Borders sporting stars were honoured at the 2009 James McLean Trust Celebration of Sport on Saturday at the Cross Keys Hotel in Kelso, where Eyemouth United Chairman Douglas Aitchison and Berwickshire athletics coach Henry Gray were also recognised for their achievements.

The Scottish Borders Local Sports Councils hold the annual James McLean awards to recognise and reward the hard work and dedication of the many athletes, coaches and administrators who are committed to developing sporting opportunities locally.

Berwickshire's Andrew Cowan, who now lives in Hutton, became the seventh member of the Scottish Borders Sports Hall of Fame, which was established in November 2005 to celebrate the sporting achievements of Borders residents whose names are synonymous with sports both nationally and internationally. He said being included into the Hall of Fame was a big surprise.

Raised in Duns, former rally driver Andrew Cowan was a close friend of future Formula One world champion Jim Clark.

Both young farmers, Cowan says their lifestyles were a great help in their subsequent careers: "We were able to drive in fields, off road, and of course through all the twisty roads around here where there was practically no traffic in those days," Cowan explained.

"That definitely refined our driving skills. We had advantages that other drivers didn't."

Both men were active in the Berwick and District Motor Club during the 1950s, but while Clark gravitated to open-wheeled racing, Cowan ventured off-road, taking part in the 1960 RAC Rally and finishing 43rd of over 200 starters.

Impressed by his success, his father bought him a powerful Sunbeam Rapier and behind the wheel of this new vehicle he won the 1962 Scottish Rally, an achievement he later declared to be his 'Most Important Moment'.

He returned the following year to successfully defend his title, and as a result the Rootes Group invited him to become their 'works' driver.
Once established as a professional driver, Cowan scored many notable successes with both Rootes and later Mitsubishi who he signed for in 1972.

Aside from his two Scottish Rally titles, he won the first two London-Sydney Marathons in 1968 and 1977, five consecutive Southern Cross Rallies (1972-76), the 1977 Rallye Bandama Côte d'Ivoire, and the world's longest rally - the 20,000-mile South American Marathon in 1978.

He was also competitive in the Safari Rally where he recorded a top four finish four times in five years, and latterly the Paris-Dakar Rally where his best result was second overall in 1985.

For his achievements in 1977, he was awarded the British Guild of Motoring Writers' Driver of the Year Award, the Jim Clark Memorial Trophy for outstanding achievement by a Scottish driver, and the British Racing Drivers' Club's John Cobb Trophy for a British driver of outstanding success.

He can now add member of the Scottish Borders Sports Hall of Fame to his list of achievements.
In 1983 Mitsubishi Motors asked Cowan to establish a European base for their motorsport activities, and so he founded Andrew Cowan Motorsports (ACMS). Based in Rugby, Warwickshire, it evolved into Mitsubishi Ralliart and his cars took Tommi Makinen to four consecutive WRC Drivers' titles (1996 to 1999), as well as winning Mitsubishi their only manufacturers' crown in 1998.

Mitsubishi Motors officially took over the business in 2003, renaming it Mitsubishi Motorsport, although Cowan remained as Sporting Advisor until his retirement in 2005 aged 69.

Cowan retired as a driver in 1990, but in September 2008 he was one of a number of former rally drivers to take part in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, a round of the Scottish Rally Championship in memory of McRae who died in 2007.

He also competed this year in the rally named after his old friend. "I competed in the historic Jim Clark Rally this year in a Hillma Imp which is a car I drove 43 years ago," Cowan said.

"It was great to go round a lot of the roads I remember from many years ago. It is fantastic what they are doing to the Jim Clark Rally in the Scottish Borders. I have overseas friends who have come back to take part in it and it's great to get that support."

There were three other inductees to the Hall of Fame this year.
They were Jedburgh born boxer Doug Young who competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and won a silver medal in the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1986; former Hawick and Scotland rugby player Colin Deans who was capped 52 times and captained the national side; and Peebles footballer James Grieg Reid who played for Lincoln City and Airdrie and was also capped for Scotland in the early 1900s.

Eyemouth United Chairman Douglas Aitchison was also honoured at the event, winning the award for service to sport for the Borders. Douglas first played for Eyemouth United at the age of 16, and after brief spells playing for a number of teams in the East of Scotland league and Border Amateur league, winning every border amateur medal apart from the south cup, he returned to Eyemouth, playing his last official game for United at the age of 43.

Douglas took over as club chairman 15 years ago and has been in the hot seat ever since.

He has played a major role in the development of the club and was very influential in securing new pitches for the town which was a joint venture between the council and Eyemouth united.

He's also filled many other roles over the years including serving as border amateur secretary for the club, coaching juniors of various age groups and refereeing local youth football.

He has also organised trips abroad and has played a key role in bringing an international flavour to Eyemouth united, signing players from Brazil, Portugal, Germany and Poland.

Douglas is very proud of his club, who are the only east of Scotland non league team ever to have reached the quarter finals of the Scottish cup, but said: "I think there are people who are more deserving who have gone before me at Eyemouth United.

"As the chairman you do everything from sweeping changing rooms to coming to presentation evenings like this, I have to muck in with everything. But without a good committee and more importantly your family behind you, you haven't got a hope."

With Eyemouth due to take on Leith Athletic in the Alex Jack Cup Final on Sunday, Douglas said he hoped the club could build on his winning ways in the Berwickshire and James McLean awards.

"We are in the Alex Jack cup final next week so hopefully we can make it a treble!" he said.

Also honoured at last weekend's awards was Henry Gray who has probably had the most successful season to date with his East coast track club athletes.

Notably training 17 year-old Guy Learmonth who won the Scottish under 20, 400 metres indoor title at age of 16 and the Scottish under 20s, 800 metres title at age of 17 - just two of many great achievements from his multi-title winning season, Henry has tipped him as a future Olympian.

Other runners who have excelled under Henry's coaching this season include Andrew Crichton, Hannah and Emily Jones, Cieran Turton and Sam Atkins.

Henry beat Selkirk Rugby coach Kevin Barrie, Helen Rogerson of Lauderdale and The Scottish Equestrian Vaulting Team and Donald Nisbet of Tweeddale Golf to take the James McLean award for coach of the year.

He said: "I quite was surprised because the coaches that I beat for the award are of a very high standard, so I am very proud to have won the coaching award for the Borders.

Henry added: "Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised because of the standard of athletes that have been competing this year, they have been performing at a really high level."