Hamish Balfour

Hot Shot Hamish

Personal information
Full name	Hamish Balfour
Date of birth	Unknown
Place of birth	Hebrides, Scotland
Height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current team	Princes Park FC
Number	9
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1973–74	Princes Park FC
1974	Crawford Town
1974–90	Princes Park FC
1990–93	Glengow Rangers
National team
	Scotland
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

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Hamish Balfour was a fictional British football hero from Scotland.

Storyline

Hot Shot Hamish followed gentle Hebridean giant Hamish Balfour, the man with the most powerful shot in the world, and began its days in Scorcher in August 1973, before relocating to Tiger when the two titles merged. Hamish was brought from his remote island home to play for Princes Park FC in the Scottish First Division (tier 2) under manager Ian McWhacker, and was famous for being able to hit the ball so hard that his shot could (and often did) burst the goal net. His powerful frame was emphasised by the fact that he always played in a shirt which was far too small for him and which did not reach the waistband of his shorts. Hamish's regular supporting characters were his eccentric father and his pet sheep McMutton.

Hamish’s crazy adventures, and those of his Daddie, pet goat McMutton and manager Mr McWhacker, were written by Fred Baker and drawn by the wonderful Julio Schiaffino. They kicked off in Scorcher and Score in 1973 before transferring to Tiger where they ran until 1985: after the cancellation of Tiger, most of its strips moved to Eagle, but Hamish was re-located to Roy of the Rovers and the two strips merged to form Hot Shot Hamish and Mighty Mouse (later shortened to simply Hamish and Mouse).

The first episode of the combined strip appeared in the Roy of the Rovers comic dated 6 April 1985. In the storyline, Mighty Mouse was deemed surplus to requirements at Tottenford Rovers after the signing of a more skillful player who played in the same position. On a trip to watch Scotland playing, he met up with Hamish, who persuaded him to sign for Princes Park (conveniently Mouse was also able to transfer to a Scottish hospital to continue his studies). In later years, the pair transferred to Glengow Rangers where they were later joined by McWhacker (who promptly signed a number of their former Princes Park teammates).

The strip ran until May 1990, returned in July of the same year, and finally came to an end in January 1993, with reprints appearing in the remaining issues of the weekly Roy of the Rovers comic.

Their adventures were also published in other European countries. In France they were known as Hamish La Foudre and Mousie L'Eclair, in Sweden as Super-Mac (Hamish) and Bullen (Mouse), and in Finland as Super-Mac and Pulla.

Hamish was mentioned as 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 metres) tall with size 16 boots.

He was selected to play for Scotland making him Princes Park's first international player. During the match, his hot shot was saved by the opposing goalkeeper who actually caught it in his hands! His first goal was disallowed after a teammate fouled the keeper before he headed it in, but his father went into a rage at the referee and was dragged off by the police. Hamish had possession again giving a much harder hot shot than the first saying "Try this for size!". This time he scored, burst the net, hit the floodlight post causing the floodlights to collapse onto the pitch. The match was abandoned as a result.

Club Career

In the early 70s Princes Park F.C. were the Cinderella of Scottish Football. Overshadowed by the great sides of Glasgow Princes Park languished at the foot of the Second division of the Scottish League but manager Ian McWhacker was determined the 1973-1974 season should see a vast improvement. This happened when the Princes Park team visited the Hebrides discovering Hamish Balfour, a boy with a figure of a giant and the most powerful shot in the world. Ian McWhacker said that Hamish could be the signing of the century!

“On a bleak, rain-swept, mist-shrouded island in the lonely Hebrides… the Princes Park players spent six rain-sodden days. A training holiday!” They soon bump into a huge, blonde, sheepskin- and kilt-toting Highlander by the name of Hamish Balfour. And within three frames he’s tapped back a stray ball with such ferocity that it demolishes a stone wall. That’s how, back in August 1973, Scorcher comic set up the classic story of an innocent abroad in the big city, brightening the prospects of a lowly Scottish basement outfit.

Hamish soon became supporters favorite but after a fall-out with the directors he was placed on the transfer list. Crawford Town, an English club of the first division where the first to sign the new talent, with young Balfour debuting for them in a World Cup warm-up match against a South American team in London. But Princes Park's supporters demonstrated for his return which was realized shortly after, and Hamish gave them a massive compensation: Princes Park won the Scottish Cup for the very first time of its history in 1974 after beating Ratch Rovers at Hampden Park.

Within 6 years (1974-1980) thanks to Balfour's fireballs Princes Park would enjoy promotion to the Premier division, suffer relegation and promotion again. The 1979-80 found Princes Park back to the first division. Hamish Balfour would give the Cup to Princes Park for the second time in 1982, promotion to the topflight again and two years later he would stand on the high pedestal of Scottish Football, the Premier Division title.

On 3 April 1982, ‘Hot-shot’ Hamish Balfour scored 12 goals in one game for Princes Park in the Scottish league. To remove him from media attention he was sent to a remote island, but he was recognised by islanders who sent their dogs to track him down.

Hamish Balfour in the iconic Princes Park jersey.

The Hebridiean giant having already debuted for the Scotland national team won his second cap in a match against Iceland in March 1985 under manager Ian McBossy. A distinguished career with Scotland wasn't meant to be but that was when he met Kevin Mouse who attended the match in Glasgow. The summer of the same year he helped Pongi FC win a game in Kenyan League while holidaying in Kenya with teammate Wee Wally.

