Pat McCormack won the Ken Jones award

Pat McCormack

THIS yearโ€™s thoroughly successful British Ex-Boxersโ€™ Hall of Fame has been and gone โ€“ and plans have already begun for next yearโ€™s, to be hosted by the Welsh EBA, whose secretary, Cyril Thomas, has provided the relevant information. The date โ€“ September 20, 2020, the venue โ€“ the Mercure Holland House Hotel, Newport Road, Cardiff. Tickets will be available from Friday November 1, priced ยฃ39.50 per head for a three-course dinner, plus coffee or tea. These can be booked on 029 2086 3452 โ€“ if you get the answerphone please leave contact details. Tickets will be sent out after payment is received. Cyril goes on: โ€œWe have secured a discount rate of ยฃ79 b/b for a single room and ยฃ89 b/b for a double for the Awards night only, which can be booked by phoning Reservations and booking for the British Ex-Boxersโ€™ Hall of Fame Awards on September 20, 2020 and claiming these prices.โ€ The phone number is 029 2043 5000. โ€œAlas,โ€ Cyril says, โ€œwe could not secure a reduction for the Saturday night as they claim that Saturdays are premium rates. These are ยฃ139 single and ยฃ149 double b/b.โ€.

My late fellow-writer Ken Jones was a proud Welshman, and it was standing room only at his funeral last week. Although inevitably a sad occasion, the theme was very much a celebration of Kenโ€™s life, both during the service and the reception afterwards. I was very pleased to meet Geraint Thomas, whose father, Eddie, won European, Commonwealth and British welterweight tittles โ€“ and went on to become a leading manager and cutman, and promoter. Next week โ€“ Friday November 8 โ€“ Geraint is putting on a special tribute night to Eddie, at the Penybarren Social Club, Merthyr Tydfil. This is to celebrate the 70th anniversary (November 15, 1949) of Eddieโ€™s points win over Henry Hall in Sheffield, to become Merthyrโ€™s first-ever British champion. Several ex-fighters that he looked after will be there โ€“ including Ken Buchanan MBE, whom Eddie took to the undisputed world lightweight championship, and who will be making the trip down from Scotland. Tickets are ยฃ20 per head, including a souvenir programme.

I hope the eveningโ€™s a success. I remember Eddie well โ€“ I never saw him box, but I met him, and spoke to him, many times. Leading Welsh fighters he managed included brilliant boxer Howard Winstone, whom Iโ€™ll never forget watching win the vacant WBC featherweight title at the Albert Hall in January 1968, halting Japanโ€™s Mitsunori Seki on a cut, and Colin Jones, who came agonisingly close to winning the WBC welterweight belt. As a promoter Eddie put on some good-value shows in London in the โ€˜70s and โ€˜80s. He was also a very nice man. Welsh EBA Vice-Chairman Wynford Jones has produced a very informative account of Eddieโ€™s career, and Iโ€™ve no doubt many EBA members will attend. Going back to Ken Jones, he was a great supporter of the game, both pro and amateur โ€“ and a few years ago he instigated the Ken Jones Award for Britainโ€™s Best Amateur of the Year. Ken always took great pride and pleasure in presenting the award at the Boxing Writersโ€™ Club Annual Dinner โ€“ sadly, of course, this time it wasnโ€™t possible, so Frank Warren did the honours. Winner was European Games champion and World silver medallist Pat McCormack. Winner of the Geoffrey Simpson Award for Britainโ€™s Best Young Boxer was British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, who receives a nice compliment in the current Punch Linesโ€“ Essex EBAโ€™s monthly newsletter. โ€œIt made a change to see a young heavyweight who is modest and polite. Well done, Daniel, it was a pleasure to listen to your speech.โ€ Other EBAs represented at this monthโ€™s Dinner at the Savoy included London, Home Counties, Brighton and Central (Midlands). Brighton Chairman Ernie Price was in his usual good form. โ€œWe always have a packed house at our monthly meetings โ€“ 80 to 100,โ€ he said. Thatโ€™s good to hear.

Share Page