The athletics community in Scotland was sad to hear of the passing of Bob Stephen, but he’ll be especially missed by everyone who knew him through his involvement with Victoria Park City of Glasgow.

Both Bob and Dora Stephen were involved in athletics for many years and indeed he was granted Honorary Life Membership of scottishathletics back in 1992 and later became a life member of City of Glasgow AC.

Bob started as an athlete with Shettleston Harriers and was Scottish Triple Jump champion. In fact, he won the Scottish title in that event in 1952, 1953 and 1955.

He then moved into coaching and officiating at the highest level. He was Chief Judge at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986 and later became very involved with the Glasgow Marathons, the Sports Council for Glasgow and Scottish Schools.

Bob was still heavily involved in athletics when City of Glasgow merged with Victoria Park in 2007.

His 2 granddaughters were members of the newly merged Victoria Park City of Glasgow. Michaela Stephen was an excellent endurance athlete and Suzanne Begg was one of Scotland’s top junior sprinters. Bob was an ever present at the track side, cheering them on and they both benefitted from his guidance and experience. 

Bob was one of life’s true gentlemen and we look back with much fondness on our many conversations with him.

He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and all who knew him in the wider athletic community.  Our condolences are extended to all the Stephen family and Bob’s friends.

Wednesday 28 February at 2pm.

Daldowie Crematorium, Broom House, 17 Hamilton Rd, Uddingston G71 7RU 

In Memory of Sheila Atkinson (1943–2025)

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Sheila Atkinson, one of our longest-serving and most successful coaches. Sheila passed away two days ago at the age of 81.

Sheila stepped back from coaching during the pandemic, bringing to a close an incredible 36 years of dedicated service to our club. She was awarded Life Membership in October 2020—a fitting tribute to her immense contribution. Sheila was held in the highest regard by the Committee, her fellow coaches, and our entire membership.

Sheila’s lifelong connection with athletics began at the age of 12, when she joined North Shields Polytechnic Club in Tyne and Wear. A talented all-rounder, she specialised in sprints, long jump and shot put, and went on to represent Northumberland in the 80-yard hurdles and long jump at the National Schools Championships.

After moving to Glasgow, Sheila worked at the Trustee Savings Bank before settling in Torrance with her husband Brian, where they raised three sons. Later, she returned to work as a teaching auxiliary at Campsie View School—a reflection of her lifelong commitment to helping young people thrive.

Like many of our club’s coaches, Sheila’s journey into coaching began by supporting her sons—Mark, Stephen and Graeme—when they joined Victoria Park. All three excelled in their events, and Sheila soon found herself recruited into the coaching team by then Secretary Wallace Crawford.

Sheila quickly became a cornerstone of our youth programme, introducing hundreds of children to athletics through her dual roles as coach and team manager. Working closely with Kate Young and Hugh Baillie, Sheila was part of a golden era for the club.

Her coaching legacy is perhaps best seen in her highly respected hurdles group. Sheila specialised in the 110m and 400m hurdles, mentoring outstanding athletes such as David Martin, Calum Innes and Gregor Innes. Under her guidance:

•David Martin won the 400m hurdles at the English AAA Championships in Birmingham (2005) and later struck gold with the GB 4x400m relay team at the European Junior Championships in Hengelo (2007).

•Gregor Innes claimed silver in the 400m hurdles at the English AAA Championships at Don Valley in 2007.

•Calum Innes represented Scotland at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India.

Sheila’s coaching credentials were recognised beyond our club. She was mentored by Nick Dakin (Head Coach, Loughborough University), and her group’s success drew the legendary David Hemery—Olympic champion in 1968—to Scotland to work with them on several occasions.

Sheila’s dedication extended far beyond competition. She loved warm-weather training trips with her group to Portugal, Malta and Tenerife. And she never lost her humour or humility. On one occasion, while dining on Byres Road with ten of her young athletes, a waitress asked her what her secret was—how she came to be surrounded by so many admirers.

Over 36 years, Sheila unearthed many diamonds and helped polish them into champions. But her real legacy lies in the countless hours spent at the trackside, stopwatch in hand, through sun, wind and rain—nurturing not only better athletes, but better people. If those she coached go on to give even a fraction of what she gave to our community, we’ll be in good hands.

Even after retiring from athletics, Sheila remained deeply committed to service. She was a church elder at Baldernock Parish Church since 1968, an active member of the Women’s Guild Committee, and a long-time volunteer with Riding for the Disabled.

Our heartfelt sympathies go to Brian, their children, and grandchildren. Sheila’s loss will be deeply felt, but her legacy will live on in the lives she touched—on and off the track.

The funeral will take place on Monday the 28th of April.

