Ex-freestyle swimmer David Dickson appealed to readers to help put him in touch with former Helensburgh rival Bob McGregor MBE.

A few days after the article went to press last week Bob himself got in touch after hearing whispers about the Burgh that ‘someone was looking for him’, which sparked his curiosity.

“My son went and picked up a copy of the paper for me after I heard that someone was looking for me,” he said. “I’d be more than happy to meet up with David if the timing works out.” Bob first met David for the first time when he travelled from Scotland to Perth, Western Australia (David’s hometown) in 1962 to compete in the Commonwealth Games.

The Falkirk Flyer - as he was nicknamed - scooped up the silver medal and rival David collected the bronze - both men hit the board within milliseconds of each other with recorded times of 56.1 for both competitors in the 110 yd freestyle.

The pair shared the podium four years later in the 1966 Games in Kingston, Jamaica, when Bob again collected the silver medal in the same event with a time of 54.2, and David the bronze, with 54.6. But Bob said they never felt like rivals.

“We were always very friendly,” he added. “In and out of the pool it was a good atmosphere between competitors.” In 1966 Bob also broke his own world record for the 110 yards freestyle event at the British Championships in 53.3 seconds.

The athlete first tried his hand at swimming in the outdoor pool in Helensburgh, where his father was a manager, however he only paddled in the summer months when it was warm enough.

The family then moved to Falkirk for work and Bob never really got into swimming until he started his six year course in Architecture at Strathclyde University.

This enabled him to compete all over the world. “That’s why we really did it in those days,” he said. “You were able to travel and see the world - it was a nice experience and we got to stay at nice hotels.” He retired from competitive swimming after the 1968 Olympics at the age of 24 with a fourth place finish in the 100 metre, freestyle final.

It was at the end of this year that Bob was awarded an MBE by the Queen for services to sport.

Speaking about his retirement, Bob said after he finished his course he had to get a ‘real job’.

He has been living in Helensburgh for the last 22 years with his wife Bernadette after the pair decided it was a ‘nice place to bring up a kid’. The couple have two sons, David and Gordon.

Former swim rival David will travel to Glasgow in June to take part in a Voices of the Commonwealth concert and is hoping to meet his Scottish rival after nearly 50 years.