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The Courier
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Courier
30 pictures that pack a punch from Dundee's boxing scene in days gone by
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.
The Courier
22-05-2025
- General
- The Courier
Last Class 2025: Primary 7 leaver photos from Fife schools
Welcome to Last Class 2025 and our primary seven photographs for Fife schools. Summer holidays are almost upon us – and for thousands of children across Tayside and Fife that means the end of their primary school days. Before they make the big step to secondary school, P7 pupils across our patch posed for photographers. And now we bring you Last Class 2025 Fife. The Courier and Evening Telegraph wish all the best to those preparing to start classes at secondary school, make new friends and face new challenges. Check out the pictures below to see if your local school has been featured.
The Courier
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Photos of Dundee's Charleston housing estate in the 80s and 90s - from street parties to gala days
We dive into our achieves for photos showing life in Dundee's Charleston housing estate in the 1980s and 1990s. Inner city overcrowding meant the housing emphasis in Dundee shifted from central areas to peripheral sites in the 1940s. 'Model' estates like the 1,200 homes at Charleston were created. People moved in droves from the decaying heart of the city to the brave new world. Suburbia was far from utopia. Charleston has had its fair share of ups and downs over the decades. But its community spirit has flourished. Schools, pubs and shops can be seen in these photos alongside a few familiar faces. 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. Will they awaken any memories for you? Robert Deasley in the front garden of his home on Duncraig Road in February 1980. Pipe-smoking Robert created the ornaments in his decorated garden by pouring concrete over wire frames and covering them with shells. The shops on Charleston's Brownhill Road in June 1982. There was competition with posters advertising items for sale on the windows. The mini-market was selling baked beans for 22p a tin. This is Miss Pearl Cosans, who was a pensioner from the Charleston area who complained about the path outside her home in February 1983. She said it was a hazard and was telling her friend to be careful. A dog provides another obstacle for riders at the BMX track in November 1984. Do you remember the BMX bike frames and pointy racing helmets? There was plenty of entertainment for young and old when Charleston Gala Day was held at St Clement's Primary School in June 1985. Andy Ferguson and John McWalter were kept busy at the pennies stall. The face painting stall run by Friends in Need proved very popular at the Gala Day. Can you spot anyone you know disguised under the make-up? Some of the residents from the Charleston area who attended the neighbourhood centre's Cheese and Wine party in September 1989. Wine prices remained stable in 1989. Chancellor Nigel Lawson froze duty on alcohol and cigarettes in his Budget. Lord Provost Tom Mitchell is seen with a group of kids and staff from Charleston Primary as he helped to plant four trees in the school grounds. The lord provost was utilising his green-fingered skills to mark the beginning of National Tree Week on November 23 1989. Pupils from Charleston Primary were getting ready for a small screen appearance in May 1991 when they headed to Bristol to record Top Banana on ITV. The children performed a rap about Dundee. Top Banana was a programme on TV-am and the Charleston youngsters wore special T-shirts marking the 800th anniversary of the city. The Keep Dundee Tidy Campaign visited Charleston Primary School in March 1991. P4 and P5 pupils got to play the environment game of building an imaginary town. This tied in with a project the pupils were doing about recycling. Regulars enjoying a drink in the Gaiety Bar in Balgarthno Road in May 1991. In 1991 there was prize bingo every Monday and live music on a Friday and Saturday. There was a BSB satellite dish showing live football and the Crystal Room Function Suite was available for weddings, receptions, funerals, and christenings. Hundreds packed the school hall in May 1991 and called for action following increasing problems in Charleston with vandalism, drink and drugs. They demanded effective responses from local authorities, police and the courts. The Evening Telegraph said it was 'an unprecedented display of public protest'. A new neighbourhood watch scheme was launched in May 1991 which covered Brownhill Street, Brownhill Place, Liff Crescent, Liff Terrace and Buttars Loan. It was set up in response to the crime and vandalism afflicting the scheme. Dundee United fans setting off for Hampden from the Charleston Bar in April 1994. United drew the Scottish Cup semi-final 1-1 against Aberdeen. They won the replay and famously won the trophy in May against Rangers. Community Safety Week was held in Charleston in April 1995 and launched with the Great Charleston Get Me Home Safely Balloon Race. A balloon sent skyward by five-year-old Steven Irvine during the flying distance contest was carried south by the winds and ended up in France. During the week events were held on crime and fear of crime, safety in the home and safety on the streets. Face painting at the Brownhill Place street party in July 1995. The party was a team effort led by local resident Frankie Ogilvie. The street party attracted people from the street and surrounding area and included a bouncy castle, a disco and a barbecue. Volunteers who were producing the Charleston community newsletter in April 1998, which was hand-delivered to over 2,300 homes. Community worker Alison Christie, based at the Charleston Resource Centre, said: 'The newsletter started out as a single sheet of A3 paper folded in half but, thanks to the enthusiasm of the volunteer staff, it now runs to 12 pages. 'The editorial team have really taken the project seriously and, far from struggling to fill the space, they have actually had to turn down contributions.' Did you get a copy in 1998? It's the final image in our Charleston gallery. Did you recognise anyone? Let us know.
The Courier
20-05-2025
- General
- The Courier
Last Class 2025: Primary 7 leaver photos from Dundee schools
Welcome to Last Class 2025 and our primary seven photographs for Dundee schools. Summer holidays are almost upon us – and for thousands of children across Tayside and Fife that means the end of their primary school days. Before they make the big step to secondary school, P7 pupils across our patch posed for photographers. And now we bring you Last Class 2025 Dundee. The Courier and Evening Telegraph wish all the best to those preparing to start classes at secondary school, make new friends and face new challenges. Check out the pictures below to see if your local school has been featured. Unless a photographer is credited pictures are supplied by schools.
