What happened to 'Nobbins'?

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 19 Sep 2006, 05:09

Why do we not see the practice of throwing 'Nobbins' (coins) into the ring anymore.
It used to happen quite regularly when to boxers had given there all in a good fight.
I'm sure boxers wouldn't mind if it came back into fashion.

deadpan · Post by **deadpan** » 19 Sep 2006, 05:51

Plus there are less truly competitive bouts these days worth shedding some shrapnel for.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 19 Sep 2006, 07:22

Given the number of high profile instance involving coin throwing in football, it can sometimes be taken the wrong way. I think it was the first Rigby vs Ayers fight where some coins were thrown. I thought it was definately the old nobbins jesture, but the commentator took it as thrown AT Rigby in some disgusting act of crowd violence.

THEBUTCH · Post by **THEBUTCH** » 19 Sep 2006, 07:30

Excellent post !

It's a shame it doesn't still happen. The first time i saw it happen I thought the crowd were protesting against the decision awarded to one of the boxers but someone put me right !

Lenny · Post by **Lenny** » 19 Sep 2006, 07:41

Was at a carnaval outside my house in the summer and people were throwing coins at a float with guys playing steal drums, one of the guys was throwing the coins back at people telling them to f*ck off

don't think it's an understood practice anymore

ABA Boxing · Post by **ABA Boxing** » 19 Sep 2006, 07:48

A collection box at the exit would be a good idea with the boxers name on

chris s · Post by **chris s** » 19 Sep 2006, 08:25

Great thread this. Be great if nobbins started again.

I remember fights at Manor Place in the 70s and Elephant and Castle in the 80s where plenty would be thrown in and the seconds would collect the coins in a towel.

A great practice.

I'm afraid fewer fights are competitive these days especially as six round level where kids just pad out records because they can flog tickets.

J · Post by J » 19 Sep 2006, 08:26

could have sharpened 50 p's to throw at Audley after the williams "fight".

about 50 quids worth which is what the ticket cost.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 19 Sep 2006, 08:27

billy bessey wrote:i think maybe its to with the ringside seats being taken up by toffs where as the normal punter who would normally throw the money in is on the outside of the barriers

That might be a factor , but you don't hear of it happening at any show nowadays. even small hall.

Kilburn · Post by **Kilburn** » 19 Sep 2006, 09:11

The last time I heard about nobbins being chucked in was after the Gary Logan v Hussein Ossman first fight, back in 2002.

J · Post by J » 19 Sep 2006, 10:22

hahah he seems to have used uhis business genius into connign everyone out of thweir coin so far, he doesnt avoid em he collects em :P

J · Post by J » 19 Sep 2006, 10:53

actaully Tercen if you are interested at all, my good mate G (James you know him) went to school woth big Aud, reckons he was right pain in the arse., apparentyl was a handy centre forward as well.

Suppose being 8 ft 3 helps though!

J · Post by J » 19 Sep 2006, 11:50

haha class Terence!

no mate i havent seieng as Aud has already wasted about a day of my life watching him box I have no intention of letting waste more by reading about the great lazy plank. 8)

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 19 Sep 2006, 15:04

THEBUTCH wrote:Excellent post !

It's a shame it doesn't still happen. The first time i saw it happen I thought the crowd were protesting against the decision awarded to one of the boxers but someone put me right !

The last and only fight I saw live where Nobbins were thrown was at the Gary Logan - Hussien Osman I at the Elephant and Castle.

Tremendous fight and great value.

lvlarc · Post by **lvlarc** » 19 Sep 2006, 15:16

Not likely to come back anytime soon what with us all living in a poxy nanny state.

Andy Mac · Post by **Andy Mac** » 19 Sep 2006, 16:06

Seeing as it was a tradition started by the gentry, to reward the peasants for entertaining them,,,if it does become fashionable again, can we ask that the fighters wear caps please in readiness to doff?

THEBUTCH · Post by **THEBUTCH** » 21 Sep 2006, 06:44

I read reports where there have been over a hundred quid thrown in the ring when the bout's been a real barn-burner. Split between the boxers it's nice little cash bonus for them.

