Moggy taking to the road in Jock’s honour
Mayfield underline top-six aim
ON Monday June 6th, 68-year-old Stephen “Moggie” Murray is about to embark on the greatest challenge of his fundraising career.
He will embark on an incredible two-and-ahalf-week bus journey up and down the country to help raise funds to erect a statue of Rochdale legend Jock Mcavoy, who was the former British middleweight and light heavyweight champion.
The ex-ladder man, who has done some incredible things up and down the years to help raise funds for local people, jumped on-board, along with other members of the local community, when Hamer Boxing Club was floored for a count of nine by Covid-19 when they started the project three years ago.
Early this year they picked themselves up, dusted themselves down and began the fight to pursue their dream when local DJ Jimmy Mush, along with Ian Gilbertson organised a get together for them at Rochdale Cricket Club.
Together the Rochdale community has shown great resilience and are about to participate in other events within the community, such as a dinner event at the cricket club in autumn and the Hoochi Koochi Bar in Rochdale Town Centre on June 26th, as well at Mayfield Rugby Club between July and August.
Local builder Ian Lawlor has kindly donated £1000 pounds to cover the cost of accommodation for each destination “Moggie” visits, along with Wright Interiors, who have kindly donated T-shirts depicting Jock Mcavoy and a small ladder for the tour. Other local people have also helped with the cause by donating money to help “Moggy” on his journey up and down the country.
Hamer head coach Steven Connellan said: “Moggy has already spent many weeks distributing posters and sponsorship forms, along with the community account bank details to the generous landlords and landladies who kindly allowed him into their pubs and social clubs in and around the Rochdale area. He has also been with me to the Manchester Ex-boxers meetings to inform them what he is about to do.
“This is a great opportunity for our community to show their support on Moggy’s journey up and down the country to help with this great appeal to raise funds for a statue of the Rochdale legend Jock Mcavoy for our town. He is hoping that many boxers, ex-boxers, and boxing fans show their support when he arrives at the different destinations along the way.
“Although Jock achieved great things within the ring, he also suffered from mental health issues when he finished boxing. He was stricken with polio, which steadily got worse, and he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He had also survived both diphtheria and a broken neck prior to his polio, as well as his continuous suffering from insomnia and depression, which led to regular arguments with his wife Renee, who eventually left him. After his wife left him, Jock’s mental anguish issues gradually got worse, yet his son Joe thought that he had talked him into coming back to live in Rochdale, which Jock agreed, but he told Joe he wanted to spend one more night at his home in Partington, Cheshire, before he came back to Rochdale.
“Sadly, Jock took his own life that fateful night on November 20th, 1971, by overdosing on barbiturates.”
Joseph Bamford, our hero “Jock Mcavoy” was buried at Rochdale Cemetery on November 26th, 1971.
During the Covid-19 outbreak Connellan noticed a sharp rise in people coming to the boxing gym who were also suffering from anxiety problems, just like Jock had in his later years.
So he, along with many people within the community, decided that a statue of the Rochdale legend would help inspire both young people and old to pick themselves up during stressful events in their lives.
“This is a great opportunity for our council to sit down with us and try and support our community by allowing us to erect this statue somewhere within the centre of our town to help inspire our younger generation and also help the town generate tourism. If we don’t manage to raise enough funds for a statue, then we are hoping to maybe get a busk or a blue plaque.
“Then if we have any money left, we will donate the rest of our funds to the Ringside Charitable Trust Care Home to help ExBoxers, such as my uncle Kevin Taylor, who is suffering from dementia after he once fought in the Olympic Games in 1984 and for the British featherweight title on two occasions.
“Moggy’s” first destination on the bus tour will be Morecambe on June 6th, where Jock beat ten opponents at the Winter Gardens, including wins over the former Welsh Area Middleweight Champion (29-09-1929) Billy Green and two Northern Area Middleweight Champions Joe “Young” Lowther (16-041930) and Tommy Moore (24-06-1934.)
“Moggy” has been intouch with Shane Fury, who is the brother of the world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, and he is hoping Tyson will meet him on that day if he is not too busy.
