30 pictures that pack a punch from Dundee's boxing scene in days gone by

The Courier

05-06-2025

Go the distance with these time warp pictures of boxing in Dundee.
Youth, high school, amateur and professional levels are represented including famous names like Henry Cooper, Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Frazier.
Dundee has been a hotbed of boxing for decades.
Although the city's history with the professional game stretches back to 1891, the first outdoor boxing show took place in Dundee on August 4 1920.
Enjoy having another browse back through the ages courtesy of The Dundonian, which appears in the Evening Telegraph every Wednesday.
Some of these images have not been seen for years.
Jack Johnson was the first African-American heavyweight champion in 1908.
The Galveston Giant performed a revue entitled Seconds Out in January 1916 which attracted enormous audiences at the King's Theatre in Cowgate.
Dundonian Jim Brady beat Richie 'Kid' Tanner for his British Empire bantamweight title at Tannadice Park on New Year's Day in 1941.
Brady became a Lochee newsagent after retiring.
London's Terry Allen boxed Dundee's Norman Tennant in a flyweight championship eliminator before 20,000 fans at Dens Park in June 1949.
Allen won on points.
Dundonian Jimmy Croll turned professional aged 17.
He was Scottish welterweight champion for a number of years.
Dick McTaggart surged to golden glory with a series of memorable performances in the lightweight division at the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956.
He was nicknamed 'Dandy Dick' by commentator Harry Carpenter.
Dundonian Bobby Boland was one of Britain's top bantamweight boxers post-war before going on to fight pro-wrestlers at their own game.
After hanging up his boxing gloves he was a newsagent and taxi driver.
The Harlem Hep-Cat arrived in Dundee in August 1964 while preparing for a fight against British middleweight champion Mick Leahy at Paisley Ice Rink.
He was given haggis at the Invercarse Hotel and travelled to the Ellenbank Bar where George Kidd had organised a gathering of boxers and ex-boxers.
Dundee boxer Stewart Ogilvie with his wife Agnes and baby son Paul at the 1970 Commonwealth Games where he won the bronze medal.
He also won two ABA championships in 1974 and 1975.
Albert Buchanan was among the competitors when Camperdown Boxing Club held a show at the old Olympia pool in November 1974.
Dennis Gilfeather is wearing his jacket from the Olympic Games in Munich.
He was a referee in 1972.
Henry Cooper took off the gloves to sign autographs at the opening of British Home Stores in the Wellgate Centre in May 1978.
The British boxing champion – who knocked down Muhammad Ali for the first time in his career – presented free Brut gift sets to the first 100 customers.
North End Amateur Boxing Club who held their first competition in May 1979.
Can you recognise any of the young fighters in the picture?
Members of the Prince of Wales Amateur Boxing Club from Cardiff are being put through their paces at the Magdalen Green bandstand in May 1979.
We're not sure if a leather jacket and flares is standard issue boxing wear but these guys certainly weren't to be messed with.
This crowd gathered to watch the Lochee Boys Club and the Unicorn Amateur Boxing Club trading punches in July 1979.
The boxing match was not the last time a brawl would be seen in the park.
A boxing match in Beechwood in July 1979.
The 1970s was the golden age of heavyweight boxing when Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman were vying for the sport's biggest prize.
Gowrie Boys Boxing Club at their Abbotsford Street premises in November 1979.
On the right is John Kellie who was Scottish bantamweight champion.
Billy and Albert Buchanan in March 1980.
They were members of Lochee Boys Club and represented Scotland.
Camperdown Boxing Club fighters who were chosen to go to Malta.
A Mini-Olympics was organised by the Maltese government and took place in November 1980 to encourage more tourism on the island.
Boxing at Lochee Park in July 1980.
Fraser Fitzpatrick (Lochee Boys) and Perry Ayoub (North End) were trading blows.
Young Boxers at the Astoria Boxing Club in Lochee in August 1983.
Frank Jones and Leslie Jones were the coaches.
Birkhill Amateur Boxing Club trained at Lochee United's Thomson Park.
Members and officials line up in February 1984.
George Kerr showing off a trophy in April 1984.
His amateur career saw him compete in more than 400 fights in the late 1970s as part of the Dundee Camperdown club before turning professional.
Scottish boxers at the Marryat Hall in February 1986.
They were competing in an exhibition against boxers from England.
Former world lightweight champion Floyd Patterson opened the St Francis Boxing Club gym in King's Cross Road in Beechwood in 1986.
He was passing on tips to Philip Chalmers, Gary McMillan, Neil Low and William Low.
Scotland's Mick Kearney is down as the referee begins the count at the amateur boxing international against England at the Angus Hotel in January 1987.
The Scots were defeated 9-3.
Pro boxing returned to Dundee for the first time in 30 years in May 1989.
It was held at De Stihl's nightclub and it was a great night with wins for Dundee's Billy Buchanan, Martin Ogilvie, George Kerr and Graham Watson.
Lord Provost John Letford caught between fight legends Ken Buchanan and Earnie Shavers at a dinner in the Hilton Hotel in September 2003.
The dinner celebrated Buchanan's 50th year in boxing.
Joe Frazier was guest of honour at the Hilton Hotel in September 2008.
He spoke about his three iconic fights against Muhammad Ali.
Dundee boxer 'Iron Mike' Towell was a welterweight title contender.
He died aged 25 following a fight against Dale Evans in September 2016.
Mike Towell was a big influence on Sam Hickey.
They trained together in Lochee.
Hickey won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
It's the picture in our Dundee boxing gallery.