Scottish Basketball Hall of Fame – Meet The Class of 2024
On Saturday, 8th June, 2024, the second group of esteemed Scottish basketball greats will be inducted into the Scottish Basketball Hall of Fame. Over the decades, Scots have excelled in basketball globally, with notable performances in the NBA, the Olympics, and the Paralympics. The Hall of Fame recognises the achievements and contributions of those at the highest levels of the game, including players, coaches, and officials.
Meet the 2024 Inductees below
*posthumously
Les Beaton
Player
Throughout the 70s and 80s, Beaton starred alongside Eleanor Wardrop for Polonia (latterly Murray International Metals), and they became the first Scottish women’s club to secure a British title, winning the British & Irish Federation Cup in 1979. Beaton was selected for the first-ever Great Britain Senior Women’s team that competed at the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Canada in 1976. She ranks third all-time in caps for Scotland.
Alan Crow
Official
From 1971-93, Crow was a certified FIBA official, making him Scotland’s longest-serving international referee. He racked up appointments across the continent and had the whistle in his hands during some of the most important games in Scotland throughout the 70s and 80s.
Joe Dixon*
Player
Standing at 6’ 7”, Dixon was a force throughout the late-50s and early-60s. Alongside Charlie Robinson, he made up one half of Glasgow Elite’s interior duo, who dominated the domestic game. Dixon was integral to the National Team too, as Scotland’s leading scorer during their triumphs in both the 1960 and 1962 Four Countries Tournaments.
Muriel Gilligan
Official
In 1979, Gilligan became the first woman in Britain to qualify as an international referee, when she journeyed to Estonia and the USSR to earn her FIBA certification. And in 1983, she became the first British woman – and just the second woman in all of Europe – to take charge of a European Cup tie.
John Glen
Official
Glen earned his FIBA certification in 1971. He was an international referee for over a decade, which included officiating at the 1976 Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Canada, and he would continue to serve as a Commissioner throughout the 80s.
Ben Gunn*
Coach
It was with the Edinburgh Kool Kats that Gunn found great success, winning seven National League titles and eight Scottish Cups. He also played his part in a special piece of history, coaching the Scotland Under-18 Women to a gold medal at the 1999 promotions cup in Cyprus – marking the country’s first-ever gold at any level in Europe.
Graeme Hill
Player
Hill signed with Murray International Metals at 19-years-old, where he learned the point guard position under the tutelage of Alton Byrd. He would win a combined 12 National League and Scottish Cup-winners medals with the club and he would become the most-capped Scot for Great Britain this side of the millennium, after only Bill McInnes. Hill also holds the distinction of being named the inaugural MVP of the British Basketball League Playoffs (then known as the Carlsberg League) in 1988, when Murray defeated Portsmouth to lift the trophy.
Iain Maclean
Player
Maclean became the first Scottish born-and-raised player to earn a scholarship to an NCAA Division 1 school, when he attended Northern Arizona State University. He went on to play for Murray International in the Carlsberg League, winning the Playoffs and Trophy in 1988. Throughout the 90s, he collected 18 National League and Scottish Cup-winners medals with the Livingston Bulls. When the BBL returned to Scotland, Maclean signed with the Edinburgh Rocks (now Caledonia Gladiators) and his number was later retired by the club.
Tom McTeer*
Player
McTeer led Maryhill to four consecutive Scottish Cup Finals in the early-50s, winning two of them, before going on to bolster Glasgow Elite’s roster with his fast-paced game. Alongside Sam Dunn, McTeer was the only player to compete for Scotland in both the 1951 and 1957 European Championships.
John Spence
Player
With Spence as their offensive catalyst, the Edinburgh Hornets became the first Scottish club to be crowned British champions, winning the British National League title in 1967. In 1970, he took his left-handed hook shot to Sweden, officially becoming the first Scottish born-and-raised professional player. A Scotland and Great Britain cap, Spence would add to his trophy haul while playing for Murray International Metals during the club’s formative years.
