February 15th, 2022

Cambuslang Harriers wish to announce the sad passing of former club president and secretary Des Yuill who has died at the age of 83.  The club would like to offer its condolences to his wife Christine and family.  The funeral service will take place at Daldowie Crematorium on Thursday 17th February at 2.00pm.

Des was originally a member of Maryhill Harriers but joined Cambuslang Harriers in 1972 when he moved to Burnside.  While continuing to run for enjoyment and doing the occasional race, he became heavily involved in the administration of the club and served as secretary from 1973 to 83 and then as president from 1986 to 92.  Des contributed greatly in these roles to help transform Cambuslang from a small local club into one of the leading distance clubs in Scotland.  He also used his excellent administrative skills as a committee member of the Scottish Cross Country Union and then as a member of the Scottish AAA.  Des became well known for his involvement in the prestigious Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay.  Having competed in this event for Maryhill in the early 1960s and with Cambuslang participating from 1972 onwards, he became actively involved as a race recorder, clerk of course and finally convenor.   Through his employment with Barrs Irn Bru he secured the company’s long term sponsorship of the event in 1979.  In addition he wrote a detailed account of the history of the event from 1931 to 1939 for the Scottish Marathon Club Magazine.

Although Des left the club in 1992 to turn his intentions to the game of bowls he still took an interest in the club and was regularly seen at district and national competitions cheering on the red and white vests.  Brian McAusland aptly summed up his contribution to Cambuslang and to Scottish Athletics in an article which appeared on his excellent Scottish Distance Running History Website  –

“He was always a good clubman” and “as an administrator and official he was of the first order.”