“The day after Moggy will travel to Carlisle before moving on to Darlington on Wednesday June 8th. Then he will travel to York before he makes his journey to Lincoln. The next destination will be Norwich, then it’s on to Grays in Essex before he completes a week of traveling on the bus when he reaches the destination of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent on Monday, June 13th.
“From there he will travel Brighton, before moving on to Southampton, followed by Yeovil in South Somerset.
“The next port of call will be Stroud in Gloucestershire, then he will land in Birmingham on Saturday June 18th where MCAvoy stopped Jack Strongbow in round five of ten on 2nd November 1938.
“From there Moggy will move on to West Bromwich before he travels to Newcastle Under Lyme, then it’s on to Liverpool where Jock stopped the former two-time Italian middleweight title challenger Tino Rolando in round nine at Liverpool Stadium in St Paul’s Square on March 9th, 1939, whilst also losing to the equally great Freddie Mills towards the end of his career at the same stadium on August 8th, 1940.
“Moggy’s final voyage will be Manchester where Jock gained 38 victories, which included a win over the great Len Harvey on points after fifteen hard fought rounds at King’s Hall, Belle Vue, to win the British and Commonwealth Middleweight Crowns on Monday, April 10th, 1933. He also beat Archie Sexton on August 10th of that same year and Al Bourke on June 24th, 1935, in defence of his middleweight titles, which won him the Lonsdale Belt outright.
“It was also a title that he never lost in the ring.”
Jock Mcavoy (whose real name is Joseph Patrick Bamford,) also fought for the European Middleweight Title against the future International Boxing Hall of Famer (2007) Marcel Thil of France, who beat him on points after fifteen rounds when they met at Palais des Sports in Paris, France on Monday, January 14th, 1935.
Although only a middleweight, this incredible boxer also fought for the British and Empire (Commonwealth) Heavyweight titles against the champion Jack Peterson of Cardiff, Wales, who beat him on points after fifteen hard fought rounds at Earls Court in Kensington, London on Thursday, April 23rd 1936On Tuesday, April 27th, 1937, Jock knocked-out Eddie Phillips of London at the
Empire Pool in Wembley, London to win the British Light-heavyweight title.
His greatest achievement, which indirectly was also his greatest disappointment, came when he travelled to America to beat the leading world light-heavyweight title contender Al Mccoy by unanimous decision after ten rounds at Madison Square Garden on Friday, November 29th, 1935.
“The Americans wanted Jock defeated,” said Connellan, “because after his victory over Mccoy he was in line to box the then middleweight champion of the world Eddie “Babe” Risko, who was managed by non-other than the New York gangster Gabe Genovese.
“On seeing Jock beat Mccoy with relative ease, Genovese decided to match his boxer Risko with Mcavoy in a non-title bout, with an assurance that they would meet at a later date for the world title.
“The match was made at Madison Square Garden on Friday, December 20th, 1935, and this is where I feel that Jock made the biggest mistake of his life when he knocked Risko out at the time of 2:48 inside the first round after flooring him six times.
“After that the mafia were never going to give Jock a title shot at the middleweight crown, but instead they offered him a chance to fight the then light-heavyweight champion of the world and future International Boxing Hall of Famer John Henry Lewis on Friday March 13th 1936. Sadly Jock lost on points after another hard fought 15 rounds.”
Jock Mcavoy also set a then all-time British attendance record when over 90,000 fans turned up at White City Stadium, London on Money, July 10th, 1939, when he met Len Harvey for the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight title.
Jock Mcavoy was a very hard puncher, would go on to achieve record 147 boxing bouts in-which he would win 132 (91 inside the distance). He would draw one and lose only 14.
Moggy” finished by saying: “Jock’s achievements within the boxing ring have helped put Rochdale on the map, yet nothing is on display to show future generations from our town just how great this forgotten man was. Jock has become a legend in our town for our older generation. But if our community don’t voice their concern as to why nothing has been done to recognise this great boxer, then our younger generation will have no idea who he was.
