IT was November 6, 1962, and the Scottish squad chosen for the Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, western Australia, was taking the first steps in a journey of many thousands of miles.
There were 35 in all, four of them women. The squad consisted of nine athletes, eight swimmers, five boxers, four bowlers, three wrestlers, two fencers, two weightlifters and two cyclists.
It was the most expensive team ever sent from Scotland, some £17,000 having been spent on assembling and equipping them, and flying them to Australia.
Mr W. Carmichael, secretary of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, said he believed that the team was the finest that Scotland could produce, and added that he was hoping for a very successful Games.
At Glasgow's Central Station on departure day, however, there was a moment of concern when the boxing team, above, realised that the Empire champion, Dick McTaggart, was running late.
Anxious glances were cast at watches before McTaggart arrived, just in time to catch the Royal Scot, bound for London, from where the squad and officials would fly to Australia.
The seventh Empire Games opened on November 22 and closed on December 1. As has often been said, they were remembered for their “heat, dust and glory”.
The temperature reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40C) at the opening ceremony and such extremes persisted throughout the entire Games. Australian soldiers were kept busy, ferrying water to the 863 athletes competing in the 104 events.
In the event, four Scots won gold medals: boxers Robert Mallon (flyweight) and John McDermott (featherweight), fencer Alexander Leckie and weightlifter Philip Caira.
Seven silver and three bronze awards took Scotland, with a grand total of 14, to sixth place in the medals table, behind the winners, Australia, and England, New Zealand, Pakistan and Canada.
Read more: Herald Diary
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