TAKING THE LEEDS
Secretary Paul Abraham is being proactive in his search for new members for his EBA
LEEDS EBA began in 1952. Two local ex-boxers, Jimmy Learoyd and Mike Sutherland, were travelling home together on the tram after attending the funeral of another ex-pro, Tommy Mallinson. They started discussing the possibility of forming a reunion organisation for Leeds ex-fighters.
Learoyd was licensee of the Duke William Hotel – and a few weeks after that initial discussion, the first meeting was held there. Leeds is still going today – meeting at 11.30am on the first Sunday of the month at The Anglers Club, 75a Stony Rock Lane, Leeds, LS9 7TB. “The December meeting will be on the 17th,” Secretary Paul Abraham said. “We’re having it just before Christmas – we’ll be getting some drinks in! But then we’ll go back to the first Sunday.”
Like all EBAS, Leeds are keen to get new members. “We’re going to make a big effort in the new year,” Paul said. “We’ll be contacting the local gyms – and Derek Roche, who started coming recently, is spreading the word. And we visit other EBAS – we go to Manchester dos, and the Northern Federation Gala Weekend. Nick Manners recently joined us, and so did Mickey Vann.”
Roche is a former British welterweight champion, Manners (now a pro trainer) held the Central Area light-heavyweight title, and Vann, though never a champion, went on to become one of Britain’s top referees. Incidentally, I recently read Mickey’s autobiography, Give Me a Ring, and can thoroughly recommend it.
But you don’t have to have been a championship fighter, or a top referee, to join an EBA. Abraham, for instance, never boxed, but told me: “I’ve been a fan since 1971. I’d go to all the EBA functions I could, and meet my heroes, such as ex-world champions Alan Minter and John H. Stracey. Boxers really are a special group of people – they always make you welcome.” Anyone who’s attended an EBA function will know what Paul means.
Another champion is Leeds President Allan Richardson. “He’s a terrific ambassador,” Paul said. “He goes to Wales, Brighton – and for the past two years I’ve been with him to the British EBAS Hall of Fame. He’s well respected everywhere.”
I remember Allan (he was billed as ‘Alan’ when he was boxing) as a fine featherweight in the ‘70s. In July 1974, I covered his British title challenge against Evan Armstrong. Armstrong was another no-nonsense pro, and the pair put up quite a battle for 10 rounds – with Richardson, I thought, having the better
of things. But a tongue-lashing in the corner sent Armstrong storming out in the 11th – a big left hook put Richardson down, and when he got up referee Harry Gibbs stopped the fight.
I talked to Allan about the fight years later, and he said he felt he should have been allowed to carry on. Armstrong – who died recently – retired soon afterwards, and it says something about his domination of the British feather division that (a) the BBBOFC nominated two of his KO victims – Vernon Sollas and Jimmy Revie – to contest the vacant title, and (b) after Sollas beat Revie (fourthround KO) his first defence was against another Armstrong victim – Richardson! And Allan won the British belt at the second attempt, halting Sollas in eight rounds. That also gave Allan revenge for an eighth-round stoppage defeat by Sollas previously.
Back to Leeds EBA, and I must mention their excellent website, www.
leedsboxinghistory.com. There’s a history of boxing in the city from the bare-knuckle days, and a fascinating item about world heavyweight champion James J. Corbett coming over from America in 1894, touring the UK in the play Gentleman
Jack, Corbett taking the title role. The play ran for a week in Leeds. And there are reports of promotions in Leeds, and interviews with local fighters.