“We should remind our counsellors that this great man suffered from all kinds of issues regarding his mental health, just like I have. Yet he achieved great things for himself and our town, but he is still not recognised. We are doing this event along with other events within our town to try and get some form of recognition for this great, great boxer of ours.”
THIS was one of those games that Mayfield had to win to show that they are serious about gaining a top-six spot come the end of the season.
With less than five minutes on the clock Sam Butterworth’s men had stated their intentions as James Mcdaid and Fin Stewart followed up a speculative kick and Mcdaid managed to get the opening score for Mayfield, 0-4.
True to form though, Mayfield kept their opponents in the game with repeat sets in their own ten.
Pilks moved the ball quickly and found the overlap out wide, the winger used the space well and went over in the corner for a good try which was converted to give his side the leaf, 6- 4.
Mayfield pushed back and were soon camped in the Pilks ten, putting good pressure on the line.
However, the home side’s defence held firm and refused to allow Mayfield through.
The Mayfield forwards were gaining the upper hand, Nick Hargreaves, Si Moore and Danny Dean pummeled the line but were repelled time and again.
James Mulvaney and Rob Kershaw took some good drives and stiffened up the defence, which was led by the evergreen Wayne English.
Pilks took an age to return from the half time break as their coaches tried to lift them.
Butterworth and Steve Wood did the better job in that respect and Mayfield started the stronger, forcing a drop out from under the sticks in the first minute.
With ten minutes gone the Field were playing well, showing good structure and a well-executed game plan.
Their defensive effort as a team was superb against a massive, robust home pack.
A great passage of play saw winger Fin Stewart finish a move in the corner, Cole Connolly added the two and Mayfield were back in front,
6-10. Once again, though, the home side capitalised on Mayfield’s generosity with the ball and reclaimed the lead with a converted score,
12-10. Twenty minutes to go and Mayfield were in danger of letting another two points slip from their grasp.
Pilks piled on the pressure and the Mayfield defence responded well, Harry Mcdonald and Ben Metcalfe were spoiling their play, not allowing them to build a rhythm.
Mayfield followed Si Moore’s lead and pushed up field.
Once again Mcdaid showed what a good player he has become as he edged his side in front with a great try in the corner, brilliantly converted by Connolly, 12-16.
Pilkingtons weren’t done though and it took a great tackle by Kyle Marvin to keep them out with five minutes to go.
Mayfield reacted well and got themselves out of the danger zone and pushing on the Pilks twenty.
A Connolly penalty settled the game in the Rochdale side’s favour,
12-18. This wasn’t Mayfield’s best performance of the season but it was good enough to seal their first away win of the campaign.
Butterworth was reasonably happy but also acutely aware they could have done better.
Darcy Maroske, Dean and Mulvaney stood out in the pack while Connolly, Dec Sheridan and Ben Metcalfe inspired the backs.
Si Moore claimed the MOM after a blockbuster outing and butterworth was also pleased with Kershaw and English.
SUNDAY saw the start of the 2022 LCF Knockout trophy with Norden hosting Heysham CC of the Westmorland League.
For the second successive day, Norden were in trouble with the bat as Josh Tolley stood and watched the other members of the top six fall in quick succession.
The Stags were wobbling at 57 for 5 when Tolley finally found an able partner in Alex Willis.
Willis’ start in Norden colours had been difficult up to this point but here he played with intent and intelligence in rotating the strike and defending solidly when required.
Tolley himself had been dropped on 0 and he was in no mood to offer any more chances.
The pair combined for a partnership of 114 which took Norden most of the way to their final total of 187.
Tolley finally fell for 83 and Willis fell agonisingly one short of what would have been a richly deserved half-century when he seemed unfortunate to be given out LBW.
In reply, Heysham got off to a flyer and raced to 50 without loss.
As so often with this Norden side, though, things changed with the introduction of spin and Zaidi was soon back in the wickets.
The run-rate required started to increase slowly and after a tight spell from Sami Waheed, Dean Lord reminded everyone of what a talented bowler he is and he picked up three wickets, including two in two balls.
Greg Butterworth joined the party and finished with 4 for 24 as Heysham subsided to 123 all out.
Tougher tests will soon follow in this competition.