Ian McWhacker had managed to build a strong team with the likes of Hamish Balfour, Kevin Mouse and Wee Wally. The all-conquering trio helped Princes Park be crowned Cup winners in 1987 and reached the top of Europe the following year by beating Bumchen Munchen in the European Cup Winners' Cup Final. One year later McWhacker signed Mouse and Balfour for his new team Glengow Rangers.
Scottish Cup winner again in 1990 and European season for Hamish Balfour but his career in Rangers never became as glamorous as it had been in Princes Park for 16 years. On 30 January 1993 after a horrible defeat in Scottish Cup, manager McWhacker quit leaving Balfour and Mouse in doubt over their future in Glengow Rangers.

International career

Accoring to his 1986 profile he had only 1 or 2 caps for Scotland.

Honours

Princes Park FC

• Scottish Premier Division:
  • Winners (1): 1983-84
• Scottish Cup:
  • Winners (4): 1973-74, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1989-90
• Scottish First Division (second tier)::
  • Winners (2): 1982
• Scottish Second Division (third tier):
  • Winners (1):
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
  • 1987-88

Glengow Rangers

• Scottish Cup:
  • Winners (1): 1990-91
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
  • 1991-92

Style of play

Hot Shot Hamish, was considered at the time, the man with the most powerful shot in the world and was a rough talent with phsical qualities and strong play on the pitch.

Personal life

In 1986 Balfour was single saying Who would have me?. He lived in a crufter's cottage with his dad, and stil hadnt passed his driving test yet. His height was 1.90m according to the 1986 ROTR profile. His other favourite club was Princes Park Reserves. Best pal Roy's move to Walford in 1983 was his biggest dissappointment. His most memorable match was the 1986 CWC final with Princes. According to Hamish:

• Football childhood hero: Roy Race
• Favourite current player (86/87): Mighty Mouse (Princes Park)
• Biggest infulence on career: Mr. MacWhacker, Princes Park manager

Legacy

Hamish's shot was considered the most powerful in the comic universe (alongside Gorgeous Gus). He was the tallest footballer ever also. Princes Park FC’s path to glory was never smooth, with clashes between Hamish’s boss Ian McWhacker, his permanently furious Daddie and psychotic ‘wee pet sheep’ McMutton; but there was usually a happy ending involving a snapped crossbar. Hamish’s place was sealed in the hearts of Princes Park fans the day he noticed a failing beam under a crowded stand, holding it up like a muscle-bulging Atlas to save the lives of, ahem, thousands of spectators.

On 3 April 1982, ‘Hot-shot’ Hamish Balfour scored 12 goals in one game for Princes Park in the Scottish league, possibly a world record in the comic universe. On 30 November 2003 The Guardian selected Hamish as the best comic footballer of all time.

On 10 December 2010, Scott Murray, Tim Bradford, Doug Cheeseman and David Hills for The Guardian made a Top6 of the most memorable football cartoons, with Hamish on top of the list. On 10 August 2013 The42 blog picked Hamish in the ultimate 5-a-side choosing the five best players (GK: Gordon Stewart – The Safest Hands in Soccer, Johnny Dexter - The Hard Man, Billy Dane – Billy’s Boots, Mighty Mouse – Hot Shot Hamish, and manager: Roy Race – Roy of the Rovers).

The football comic heroes blog selected him as the 10th best of all time in November 2014. Andi Thomas of the Paster Magazine on October 21, 2015, though he picked Roy Race as the best ever comic football player (among other imaginary ones), he stated that his favourite was Hamish Balfour.

On 19 July 2016, Larry Ryan picked his fictional football XI with Hamish chosen (jersey number 5) stating that he had the hardest shot in history.

2018 Roy of The Rovers Reboot

Hamish and Kevin Mouse later played for Melchester Rovers, Hamish only played for Rovers for a year before accepting a record transfer fee in Spain where he has been living since he retired, while Mouse stayed on with Rovers until he retired eventually becoming Rovers' manager. After Mouse suffers a heart attack near the end of Roy Race's first season as a professional Hamish takes over as Rovers' caretaker manager, his appointment didn't go down well with Johnny Dexter who becomes Rovers' assistant manager, nevertheless with Hamish in charge Rovers earned promotion to League 1 via the playoffs with Dexter's help. Hamish later returns to Melchester after Rovers gained automatic promotion to The Championship representing a Spanish based consortium of wealthy property developers that wishes to buy Rovers. The consortium have aspirations to rebuild Rovers' stadium Mel Park and officially integrate a women's team in Melchester called Sowerby into the Rovers setup which will make Sowerby a full-time women's side, the consortium also appoints Hamish with the position of Rovers club ambassador. Hamish's time as ambassador after Rovers takeover has seen Hamish as a mentor to the younger players, during the build up to the Premier League promotion play off final there was a striker shortage due to injuries and suspensions so Hamish was reactivated as a player which saw Hamish come on as a substitute and scoring the goal that put Rovers back in the Premier League which led to Hamish breaking his leg with the kick that promoted Rovers. He was seen in the stands watching Rovers beat local rivals Tynecaster to win the FA Cup.

Sources

• Scorcher page at britishcomics.com
• Official Roy of the Rovers website

External links

• Tiger covers

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