Football, rugby and hockey coaches among winners at Galashiels awards ceremony

That accolade went to Anderson, one of about 250 Scots in possession of a Union of European Football Associations pro licence, in recognition of having gone from coaching his home village’s pub football team and Stow’s amateur side to helping out Neil MacFarlane with Scotland’s under-19s over the last quarter of a century, as well as leading the Scottish Football Association’s coach education programme.

Not long back from a tournament in Lithuania that saw the young Scots eliminated from next year’s age-grade championship in Wales after drawing 2-2 with Latvia and losing to the hosts and England, by 2-1 and 4-0, the 60-year-old said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be back in my home-town and feel really proud and humble to be among the award-winners tonight.

“I always had that passion for coaching, and while it might seem a long time looking back over the 25 years, it also feels like it’s flown by.

“In that time we’ve seen boys like Steven McLean, Kevin Thomson and Liam Craig follow John Collins into professional football, and I’m currently working with Lewis Gillie, of Hibs, and Josh Landers, who’s at West Ham, in the under-19s squad and it’s been great to see Borderers continue to come through.

“We have a lot to be proud of in the Borders and I think the excitement and inspiration that will come from Scotland being back in a Football World Cup next year will be huge for this and future generations.”

The junior version of that award was given to Keir McIver for his work on developing para-football at Gala Fairydean Rovers and across the Borders, and he said: “It’s nice to get recognition for something I feel is really important, but it’s the progress we’re making that’s the most rewarding thing for me.

“It’s a football team and we’re always improving but it’s more about providing routes for people across the region to socialise in football.”

Former Gala, Melrose and Border Reivers flanker John Dalziel was named as sports personality of the year for 2025 after helping head coach Andy Farrell lead rugby’s British and Irish Lions to a tour series win in Australia in the summer, as well as having been the Scottish national team’s forwards coach since 2019.

Lauder’s Holly Allfrey won the junior version of that accolade after claiming Scottish and British under-21 titles for trampolining.

Claire Townsend was given an award for service to sport for her commitment to the Tweedbank-based hockey club Fjordhus Reivers as a player, coach and administrator and also for her involvement in a tennis programme in St Boswells.

“I am delighted to receive this award and it’s very kind of ClubSport Eildon to give me it,” she said. “In truth, this is an award for the dedicated teams of long-serving volunteers at Fjordhus and St Boswells that keep sport going, and we do it because we want younger generations to have the same experiences we had growing up – the memories, friendships and special moments.”

Eildon’s Neil Dewar – now one of Britain’s leading modern pentathlon wheelchair athletes and this year’s European champion in para-sports laser run, triathle and biathle – was presented with a disability sports award at the Gala Rugby Club ceremony a week ago on Friday.

Borders Additional Needs Group, known as Bang for short, were given a community sports project award for their annual summer camps introducing youngsters to sport.

Doug Taylor picked up a special achievement award for his work developing the Borders Clan rugby squad.

St Boswells Cricket Club, currently celebrating their 130th anniversary and still going strong, were named as club of the year.

The award for team of the year was handed out to Gala Harriers under-17s Poppy Lunn, Kirsty Rankine and Ava Richardson.

Ava told us: “I’m very proud to win the award – we all are. It has come off the back of a lot of hard work, in rain or shine, but it’s definitely been worth it.”

Poppy said: “It’s been a ground-breaking year for me with lots of personal bests and improvements and I think it’s prepared me well for now stepping up to senior level.”

Kirsty added: “I set myself a lot of goals from a young age and being able to accomplish them makes me very proud of myself.

“It’s technically an individual sport but there’s so much of a team aspect to it, from training with each other every week to competing as a team, and there’s just so much fun in that.”

ClubSport Eildon, formerly ClubSport Ettrick and Lauderdale, were the last of the Borders’ four groups to hand out awards following ceremonies for Roxburgh, Tweeddale and Berwickshire in October and November.