The Scottish Cycling Badge of Honour recognises the contribution and achievement of individuals who have given their all to the sport of cycling whether this is medal success as an athlete or coach or loyal commitment throughout the years as a volunteer.
2023
Steve Donaldson
2022
Rita Montgomery
Rab Wardell
2021
Sandy Wallace
Philippa York
2020
Alasdair Gow
Sandy Lindsay MBE
2019
Ken Whitson
Alasdair MacLennan
2018
Ivor Reid
In the words of John MacMillan:
Ivor was a good friend, so I need to declare that interest at the outset. I also appreciate that with a lot of new faces in our sport there may be some who do not know a lot about him.
He was 57 when he died.
He was a huge personality and very well respected as a rider, as a coach and as someone with a deep knowledge of the sport, particularly track racing.
People travelled from far and wide to attend his funeral and later to the memorial ride. Based on the ride we started a fund in his memory to give young riders opportunities in track racing. At the time of the 2018 AGM it stood at around £6,700.
However, popularity is not a qualification for the badge of honour. According to the constitution it is awarded for signal service, that old-fashioned term which translates into outstanding service.
Ivor was always helping riders, sharing knowledge, lending equipment, of which he had the best.
As a coach or team manager he was looking after riders like Sir Chris, Craig Maclean and Ross Edgar. He was in charge of the Scottish track riders at the commonwealth games in Kuala Lumpur, Manchester and Melbourne. In fact, prior to the Melbourne games along with his wife Elaine, they left their jobs and supported the team in Australia for some months leading up to the games. The Scottish track riders came home with 6 Commonwealth medals which was an amazing haul at that time.
Even when he made the odd selection, which may have been controversial to some, the rider concerned always repaid his faith by delivering the goods.
He was the go-to guy for track racing, always dispensing wise advice and helping riders out, while maintaining his own racing at a very high level.
He won his first British Masters championship in 1999 and went on to win at least one gold but sometimes multiple ones, each year for 10 consecutive years in the sprint disciplines.
The high points were team sprint European Champion in 2009 and the ultimate, ….. the World Champion’s jersey in the 2006 championships.
In his shortened lifetime, the impact Ivor made on our sport certainly merits this post-humous award. The motion was not tabled through any emotional feeling about a life cut short. Had Ivor lived another 15 years this award would have been awarded at some stage during that time.
2017
Mhairi Laffoley
2016
Katie Archibald MBE
Karen Darke MBE
Karen Darke has had a long and varied career in sport and continues to inspire many with her adventures. Darke is paralysed from the chest down following an accident, aged 21, whilst sea cliff climbing. In 2006, she took part in an expedition which crossed Greenland's ice cap whilst sitting on skis using her arms and poles to cover the 372-mile crossing. She has also climbed Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan and hand-cycled, skied and swam the length of Japan. In 2009, Karen won a bronze medal in the Para-Cycling World Cup and she went on to join the British Para-Cycling team in 2010. Her achievements to date include winning two silver medals at the 2011 Para-Cycling World Cup in Sydney, Australia, in both the women’s H2 Road Race and Time Trial events.
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, she won a silver medal in the Women's road time trial H1–2 Marianna Davis in a time of 33:16.09. In the Women's road race H1-3 competition, Darke finished fourth. After crossing the finishing line holding hands with team mate Rachel Morris.
William Dunscombe and Alexander Glover
Sport goes on week in, week out thanks to volunteers, many of whom turn out week in, week out in order to ensure that it does go on. Cycling is no exception and Bill and Sandy are a wonderful example of this type of commitment. It seems natural to not single them out when paying tribute to their service, as so often they were volunteering for the same club, the same events, the same centre, the same service. More particularly their partnership, for very many years, providing Scottish Cycling’s photo finish service at major road races, including the Tour of Britain on an occasion, meant the two names naturally roll off the tongue together. It was a major commitment for many weekends of each year, loading the equipment, arriving at the race early, anywhere in Scotland, and always last to leave for home. A great team, Bill looked after the electronics and Sandy did the manual part of the operation from the top of his steps, feeding Bill with rider information to keep the electronics on an even keel.
