Anderson was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1981 Birthday Honours,[2] and was inducted into the Aberdeen FC "Hall of Fame" as one of the founding members in 2003.
[4] During his time as an Aberdeen player, Anderson spent a short period at Hartlepools United, playing only two games for the English club.
[7] Anderson was forced to give up the game in 1956 following a series of injuries, but stayed with Arbroath as assistant to the manager, Tommy Gray.
[12] As well as being instrumental in the development of Pittodrie as one of the first all-seater stadia in Britain, he was a prime mover in the creation of the Scottish Premier Division in 1975, a response to the declining attendances of the time.
He continued to serve on the Aberdeen board in spite of his increasing disability, and was still well enough to attend the 1985 Scottish League Cup Final victory over Hibs.
[14]By the time of the 1986 Scottish Cup Final, later that season, Anderson was unable to move independently, and was only able to communicate with technological assistance.