Centenarian Craft to be honoured at Leith Vics museum opening

THE 100-year-old Harry Craft, Scottish amateur boxing’s oldest surviving former club coach, will be honoured by Leith Victoria, Scotland’s oldest boxing club, this Tuesday.

Craft inspired Leith club flyweight Jackie Brown to capture the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games eightstone gold medal before he went on to win the British flyweight crown and Lonsdale Belt in 1962. Craft also worked with Leith Vics’ former heavyweight star Bill Sutherley, who earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records after becoming Britain’s youngest ever amateur light-heavyweight champion.

Douglas Fraser, the Edinburgh-based club’s leader, said: “Sixty years ago Harry Craft was a key member of the Leith Vics club coaching and ring corner team. Harry is now totally blind but until his sight finally went a couple of years ago he was a ringside seat fixture at our two annual boxing shows where he was accompanied by his son Jim – a former top Leith Victoria lightweight star who took legendary Olympic boxer Dick McTaggart the distance in 1961.

“But now we are going to mark Harry’s 100th birthday by springing a surprise upon him when he comes to the grand opening of our new club boxing museum at our academy street HQ. We are going to ask him to formally open the museum. Many former Leith Vics pro and amateur champions will be at the event. Guys like [former WBO British and European superfeatherweight champion] Alex Arthur, who will be bringing his title belts along. Also John Wilson, our 1994 Commonwealth Games silver medal winner, has been invited along with Steve Simmons [the current top cruiserweight contender who won international bronze medals with Leith] and Lee Sharp, our 1998 Commonwealth Games featherweight contender.”

Founded in 1919, Leith Victoria nurtured the only two Caledonian boxing brothers to win Olympic boxing medals – George and James McKenzie, in 1920 and 1924 – as well as Alex Ireland, who became the first Scot ever to win an Olympic boxing silver medal at the 1920 Games in Antwerp.

Fraser added: “We expect a big turnout on the night of past and present Leith Victoria boxers, including Terry McCormack, who coaches [2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist] Josh Taylor. We also anticipate lots of interest in the museum exhibits which reflect Leith Victoria’s 96 years of boxing glory and unique ring achievements.” 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB. email: sportletters@theherald.co.uk (please include address). Tel 0141 302 7148-7157 / Fax 0141 302 7227 / sport@theherald.co.uk

Sports editor Jonathan Coates