Andy Till

[chinny]

Since I discovered this forum about a year and half ago I don't think I've heard anyone mention the fighting milkman.

Remember his fights with Wally Swift and Tony Collins in the early 90's, all over Sky TV? There was some real excitement around Till and his hard as nails looks and fighting style. Then he got badly beat for the Euro title.

Anyone have any more info on what he's been up to and/or any more memories of Till?

[THEBUTCH]

The last time I saw him he was at an amateur show with the Northolt ABC.

[bennie]

He had given up his milk float by the closing stages of his career and was working as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport, putting on weight as he waited for the planes to land, munching on crap. This is obviously going back a few years so Gawd knows what he is doing now!
I enjoyed his British title win over Collins, one of the most despicable characters to enter a British boxing ring. Tony had a penchant for taunting fallen opponents, standing over them, and had an equally sporting set of fans.

[Deserter]

I enjoyed his British title win over Collins, one of the most despicable characters to enter a British boxing ring. Tony had a penchant for taunting fallen opponents, standing over them, and had an equally sporting set of fans.

Collins was definitely a nasty piece of work who vastly over-rated himself. From memory I think he used to brag about handling Eubank in the gym and didn't he slag off Honeyghan as well?

[Old bones Ian]

Here's his biography.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Sweat-Tea ... 095485425X

I remember there was a bit of crowd trouble when Till fought Rob McCracken.
Also Andy was given a good chance by many to win that Euro title, but Laurent Boudouani took him apart with ease, surprised me at the time how good Boudouani was . Even more suprising was the way Boudouani got beaten in his next fight by Razzano, thats boxing though.

[chinny]

Here's his biography.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Sweat-Tea ... 095485425X

I remember there was a bit of crowd trouble when Till fought Rob McCracken.
Also Andy was given a good chance by many to win that Euro title, but Laurent Boudouani took him apart with ease, surprised me at the time how good Boudouani was . Even more suprising was the way Boudouani got beaten in his next fight by Razzano, thats boxing though.

Thanks Ian. Yes I agree - like when Goyo vargas shocked Paul Hoko he looked like the second coming but lost in his first defence and never looked the sam again. Styles as they say..

[Old bones Ian]

Shows its about timing and good matchmaking, Till would of beat Razzano with ease IMO.
Laurent Boudouani did prove that he was class though, won back the Euro title and win the WBA title as well.

[THEBUTCH]

Till dealt with Tony Collins very well indeed.

Speaking of Tony Collins he wasa good, exciting talent but his attitude was a turn off. He was just too brash at times and lacked self-control. He could be likeable too, I think it just depended on if he came across as cheeky or nasty.

I remember his little band of followers, Bennie :) Do you remember they used to caterwaul to the strains of the highly imaginitive "Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony"

[Boxingmad]

Boudouani was a silver medallist in the Olympics in 1988 so was a classy operator.

I work at Heathrow airport and can confirm that junk is all you get to eat there! Baggage handlers are restricted to where they can go to eat in as much as the time it takes to go somewhere in the terminal then back down to the apron to where the aircraft are. Besides, the staff canteens are truly dreadful, they really are. So it's no surprise that Andy Till put masses of weight on whilst working there.

[Old bones Ian]

Andy also has a cameo apperance in the film Snatch as 'John the gun'

[scrap iron]

Till dealt with Tony Collins very well indeed.

Speaking of Tony Collins he wasa good, exciting talent but his attitude was a turn off. He was just too brash at times and lacked self-control. He could be likeable too, I think it just depended on if he came across as cheeky or nasty.

