Latest news with #DickMcTaggart
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Dick McTaggart obituary
When the Scottish boxer Dick McTaggart flew back from the 1956 Olympic Games in Australia, where he had won the gold medal in the lightweight division, nothing could have prepared him for the hero's welcome he was given after travelling by train back to his home in Dundee. He was lifted on to the platform by two fellow boxers and carried out of the station, where he was besieged by hordes of well-wishers before being borne in an open-topped vehicle to his tenement home in the tough Dens Road area of the city, with fans lining the two-mile route. McTaggart, who has died aged 89, remembered it all clearly in old age, even after dementia had begun to dim his recall of more recent events. 'It was fantastic. Tears were running down my face,' he said. 'I couldn't believe it. Peter Cain and John McVicar hoisted me on to their shoulders, then carried me up the stairs and out of the station. People were on the street all the way back to my home.' Dundee had possessed few sporting heroes up to that point, and to this day there are many who would argue that McTaggart is still the greatest sportsman to have come from the city. There is even a persuasive argument to be made that he is Scotland's best ever amateur boxer. Aged just 21 at Melbourne, he became the first Scottish Olympic boxing champion, and in the process picked up the prestigious Val Barker award – the first Briton ever to do so – which is given to the fighter judged to have been the most talented boxer in any of the sport's weight divisions at the Olympics. He was born in Dundee as one of the 18 children of Richard, who worked in a nail factory, and his wife, Jean. Life was difficult for the huge family growing up in a three-bedroom home. Perhaps it was little surprise that Dick and his brothers were often involved in street skirmishes, as well as fights among themselves. 'One day Dad just decided that enough was enough,' he remembered. 'He told us if we wanted to fight, we would have to go to the boxing gym. And that was how it started. I took to it right away. I really enjoyed the physical aspect of it, as well as the discipline of training.' At St John's high school he initially joined the Belmont Boxing Club in Dundee, but his aptitude for the sport became truly apparent when, after initially training as a butcher from the age of 14, he joined the RAF on national service before joining up as a regular, mainly working as a chef. At RAF Halton near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire he became the 1954 RAF champion, a title he would hold for five consecutive years while also becoming the armed forces champion four times. In 1956 he was the Amateur Boxing Association lightweight champion, leading to his selection for the Great Britain Olympic team. He would claim the ABA title on a further four occasions (1958, 1960, 1963 and 1965), the last two as a light-welterweight (10 stone) after he found that he could no longer reach the lightweight limit (9st 9lb). Standing almost 5ft 10in, he was tall for his weight and had a further style advantage by leading off with his right hand while fighting out of a left-handed stance. Always a snappy dresser, and choosing to be one of the first to wear white boxing boots, he became known as Dandy Dick McTaggart after the BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter referred to him as such during one of his fights. Leading promoters of professional boxing tried long and hard to tempt him to turn over to the paid side of the sport. But McTaggart would not be persuaded, despite winning numerous medals, including the 1960 Olympic bronze when he lost a contentious semi-final against Poland's Kazimierz Paździor. McTaggart also claimed a Commonwealth gold in 1958 in Cardiff, with a silver four years later, and a European gold in 1961. 'Professional boxing is all work and wages,' he said by way of explanation. 'I enjoyed the freedom of having the odd drink and a fag when I felt like it. Once you turn pro it's not sport anymore.' However, there might have been other reasons that he turned his back on the potential of big money. In 1965 he also walked away from the amateur ring –after winning a reported 610 out of his 634 contests – saying that his fiancee, Doreen (nee Cochran), to whom he was married in 1966, wanted him to keep his good looks. He never boxed competitively thereafter, although he returned as a coach in later years. Instead McTaggart became a ratcatcher after leaving the RAF and then ended his working days as an oil tester for Rolls-Royce. Nevertheless boxing remained his passion. He was made MBE in 1985 for services to the amateur sport, in which he maintained a keen interest into old age. He is survived by Doreen, their three daughters, and another daughter from a previous relationship. Richard McTaggart, boxer, born Dundee 15 October 1935; died 9 March 2025
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Dick McTaggart: A ballet dancer with dynamite in his fists
Dick McTaggart, who has died at the age of 89, is widely regarded as the best amateur boxer Britain has produced but he never regretted his decision to snub the professional ranks. McTaggart was the first Briton to box in three Olympic Games, remains the only Scottish boxer to win Olympic gold and was honoured on a series of occasions in later life. The Dundonian was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000 and was one of the inaugural inductees into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. He was also named the Best British Amateur Boxer in the prestigious hall of fame of the Ex-Boxers Association. One of his vanquished opponents, Andre Vairolatto, summed up McTaggart's style in eloquent fashion. The Frenchman said: 'He moves like a ballet dancer. A ballet dancer with dynamite in his fists. It is a privilege to lose to such a boxer. He is right there in front of you until the precise second you prepare to unleash a punch, then – poof! – he has vanished. You only realise that he is still there in the ring with you when his fists land on your chin.' Richard McTaggart MBE was born on October 15, 1935, one of 18 siblings in a family which resided in a tenement flat on Dens Road in Dundee. He started boxing about the age of 11 along with several of his brothers after his father, also called Richard, took them to a boxing club because they were always fighting. McTaggart told the Courier in 2016: ' Kids used to pick on me at school, and when I took up boxing they stopped.' He left school at 14 and got a job in a butcher's shop before training to become a cook while doing national service. He was RAF boxing champion for five years, while one of his brothers was Royal Navy champion and another Army champion. McTaggart won the Olympic lightweight gold medal in Melbourne in 1956 and also collected the coveted Val Barker trophy, presented to the most stylish boxer of the Games – the only British boxer to do so to this day. A hero's welcome awaited him and Britain's other gold medal winners. 