AKA-BRINDLE 879 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 My 2 uncles met Ali when he was over here doing a promotion tour for i think it was Ovaltien (exscuse spelling)...to get his autograph you had to buy a tin of Ovaltine...my Nan used the contents and chucked the tin of one!...uncles still gutted to this day...he was a massive fan...me other uncle still claims to have his...wonder how much its worth?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 30,591 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 I have an old copy of Billys book here its called..."when the gloves come off"...his brother george was his manager and also got the rules changed so he could work his brothers corner...he invested Billys money in a couple of jacket potatoe shops and built up from there...as Gnasher said he made millions with Brent walker...but him and billy fell out big time over money...good to hear they made up before it was too late...Billy dont come across as that exciting as a boxer to be honest...the book is more about his playboy style life...Terry Downes book "my bleeding business" would make a great film in my opinion...and still our longest living world Champ i belive?...but with some of the crap they make films about these days...one about the walkers would be one i'd watch...just finished Alex Daleys...Fighting men of London book...boxers storys from the 1930's-50's...cracking little book...well worth a read " Billys baked Potatos " thats right there was 3 or 4 of them if im not wrong one was in Roman Road market my ol fella would talk about the family a lot George was wrapped around the gangster Billy Hill quite a lot he did a bit of time early on i forget what for now but i think the rule change about the trainers licence was something to do with his criminal record........anyway...........Brindle is the old referee Sid Nathan in that book ?......my ol fella was good pals with Sammy McCarthy im told he gets a few mentions in that book im not a big book reader myself but i think i might give that one a try. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AKA-BRINDLE 879 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Yeah Sid Nathan gets his own chapter...as do about 5 other boxers...including Sammy McCarthy...he in my opinion deserves his own book...really did have a story to tell Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 30,591 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) I meant the ol fella gets a few mentions but yes i agree with that.....i used to take him round to Sammys flat with people like Vic Andretti,Freddie King they would sit talking for hours it was a funny scene seeing all these old hard nosed ex fighters in their seventies and eighties sitting there with cups and saucers sipping tea and passing round the biscuit tin bless em I dont know how much detail that book go,s into but Sammy is possibly the only man ever to have a victim stand up in the witness box and say what a thoroughly polite and pleasant man he was while committing an armed robbery !!.......different class that generation i could sit listening to them for hours. Edited January 21, 2015 by gnasher16 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Greengrass 202 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I used to work with an old Maltese gent from Stepney many years ago called Sammy Bonnici, he used to tell me about his career , he started boxing in London around the East End, then moved to Sydney and had quite a few fights at the old Sydney Stadium, great character was Sammy, typicalMaltese hot headed temperament, even as he got old he was still game as a pebble Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AKA-BRINDLE 879 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 I have an old copy of Billys book here its called..."when the gloves come off"...his brother george was his manager and also got the rules changed so he could work his brothers corner...he invested Billys money in a couple of jacket potatoe shops and built up from there...as Gnasher said he made millions with Brent walker...but him and billy fell out big time over money...good to hear they made up before it was too late...Billy dont come across as that exciting as a boxer to be honest...the book is more about his playboy style life...Terry Downes book "my bleeding business" would make a great film in my opinion...and still our longest living world Champ i belive?...but with some of the crap they make films about these days...one about the walkers would be one i'd watch...just finished Alex Daleys...Fighting men of London book...boxers storys from the 1930's-50's...cracking little book...well worth a read " Billys baked Potatos " thats right there was 3 or 4 of them if im not wrong one was in Roman Road market my ol fella would talk about the family a lot George was wrapped around the gangster Billy Hill quite a lot he did a bit of time early on i forget what for now but i think the rule change about the trainers licence was something to do with his criminal record........anyway...........Brindle is the old referee Sid Nathan in that book ?......my ol fella was good pals with Sammy McCarthy im told he gets a few mentions in that book im not a big book reader myself but i think i might give that one a try. Just wondered if you've read this book yet...and what your opinion of it was??... lent it to my old man...He got no connection with the eastend but enjoyed the book alot..his generation so to speak....he said Don Cockell was the best heavyweight we ever had...was reminded of the book a few weeks back when i met a mate in London...at a pub called 'the Ring' in Blackfrars...used to be a gym above it...pub was a bit of a disapiontment...was told it was full of boxing memorabillia...but was more like a wine bar with a few