Boxing_News__November_24_2017

YESTERDAY’S HEROES
Photo: LARRY BRAYSHER
STADIUM STARS:
Britt is KO’d by Summers
in their rubber match at
the Memorial Athletic
Grounds in Canning Town
TAKING THE LEEDS
Secretary
Paul Abraham
is being proactive
in his search for
new members
for his EBA
Simon
Euan-Smith
EBA
correspondent
LEEDS EBA began in 1952. Two local
ex-boxers, Jimmy Learoyd and Mike
Sutherland, were travelling home together
on the tram after attending the funeral
of another ex-pro, Tommy Mallinson.
They started discussing the possibility of
forming a reunion organisation for Leeds
ex-fighters.
Learoyd was licensee of the Duke
William Hotel – and a few weeks after
that initial discussion, the first meeting
was held there. Leeds is still going today
– meeting at 11.30am on the first Sunday
of the month at The Anglers Club, 75a
Stony Rock Lane, Leeds, LS9 7TB. “The
December meeting will be on the 17th,”
Secretary Paul Abraham said. “We’re
having it just before Christmas – we’ll be
getting some drinks in! But then we’ll go
back to the first Sunday.”
Like all EBAs, Leeds are keen to get new
members. “We’re going to make a big
effort in the new year,” Paul said. “We’ll
be contacting the local gyms – and Derek
Roche, who started coming recently, is
spreading the word. And we visit other
EBAs – we go to Manchester dos, and the
Northern Federation Gala Weekend. Nick
Manners recently joined us, and so did
Mickey Vann.”
Roche is a former British welterweight
champion, Manners (now a pro trainer)
held the Central Area light-heavyweight
title, and Vann, though never a champion,
went on to become one of Britain’s top
referees. Incidentally, I recently read
Mickey’s autobiography, Give Me a Ring,
and can thoroughly recommend it.
But you don’t have to have been a
championship fighter, or a top referee,
to join an EBA. Abraham, for instance,
never boxed, but told me: “I’ve been a fan
since 1971. I’d go to all the EBA functions
I could, and meet my heroes, such as
ex-world champions Alan Minter and
John H. Stracey. Boxers really are a special
group of people – they always make you
welcome.” Anyone who’s attended an EBA
function will know what Paul means.
Another champion is Leeds President
Allan Richardson. “He’s a terrific
ambassador,” Paul said. “He goes to Wales,
Brighton – and for the past two years I’ve
been with him to the British EBAs Hall of
Fame. He’s well respected everywhere.”
I remember Allan (he was billed as
‘Alan’ when he was boxing) as a fine
featherweight in the ‘70s. In July 1974,
I covered his British title challenge
against Evan Armstrong. Armstrong was
another no-nonsense pro, and the pair
put up quite a battle for 10 rounds – with
Richardson, I thought, having the better
44 l BOXING NEWS l NOVEMBER 23, 2017 www.boxingnewsonline.net