PRESIDENT REES
Home Counties EBA have a new man at the helm
HOME COUNTIES EBA have a new president in former Welsh featherweight champion Terry Rees, who has been involved with the Association since its inception and was made a vice-president a while ago.
Taking over from the late Terry Downes – ex-world middleweight champion – is not an easy task for anyone, but Home Counties are sure Terry’s the man. “Terry was the clear choice to take over this special role,” Secretary Kieran Mccann said.
Terry boxed professionally from June 1957 to September 1961, winning 11 of 28 contests. He had a four-fight series with Gordon Blakey, losing the first two and winning the others. The first three all went to points – the last and most important meeting, for the vacant Welsh title, saw Terry triumph when Blakey was disqualified in the sixth round for a low blow.
Terry went on to meet future WBC featherweight champ Howard Winstone, losing in eight rounds, and called it a day after a points loss to the late Phil Lundgren – an active member of the London EBA up to his death.
Terry is due to take over as president, officially, at Home Counties’ monthly meeting this Sunday (February 25), at the Bricket Wood Sports and Social Club, Oak Avenue, Bricket Wood, St Albans. He has recently had a new pacemaker fitted, but the good news is that he is doing well after the operation and has every intention of making the meeting. Hope you make a full recovery, Terry, and best of luck in your new role.
“[At the meeting] we will also be giving away to the various charities we support,” Kieran said, “even after sending out nearly £1,000 to great causes in our January meeting.” Boxing people are renowned for their generosity, and many EBAS support local good causes. Well done.
Happily, Terry Downes’ widow, Barbara, is now an Honorary Life Patron of HCEBA, so the family connection continues.
I’ve mentioned before that many people belong to more than one EBA – and Home Counties’ treasurer is Chas Taylor, long-standing London EBA committee member. Chas and his wife, Kymberly, run the annual Boxing Memorabilia Fayre every October – and Chas received a Lifetime Achievement Award at last year’s British Hall of Fame ceremony.
Most EBAS have a large amount of memorabilia, and how to make the best use of it can be a problem. Ipswich have
come up with an interesting idea, as Secretary Erik Roper explained: “Some of our old trophies, plus other Ipswich EBA memorabilia (photographs, programmes, news cuttings etc.) might have found a new home at the Ipswich Museum. One of the curators has expressed an interest in displaying them, so we are currently in the process of arranging a meeting with her to effect this.”
That sounds a great idea, and I hope it comes off. A display in the local museum would bring Ipswich EBA to the attention of a lot of people, including many who are not really involved in boxing – and also ensure that Ipswich’s local fistic heroes aren’t forgotten. And there’s a good chance that some people, after viewing the display and reading the information, will decide to come along to a meeting. I’ll look forward to hearing how this scheme progresses. Ipswich meet at the Locomotive Club, Rectory Road, Ipswich, at 11am on the second Sunday of the month.
I mentioned Howard Winstone, and the current Leicester EBA newsletter features a photo of Howard, along with former British welter and middleweight king Wally Swift (also no longer with us), current Leicester President and Chairman Mick Greaves, former Leicester Secretary (the late) Norman Jones, Bomber Taylor, Sean Ryan and Benny Hall.
The photo was taken at the 1998 Nottingham EBA Gala Day – the story dealing with Nottingham’s sad demise, which I reported recently. A reminder of happier times – and a warning of what can happen if people can’t be found to help with running an Association.
There’s also an account of a show at Swadlincote Town Hall on January 1, 1948, which saw Jeff Tite score a firstround KO over Billy Masters. It was Tite’s 15th straight win, and he would box three more times in January, winning all three.