Celebrating 50 years of wrestling in Cumbernauld

During these 50 years the town has produced several talented wrestlers who have competed at the highest levels; Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games to date.

And wrestling in Cumbernauld through the years has been at the forefront and changed the shape of the sport within Britain.

Wrestling originated in Cumbernauld in November 1969 at Greenfaulds Sport Centre with Mike Roles and his wife Evelyn forming Cumbernauld AWC. Mike had been a wrestler himself and volunteered to start a wrestling club within our new town community.

Cumbernauld AWC produced several talented wresters, who are to this date still involved in wrestling in various forms.

Michael Cavanagh, Cumbernauld’s first Scottish champion, represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games then progressed himself within the sport to serve as team manager, director and president within the Scottish and British Wrestling Associations.

Through this experience he became the chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland and was awarded an OBE for his service to Sport and the Commonwealth Games movement.

Bobby McLucas, Cumbernauld’s first Commonwealth Games wrestler, still competes to this day at the elite level.

Bobby recently achieved an amazing bronze medal at the World Veteran Championships, narrowly losing to the gold medalist by referee’s decision on a 10-10 match, voted match of the tournament.

Bobby has represented Team GB in recent years, medalling over four times at the World Veteran Championships.

Steven McKeown, another Cumbernauld produced World and Commonwealth Games athlete, was originally coached by Mike Roles and took over the mantle of coaching wrestling to the community of Cumbernauld.

Steven formed the current Tryst Lions Wrestling Club in the Tryst Sport Centre in 1987 after Mike Roles retired. He is currently part of the Team GB coaching staff, recently attending the Under 23’s World Championships. Steven is coaching Team GB elite athletes just as Mike Roles did previously.

Cumbernauld remains at the forefront of British wrestling with two current Team GB senior athletes in Ross Connelly and Finlay Marshall.

And Cumbernauld wrestlers were successful recently at the Scottish Championships, achieving four gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

If you would like to be part of their continued success or even return to wrestling, please visit their social media platforms @trystlionswrestlingclub