pictures than a good ol'boozer...the pub is opposite where the old BlackFriars Ring boxing arena that was bombed out in the war...gets a mention in that book...we made our way to a decent old pub i know the 'CockPit' in St Pauls (best pint of Guiness in London imo) via the millenium bridge...and passed a little Boxing gym built into the old railway arches also called 'the Ring'...looked fairly new?...dont know how to put in a link...but anyone interested in British/Boxing history...google BlackFriars Bella and the Blackfriars Ring...makes an interesting read Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 30,591 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Just wondered if you've read this book yet...and what your opinion of it was??... lent it to my old man...He got no connection with the eastend but enjoyed the book alot..his generation so to speak....he said Don Cockell was the best heavyweight we ever had...was reminded of the book a few weeks back when i met a mate in London...at a pub called 'the Ring' in Blackfrars...used to be a gym above it...pub was a bit of a disapiontment...was told it was full of boxing memorabillia...but was more like a wine bar with a few pictures than a good ol'boozer...the pub is opposite where the old BlackFriars Ring boxing arena that was bombed out in the war...gets a mention in that book...we made our way to a decent old pub i know the 'CockPit' in St Pauls (best pint of Guiness in London imo) via the millenium bridge...and passed a little Boxing gym built into the old railway arches also called 'the Ring'...looked fairly new?...dont know how to put in a link...but anyone interested in British/Boxing history...google BlackFriars Bella and the Blackfriars Ring...makes an interesting read Hello mate someone did give me a copy of that book a while back its still in the boot of my car i keep meaning to have a read i did have a flick through the pictures there was a cracking picture of the Lewis clan and a nice picture of Lew Lazar who was a great friend of my ol fella....i think Cockell was just unlucky to be around the Marciano era and the manner in which he lost to him was probably harsh on him.....personally i think if you accept Lennox as English its hard to look past him as our best ever ...but plenty of the ol boys ive spoken to over the years say the same as your father and certainly have high praise for him. You might know better than me but i think the old Blackfriars ring is now that big new building on the other corner of the junction to The Ring opposite Southwark Station......the little gym under the arches is Mark Burfords gym its what used to be above the pub and is just a white collar gym now......not my cuppa tea they are springing up all over the place unfortunately....Marks a good lad but investment bankers and city slicker types paying extornionate monthly fees are not really for me....im not even being biased when i say the true honest spit and sawdust London boxing gyms packed with talent are still in the east end Canning Town has never really attracted too many yuppie office types Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lanesra 3,994 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 100% Agree Gnash About The Older Generation , Sat In A Pub In South Wales After A Day Out With Hounds & Got Chatting To An Old Boy In His Late 70s What An Education , Not Just About Hunting But The Way They Conducted Themselves Morals Wise Ect !! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Greengrass 202 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Gnasher not sure if I asked you before but did you or your dad know of a boxer called Sammy bennichi ? He was of Maltese origin but east end born an bred , he moved to Sydney and had quite a few fights in the old Sydney stadium, Great guy was sammy and absolutely fearless would take on anybody at the drop of a hat, we were working alongside each other when sammy was in his fifties and I was in my late teens, someone decided to steal and did a runner with sammy after him, when he caught him he battered him right over the head with a marble cigarette ashtray ....I said to sammy he,s a goner ... Sammy said I hope so for his sake. !! Great guy who as we say up here was as wide as the clyde Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 30,591 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Cant say as i know the name Greengrass but i,ll be popping in for a cup of rosie with an old boy of about 145 tomorrow so i,ll ask him 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 30,591 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) Spoke to that ol boy earlier Greengrass,as soon as i mentioned the name his eyes lit up so i knew i was in for a long cuppa ......he reckons Sammy was out of Hoxton not Stepney but its only up the road anyway.....he was born in Malta apparently and came over to London as a child as his father worked in the rag trade in Limehouse,boxed for the St Catherines club as a kid which was a well known boys club in Mile End and ended up turning pro under the old promoter Jack Solomons at his gym in Great Windmill Street till it closed down in the mid 50,s when he came back over this side and fought mostly at places like the Mile End Arena,West Ham Baths,Leyton Baths all popular venues back then....the ol boy said Sammy was either a featherweight or lightweight and fought Randy Turpins brother Jack at one point... i cant remember if he said he won or lost now but as you say he finished his career in Oz and then moved back over here in the 60,s..... according to the ol boy Sammy died of a heart attack about 10 years ago he was a good little character it seems. Edited March 16, 2015 by gnasher16 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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