are household names. Much of the information gathered
was through personal acquaintance, thereby providing a unique and intimate
insight which Jack and Kirkliston Heritage Society are eager to share with the
wider community. On this occasion, we feature the late Willie Robertson, whose
sporting prowess was a veritable compendium of achievements.
Although born in Sanquhar, Willie
and his family lived in various places before moving in about 1956 to Humbie
Farm, Kirkliston where Mr Robertson became the grieve. Educated at Kirkliston
and Winchburgh schools, Willie was then better known by his nickname “Gundy”.
Despite competing in an era
that saw the development of specialism, he went on to achieve distinction
nationally and internationally in several sports, being a highly accomplished
and versatile individual. He twice represented Scotland at wrestling in the
Commonwealth Games and in addition, he also represented Scotland at athletics,
was a Scottish judo champion, was a top Highland Games ‘heavy’ athlete and
played a good level of rugby as a prop for Corstorphine Rugby Club, then in the
4th tier of Scottish rugby.
His initial interest as a
member of Edinburgh Athletic Club was as an aspiring sprinter but, although
decent at club level it was apparent he would not progress much further. With
his powerful physique it was inevitable he would gravitate to strength-based
events and he began hammer throwing with the Field Events Club at Edinburgh
University sports ground at Craiglockhart under the eagle eye of well-known
coach Bob Watson, the former groundsman there.
His introduction to wrestling
was unorthodox to say the least. While participating in athletics events at
Strathallan Highland Games in about 1969, he noticed the 13 ½ stone Scottish
Cumberland wrestling championship taking place in the infield. Despite never
previously having wrestled, (though he had dabbled in boxing at the Sparta club),
six bouts later he was champion, much to everyone’s surprise including himself,
and a wrestling career was launched. He was then directed to the Milton
Wrestling Club, then in Abbeyhill, Edinburgh where he was coached in freestyle
wrestling by George Farquhar, a former Olympic wrestler and Commonwealth Games
silver medallist. Willie soon progressed and in 1971 won the British
heavyweight title at Meadowbank. In 1972 he repeated the feat, this time as
mid-heavyweight, while in 1973 he again won the British heavyweight title and
the Scottish title at mid-heavyweight. That same year, as part of his wrestling
training, Willie took up judo and won the Scottish title in his weight
category.
This led to him being
selected for Scotland to wrestle at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in
Christchurch, New Zealand, a great adventure. There, one of his opponents was
Gary Knight, an All Black rugby prop forward who played many times for New
Zealand and with whom Willie had a good rapport. Several years later, Knight
played in Edinburgh for the All Blacks, affording both men the opportunity for
an enjoyable reunion.
While wrestling, Willie
continued doing hammer throwing at which he was one of Scotland’s top
exponents. He won a silver and two bronze medals in the hammer throw at the
Scottish championships and won an international vest for Scotland in Oslo
against against Norway and Bulgaria in 1974. He figured in the annual ranking
lists for that event as well as shot putt and discus between 1969 and 2008, his
final appearance coming at the age of 61! He combined his hammer throwing with
taking part in Highland Games at the traditional ‘heavy’ events, eg caber
tossing, Scots hammer, etc.
In 1976, he decided to turn
professional at Highland Games which meant amateur wrestling had to come to an
end. Between then and 1980 he was one of Scotland’s top ‘heavy’ athletes,
competing throughout Scotland at Games, often travelling by motorbike, sleeping
rough and earning sufficient in his first couple of summers to put down a
deposit on a house. In 1976 he finished 3rd in the prestigious
Scottish ‘heavy events’ championship held at Crieff, a great achievement.
Willie tossing the caber at a Highland Games Event.
In 1980 he was reinstated as
an amateur and competed at amateur games up and down the country. With the 1986
Commonwealth Games being held in Edinburgh he decided to resume wrestling to
try to make the Scottish team. In 1985 he won the Scottish title and was picked
for the 1986 Games as mid-heavyweight, aged then about 38, a fitting end to his
wrestling career.
Once retired from
competition, Willie became a highly valued throws coach with Falkirk Victoria
Harriers where he encouraged and developed many young throwers and indeed was coaching there the evening before his sudden death. Several of his hammer
protégés in particular went on to enjoy considerable success, including Kyle
Randalls, Myra Perkins and Ciaran Wright. He also officiated regularly at
athletics meetings and was a familiar sight as a judge at Highland Games.
Keeping things in the family, Willie’s daughter Hazel also appears in the Scottish
Rankings for hammer, discus and shot.
Willie on duty with Falkirk Victoria Harriers.
Away from the sports field,
Willie attended the Edinburgh School of Building where he completed a stonemasonry
apprenticeship, winning a medal for merit. He later joined Historic Scotland,
working at Linlithgow Palace and Fort George among other places, after which he
moved into building control, becoming a building inspector with Edinburgh
Council. After several years in that field and having attended teacher training
college, he went on to become a building lecturer at Telford College,
Edinburgh, latterly Edinburgh College. He designed the ‘Briggers’ memorial
sculpture to those who died in the building of the Forth Bridge, erected near
the bridge at South Queensferry, and unveiled by then First Minister, Alex
Salmond in Willie’s presence. He also designed and collaborated in the building
of the Millennial Cairn in Torphichen.
Briggers Memorial, South Queensferry.
Willie was a standout
character, a gentle giant with a great sense of fun and mischief who was held
in huge affection by all who knew him, as was evident at the large turnout and
warmth of feeling for him at his funeral, where I was honoured to give the eulogy.
Willie is survived by his wife Angela and children Alan and Hazel.
Jack
Davidson
Kirkliston Heritage Society
William 'Willie' Robertson - Scottish and Kirkliston Sporting Hero.
