Legendary Highland Games competitor Bill ‘King of the Heavies’ Anderson dies
Bill Anderson, Scotland’s greatest ever Highland Games’ heavyweight athlete, has died aged 81.
Often referred to by the press as the ‘King of the Heavies’, the accolade was richly deserved as over a long career he fought off many excellent rivals to preserve his status.
At the Scottish Heavyweight Championship at Crieff Games between 1958 and 1987, he was outright winner 16 times and shared another two with closest rival Englishman Arthur Rowe.
His last success came in 1987 at two months short of his 50th birthday while throughout he was never outside the top three places, a phenomenal record.
In addition to dominating that highly prestigious title, he chalked up numerous other successes including the British, European, Canadian, American and World titles. He also won the World Caber Tossing Championship several times and for good measure claimed the Scottish Cumberland wrestling title on six occasions. To clinch titles required prowess across the board at all the staple heavy events – the Scots [wooden shafted] hammer, shot putt, 28lb weight for distance, the 56lb weight for height and the caber-with Anderson’s particular fortes the hammer throw and caber.
Central to his success was his strong competitive instinct which he demonstrated regularly with final winning throws under pressure. American heavyweight Brian Oldfield affectionately nicknamed him ‘The Rhino’ – “because once Bill got going, he was unstoppable.”
From a farming background just outside Aberdeen, he announced himself on his debut in the heavy events as a raw 18 year old at Alford Games in 1956 by clinching a first, a second and two third places against top opposition.
Never having competed previously, with experience limited to practice with a Scots hammer in his farmyard, Alford was the launch pad for over thirty years success at the highest level with his final competitive appearance coming in 1988 at Sydney, Australia at a Highland Games celebrating the country’s bi-centenary.
Between these years he competed not only all over Scotland from Halkirk in Caithness to Greenlaw in the Borders setting records but also nearly 50 times abroad, including the US, Canada, Sweden, France, Singapore, Dubai and Australia.
His close fought duels with ex Olympic shot putter Arthur Rowe for a decade from the early 1960’s onwards were the stuff of legend and attracted huge crowds, especially at the famous Deeside Gatherings at Aboyne and Braemar, where the Queen regularly presented him with trophies.
Highlights of his domestic career included becoming the first to throw the 16lb Scots hammer over 150 ft, which he achieved at Lochearnhead Games in 1969 while a month later he set a 22lb hammer record of 123ft 5 inches at Crieff Games which still stands, 50 years on.