Jim Mcneillage
Scottish tennis and badminton international and businessman
Jim Mcneillage, sportsman and businessman. Born: October 7 1940 in Glasgow. Died: October 20 2020, aged 80
Jim Mcneillage was an accomplished, versatile sportsman, a double Scottish internationalist at tennis and badminton, a single handicap golfer who became Captain of Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society and a useful squash player at Edinburgh Sports Club.
One of the highlights of his career was representing Scotland at badminton in the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh where he played in all three disciplines of singles, mixed doubles and mens’ doubles, partnering the iconic Bob Mccoig in the latter. In addition he represented Scotland 15 times and won the men’s national doubles title with Ian Hume.
In tennis he won several caps after his debut against Denmark in Copenhagen in 1967, with his final international appearance coming in 1973 against England. Together with regular Liberton Tennis Club partner Harry Roulston he twice won the Scottish men’s doubles title and regularly represented the East of Scotland in the pan British “Counties Week” tournament at various venues in England.
Outwith the sporting arena he enjoyed a successful career as a chartered accountant, business adviser and director with a number of companies including Peat Marwick and Mitchell, Christian Salvesen, Distillers Co Ltd, Clydesdale Bank, Lilley the building contractors and latterly these afood company, Dawn fresh Ltd.
James Kean Mcneillage was born in Glasgow, the only child of James, a cost accountant, and Margaret nee Macdonald. When he was five the family moved to Edinburgh where they lived in Corstorphine. After early years in primary school, Jim attended Daniel Stewart’s College ( now Stewart’s Melville), where despite suffering the blow of his father’s early death he excelled academically in mathematics and physics, as well as being a star of the school tennis team.
His involvement in tennis began by chance after winning his first ever game with a friend, which encouraged him to join Dean Tennis Club aged 14. While still at school he and a schoolmate won the East of Scotland juniors’ doubles title and a year later, by then a member of Liberton Tennis Club, he won the singles title.
Some coaching from the legendary Ignacy Tloczynski, the professional at Craiglockhart, helped Jim’s development. “Tloc” was a notable Polish tennis player who settled in Edinburgh after distinguished war service.
In 1958 Jim participated in Junior Wimbledon when he won the Junior Plate competition for those eliminated from early rounds, having lost to the eventual champion. He played singles with success in numerous summer tournaments, was regularly seeded in the national championships and won the East title in 1965. At Liberton he formed a formidable doubles partnership with Harry Roulston. They not only won national titles in 1965 and ’ 71 but combined in internationals and won the Scottish Cup several times for Liberton. When it closed in the early ‘ 70’ s, he wound down his competitive tennis career with Abercorn.
Taking up badminton as a winter sport, Jim soon made his mark after beginning at St. Stephen’s Church in Comely Bank before joining the Western Club. His speed, agility and hand/ eye coordination were assets as with tennis and by 1967 he had made his international debut. In addition to the Commonwealth Games and national doubles’ title in 1969, he won the Irish Open, the Lancashire Open and all mens’ doubles titles on the Scottish calendar apart from the Scottish Open. He also played in the All England Championships and once against Svend Pri, one of the world’s leading exponents.
After leaving school Jim under took a chartered accountancy apprenticeship with the firm of William Bishop in Edinburgh which included a year spent at Edinburgh University where he was awarded a tennis Blue. At Liberton Tennis Club he met Gillian Hardy, a research science graduate, whom he married in 1965 in Edinburgh. The couple enjoyed a long and happy marriage and had daughters Alison and Jennifer. They lived in Colinton prior to moving to the Mayfield area in 1973, where they remained.
An occasional golfer, Jim was encouraged by golfing friends to play more as his competitive racquet sport days were finishing. He joined the Bruntsfield club, where he succeeded in reducing his handicap to a highly creditable five, with the help of lessons from Duddingston professional and friend Alastair Mclean. He won two of the club’s annual trophies, the Challenge Silver Flagon in 1997 and the Services Cup in 2009.
He was club Captain from 2005- 2007 and was pleased to be able to give something back to the club. Golf was a source of great enjoyment to him, especially the time spent in the company of friends on the course and afterwards.
He was first and foremost a family man who enjoyed family holidays up north and then later throughout the world with Gill, including trips to the USA, China, India and South Africa. Golfing trips to Portugal, Spain and South Carolina with Gill were also highlights, as were trips to Wimbledon.
A sports enthusiast in general, he enjoyed watching many on television including, of course, tennis and badminton but also golf, football, cricket, rugby and Tour de France cycling.
Jim was a man of integrity with a meticulous approach to matters of import but was also gifted with an excellent sense of humour and so was a lot of fun.
He is survived by his wife, daughters and son in law John.