Both were very active members of Kirkcaldy and District CC and they also organised midweek time trials in Fife for many years as well as carrying out timekeeping and marshalling duties on a regular basis, Sandy often on his motor bike. Both were involved in any big races that happened in Fife like the Tour of the Kingdom stage race and Spokes Junior weekend.
Fife Cycling Association benefitted from their expertise with Sandy being secretary for over 20 years and Bill being treasurer for many, many years. Bill was a founding member of Carnegie Cyclones Youth Club providing wise input and acting as treasurer for a number of years. He was also a commissaire and a regular at Meadowbank track where he was first choice for operating the lap board, including the big international meetings.
Neil Fachie MBE
Aberdeen born Neil Fachie MBE is a twelve-time World Champion, three-time Paralympic Games medallist and holds the World record for the 1km Time Trial and Flying 200m. Neil and pilot Pete Mitchell became the first tandem pair ever to break the one minute mark in the 1km Time Trial.
After a successful career in athletics including selection for the Beijing Paralympic Games, Aberdeen born Neil Fachie decided switched to para-cycling in April 2009. His first taste of gold was at the Track World Championships in Manchester in 2009 in the tandem B sprint and kilo piloted by Barney Storey. He repeated this feat in 2011 in Montichiari, this time alongside fellow Scot Craig Maclean.
At the London 2012 Paralympic Games Neil and Barney triumphed in the tandem B kilo and came second in the tandem B sprint. Fachie went on to win gold in both events at Glasgow 2014 with pilot Craig MacLean.
Callum Skinner
Having won the Chris Hoy Trophy in 2008, an award presented to Edinburgh's most promising young track cyclist, the future looked bright for Callum Skinner. He won 4 gold medals at the British Track Championships as well a win in the Kilo at the 2014 European Championship and was a regular feature on top of World Cup podiums. The 2016 Rio Olympic Games were where he really shone as part of the gold medal winning sprint team of Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes, setting a new Olympic Record. He also took the silver in the individual sprint at the same games.
2014
Alan Hewitt
Alan Hewitt was a larger than life personality within the Scottish Cycling community throughout his career as a very distinguished time triallist, coach, bike shop owner and latterly cycle industry consultant.
Alan had nigh on 40 years commitment to the sport he loved and built up a wide circle of friends across all disciplines. From his introduction to the sport with Glasgow United through his distinguished racing career with the Regent CC, his time in the bike shop and then Scottish Cycling, Commonwealth Games Scotland and Madison Alans gregarious and affable nature belied his appearance and stature endearing him to all who were privileged to know him.
His untimely passing denied the cycling world of a true friend and huge personality. Alan's partner Gillian Farmer collected the award on his behalf.
David Millar
In the days when individual riders with talent had to plough their own furrow David Millar packed his bags and moved to France to pursue a career in cycling, with little more than a small but much appreciated level of support from The Dave Rayner Fund. Little did he know what he was letting himself in for.
His experience of extreme highs and lows throughout his 18 year professional career has been well documented not least in his own books “Racing through the Dark” and “The Racer”
However, latterly, it has been David’s contribution to Scottish Cycling and Commonwealth Games Scotland Teams through unheralded anti-doping work and of course the small matter of Commonwealth Games Gold and bronze medals in Delhi which led the membership to award the Badge of Honour, the highest that can be bestowed by Scottish Cycling.
2012
John MacMillan
Club and Nosca level - I believe he has held all available posts and continues to be NoSCA Time Trial secretary and an active participator in district affairs to date with the Highland track project current on his list. SC - Past President of SCU and long term Executive Committee member. Currently serving on Commissaires Commission and Technical Commission (might not have correct terminology)
Technology - has written a successful road race program as used by the Tour Down Under and the Tour of Britain. Calculates the various SC time trial BARs. Currently working on a track programme
Coaching - to a high standard (Eddie Alexander among others)
Officiating - as a Commissaire in all disciplines Road, Track and Off Road.
Short resume, but basically if anything is happening in Scottish Cycling, John is there, working quietly away in the background, usually doing the most thankless tasks! Anyone who has been involved with the sport of cycling during the last several decades will have had some contact with John or John's work, whether they realise it or not.
