Frank Clement rewarded in New Year’s Honours List

Saturday 28th December 2019

Athletics in Scotland is savouring the moment today after due recognition in the New Year’s Honours List.

Olympian Frank Clement was a richly deserving recipient with the Linlithgow AC founder member to be presented with a British Empire Medal (B.E.M).

And the news completed a special time for the Clement family with Frank’s grandson, teenager Andrew McGill of Livingston AC, having received a first Scotland call-up at U17 level for the Run Stirling international XC event on January 11.

All at scottishathletics offer our warm congratulations on these special moments for the Clement and McGill families!

‘I am delighted and honoured to accept the B.E.M,’ said Frank, who was fifth in the 1500m final at the 1976 Olympics and is a former British record holder at both 1500m and the mile.

‘When the official letter came through the post the first thing that came into our heads was ‘is this a speeding ticket?’.

‘So it was a lovely surprise to read the details from the Cabinet Office.

‘I love athletics and I’m still very much involved, helped out with the Linlithgow 10k event for a number of years. In fact, it was the club’s 40^th anniversary recently and actually I was one of the original members!

Andrew McGill – Frank Clement’s grandson has been picked for Scotland

‘It is a double family celebration in many ways because my grandson, Andrew McGill, has just been picked for Scotland for the first time and we only heard about that a couple of weeks ago,’ added Frank, originally with Bellahouston Harriers.

‘He’s in the U17 team for the Celtic XC International at the Run Stirling event on January 11 and is really looking forward to it.

‘Andrew started with Linlithgow and is now with Livingston AC and part of the group coached by Sandra Hardacre. On the track he is a 1500m and 800m runner, but he really loves cross country and is doing well in that at the moment. We are all delighted about the Scotland vest.’

Congratulations to @LinlithgowAC founding member Frank Clement on the award of the British Empire Medal for services to athletics in Scotland @scotathletics in the New Year's Honours 2020. (Picture by Paul Dudchenko at recent club 40th celebrations) #NewYearsHonours #Athletics pic.twitter.com/XQnWRenlLJ

— Lorna Simpson (@LornaSimps) December 28, 2019