I remember his little band of followers, Bennie :) Do you remember they used to caterwaul to the strains of the highly imaginitive "Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony"

Can somebody who was around at the time (Bennie, The Butch, Deserter etc) please tell me more about the Collins brothers as I've heard so many myths about them? Didn't George Collins win his first 35 contests and then was involved in one of the biggest and most hyped all British clashes in the 1980s against Gary Jacobs? I also heard they were a lot older then what their records suggested and when they were winning all the schoolboy titles people claimed they were nearly fully grown men. A few years ago allegedly did an interview for a national newspaper and described his biggest regret as not seeing Tony Collins reach his full potential as he was one of the most naturally gifted fighters he has ever seen. I've also heard another story that in 1990 Tony got heavily involved in the acid-house scene, grew his hair long and would be going to all-night raves taking disco biscuits and yet was still fighting 12 rounders regularly on the BBC and ITV. Unbelievable!! Then didn't a third brother called Benny come out of the woodwork and were they really that unlikeable?

[TerribleTerry]

It was nice to see the unfashionable, workmanlike, but very decent fighter Wally Swift Jnr, beat the flashy Tony Collins. You couldn't find two more different types of fighter.

Wally worked in an office by day and certainly didn't generate the sort of hype that Collins did.
Their fight was showed delayed tape on ITV.

A classic over achiever, Wally banjoed Ensley Bingham to win the British title in a rare show of power and defended it successfully against Collins. He rarely gets a mention but was a good pro in his day.

Andy Till just seemed to have his number though.

His dad was a two weight British champion - cracking Notts fighter

[oliverfennell]

Is it true that Till was once on the cover of GQ and had been in talks to play James Bond?

[bennie]

Till dealt with Tony Collins very well indeed.

Speaking of Tony Collins he wasa good, exciting talent but his attitude was a turn off. He was just too brash at times and lacked self-control. He could be likeable too, I think it just depended on if he came across as cheeky or nasty.

I remember his little band of followers, Bennie :) Do you remember they used to caterwaul to the strains of the highly imaginitive "Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony"

Can somebody who was around at the time (Bennie, The Butch, Deserter etc) please tell me more about the Collins brothers as I've heard so many myths about them? Didn't George Collins win his first 35 contests and then was involved in one of the biggest and most hyped all British clashes in the 1980s against Gary Jacobs? I also heard they were a lot older then what their records suggested and when they were winning all the schoolboy titles people claimed they were nearly fully grown men. A few years ago allegedly allegedly did an interview for a national newspaper and described his biggest regret as not seeing Tony Collins reach his full potential as he was one of the most naturally gifted fighters he has ever seen. I've also heard another story that in 1990 Tony got heavily involved in the acid-house scene, grew his hair long and would be going to all-night raves taking disco biscuits and yet was still fighting 12 rounders regularly on the BBC and ITV. Unbelievable!! Then didn't a third brother called Benny come out of the woodwork and were they really that unlikeable?

Tony was a bit after my time but his antics are hard to forget, although we all do stupid things when we are young, wild and restless. He could certainly whack a bit and had the physical tools to do something at light-middleweight, plenty of height and reach. My only concern with Tony - and certainly with George - is that he looked a little one-paced against fighters he failed to budge, namely Wally Swift Junior.
F rank likes to say these things about his former fighters who failed to make the grade, you know. It all adds a bit of 'mystery' when the truth is not always so romantic: maybe those fighters were just not just good enough. Tommy Shiels looked a much better fighter than Tony, in my opinion, much more dynamic, Christ, he did a real number on Del Bryan and then disappeared! Now that is mystery. Alan Coveley was another real waste of talent.
As for George, he was a solid fighter but had a stamina problem. A tough Canadian hurt him in the last round of an eight-rounder on the McGuigan-Cruz bill in 1988 and then Jacobs put him down in the last round and had him all over the place. Laing destroyed George, of course, but Laing beat Duran.
Benny Collins is a name that I know without knowing anything else, bar the fact he was a top schoolboy and junior amateur like George.

