John Mullen from Platin Road trained the McAteer brothers

THERE was a great boxing story from the 1960s surrounding Platin Road man John Mullen.

John left for Wales as a young man and lived in Buckley, becoming secretary and trainer at the club.

The Chairman of the Drogheda Amateur Boxing Club back in the 60s, Mr. John Connor, kept close ties with John and at one stage was invited to bring a team from Drogheda to Wales to compete.

John Mullen became trainer of the famed McAteer brothers.

One of them is Les McAteer who was born in Birkenhead wand as an English amateur and professional light middle/ middle/light heavyweight boxer. As an amateur, he won the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) 1960 Schools Intermediate title and won the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) 1962 Junior Class.

As a pro, he won the Central Area middleweight title, British middleweight title, and Commonwealth middleweight title, and was a challenger for the middleweight title against Johnny Pritchett, and European Boxing Union (EBU) middleweight title against Tom Bogs.

The boxers were related to former Liverpool player Jason McAteer.