“That is where the exhibition bout took place between Bobby and Norrie,” revealed Rob by email from Canada.
“I believe the final decision was a draw.
“The Hawkhill club produced good boxers and good entertaining shows.
“My cousin Martin Boag represented Scotland several times while boxing out of this club.
“At one of the shows, my brother Neil, representing Lochee Boys Club with the Lynch brothers in his corner, won his fight with a second-round KO.
“Perhaps the greatest character in the history of Dundee’s amateur boxing came out of the Hawkhill Boxing Club.
“BILL BANNON, known locally by everyone as Wullie, and affectionately nicknamed “Wild Bill” by Harry Carpenter (I thought that may be Wullie behind Johnny Victory in Irene’s photo.
“However, memory serves the user and not the truth).
“Wullie fought as a light heavyweight, and was a southpaw with devastating punching power. Not always accurate — but when Wullie connected, it was lights out, early dark.
“In 1958, Wullie and Dick McTaggart were two Dundee boxers chosen to represent Scotland at the British Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games).
“Wullie reached the semi-finals.
“His opponent’s corner did a good job in studying his style, because their lad ran backwards for three rounds.
“At one point an exasperated Wullie was standing in the middle of the ring pleading for his opponent to come and have a go with him.
“Incredibly, though, Wullie lost the fight on points. His opponent went on to win Gold with Wullie picking up Bronze.
“Dick McTaggart won another Gold at these games.
“In 1958, I was at the Green’s Playhouse (when it was a cinema) and Pathe News opened the show.
“A segment of the news was on the Empire Games with the Duke of Edinburgh conducting a medal presentation to boxers.
“The Duke stuck out his hand to present a bronze medal to Wullie, who was standing on the lower podium, but Wullie grabbed his offered hand and yanked the Duke over to him and started talking with him — at the same time pointing to a nervous Gold winner who was standing above him on the podium.
“The Duke of Edinburgh burst into laughter, eventually untangling himself from Wullie, and going on to present the Silver and Gold still chuckling to himself.
“When Wullie got back to Dundee, my uncle Joe and I went down to see him at his unofficial training camp — the Globe Bar — and heard his story.
“It was a riotous tale.
“Wullie said, ‘When the Duke stuck out his hand, he offered congratulations. I pulled him over and told him I was robbed!’
“Pointing up to the Gold winner, Wullie then said, ‘Ask him to come down and I’ll take him right here, right now!’
“My brother Neil fought on a couple of shows with Wullie and the stories are brilliant.
“Bannon was a larger-than-life character, whose exploits would fill a chapter in any sports book.”
AUTOGRAPH SIGNED “ALWAYS YOUR PAL”
Reverting back to Bobby Boland, and MRS M. BORLAND, describing herself simply as a “Tele Reader,” offered, “I saw the photo of Bobby Boland and had to write to say that I have his autograph, given to me over 60 years ago.
“Alongside it he wrote, ‘Always your pal, Bobby Boland’.
“I didn’t meet him, but my father worked with Dickson’s bus tours.
“He also had a barber’s shop in the Nethergate, across from the Steeple, with the Palace Theatre along the road.
“Many of the men from the theatre came in for a haircut.
“Lex McLean’s summer show was on in the 1950s, and I also have his autograph.
“He wrote, ‘It’s been an awful summer, ain’t it?”
“I also have others such as Jimmy Whyte, Nicky Kidd, Jack and Mrs Beattie, Dennis Gordon, Will Starr, Rolf Harris, Duncan Macrae and others.
“Now that I have Bobby Boland’s photo, I’ll keep that inside the book. It’s nice to have his photo as now I know what he looked like.
“I’ve also a cut out photo of Jack Milroy.
“Also on the page is a photo of Johnny Victory with his Rolls Royce, which he said belonged to Harry Lauder.”
Another input from Canada came from HARRY ROSE.
“Was the photo with Johnny Victory taken at the Palace or at the boxing booth at Gussie Park,” he inquired.
“I actually saw Bobby fight at Gussie, with Norrie Tennant refereeing.
“This would be around 1956.
“We used to call Norrie Tennant the ‘Wee King of Kinghorne’ (Kinghorne Road), but not to his face!”
RENTON TEAM WAS NAMED AFTER PUBLICAN
WILLIAM BROWN, of Carnoustie, confesses he doesn’t follow football much, but likes to read BwB because of all the old faces.
“Clearing out the attic, which contained much stuff belonging to my parents and grandparents, I came across the enclosed photo,” he said.
“It’s the LOCHEE RENTON team from season 1913-14, but I don’t have a clue what the three trophies on display are.
“An accompanying note said the team was called after Mr Harry Renton, who owned the Nine Bells public-house in South Road, Lochee.
“It said it was formerly known as The Ivanhoe.
“However, the only Ivanhoe I know of in Lochee was at the far end of the High Street and is now called the Lochee Sports Bar.”
Back row (from left) — C. Martin, G. McFarlane, D. Rollo, J. McCarne, A. Macdonald.
Second back — W. Donnelly, D. Cooper, Unknown, Glover, W. Gallacher, M. Boag, Ingles, Henderson.
Second front — E. Reilly, Unknown; G. Ferguson, H. Renton, Napper Thomson, J. McKay, D. Balfour.
Front — C. Martin, Jun., D. Morris.
OOPS, WRONG COUNT!
OK, I got it wrong when I said there were seven teams better than England in the current World Cup in South Africa.
It should have been around 12 — or more!
Italy and France proved they were just as bad as England, but Uruguay, Portugal, Japan, Ghana, Chile, Ivory Coast and even the USA have proved to be more skilful and committed than our cousins from the south.
And then there’s South Korea and Australia.
And, on another note, how many players from the self-acclaimed “greatest league in the world” — the English Premier League — have emerged as outstanding?
So far, Argentina’s Carlos Tevez (Man. City) is one of the few.
DUNDEE TOCKETSS’ REUNION
The Dundee Rockets’ (ice hockey) ex-players reunion has been scheduled for Friday, September 3, in Frews Sports Lounge (7.30).
Contact dougie.scrimgeour@gmail.com
