John McNiven was an all-time great of Scottish weightlifting who won titles by the barrowload. He represented both Scotland and Britain with distinction over a long top-class career which featured competing in six consecutive Commonwealth Games from 1966 to 1986. In a sport whose very nature usually precludes top level participation beyond the mid-30s, John was a remarkable 51 when he took his bow at Edinburgh’s 1986 Games, prompting him to remark he was “lifting against rivals the same age as his grandchildren”.
Nor was his presence a token appearance as he secured a highly respectable fourth place, defeating the British champion in the process. At the same time he and son John Jr. made Games history by becoming the first father and son to appear in the same sport at the same Games.
Highlights of his career included two Commonwealth Games bronze medals at flyweight in 1970 and 1974 in Edinburgh and Christchurch respectively, 25 consecutive Scottish Championship and seven British Championship titles, numerous Scottish and British international ‘caps’ throughout the world, competing from Canada to New Zealand and USA to China i indeed in all continents apart from South America – and participating in two World Championships in Warsaw and Ohio in 1969 and 1970 respectively. After the 1986 Games he did not hang up his weightlifter’s belt but continued with his customary dedication and determination, concentrating on Masters’ Championships in which he competed in 18 World Championships, winning gold in 14. John’s success led to his being appointed the first inductee in the World Masters Hall of Fame in 1993 after the Championship in Atalanta.
Throughout his career he had to combine full-time working with his sport, training four nights a week and Saturdays, doing so without sponsorship or Lottery funding. Standing 5ft 2in, he competed mostly at bantam weight, which required strict self-discipline to make the weight limit. Sometimes this called for near starvation before major tournaments, as at Christchurch in 1974 when he had to lose 17lbs in tendays, causing very unpleasant after-effects.
John was born in Oaklands Hospital, Possil, the eldest child of parents Duncan and Bessie. Along with his four sisters Elizabeth, Anne, Margaret and Sandra he was brought up in Mansion Street, Possil, where he attended Oaklands School. After school he worked as a construction fitter with a company in the city’s Hawthorn Street before joining a Kirkintilloch crane company.
Thereafter he worked for British Rail as a fitter at St Rollox for 22 years before retiring in 1994. Meanwhile on holiday in Donegal he had met Janet Flanagan from Glasgow and after a courtship the couple were married on June 16, 1956 at St Bernard’s Parish Church, Oaklands. They enjoyed a long happy marriage of over 65 years during which they had children John, Janette and James.
Unfortunately a honeymoon was not possible as John was called up for National Service with the Royal Engineers in Cyprus. As a youngster he and a couple of friends had started weight training at Glasgow’s Bob Rice gym, where John’s enthusiasm developed despite the spartan surroundings and led to interest in competitive weightlifting. While in Cyprus John was able to continue training regularly as he became ‘hooked’ on it and after his return began competing.
By the 1960s he was winning Scottish titles, leading to a Commonwealth Games debut in 1966 in Kingston, Jamaica followed by another five Games in Edinburgh, Christchurch, Edmonton, Brisbane and Edinburgh again. At Edinburgh 1970 he won Scotland’s first medal of those Games and its 100th in total, while in Brisbane 1982 he was accorded the honour of carrying Scotland’s team flag at the Opening Ceremony after teammate Jack Hynd’s withdrawal due to illness. While weightlifting took him all over the world one standout trip was to China in October 1977 as a member of the British team, the first foreign weightlifting team to visit the country where they spent memorable time in Beijing, Nanking and Shanghai.
The visit was postponed by a month because of the death of Mao Tse Tung. For most of his senior career John trained at Springburn Sport Centre gym which yielded eight international weightlifters and after its closure he attended Langcroft gym, Shieldhall, training regularly into his 80s. According to teammate Charlie Revolta, “John was very single-minded and technically very good.
He was tactically astute in selecting the poundages for his lifts and it was hard to tell when he may be reaching his limit. To me he was always supportive and helpful, encouraging me to my silver medal in 1978 at Edmonton. He also gave a lot back as coach and official.
” In recognition of his contribution to weightlifting, John was awarded an MBE. in 1994, presented to him by the Queen at Holyrood Palace. Understandably proud, he commented after: “I’m celebrating this for our sport as much as myself.
It’s terrific for weightlifting to be recognised like this.” As someone who enjoyed a joke he was fond of saying “he had arranged for the Queen to present it personally!”. Further recognition came with induction into the Scottish Sport Hall of Fame in 1993 and twice being chosen Glasgow’s ‘Sports Person of the Year’.
And in 2014 prior to Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, where he officiated, he was delighted to carry the Queen’s Baton in the Relay in Dunbartonshire. Family was very important to John and along with his wife he provided a happy upbringing for his family who were amused with his DIY, enjoyed his sense of humour and appreciated the unusual presents he brought back from his world travels. He is survived by children Janette, James, grandchildren Kerri, Gavin, Jonathan and great granddaughter Lyra.
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