[Scrap]

Bennie, Tommy Sheilds now He could Fight one of the biggest wastes of Fighting blood there has been DD

[THEBUTCH]

I couldn't tell you how true the age issue is in respect of their amatuer days, first time i've heard of such a suggestion, but they were shit hot in the vest as school boys and youths. I think George Collins lost only 1 fight, a quick blow out at the hands of Gary Stretch, so no shame there. Tony, i think, didn't even lose a single fight.

George was nice to watch, also did a fair job on Del Bryan too, relaxed, reasonable power. Too long a build up IMO, Warren messed that up in my view. George was a lot more gracious than his younger brother Tony and generally showed a lot more maturity. When asked who he'd like to tackle for a title, he'd always say it didn't matter but expressed a slight tendancy towards Kirk Laing....and ended up getting him and was beaten quite easily. Again no disgrace. I agree with Bennie, he just lacked that extra something at top domestic level, although Gary Jacobs and Kirk Laing were very, very good champions so had it happened at another time, who knows? He almost went in with Rocky Kelly and that would have been a belter, but it fell through sadly.

Tony was very,very cocky but had some good power in his fists especially the left hook as i remember. Another good stylist but just seemed to lack that extra something or luck at British title level. His bout with Swift was excellent and could have gone either way. The stories about him being an acid head are well known, he used to wear the thingy on his trunks, so....... Sometimes Tony turned you right off,quite a few times he would carry on punching when he'd decked someone etc , but other times you couldn't help but take to him like the time he was interviewed after a win and was asked about fighting Nigel Benn and said with a real with cocky swagger "he's chinny, and I can punch!"

God knows what they are doing know, but George shouldn't be lost to game, I could well imagine him being an excellent trainer.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Tommy Shiels looked a much better fighter than Tony, in my opinion, much more dynamic, Christ, he did a real number on Del Bryan and then disappeared! Now that is mystery.

No mystery at all. Sheil's hands lept breaking and he packed it in. But he was a real prospect with power.

[scrap iron]

I couldn't tell you how true the age issue is in respect of their amatuer days, first time i've heard of such a suggestion, but they were shit hot in the vest as school boys and youths. I think George Collins lost only 1 fight, a quick blow out at the hands of Gary Stretch, so no shame there. Tony, i think, didn't even lose a single fight.

George was nice to watch, also did a fair job on Del Bryan too, relaxed, reasonable power. Too long a build up IMO, Warren messed that up in my view. George was a lot more gracious than his younger brother Tony and generally showed a lot more maturity. When asked who he'd like to tackle for a title, he'd always say it didn't matter but expressed a slight tendancy towards Kirk Laing....and ended up getting him and was beaten quite easily. Again no disgrace. I agree with Bennie, he just lacked that extra something at top domestic level, although Gary Jacobs and Kirk Laing were very, very good champions so had it happened at another time, who knows? He almost went in with Rocky Kelly and that would have been a belter, but it fell through sadly.

Tony was very,very cocky but had some good power in his fists especially the left hook as i remember. Another good stylist but just seemed to lack that extra something or luck at British title level. His bout with Swift was excellent and could have gone either way. The stories about him being an acid head are well known, he used to wear the thingy on his trunks, so....... Sometimes Tony turned you right off,quite a few times he would carry on punching when he'd decked someone etc , but other times you couldn't help but take to him like the time he was interviewed after a win and was asked about fighting Nigel Benn and said with a real with cocky swagger "he's chinny, and I can punch!"

God knows what they are doing know, but George shouldn't be lost to game, I could well imagine him being an excellent trainer.

I'm just about old enough to remember the Collins v Swift fight, which I think was shown late one Tuesday evening and Swift ended it with a hideous cut lip. It was only a few years later that I started hearing the stories surrounding Tony Collins. It does seem amazing a guy could get involved in going to all-night raves and popping pills (back in the day when E was a lot stronger then it is today) and was able to fight in draining 12 round title contests. A friend of mine who was involved in the M25 illegal raves between 1989-1991 told me the stories regarding Tony Collins and suggested the guy was regarded as quite a legend during that era.