NEWS that professional boxing could return to Oxford this year reminded John Annett of the sport’s glory days in the county.

He has produced a poster from a tournament which took place at Abingdon Corn Exchange on Friday, April 16, although we don’t know which year.

The main bout was billed as a “great smashing inter-services 12-round middleweight contest” between Tommy Christie, a Royal Navy champion boxer, and Jack Alder, formerly of the Scots Guards.

The supporting bouts all featured local boxers.

Jack Sharkey, from Saxton Road, Abingdon, described as a “great favourite locally”, was lined up to take on Basil Marchant, of Witney, in a “specially requested eight-round contest”.

Meanwhile, Syd Williams, a “rapidly improving youngster predicted to have a great future”, was paired against Syd Benfield, of Oxford.

Other bouts were between Billy Sherlock, of Oxford, and Len Wiggins, of Eynsham, George Robey and a boxer called Cherry, both from Oxford, Young Casey, of Oxford, and Len Johnson, of Cowley, Taffy Turner and Douglas Sherlock, both from Oxford, Gyn Williams, of Cowley, and Arthur Leach, of Witney, and Dill Thomas and Billy Quainton, both from Oxford.

Mr Annett, of Tower Close, Abingdon, would like Memory Lane readers to help him identify the year the tournament took place. He writes: “Syd and Gyn Williams were brothers from Wales (they had another brother called Dinky) and worked at the Pressed Steel factory at Cowley.

“Douglas Sherlock was from the dry cleaners at Cowley, while Billy Sherlock worked at the Cowley factory. George Robey was landlord of the Welsh Pony in Gloucester Green, Oxford, and Taffy Turner, whose real name was Cliff, once owned the Minchery Farm Country Club at Littlemore.”

Patrons were charged 3s 6d and 2s 6d for ringside seats, 2s 6d and 1s 6d to sit in the balcony, or they could stand for a shilling.

As we reported (Oxford Mail, December 3), the last professional boxing to be held in Oxford was in May 1962 when Percy Lewis, Oxford’s Commonwealth featherweight champion, in his penultimate outing before retirement, outpointed Jamaican Con Mount Bassey over eight rounds at the Town Hall. Any memories of the boxers mentioned above?