Author Topic: History Of Boxing in Birmingham  (Read 11645 times)

tad2106

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #22 on: October 28, 2017, 05:31:37 PM »
Thank you. My dad Anthony (Tony) Starling was born in Birmingham 1938 and lived Ashley Street then Ilmington Road. His both his parents came from Birmingham so always interested in the history.

Phil

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #23 on: October 28, 2017, 05:39:52 PM »
Hi Phil, fantastic photo's, this is my sixth post, not sure where to find the messaging, can you please advise.

Hi Ann

Just caught this about the messaging system, just click on my messages near the top of the page and follow the instructions.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

jamesm

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #24 on: October 28, 2017, 09:58:26 PM »
Looking at this thread reminds me of a friend and colleague who, in his youth, was very handy with his fists and at senior school was classed as "the [censored] of the walk".
By his own admission he was persuaded to attend an amateur boxing club which, I think, was either at the BSA or Wilmot Breedon.
After assessing his weight, physical stature etc it was decided he was a heavyweight and a suitable sparring partner was chosen for him.
He got in the ring and his opponent knocked the proverbial 7 bells out of him. It turned out the guy he was fighting was the then unknown Johnny Prescott. My friend never got in a boxing ring again.
However he told me on another occasion he witnessed the same Johnny Prescott, who at the time was a contender for the British Heavyweight title, knocked out during an altercation at the Rum Runner club.
How true all this is I can't verify but it all goes to make a good tale.


frederick

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #25 on: October 29, 2017, 09:04:44 AM »
Johnny Prescott used see him around in my younger days usually at dances he had a cracking girl friend.
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Richiethesquid

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #26 on: April 24, 2018, 12:55:12 AM »
Hi
My grandfather name was Bill Thomas he was a Pro from 1924 to 1939 he boxed out of the Garrison ABC
And fought at the Garrison Tavern a few times, he fought at lightweight and welterweight
I have a record of most of his fights, he worked at the Austin Aero works and did a few promotion bouts
His last one was against Leo Phillips at the Tower Ballroom in 1939 in aid of the Troops and families 
Jack Hood ref’d the fight

JudithM

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #27 on: April 24, 2018, 01:31:13 PM »
My Granddad was called Frank Lees - although I believe he used the name 'Frankie Lee' at one point when he boxed.  I know he was good, as I remember boxes of newspaper cuttings & trophies as a child (regrettably, my gran threw a lot of stuff out when he died).  I know he boxed in the 30's, and that he boxed in WW11 as well.

I know that he did something with prisoners of war as there was a German chap he kept in touch with for most of the rest of his life - although stories vary as to how they met (he told me that he was a POW that he & his mates were charged with taking back to Allied lines & another story goes that my granddad was based at a POW camp in Ireland & he met this man that way).  My dad thinks he did boxing bouts to entertain troops so I guess he could have been based at a camp.  I suppose we'll have to find his service records to find out.

Anyway, he grew up in Saltley & lived there until the war (when they moved to Shirley). I think that my dad might have some of his memorabilia, so we'll have to go for a hunt in the loft at some point, but if any of this rings a bell with anyone I'd be grateful for any information.
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Scipio

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #28 on: April 24, 2018, 08:59:11 PM »

Johnny Prescott used see him around in my younger days usually at dances he had a cracking girl friend.


Frederick , back in the 60's we always knew Johnny P was in , when we went to the Rex Williams snooker hall in the Piccadily Arcade silver Volvo parked outside with a vertical record player mounted integrally over the transmission behind the gear stick . Then there was always two or three dollies hanging around the table with him , while I was an apprentice in the 60's , the stores manager and stores driver both in their mid to late 50's both agreed that if JP had left the women alone he could have gone on to greater things , they had followed him all through his amateur days .
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Spud

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #29 on: April 25, 2018, 12:13:17 PM »
Johnny Prescott he lived in Robin Hood Lane for a while in the late 70s funny his old house has just been gutted and new roof etc
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Scipio

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #30 on: April 25, 2018, 09:05:13 PM »

Johnny Prescott he lived in Robin Hood Lane for a while in the late 70s funny his old house has just been gutted and new roof etc


Spud back in the 60's I was working with a sparks in Walsall , who joined me in the Rex Williams snooker hall after work one evening
I had told him about JP being a sort of regular here , he told me he had done national service with JP also that the boxer had borrowed 3/6 d from him  when they were in the army. After the first game the sparks  told me he was going to the other table to say hello to JP , I jokingly said perhaps you'll get your money back , he went to the table ok . Judging by the body language I doubt he even recognised the sparks

If voting made any difference , they wouldn't let us do it.
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Kellyahmed

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #31 on: June 23, 2018, 07:26:57 PM »
My dad been good friend of Brian Cartwright’s for many years

Ken U

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Re: History Of Boxing in Birmingham
« Reply #32 on: December 24, 2018, 11:19:43 PM »
Hi Ann,
If you're still looking for information, Alf Greenfield was my great great grandfather. He ran the Swan pub in Livery Street in the late 19th century, it had a boxing gym upstairs. As the English heavyweight champion, he fought the world heavyweight champion John L Sullivan twice, losing both times (one bareknuckle, one Queensberry). As a publican, he moved from the Swan to the Oxford and Cambridge in Digbeth where a lot of his belongings were lost in a fire. Amongst other things, a large portrait of him survived and was known to have been in the family in the 1990's, the property of a distant aunt who sadly l never met. He died in his 40s, partly from injuries received during his boxing career.


 

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