Forbes Gentleman

As a teenager, Forbes Gentlemen won many Boys’ Brigade and Young Men’s Institute swimming titles in his hometown of Motherwell, which has produced many great swimmers over the years. Gentleman won the 1939 Scottish junior 100 yards freestyle title in record time, and dovetailed his swimming activities with playing water polo. In 1947 he was a member of the Great Britain team at the European Water Polo Championships at Monte Carlo. A winger, and goalscorer, he was one of three Motherwell men in the 1948 Great Britain Olympic squad (along with goalkeeper Ian Johnson and full-back David Murray), and in 1949 and 1950 Gentleman was in the Motherwell team that won the English National Water Polo Championship. He was also in the team beaten by Penguins in the final the following year. Gentleman appeared in his second European Championship at Wien (Vienna) in 1950.

The one-time treasurer of the Motherwell Amateur Swimming and Water Polo Club, Gentleman won the club 200 yards championship in 1954 at the age of 31. He continued playing water polo as he approached 40, and in 1961 helped Motherwell win the Scottish Cup. Gentleman devoted his life to swimming and polo, as either a competitor or coach, until he retired his post as coach to the City of Glasgow team in 1986. The former Scottish international continued to swim for 45 minutes every day, however, Monday to Friday, at the City Baths in his new hometown of Chester despite being in his 70s. At the weekends he gave swimming lessons to young children between the ages of three and five. Gentleman also took part in ASA Masters swimming events, and once set a European record for his age group in the 200 metres medley.