Scotland has long produced some of the most notable sports stars of all time, and there is a vast selection of athletes and sportspersons who’ve done the country proud. Glasgow, in particular, has been the home of countless accredited sporting figures from football, boxing, racing, and other sports.
From the legendary managerial expertise of Sir Alex Ferguson to the forehand smashes from Andy Murray, join us as we celebrate the most accomplished Glaswegian sportspersons in sporting history.
Sir Alex Ferguson (Football)
Most known for his long reign as the manager of Manchester United, most will neglect the excellent career that Sir Alex Ferguson had as a professional footballer. Before his managerial career, Ferguson played in the Scottish division for Queen’s Park, St Johnstone, Dunfermline, Rangers, Falkirk, and Ayr United. During his seventeen years as a pro, he netted 171 goals, with his most notable time as a player coming for Dunfermline between 1964-67, where he scored 66 goals.
Following years of experience gained in the world of football, Ferguson built himself as a formidable manager in the Scottish league. After a four-year stint with St Mirren, he arrived at Aberdeen and led the squad between 1978-1986 – winning three Scottish league champions, four Scottish Cups, and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983.
That said, Ferguson’s 26-year managerial career peaked between 1986-2013, when he was the manager of the English Premier League’s Manchester United club. With 13 EPL titles and 38 trophies in total, he became the first English Football Hall of Fame inductee and received a knighthood for his contributions to the sport.
When discussing Glasgow and success in sports, there isn’t a man ins history more accomplished in his field than Sir Alex Ferguson.
Sir Andy Murray (Tennis)
Known as the Great Scot, Andy Murray will go down in history as one of the greatest British tennis players of all time. As the only professional tennis athlete to have won multiple Olympic gold medals, his dominance in tennis has been etched into the history books, and aged 35; he’s still competing at the highest level today.
Murray’s skill level isn’t as refined as it was during his prime years; however, he’s recently reached the Round of 16 in the GIJON Open 2022 and regularly competes at ATP competitions to this day. Top UK betting sites that are active are entirely conscious of Murray’s skill level but still provide some tempting odds due to his older age, and with the GIJON Open finals ahead, bettors should keep Murray on their watchlist of players to back.
From a betting perspective, Murray can provide lucrative returns as he’s currently at a world ranking of No.43. However, with a recent GIJON Open win over the No.6 ranked Davidovich Fokina, three Grand Slam singles titles, eleven major finals appearances, 46 ATP titles. As the former world No.1 ranked player in 2016, he can never be counted out.
Joanne Wood (Formerly Joanne Calderwood) (UFC/MMA)
Scottish MMA standout and former Muay Thai world champion Joanne Wood is one of the most challenging people to stem from Glasgow and Scotland in general. That’s right, the men can’t take all the credit for Glasgow’s sporting success, and Jo-Jo would likely kick their asses if the gloves were on.
Having fought worldwide since childhood, Wood reached a No.2 ranking on the World Professional Muaythai Federation rankings and won multiple championships. While she hasn’t captured UFC gold during her professional MMA career, she did reach No.6 in the rankings in 2021 and is becoming a veteran gatekeeper in the sport.
Nikki Cross (WWE/Wrestler)
On the theme of demanding ladies from Glasgow, we’d be neglectful not to mention the professional wrestling credentials of Nikki Cross – formerly known as Nikki Storm. And yes, some people won’t consider the WWE an actual sport, but the physicality required to compete in sports entertainment companies such as the WWE can be just as, if not more strenuous than, team or combat sports.
Aged 33 years old, Cross is a former WWE Raw Women’s Champion, a three-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, and an eight-time WWE 24/7 Champion.
Honourable mentions
When writing this list of accomplished Glaswegians sportspersons, I soon realised the number of athletes and performers with credible sports careers from Glasgow is endless. Here’s a small collection of some of the names you probably expected to be positioned above.
- Andrew Robertson – a Liverpool professional footballer and the Scottish national football team captain.
- David Moyes – former professional footballer for Celtic, Preston, and Bristol. He’s the current manager of EPL side West Ham United.
- Stephen Maguire – professional snooker player, known as On-Fire and Maverick, notable winner of many tournaments, including the UK Championship.