2011
Ian Thompson
2009
Johan Thayne
John Thayne
2008
Ross Edgar
Graeme Herd
Ellen Hunter
Aileen McGlynn OBE
On her first ever visit to a velodrome, Scottish tandem cyclist Aileen McGlynn broke a world record
Now one of Great Britain’s most successful Paralympians, Aileen has brought home medals from three Paralympic Games. At Beijing 2008 she won two Gold medals.
Throughout her career she has represented Scotland and Great Britain, winning gold and silver in her first Paralympic Games in Athens 2004, double gold at the 2008 Paralympic Games setting yet another world record in the 1km Time Trial. Finally, silver and bronze at the 2012 Games in London. She took double silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 and came third twice at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
In 2009 she was awarded an OBE for services to disability sport.
Isobel Smith
2004
Gerry McDaid
During 1965, while still competing as a fairly anonymous rider with rather modest success in road races and time trials in the West of Scotland, Gerry McDaid took his first steps into officialdom when he became Treasurer of the SCU's Glasgow Centre. The following year he left the Treasurer's role to assume the position of General and Minute Secretary of Glasgow Centre, a post he was to hold for the next six years.
2002
Alexander Gilchrist
When anyone remarks about Sandy Gilchrist “He’s done it all!” it is not a throwaway comment. As a rider he was among the best. He won an incredible 59 senior Scottish championships between 1970 and 1985, in road racing, track and time trials. As part of the GS Strada, one of the top British teams in the eighties, he was a constant in the team’s prolific record of team championship wins. RTTC Best All Rounder team 5 times, team winners at 50 miles and 12 hours, 100 miles twice and 100 kilometres twice.
Internationally he gained a lot of experience in road racing. He represented Great Britain at the World Championships, Scotland at 3 Commonwealth Games, competed in both the Milk Race and Peace Race 3 times, the Tour De L’Avenir, Amateur Paris Roubaix in which he finished 8th and he wore the race leader’s yellow jersey in the Tour of Ireland. As he got older, he gravitated to MTB which was gathering popularity and won 4 British Masters championships.
Sandy was proprietor of a cycle shop in Edinburgh and so it was inevitable that the skills gained there, combined with his racing experience and his easy nature, would see him much in demand as a coach, team mechanic and much sought after source of information on all things cycling. In 1987 he was appointed to the Scottish National Team Manager role and managed the team for the four year cycle to the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games.
As a Team Mechanic, the world’s best riders put their machines in his care, and his CV is as amazing as that of his competitive years.
- Every Olympic Games since Seoul in 1988
- Every Commonwealth Games since Manchester in 2002, each time the kilted mechanic for Scotland
- Ninety (not a misprint) World Championships in road, track and cyclo cross as Great Britain mechanic
- Many other World Championships and World Cups for Canada, Ireland and Specialized
The highly deserved honours bestowed on Sandy include:
- 2012 Olympic Torch Bearer
- 2014 Commonwealth Games Baton Relay
- 2002 Scottish Cycling Badge of Honour
2000
Sir Christopher Hoy MBE
Craig McLean MBE
1997
Hugh Boyd
1996
Alan Nisbet
1994
John LS Shaw
1993
Graeme Obree
Stepping off his bike after conquering the World Hour Record, such was the torture he had just gone through, the great Eddy Merckx uttered “Never again!”. In 1993, when Graeme failed to break the same record, then held by Francesco Moser, he uttered “I’m going again tomorrow.” At 9am the following morning he mounted, not the shiny new replica bike specially prepared for the attempt, but Old Faithful the legendary machine he had built himself and which contained the bearing from a redundant washing machine in the bottom bracket. The second effort, less than 24 hours after his first attempt, was successful, breaking Moser’s record by 445 metres. This left the cycling world in awe of what had just been played out in Hamar, Norway, not just the feat itself, but the manner in which it had been achieved.
The hour record was taken again the week after by Chris Boardman, and later that year Graeme went on to win the World Pursuit Championship, beating Boardman in the semi-final. In 1994 Graeme went to Bordeaux and reclaimed the hour record with a distance of 52.713 kilometres. Later that year, in Italy to defend his world pursuit title, he fell foul of the UCI commissaires during the ride, and was disqualified because of his “tuck” riding position. Not to be outdone, he regained his world pursuit title in 1995 using the new “Superman” stretched out position he had developed.
