Crawford Fairbrother

Crawford William Fairbrother MBE (1 December 1936 – 23 November 1986) was a Scottish high jumper. Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, his father was Scottish Athletics Championship medallist in high jump in the 1920s and 1930s.^[2]

Fairbrother won a record 13 successive Scottish titles in the high jump from 1957 to 1969, the best post-war championship record by any Scot.^[2] He also won the AAA Championship titles in 1959, 1961 and 1964.^[3]

Fairbrother first competed internationally at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales. Representing Scotland, he finished in seventh place in the final of the high jump with a jump of 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m).^[4] One month later at the 1958 European Athletics Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, Fairbrother, representing Great Britain in the high jump, finished tenth in the final clearing 6 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1.99 m).^[5] At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Fairbrother failed to make the qualifying height of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in the high jump. Two years later at the 1962 European Athletics Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Fairbrother in the high jump cleared 6 ft 6+3⁄4 in (2.00 m).^[6] Two months later at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia, Fairbrother finished eighth in the high jump clearing the bar at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m).^[7] At the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, Fairbrother recorded his best international result finishing fourth in the high jump clearing the bar at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m).^[8] At his final international meet, the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Fairbrother took the oath of behalf of the competitors at the opening ceremony.^[2] The following day in the high jump, Fairbrother failed to make the final.^[9]

He represented Britain on a record 53 occasions and placed in the top three 35 times.^[2] He cleared the height of 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) on more than 200 occasions. He set three United Kingdom and five Scottish records, the best being 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) set in September 1964, a mark which stood until 1975.^[2]

Fairbrother died on 23 November 1986 in his hometown Paisley, eight days short of his 50th birthday. He survived by his wife Rena, daughter Karen and son Kenneth. A service was held on 26 November 1986 at St. John's Church, Paisley and he was cremated during a private service.^[2]