The Courier
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Were you in the Dundee 'smart set' who partied at Rick's Disco in the 80s?
Rick's Disco was the library-turned-nightclub modelled on glitzy London nightspots which opened in May 1983. Heartbreakers and dancefloor demons lucky enough to have experienced its magic in the 1980s will remember its unmistakable décor and pink and red colour scheme. Rick's Disco soon became recognised across the city and beyond. Rick's opened in an elegant former library building at Blackscroft. St Roque's Reading Rooms were unveiled in 1910 as a place for quiet study after being designed by city architect James Thomson and inspired by a French pavilion. The B-listed structure was designed for the reading of magazines and newspapers. Membership started to decline after the Second World War and it was latterly used for storage before beginning to fall into disrepair in the 1970s and early 1980s. The enterprise of two businessmen ensured the building was saved in 1982 with the former library being turned into a nightclub over a period of eight months. The transformation cost £200,000. The owners wanted to attract 'top end of the market clientele'. An Evening Telegraph advertising feature published in 1983 suggested Rick's Disco would have no difficulty in establishing itself at the forefront of local night spots. It read: 'The new role of the library is that of an exclusive cross between a nightclub and a discotheque, called Rick's. 'The brains behind the venture are managing director Mr Richard Robinson and company secretary Iain MacDonald who make up Blackscroft Entertainments Ltd. 'They envisage Rick's as an upmarket night spot, and the sumptuous décor should ensure that they attract top end of the market clientele. 'As the building is listed, they have ensured that it and the garden have been restored to their original glory with the real changes being kept for the interior. Local tradesmen were used where possible. The style was neo-classical with the dominant colours being red and pinks. The Tele said: 'Chrome and mirrored material have been used throughout but perhaps the main feature is the marble effect fittings. 'The tables are made of this as are pillars which flank the dance floor. 'The twin bars which are illuminated from behind are also of the streaked marble effect. Italian-style light fittings and metallic wallpaper are also featured.' The advertising feature said £23,000 had been spent on the sound and lighting equipment 'which must surely be amongst the most advanced anywhere in the area'. So extensive was the array of controls for the lighting and smoke machine the DJ needed an assistant to work them while he was spinning the vinyl. Songs from Spandau Ballet, Wham!, Human League, Hot Chocolate, Tears for Fears and Yahoo would all have been blasting out on the dancefloor in May 1983. Richard Robinson said there was an opening in Dundee for a 'top class night spot'. 'We will be looking for over 21s, the sort of people who want to enjoy the most modern and best discotheque facilities,' he said. He said Rick's was on a par with similar establishments in London and would be ideal for people 'who have guests up from London who have to be entertained'. Although capacity was 170 the owners did not intend to let it get to 'shoulder to shoulder' as that would 'not be in keeping with the image of the establishment'. Patrons would not be expected to wear collar and tie but denims were banned. Mr Robinson said customers should feel at home in Rick's 'whether they are wearing casual clothes or an evening suit'. The staff of 20 were smartly but not formally dressed in a 'uniform' of black skirt or trousers with a grey collarless shirt which featured the Rick's logo. Snacks were available. Rick's opened from 8pm-2am. Admission was £1 or £2 on Wednesday. Thursday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday was £1.50 before 10pm and £2.50 after 10pm. The twin bars were fully stocked with a complete range of beers and spirits. Drink prices were 'comparable to other establishments in town'. The Tele said Rick's Disco was 'destined to become the haunt of the smart set'. 'The rejuvenation of the former library has not only saved a building of note, it has brought some life to the Blackscroft area of the city,' it read. 'Rick's and the gardens are to be floodlit at night and should soon become a familiar landmark to people out for a night on the town,' it said. The Evening Telegraph checked in again in August 1983 to update readers and said Rick's was 'steadily becoming one of Dundee's most popular night spots'. It said 'stepping through the door is like stepping into another world'. 'With its high quality décor and friendly helpful staff, Rick's attracts a good variety of people looking for an enjoyable night out,' said the Tele. 'It's not a big place, the capacity is about 250, but it has a terrific atmosphere and the people there when we visited certainly seemed to be having a good time.' Tragedy struck only a year after it opened. The former library had to be stripped back to a bare, four-wall shell after it was gutted by fire in May 1984 following an electrical fault. The owners restored the interior of the building, only to have it gutted by fire in 1989. Two years later it reopened as the Peep o' Day function suite and John O'Groats pub, before closing down again in 1993 after suffering from financial difficulties. The venue became a clubbing destination on and off from the mid-90s and was latterly the Reading Rooms, which was at the forefront of the underground club scene. The nightclub started attracting top DJs and music acts crossing genres from electro, dubstep, reggae, funk, soul, techno, drum 'n' bass and beyond. The most famous act appeared on April 3 2003. Reggae giant and dub pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry performed with the Robotiks backing band including The Mad Professor on the mixing desk on April 3 2003. He was every bit as eccentric as his reputation implied, and then some. The crowd was transported back to the sounds of '70s Kingston by Perry and set highlights included Zion's Blood, Inspector Gadget and Come Go With Me. His 2003 performance reverberated far beyond the banks of the Tay and a blue plaque was erected by the fictional Dundee Department of Counter Culture to commemorate the night the man of much mystery, myth and legend performed live in the city. Babyshambles, Jake Bugg, Biffy Clyro, Cast, Franz Ferdinand, Wheatus, Afrobeat Orchestra and Fat Freddy's Drop also performed at the Reading Rooms. The Reading Rooms closed for the final time in 2019. But memories remain of its days as one of Dundee's best clubs.