Prior to that hour record in 1993 Graeme’s talent was unknown outside the UK but had long been recognised in Scotland where by 1994 he had broken competition record at 10, 25 and 50 miles as well as the Scottish hour record on the track. South of the border he broke the 10 mile record and won the 50 mile championship in 1993, National 25 championship in 1996 and was National Time Trial champion in 1997.
In 1993 the Scottish Cyclists’ Union awarded Graeme their highest honour, the Badge of Honour and in 2010 Graeme was inducted to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame becoming part of a very select group of sports people.
John H Storrie
John Storrie, who died 11th October 2011 aged 86, was a cyclist who trained, mentored and developed generations of young competitors through the Glenmarnock Wheelers, the club he helped found in 1941.
The most famous story about him was when he told his bolshie young protege Robert Millar he would throw him in Loch Lomond if he did not stop throwing stones at a boat on the loch.
Millar persisted and Mr Storrie was as good as his word, immersing the future Tour De France hero and ruining his new racing shorts into the bargain.
He had been no mean competitor, winning the Coronation Road Race in Glasgow in 1953 and the Carluke International in 1948, and riding the Brighton to Glasgow and Paris-Brest-Paris events. He carried on cycling into his 80s until ill health finally forced him off the road.
1992
George A Miller
George Miller is one of the beacons in the history of Scottish Cycling. Widely known as a former president of the Scottish Cyclists’ Union and for 23 years the organiser of The Girvan, a three day British Premier Calendar stage race promoted each Easter for many years in Ayrshire. However, he was much more. From 1966 to 1999 he represented Scotland at National Council, the annual general meeting of British Cycling, gaining such repute that he was asked on two occasions to chair National Council during their years of turbulence in 1994 and 1995. He also spent six years on the British Cycling Racing Committee, the final one as chair.
His period as president of Scottish Cycling (then known as Scottish Cyclists’ Union) lasted from 1984 to 1992, during which time he oversaw the appointment of SC’s first full time employee. He had major involvement in the organisation of professional races like the Scottish Milk Race, the Scottish Health Race, the MacEwans L.A. Series, 1970 Commonwealth Games, and he was also a UCI commissaire, appointed in 1992 as chief to the Winery Tour, Australia, the stage race that laid the foundation for the Tour Down Under, now part of the World Tour Series.
His contribution to the sport was well recognised by the award of the Scottish Cycling badge of honour in 1992, the British Cycling gold badge of honour in 2000, and in 2011 he was admitted to the British Cycling Hall of Fame.
1989
Richard K Londragan
1985
James H Train MBE
Jimmy had involvement and served our sport for more than six decades. The common themes when anyone paid tribute to Jimmy included his vast knowledge of the sport, his quiet undemonstrative manner and his willingness to help anybody. Consequently, his phone never stopped.
A lifelong member of the Wallacehill Cycling Club, he was chair of Ayrshire & District C.A. for 36 years. He was involved as a negotiator when the Scottish Amateur Cycling Association merged with Scottish Cyclists’ Union in 1952, and in 1956 became National Registrar for the Union. He served in that role till 1987. The role involved processing membership applications and issuing memberships and racing licences on a daily basis. As a senior office bearer of the Union he was involved in negotiating agreements with British Cycling and Road Time Trials Council (now CTT) and during his long service with SCU he was a regular delegate at British Cycling’s annual National Council representing Scotland. He kept the Union’s time trial course details up to date and he operated regularly as a timekeeper. Throughout this period he was an advisor and mentor to countless riders from across the country. He loved the contact with the grass roots competitors in our sport, and one of those riders influenced early in his career by Jimmy was Graeme O’bree.
In 1970, for his services to our sport, Jimmy became the first Scottish cyclist to become a Member of the British Empire. He was awarded the Scottish Cycling Badge of Honour in 1985 and the British Cycling Gold Badge of Honour in 1988. After his retirement Jimmy was made an Honorary Vice President of the Union in 1989. He passed away in 1993.
1984
Arthur Campbell MBE
Arthur Campbell, who died 27th June 2007 aged 89, was the first person to serve two terms as chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, and held that post when the 1986 event was staged in Edinburgh.
