GOODBYE, ALAN
Minter will be sorely missed by the boxing fraternity
I WAS so sorry to hear of Alan Minter’s death. I saw him box many times, and actually interviewed him for BN in the summer of 1975. At the time he was angry at not getting a British middleweight title shot – not long after he did, against Kevin Finnegan for the title vacated by Bunny Sterling. I previewed that bout for BN, in my last week on the staff, and tentatively went for Finnegan – of course Minter won on points, so my career here ended with yet another wrong prediction! And Alan would go on to win European and world honours, famously going to Las Vegas and outscoring Vito Antuofermo for the undisputed world belt. Sadly he lost the title in his second defence – but if a true great like Marvin Hagler hadn’t been around, how much longer could he have reigned?
Since retiring Alan has been a strong supporter of the EBA movement, and was a Life Vice-president of Brighton EBA. Home Counties Chairman Bob Williams contacted me to say he would be raising a glass in Alan’s memory – and so, I’m sure, will many others. My condolences to his son, Ross (a useful pro welterweight I also saw many times) and all his family and friends.
The current Seconds Out, London EBA’S monthly newsletter, has a feature on Chelmsford ABC Chairman Dave Hull, who with his wife Katie recently presented James Cook, MBE with a cheque for £850.00 for the Pedro Club. Dave explains: “Each year my work colleagues and I have a little fun during the football season by predicting the correct Premier League football scores which, I assure you, isn’t as easy as it sounds. Myself and 49 of my work colleagues play the ‘footy predictions’ at the cost of £2.00 per week. £1.00 of each sheet goes to the weekly winner and the other £1.00 is split 50/50. Half goes to the season’s highest league table scorers and the other half goes to a worthy cause.”
This year, Dave says, the Pedro Club was chosen as the recipient for two reasons. Firstly, in Dave’s words, “I have seen first-hand how the club has lifted the community it stands in.” Then there’s the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I fully understand and appreciate how hard it is to keep voluntary organisations afloat at the best of times without losing income coming directly through the door, let alone the income that a well-attended show brings.” That’s a wonderful gesture, and the Pedro Club
is a thoroughly worthy cause. Well done, Dave, and all your colleagues. Dave says next year’s recipient will be LEBA, so well done on that too.
Melanie Lloyd pays tribute to the late Tim Cowen, who died in July after battling cancer. Though terminally ill, Tim was determined to make LEBA’S Annual Awards Lunch in February, and there’s a photo of him receiving his Certificate of Life Membership from former world light-heavyweight champion John Conteh. Tim’s great love was the Hogarth Club, and former members (and current LEBA members) Gary Hobbs and Rocky Kelly have fond memories of him. “Tim was like a dad to me,” Rocky’s quoted as saying. “It was always lovely to see him at all the LEBA meetings. I’m going to miss him very much.”
There’s a detailed report by Mike Taub on the recent Ted CheesemanSam Eggington clash. Ted is one of LEBA’S ‘Young Guns’ – I can’t stress enough how vital it is that EBAS show they support today’s fighters, rather than just dwell on the past, and London certainly do show that.
Ted’s uncle, Bob Cheeseman, is a LEBA committee member, and in his ‘Round and About’ column Bob announces that there’s to be a new boxing gym in Bermondsey.
Called ‘Roosters’, it’s being started by Jeff Combes and Roy Conor, with the aim of getting “more kids off the streets.” That’s so admirable, and I wish the project well.