Dave Turner
Player
A tenacious guard, Turner was the motor for the Edinburgh Hornets, who won the Scottish National League crown on three occasions. He was first selected to represent Scotland at just 17 years old, and he would become a pivotal member of the Scottish National Team that won the Four Countries Tournament in 1969, 1971 and 1975. He ranks seventh all-time in caps for his country. Turner also represented Great Britain in the two Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Groningen and Augsburg in 1972
Eleanor Wardrop
Player
Wardrop is the most-capped player in the history of the Scottish Senior Women’s team. Throughout the 70s and 80s, she starred alongside Les Beaton for Polonia (latterly Murray International Metals), and they became the first Scottish women’s club to secure a British title, winning the British & Irish Federation Cup in 1979. Wardrop was selected for the Great Britain Senior Women’s team for three Olympic qualifying cycles between 1976-84.
Abe Wood
Coach
Wood was a staple of the Dalkeith Saints and, for five years, he had the reigns of the most decorated team of the 70s – Boroughmuir. During that period, the club reached its peak, with a constant array of successes under Wood, including five Scottish Cups, four National Leagues, and three British titles. In 1977, he served as the Head Coach of the Scottish National Team and, for the first time ever, they left a European tournament with a winning record, finishing 4-1 in Hemel Hempstead.
Stuart (Mel) Capaldi
Player
A sharp-shooting guard, Capaldi was involved in all of Boroughmuir’s nine National League and 10 Scottish Cup wins between 1966-78. During that span, the team also won four British titles and were pioneers in Europe – starting with a face-off against Real Madrid in 1967, and eventually becoming the first Scottish team to win a European tie in 1976. Capaldi helped bring success to the National Team, too, as a winner of the Four Countries Tournament on three occasions. From 1970 to 1972, Capaldi represented Great Britain, participating in the two Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Groningen and Augsburg in 1972
Ian Gordon
Coach
Following a successful stint with the Scottish Senior Women in the 70s, Gordon manned the sidelines for Murray International Metals during the 80s, as they conquered the domestic game and produced results against the top teams in Europe. Most notably, in 1989, he led Murray to a famous victory at the WICB in Crystal Palace, which included wins over the reigning Olympic champions, the USSR, and Bayer Leverkusen. Between 1989-93, Gordon then guided the Livingston Bulls to five consecutive National League and Scottish Cup doubles – a feat never achieved before or since.
Ken Johnston
Coach
Johnston was at the helm of the Senior Men’s National Team during their golden era. Under his stewardship, they won the Four Countries Tournament in 1969, 1971 and 1975. To this day, Johnston holds the record for the most wins of any Scotland coach, and he remains the only Scot to have served as the Head Coach of the Great Britain Senior Men’s team.
Michael McCreadie
Player
McCreadie represented Great Britain on more than 50 occasions, which included winning gold medals at both the 1973 World Championship and 1974 European Championship. He later captained the team at the 1980 Paralympic Games in the Netherlands. McCreadie was involved with the Inverclyde Colts throughout the 80s, before serving as the Great Britain men’s coach.
Cathy Preston*
Player
A true pioneer of Scottish basketball, Preston captained the Edinburgh-based Shooting Stars, who won the first-ever Senior Women’s Scottish Cup in 1952. Alongside 2022 inductee, Anna Herman, she starred for the Scotland team that competed in the 1956 European Championship in Prague. Preston would later form the Zephyrs, who won two National League crowns and three Scottish Cups in the early-60s.
Allan Turner
Coach
After a decade of dominance by clubs from the capital, it was Turner’s Cumnock team that brought the Scottish Cup and National League title back west in 1988. He went on to take charge of the Scotland Senior Men for much of the 90s. And in 1991, they recorded the most wins in a calendar year in the National Team’s history, which included a silver medal at the Commonwealth Basketball Championship.
Tony Wilson
Player
Wilson was instrumental to the success of Boroughmuir throughout the 60s and 70s. His trophy cabinet includes a combined 14 National League and Scottish Cup-winners medals and multiple British titles. He also helped ’Muir become the first club from Scotland to win a European tie in 1976. A Great Britain representative, Wilson ranks fifth in caps for Scotland, which included an incredible run of 46 consecutive appearances from 1967 to 1974.