As well as the two terms served at the helm of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, he was general team manager at the games of 1982 and 1990 and chef de mission in 1994, but cycling was his passion, and he was one of the most powerful and helpful figures organising some 20 world championships.
Arthur twice rode the Brighton-Glasgow race (forerunner of the Tour of Britain) in the 1950s, finishing mid-field. In 1952, he helped unify the sport in a single body, the Scottish Cyclists' Union. He was inaugural president for 34 years. During six of these he was also British Federation president. When elected to that post, he beat the then Sports Minister, Denis Howell, by a single vote.
The Scottish Milk Race, which he organised, attracted the best teams in Europe, and riders included Tour de France winner Joop Zoetemelk.
He was a member of the world body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, for 36 years, and stunned colleagues when he attended his first UCI meeting in Zurich in 1953. He had travelled there on his bike.
Arthur was President of the UCI Technical Committee for 12 years.
His sense of fair play was legendary. He was furious when the Scots were given poor accommodation at the 1982 Commonwealth event, and negotiated better. The Herald carried a story under the heading: "Black hole of Brisbane." When head of Scotland's Commonwealth team in New Zealand, he demanded an inquiry when he spotted England using GB bikes that were denied to Scotland.
When Glasgow Wheelers, his club, celebrated its 75th anniversary, Campbell persuaded Tour legend Eddie Merckx to be guest of honour. This was payback for Campbell having ruled as incompetent a dubious doping case against the Belgian when the Italians tried to deny him victory in the Giro.
He also persuaded Gino Bartali, Tour de France winner either side of the Second World War, to come to a Wheelers' dinner.
In his day, Arthur Campbell made Glasgow the hub of the cycling world.
1983
Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell, who died in January 2017, at the age of 103, was President of the Glasgow Nightingale Cycling Club and a remarkable woman by any standards. Her membership of the Club lasted 74 years. Her racing career lasted for around 59 years, she held Club, Scottish and British records and her contribution to cycling earned her an MBE.
In the first 92 years of the Club’s existence they only had two president’s. The founder-president, Malcolm Smith, who died in 1983 at the age of 97 and Isobel, who died in January 2017 at the age of 103.
She moved to Glasgow, from Bo’ness, with her parents before the Second World War and began cycling. She had her first wins, at 10 and 25 miles, in 1939. However, in 1943 she joined the Glasgow Nightingale and was a member for the rest of her life.
At the end of the war normal racing resumed, as did Isabel’s winning ways, with a string of National and Club records. She set Scottish competition records at 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles and broke the British Women’s 12-hour record twice, in 1946 and 1948. In 1949, Isobel (nee Adams) married fellow Club member, Bill Campbell.
In 1973 she won the inaugural British Women’s Veterans Championship and again in 1982. She was Club B.A.R. Champion in 1977, 1980 and 1983, leaving the male members of the Club in her wake. She didn’t give up easily, riding her last competitive event at the age of 88.
She was awarded the Scottish Cycling Union’s Gold Medal in 1983 and was honoured with an MBE in 1998 for services to cycling. In 1983 Isobel became President of the Club following the death of Founder-President Malcolm Smith.
1982
James Leonard
1981
William Stuart
William, more often known as Bill, Stuart was the Chair/President of Forres Cycling Club since 1951 right up until he died in 1985. His wife, Chriss, was also a keen cyclist and volunteer in the sport for many years; being one of the founding members of Forres Cycling Club in 1938.
Bill, who never actually raced, was a timekeeper at events all over the North of Scotland, and on top of being Chair/President at his club, he was also part of the group who raised money to build the Forres Cycling Club clubhouse in the 1970s - which still stands today.
He was awarded the first ever Badge of Honour from Scottish Cycling in 1981, after being nominated by his club mates for his dedication to the sport.
However, after refusing to go to the Scottish Cycling headquarters, in those days at Meadowbank in Edinburgh, for the award ceremony, he wasn’t actually presented with the badge until the president of Scottish Cycling, Arthur Campbell, travelled up to present the badge to him in his hometown in January 1983. Bill said he wanted the presentation to be where he had volunteered, and with those who had nominated him!
