Ralph Risk CBE, MC and Bar (28 July 1891 – 24 May 1961) was a Scottish solicitor, lawyer and president of the Law Society of Scotland.[1] He also briefly played as an outside forward in the Scottish League for Queen's Park and was later the president of the club between 1935 and 1938.[2][3]

Ralph Risk
Personal information
Full name Ralph Risk[1]
Date of birth 28 July 1891
Place of birth Cathcart, Scotland
Date of death 24 May 1961(1961-05-24) (aged 69)[2]
Place of death Edinburgh, Scotland
Position(s) Outside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1913–1914 Queen's Park 17 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Personal life

edit

Risk was educated at Queen's Park School and Mount Florida School in Glasgow and later studied law at Glasgow University, eventually becoming a solicitor.[1] He was married with three sons and two daughters and his elder brother Charles also played football for Queen's Park.[1][3][4] Risk was a member of the General Council of Solicitors in Scotland between 1933 and 1939, a senior partner in Maclay Murray & Spens and president of the Law Society of Scotland.[1][3] He died in hospital in Edinburgh in 1961.[3]

War service

edit

In June 1915, nearly a year after Britain's entry into the First World War, Risk received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Gordon Highlanders.[5] He won an MC and Bar,[1] for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" in actions at Rœux Chemical Works during the Battle of Arras in spring 1917 and during the Battle of the Scarpe in August 1918.[6][7] Risk rose to the rank of captain during the course of his war service, having been promoted to lieutenant in July 1917 and to captain in April 1918.[5] He left his battalion on special leave to Britain on 25 September 1918 and would see no further action before the Armistice.[5]

Risk served with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and established the barrage balloon defence of Scapa Flow in 1939.[3] He later rose to the rank of wing commander and was superintendent of balloon development at RAF Cardington.[3]

Career statistics

edit
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Scottish Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Queen's Park 1912–13[2] Scottish First Division 3 0 1 0 1[a] 0 5 0
1913–14[2] 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1914–15[2] 12 0 0 0 2[b] 0 14 0
Career total 17 0 1 0 3 0 21 0

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Appearance in Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Glasgow Cup

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Queen's Park and the Great War 1914 to 1918" (PDF). p. 9. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "QPFC.com – A Historical Queen's Park FC Website". qpfc.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "The Glasgow Herald – Google News Archive Search". p. 10. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  4. ^ "QPFC.com – A Historical Queen's Park FC Website". qpfc.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "The Queen's Park Men Who Served And Survived As At April 2017" (PDF). pp. 11–12. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Page 7242 – Supplement 30188, 17 July 1917 – London Gazette". Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Page 12060 – Supplement 30950, 11 October 1918 – London Gazette". Retrieved 23 February 2020.