The last time a witnessed nobbins was actually at an amatuer show between my mate when he beat Deji Banjo of the Lynn AC (any London amateur enthusiasts remember him?). Loads of cash came rolling into the ring but because they were amatuers they couldn't receive a penny ! :(

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 21 Sep 2006, 07:31

THEBUTCH wrote:I read reports where there have been over a hundred quid thrown in the ring when the bout's been a real barn-burner. Split between the boxers it's nice little cash bonus for them.

The last time a witnessed nobbins was actually at an amatuer show between my mate when he beat Deji Banjo of the Lynn AC (any London amateur enthusiasts remember him?). Loads of cash came rolling into the ring but because they were amatuers they couldn't receive a penny ! :(

Yeah i've seen that happen as well at a local amatuer show, seems a bit pedantic of the ABA officials not to give it to the boxers.

SticknMove · Post by **SticknMove** » 21 Sep 2006, 07:51

I dont know myself, but does anyone know where the term 'nobbins' came from?

E · Post by E » 21 Sep 2006, 10:14

In my opinon nobbins (which I've never seen live) has stopped for the following reasons:

1. the hardcore boxing crowd who would regularly go to a large number of shows inc small hall and would be likely to throw nobbins has all but disappeared.... there are fewer shows esp small hall shows, as I understand.

2. Ticket prices.....

THEBUTCH · Post by **THEBUTCH** » 22 Sep 2006, 08:42

I wonder if we could drag Jamie Sanigar into this post to get his views.

It was actually at one of the Sanigar's shows that I felt nobbins would have been appropriate (Leigh Allis v Valery Odin), although it didn't occur to me until after the event.

Any views Jamie ???

Jamie Sanigar · Post by **Jamie Sanigar** » 07 Nov 2006, 10:15

Odin & Alliss definatley deserved nobbins one of the best small hall fights I have seen in recent years. Odin was relentless that night! Alliss was in another war worthy of nobbins against Peter Haymer.

My dad Chris said that he got nobbins on many occasions. He said when he boxed at the Cafe Royal, Picaddily against Roy Varden and Gary Pearce they threw nobbins in the ring. Against Gary Pearce they said it was the most they had seen thrown in the ring in a long time. In his last fight against Rocky Kelly they also threw nobbins into the ring. Dad said it was a shame they did not have pound coins in those days so it was mainly silver coins. But he did recall some people would roll a £5 note up around a coin and throw it in. Apparently the whip would collect it all up and split it with the boxers after.

THEBUTCH · Post by **THEBUTCH** » 08 Nov 2006, 09:02

Cheers JamieSanigar.

Do you know why "nobbins" has dried up? I haven't seen it happen for years.

Health and safety reasons ???

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 08 Nov 2006, 09:40

Wikipedia seems to think the last time "nobbins" occured was during a Michael Watson fight.

Another huge match in Watson's career came two years after his poor showing in 1984. In his seventh professional fight, he took on reigning European amateur champion Carlton Warren. If Warren beat Watson he was promised a shot at Herol 'Bomber' Graham, the greatest post-war British boxer never to win a world title, as early as his fifth pro fight. Warren and Watson went at it in Royal Albert Hall in London, both boxers fighting as if it was the end of the world, with Watson coming out on top in the end. Surprisingly, coins were thrown into the ring after Watson's arm was raised. It was a token of appreciation for Watson's skills, and boxing history was made that night because it was the last time this occurrence came up (the term 'nobbins' referred to an old practice in boxing of throwing coins into the ring but this rarely ever happened).

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 08 Nov 2006, 09:44

Also found this in a review of the film "The Boxer".

The scene at the English fight was by far the best in the movie - especially from the perspective of a fight fan. It is set as an evening of "dinner boxing," a phenomenon which has always been exclusively British and is still very common. These evenings feature the scum de la scum getting together around lamplit tables, dressed in tuxedos and with be - jeweled women in tow. Mutton dressed as lamb, basically. Their appearance and polite applause belies their craving for blood, guts and brutality. "The Boxer" depicted this whole charade extremely accurately, even down to the "nobbins" ritual - where the dining audience throw coins into the ring (or in many cases give coins to their wives to throw) after a contest which satisfied their blood lust sufficiently. The "nobbins" are then collected by the trainer of the winning fighter. This ritual is basically a statement symbolising the besuited ones' imagined superiority over the lowly fighters and trainers: Money is thrown and collected as it would be to a wino on the street corner.