A private cremation for close family will be held earlier in the day, followed by a thanksgiving service at Baldernock Parish Church, Craigmaddie Road, Baldernock, G62 6HA, at 2:30pm.

After the service, all are warmly invited to join the family for refreshments at Kilmardinny House, Bearsden, G61 3NN.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Peter McGregor, a Life Member of Victoria Park City of Glasgow AC and a man whose extraordinary association with our club stretched back almost 58 years.

Peter joined Victoria Park Amateur Athletic Club on 2 October 1968. From that day until his passing, he never represented another club and never relinquished his membership. The blue and white hoops became part of his identity, and Victoria Park remained an enormously important part of his life.

Over a competitive career spanning around 40 years, Peter represented the club on more than 1,300 occasions, sometimes as the only Victoria Park athlete in the field. He accumulated an astonishing 140,000 miles of running and completed 20 marathons, four of them in under 2 hours 30 minutes.

Perhaps his finest performance came in the 1981 Glasgow International Marathon, where he finished 11th in an outstanding 2 hours 26 minutes 47 seconds.

Those achievements would be remarkable for any athlete. In Peter’s case, however, they tell only part of an extraordinary story.

At just five years old, Peter contracted paralytic bulbar polio. He endured a lengthy period of hospitalisation and isolation and was left severely affected, with paralysis involving his mouth, neck, tongue and vocal cords, as well as both arms and legs.

He was unable to walk upright until he was around seven or eight years old and was still unable to speak in full sentences when he left primary school. The illness and the years of education he lost presented Peter with challenges that would remain with him throughout his life.

And yet Peter ran.

He ran mile after mile, year after year and decade after decade.

Running, and particularly Victoria Park, became his salvation.

Peter went on to enjoy national success as a veteran athlete, earn an international vest, and ultimately qualify as a coach so that he could give something back to the sport and the club which had given him so much.

The scale of Peter’s achievements was recognised by respected athletics journalist and fellow Victoria Park member Doug Gillon, who once described him as:

“The best achieving athlete of all time given his disadvantageous start.”

When challenged as to whether he really meant more than some of the greatest names in athletics, Doug’s answer was simply:

“Yes.”

Shortly before his passing, the committee of Victoria Park City of Glasgow AC unanimously agreed to award Peter Life Membership, recognising his remarkable athletic career, his loyalty and his unique contribution to the history of our club.

We are particularly grateful to Peter’s friend Ian Whyte, whose work documenting Peter’s life helped bring the full scale of his remarkable story to wider attention.

Times, medals and performances tell us something about an athlete, but they do not fully explain Peter McGregor.

His greatest achievement was perhaps that a little boy who had been so seriously affected by polio found running, found Victoria Park, and refused to allow the circumstances of his childhood to define what he could achieve.

For almost 58 years, Peter was one of us.

He wore our colours more than 1,300 times. He competed, coached and represented Victoria Park with extraordinary loyalty and determination.

We were immensely proud to call Peter McGregor a Life Member of Victoria Park City of Glasgow AC.

But much more importantly, we were proud to call him one of our own.

Rest in peace, Peter.

“Running Through Adversity”

Running Through Adversity is the inspiring memoir of Peter McGregor, a man whose life was forever altered at the age of five when he contracted polio. The disease left him with lasting physical and emotional scars, co-ordinational challenges, and a shattered education. From childhood through much of his adulthood, Peter was maligned and bullied as he struggled to overcome his limitations.

Amid the darkness, Peter discovered the life-changing power of running. His lone recreational pursuit evolved into a passion that gave him focus, camaraderie, and resilience. Through sheer determination and consistent hard work, Peter transformed his life, ultimately becoming one of Scotland’s top marathon runners.
Overcoming challenges did not stop there as, despite his poor early education, Peter graduated from university at 63 years of age. Then disaster struck. At the age of 70, Peter required an emergency hospitalisation. It resulted in a lifesaving but traumatic lower-leg amputation. Many in his situation simply give up. Not Peter. Just as in his running days, he confronted his trials head-on. This time instead of focussing on marathons, he used everything learned as a runner to push himself to walk again.

In this poignant and candid account, the reader is taken from Peter’s humble beginnings in Glasgow through years of adversity, offering a testament to the power of perseverance, grit, and the unwavering pursuit of personal excellence in the face of prejudice and hardship. Running Through Adversity is not simply a chronicle of athletic achievement—it’s a story of how one man found freedom and fulfilment, one stride at a time.

AVAILABLE on Amazon (e-book, paperback, or hardback) or Ingram Spark
ISBN:
eBook: 978-1-80840-561-7
Paperback: 978-1-80840-562-4
Hardback: 978-1-80840-563-1