National – Centenary Year (1998)

One Hundred Years is a minute in time in the history of mankind, but a long time in the world of contemporary sports. It is a time in which successive generations have worked to bring swimming in Scotland from humble beginnings to the well organised and widely popular sport which exists today.

The decision to form the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association was taken at a meeting of Club Delegates in Edinburgh on 28th January 1988 and in throughout it’s Centenary Year in the 1988, the Association was determined to celebrate it’s first 100 years with a series of memorable Events.

Over the first 100 years of it’s business, the Association had many very competent administrators and despite the many highs and lows of that period, the Council were determined to make 1988 a year to remember for all its members, supporters and friends.

The S.A.S.A. Council decided that a “Centenary Committee” be formed and be responsible for the planning of all the Centenary Year activities. The Inaugral Meeting of the Committee was held at the Scottish Sports Council office, 1 St Colme Street, Edinburgh on Saturday, 9th February 1985 at 11.00am and some 18+ meetings later in November 1987, most of the arrangements, plans, hopes and promises were in place for the biggest and most challenging year of the Association’s history.

The planned Events included International Meets and a LEN Conference, which were “normally” outwith the direct responsibilities and authority of the Association as they were the direct responsibility of the Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain (A.S.F.G.B.), the fore runner to British Swimming. The ASFGB was the “member” of the International “Governing Bodies”, FINA and LEN and therefore the SASA did not have a “seat at the table” to seek permissions for such Events/activities. However cooperation of the various groups was successful in bringing the LEN Calendar Conference to Glasgow in May and several Meets/Competitions involving the other Nations, throughout the year.

The Events commenced with the Association’s AGM, at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen on 27th February and finished with the European Swimming Cup at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh on 10/11th December. Full details of the year’s programme can be seen in the “Centenary Guide” available via the first button, top right of this page.

For some of the older visitors to the Archive, memories may be stirred by the various videos of some of the Events of that year that are available for viewing via the buttons above, along with other documentation that supported the year.