DOING US PROUD
Leeds raise over £2k for Ringside Charitable Trust
EBAS generally have been supporting the campaign for the Ringside Rest and Care Home, and a recent Leeds EBA event raised around £2,300 for the cause.
Hastings EBA Chairman Dave Harris, the prime mover behind the project, was full of gratitude. “A lot of us went up from Hastings to Leeds,” he said, “and they really did the Ringside Charitable Trust proud. It was a wonderful Sunday afternoon – there was a lunch, and a raffle, and I spoke about the Trust.
“I must thank Vince Campbell for all his hard work – and former world champions John Conteh, John H. Stracey and Duke Mckenzie. John Conteh brought the house down, John H. Stracey sang for about half an hour, and people were queuing to get Duke Mckenzie’s autograph.”
Dave went on: “Next Sunday [November 28] will be our Christmas party at our headquarters, the Silverhill Club. Loads of EBAS will be attending, and there’ll be a competition to find the bestdressed Christmas person.”
It’s so good that EBAS can hold Christmas parties again. If your EBA is holding one, do let me have the details and I’ll publicise it.
Going back to Leeds, they are hosting the 2023 British Ex-boxers’ Hall of Fame. EBAS are already being asked to submit their nominations for inductees.
The current Leeds newsletter has an interesting piece on Harry Mason, who was born in the East End of London (Whitechapel) but moved to Leeds when he was six. Between 1920 and 1937, he had 212 recorded bouts, winning 144 and drawing 15. He was British champion at light and welterweight, and European lightweight champion.
As well as the UK, Mason campaigned in America, Australia and South Africa. Having won the British welter title from Hamilton Johnny Brown (who had previously outpointed him for the vacant belt), he made a successful first defence against the legendary Len Harvey, surviving two knockdowns to earn a 20-round draw.
In March 1936, Harry lost over 12 months to the late Jack Powell, London EBA’S first Secretary – and he called it a day after being halted in three by former world junior-lightweight (now superfeatherweight) champion Jack “Kid” Berg, another LEBA regular up to his death in 1991.
I was delighted to receive the latest Mug’s Alley, monthly newsletter of the Merseyside Former Boxers’ Association.
As always, there’s plenty to read – with
two items on Liverpool’s Stan Rowan. In April 1948, he survived a third-round knockdown to give a real beating to French “Knockout king” Luis Fernandez, who retired at the end of the session with a badly-cut left eye.
Eleven months later Rowan won the British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles, outscoring reigning champion (and former world flyweight titleholder) Jackie Paterson over 15 rounds.
Both bouts were at the Liverpool Stadium, and the back page reproduces a handbill from the last show I covered there for BN, on April 8 1983.
Top of the bill was Croydon’s Clinton Mckenzie, defending his British 10st title against Lancaster’s big-punching Alan Lamb, the Central Area champion.
Promoter Harry Burgess managed Lamb, and was hoping for his first British champion. Liverpool Stadium was famously known as the “Graveyard of Champions,” but this time the curse didn’t work, with Mckenzie retaining his title on a clear 12-round decision. Harry (known affectionately as “the Growler”) graciously acknowledged the right man won, but added: “My man’s definitely the second-best light-welter in the country.” In my report I wrote: “Mckenzie … had the class, the strength, and the experience at a higher level (it was his 36th bout against Lamb’s 18th) to deal with a brave and determined challenger who never stopped trying but never looked likely to win.”
Merseyside’s next meeting will be at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, on Sunday, December 5.