Crawford Fairbrother

As a teenager, Crawford Fairbrother was a keen cricketer but it was as an athlete that he became better known, and he was one of the first great post-war male British high jumpers. Fairbrother represented his native Scotland in four British Empire and Commonwealth Games/Commonwealth Games, with a fourth place in 1966 being his best finish. In 1970 he took the Oath on behalf of the competitors. He also competed in the 1960 Roma Olympics but failed his three attempts at 2.00m to qualify for the final jump-off. In addition, Fairbrother also competed at the 1958 and 1962 European Championships. He won 53 Great Britain international caps and, between 1966-69, was honoured with captaining the team. He also appeared for Scotland a then record 20 times.

Fairbrother first attracted attention when he won the 1955 Scottish Schools Under-19 Championship, and he would go on to break a combined eight Scottish and British records and set his personal best of 2.07 in winning the 1964 Scottish Championships at Scotstoun, Glasgow. Between 1957-69, Fairbrother was Scottish champion 13 years in succession, and in 1959, 1961, and 1964 won the AAA title and enjoyed five more podium finishes.

A meteorologist by profession, Fairbrother was a keen golfer. He was appointed secretary if the Cochrane Castle Golf Club, Renfrewshire, in 1982. He remained in the post until just a few months before he death when he resigned to move to England to take up a position at the Manchester Weather Centre. After retiring from competitive athletics, Fairbrother coached junior high jumpers and for services to sport he was awarded the MBE in the 1970 Birthday Honours´ List.

Personal Best: HJ – 2.07 (1964).