Sport

A DISTINGUISHED sportswoman who died in Helensburgh in 1966 at the age of 96 was not only arguably the first female Olympic gold medallist of the modern era — she was also the founder of an incredible sporting dynasty.

Charlotte Cooper won five Wimbledon singles tennis titles, her daughter played tennis for Britain, one grandson played rugby for Scotland and another chaired the Royal and Ancient Golf Club’s championship committee, and a great grandson holds a school javelin record and played rugby league for Scotland.

A COUPLE who were key figures in Helensburgh Lawn Tennis Club for several decades taught hundreds of local youngsters to play tennis and played the game themselves into their eighties.

William Steuart-Corry, known to all as Will, and his wife Margaret, of 9 Kennedy Drive, were honoured by both the Lawn Tennis Association and the Scottish Sports Council (now sportscotland) for their service to the sport.

THE outstanding success of Helensburgh man Steven Park as manager of the Team Great Britain sailing team at the 2008 Beijing Games in China kept up a 100 year-old burgh connection with that sport in the Olympics.

As London prepares to be the host city in 2012, it is worth remembering that when the capital hosted the 1908 Games one of the sailing events was held on the Clyde . . . and in the winning 12 metre crew were a Helensburgh man and another from Rhu.

HELENSBURGH was the birthplace of a cricketer who played eleven tests for England and 306 matches in a first class career which lasted 19 years . . . and went on to become a top coach.

Right arm offspin bowler Peter Such took over 1,000 wickets, had a best performance in test matches of six wickets for 67 runs against Australia, and took five wickets in an innings on 49 occasions.

THE Helensburgh district’s most famous home-grown footballer of the modern era is Rangers and Scotland striker Derek Parlane.

The Rhu youngster made his Rangers debut in the cauldron atmosphere of a European Cup-Winners Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich at Ibrox — and scored.

A CARDROSS footballer of yesteryear could lay claim to being a champion of the world.

Born in the village on October 2 1865, Robert 'Bob' Robinson Kelso began his football career with Renton as a defender, and with them he won the Scottish Cup in 1885 and 1888 and played in the unsuccessful 1886 final.

A RHU man, Matthew Dickie, was a Rangers and Scotland international goalkeeper in the early days of the game.

Born in the village on August 19 1873, he opened and ran for many years a successful tobacconist shop, with a much-used billiards saloon upstairs, in Sinclair Street, Helensburgh. He died on December 30 1959 at the age of 86.

A RHU man was one of the founders of a Scottish sporting institution, Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Moses McNeil (seated, right), who formed the first Rangers team in the west of Glasgow in 1872 with his brother Peter and two friends, was the son of John and Jean McNeil.

ONE of the best known and most liked sportsmen to emerge from the Helensburgh area was Ryder Cup golfer Tom Haliburton.

Son of Mr and Mrs Robert Haliburton, he was born Thomas Bruce Haliburton in Ardencaple Cottage, Rhu, on June 5 1915 and lived there for some years before the family moved to Loudon Cottage, Shandon, where he learned to play and love golf.

THE annual Scottish Open golf tournament, held for some years at the Loch Lomond club at Luss and now at other courses, always means a trip home for top BBC sports presenter Hazel Irvine from Cardross.

The former Hermitage Academy pupil, whose parents still live in the village and who once took part in Helensburgh's Ne'erday Swim, is one of BBC Sport’s most experienced and versatile broadcasters.

MISSION accomplished . . . that was the verdict of the Helensburgh man who masterminded the success of the Team Great Britain sailing squad at the 2008 Olympic Games at Beijing in China.

Royal Yachting Association Olympic manager Stephen Park, known to his friends as Sparky, set a target for the team of four medals, and they won six — four of them gold. His achievement was recognised when he was awarded the OBE in the 2009 New Year's Honours List.

A HELENSBURGH woman sailed into the record books in May 2003 when she became the first British woman and youngest ever competitor to complete the longest race for any individual in any sport, around the world alone.

It was an achievement which was to earn Emma Richards, now Mrs Sanderson, the MBE and a revered place in the history of her sport.