'My parents had been taken down to London to meet me,' he told The Scotsman in 2012. 'My mum had borrowed my Auntie Marion's fur coat for the day. I don't think she had ever been out of Dundee before in her life.' Another major reception awaited as thousands lined the streets of Dundee to see McTaggart being towed on an open-top car from the train station up the hill to Dens Road. Lucrative opportunities to turn professional came flooding in. 'I got one offer of £1000 up front, which was a fortune in those days,' he said. 'But if someone is giving me £1000 to turn pro, they will be earning at least five times more than that from me fighting. 'I enjoyed boxing, but I never wanted it to become my job. I knew that I didn't have many brains, but I wanted to keep the ones I had. I have never regretted my decision to stay amateur. 'I liked to lead a normal life as well. If I wanted to go for a pint then I would. You can't do that as a pro.' McTaggart initially boxed for England as he was based at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire but he was picked for his country's Commonwealth Games team after winning the Scottish Championship at the first attempt in 1958 and soon took gold at Cardiff. The right-handed southpaw was the flag bearer for the British team at the 1960 Olympics and won bronze after a controversial semi-final defeat. McTaggart became European champion the following year before being on the end of another contentious decision in the 1962 Commonwealth Games light-welterweight final when his Ghanaian opponent fainted with shock after being awarded the decision. He competed at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo but lost to the eventual winner in the quarter-finals. 'I started taking a lot of punches in 1965 and decided this was a mug's game. So I retired,' he told The Courier in 2016. He did so as a five-times British champion who won 610 of his 634 fights and collected 32 cups, 57 plaques and 49 medals. Outside of the ring, McTaggart's jobs included a labourer, a 'rodent exterminator' with Glasgow Council, a Rolls Royce engineer and a member of the Daily Express circulation department. He also spent many years coaching the British Olympic and Scottish boxing squads. McTaggart met his wife Doreen in 1962 in a cafe in Union Street, Glasgow, while she was working as a waitress. The pair renewed their wedding vows on their 50th anniversary in 2016 near their home in Troon. They had four daughters together.
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Commonwealth Games Scotland pays tribute to Dick McTaggart after death aged 89
Tributes have been paid to former Olympic boxing champion Dick McTaggart following the Scot's death at the age of 89. McTaggart is widely regarded as the best amateur boxer in British history, winning 610 of his 634 fights. The Dundee-born fighter won the lightweight title at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne and remains the only Scottish boxer to have collected a gold medal. He also received the Val Barker Trophy for the best overall boxer of the tournament. He is the only British boxer to compete at three Olympics, also winning bronze in 1960 as well claiming a gold and silver for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. He was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000. A statement from Commonwealth Games Scotland read: 'Everyone at Commonwealth Games Scotland was saddened to learn of the passing of boxing legend Dick McTaggart MBE. 'Widely regarded as Dundee's greatest ever sportsman, McTaggart won Commonwealth Games gold and silver medals as part of a remarkable amateur career, winning 610 of 634 bouts. 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.'
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tributes paid to Dundee boxing legend Dick McTaggart
Tributes have been paid to Dick McTaggart, the only Scottish boxer to win an Olympic gold medal, who has died aged picked up gold at the Olympic lightweight final in 1956 in Melbourne, and bronze at the Rome Olympics in a statement confirming his death, McTaggart's family said he was "a true gentleman and legend in the boxing world."McTaggart won 610 out of 634 amateur contests, turning down offers to turn professional. McTaggart's family added that he would be "deeply missed but forever in our hearts".A 9ft (2.74m) tall statue to McTaggart stands at the Dundee St Francis Boxing Club and a sports centre named after him opened in the city in the 1980s. Sports journalist Jim Spence said McTaggart's legacy was "enormous."He told BBC's Good Morning Scotland: "His record and achievements are astounding."An absolutely remarkable record and a remarkable man."Born in Dens Road, Dundee in 1935, McTaggart was the third youngest of 18 Dick McTaggart was working as a cook in the RAF when his talent for boxing led to the Melbourne Olympic Games of 1956. McTaggart also won the Val Barker Trophy at the 1956 Olympics for the best boxing moved to light-welterweight for the 1964 Olympics, but was beaten in the third bout to the eventual winner Jerzy won gold at the 1958 Commonwealth Games and silver at the 1962 Commonweath won the British ABA title in 1956, 1958, 1960, 1963, and 1965, but resisted the lure of turning Spence said: "He once said that boxing had basically been his hobby."He did say once he had been offered, I think it was in the 1950s, £1,000 by one promoter, which was a fortune in those days."He said at the time that he enjoyed boxing, but never wanted it to become his job."After retiring, McTaggart was made an MBE in 1985 for services to amateur boxing in latterly worked as a boxing coach, helping train the Scottish team at the 1986 and 1990 Commonweath Spence said: "He came from very impoverished circumstances."He gave copious amounts of time in later years to boxing clubs with young folk coming through the sport."I think he'll be remembered as a very humble and unassuming man, a real gentleman and a real sporting icon."
