The United Kingdom Strength Council was founded by Glenn Ross, the famed strongman and also founder and promoter of the Irish Strength Association.[1] The UKSC, as it is commonly termed, was promoted by Bob Daglish's Elite Strongman Promotions until March 2010.
Beginnings
Part of the reason for the foundation was that Glenn Ross is a champion of the idea that strongman is about lifting and moving heavy objects. He has been quoted as saying that strongmen should be more akin to strongman of old, "fighting for every step, not running."
Ross's philosophy is represented in the contests the UKSC organise. There is little running with weights or like events, but rather lifting heavier weights as the main test and then struggling forward with them. Ross has said that, in relation to competing with other recognised events, such as Britain's Strongest Man, "when there is competition, it is good for everyone: competition in strongman creates an opportunity for the athletes, the fans and the sponsors to end up with a better product, and the reality is a free-market situation anyway."[2]
"Big, strong men are like bears. As long as you keep feeding them honey, they will stay in their caves and stick with certain organizations, but when the honey pot runs out, they must go into the forest to look for more honey." - Glenn Ross[2]
Bob Daglish's Elite strongman promotions was inextricably associated with the UKSC until it was announced in March 2010 that "In view of recent events and also some personal differences, Elite Strongman Promotions are hereby separating all affiliations with Big G promotions, the UK Strength Council and the UK strongest man competition." Elite Strongman promotions continued to run a version of the England’s strongest man final, whilst a separate competition run by UKSC was also run in 2010.[3][4]
Competitions
The UKSC is famed for its blue ribbon event, UK's Strongest Man. There are also a number of regional and national qualifiers.
They made history in 2024, becoming the first promoters to broadcast a live strongman event on British television when Channel 5 carried coverage of the UK's Strongest Man. Paul Smith successfully retained his title, winning three of the five events in the final.
UK's Strongest Man
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place | Location | Promoter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |  Paul Smith (3) |
 Louis Jack |
Andrew Flynn |
 Cardiff |
|
| 2023 | Paul Smith (2) |
Matt Dimond |
Callum Crozier |
Doncaster |
|
| 2022 | Paul Smith |
Louis Jack |
Gavin Bilton |
Milton Keynes |
|
| 2021 | Gavin Bilton |
Paul Smith |
Andy Black |
Milton Keynes |
|
| 2020 | Gavin Bilton |
Mark Felix |
Mark Jeanes |
 Belfast |
|
| 2019 | Paul Benton |
Graham Hicks |
 Pa O'Dwyer |
St Albans |
|
| 2018 | Pa O'Dwyer |
Phil Roberts |
Laurence Shahlaei |
St Albans |
|
| 2017 | Laurence Shahlaei |
Tom Stoltman |
Pa O'Dwyer |
Belfast |
|
| 2016 | Eddie Hall |
Belfast |
|||
| 2015 | Eddie Hall |
Belfast |
|||
| 2014[5] | Eddie Hall | Adam Bishop | Luke Stoltman | Belfast | CNP |
| 2013[6] | Eddie Hall | Ben Kelsey | Jonathan Kelly | Belfast | UKSC (UK Strength Council) |
| 2012[7] | Eddie Hall | Lloyd Renals | Chris Gearing | Belfast | UKSC (UK Strength Council) |
| 2011[7] | Eddie Hall | Ken Nowicki | Richard Smith | Belfast | UKSC (UK Strength Council) |
| 2010[8] | Glenn Ross | Gary Gardener | Rob Frampton | Belfast | UKSC (UK Strength Council) |
| 2009[8] | Jimmy Marku | Glenn Ross | Mark Westaby | Belfast | UKSC |
| 2008[8] | Glenn Ross | Dave Warner | Jimmy Marku | Belfast | UKSC |
| 2007[8] | Glenn Ross | Jimmy Marku | Simon Flint | Belfast | UKSC |
| 2006[8] | Glenn Ross | Terry Hollands | Jimmy Marku | Belfast | UKSC |
| 2005[8] | Terry Hollands | Mark Lawson | Simon Morton | Belfast | UKSC |
| 2004[8] | Glenn Ross | Brian Irwin | Carl Waitoa | Carrickfergus | UKSC |
| 2003 | Not Held | ||||
| 2002 | Not Held | ||||
| 2001 | Steve Brooks | Richard Gosling | Mick Gosling |  TBC | Geoff Capes/Daily Star |
| 2000 | Richard Gosling | Gary Meyern | Adam Townsend | TBC | Geoff Capes/Daily Star |
| 1999 | Richard Gosling | Gary Meyern | Adrian Smith | TBC | Geoff Capes/Daily Star |
| 1998 | Adrian Smith | Richard Gosling | Dave Miles | TBC | Geoff Capes/Daily Star |
| 1997 | Adrian Smith | Graham Mullins | Bill Pittuck | TBC | Geoff Capes/Daily Star |
| 1996 | Graham Mullins | Gary Meyern | John O'Neil | TBC | Geoff Capes/Daily Star |
| 1995 | Dave Miles | David Waters / Graham Mullins | TBC | Geoff Capes/Daily Star | |
| 1994 | Tommy Smith | Bill Pittuck | Lee Bowers | Blackpool | Geoff Capes/Daily Star |
| 1993 | Bill Pittuck | Luke Green | TBC | TBC | |
| 1992 | Adrian Smith | Bill Pittuck | TBC | TBC | |
Championships by country
| Country | Titles |
|---|---|
| England | 19 |
| Northern Ireland | 5 |
| Wales | 2 |
| Scotland | 1 |
| Ireland | 1 |
Repeat champions
| Champion | Times |
|---|---|
| Eddie Hall | 6 |
| Glenn Ross | 5 |
| Adrian Smith | 3 |
| Richard Gosling | 2 |
| Gavin Bilton | 2 |
Regional and National qualifiers
- UKSC Midlands of England strongest man 2007
- UKSC North of England strongest man 2007
- UKSC South of England strongest man 2007
- UKSC England's strongest man 2007
See also
External links
References
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