Page 1 of 1

Frankie Williams

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 17:40
by robert.snell1
Frankie Williams

Boxing news March 5, 1952

He made three come-backs

On his 27th birthday, a month ago, Frankie Williams, the shipyard plater of Birkenhead And Merseyside’s latest title hope, recieved a welcome birthday gift from the Board of control Informing him in an official letter that he had been nominated to meet Ron Johnson Of London in the final eliminator for Peter Keenan’s British bantam title.

It was great news for the match due to take place at Earls court next Tuesday will fit In nicely with frankies plans and ambitions to bring another title to his home town. He is eager and quietly confident of emulating his local stable mate Wally Thom The British welter champion.

After boxing for seventeen years – he won his first championship under age - this is Frankies third come back as a professional and he is a great believer in the old adage of “third time lucky”.

He has set his mind on a self imposed campaign of action : namely he hopes to win the bantam title in ten contests. After returning to the ring last September Frankie is so far undefeated after eight fights. His ninth contest will see him facing Ron Johnson in the final eliminator and then on to Scotland and Peter Keenan.

Trains at home

No one can fail to admire Frankie for his boldness, courage and unquenchable spirit and it will be a noteworthy achievement if he realises his glorious dreams. He is not sparing himself so far as simple living and general fitness is concerned and after a hard days work he takes his training home with him.

Every evening he does fifteen rounds of shadow boxing in the kitchen before the roaring fire, and the fireside rug also comes in handy for gymnastic exercises with his two year old son John imitating every effort with great seriousness

Facilities wanted

Frankie carries out all his more serious preparation at the Haymarket club, Birkenhead under Tom Murray but there is definite shortage of good class training facilities in the town.

Frankie has decided views on this matter and contends that there should be a national pool derived from local promotions and the B.B.B.C to help in this direction.

Mrs Williams would certainly prefer him to go to the local gym rather than use her kitchen but under present circumstances she does not mind so long as he captures that title. Little John however is happy and excited to see his Dad chasing the shadows.

Looking back over the years Frankie held a brilliant amateur record, reaching its zenith in1942 when he won four championships in one season – the junior British A.B.A featherweight title, the Northern Counties A.B.A title, the Northern A.T.C. title and the Lancashire and Cheshire bantam title

He won his first official championship when he was twelve. This was the Northern Counties A.B.A 5st 7lb title in 1936. He fought in the amateur ranks for eight years and turned professional in 1944 under Mr. Murry .

Within a year Frankie, after several disappointments accomplished what was almost regarded as impossible – he was re-instated as an amateur.

He came back in the expressed determination to win the senior British A.B.A featherweight title, but failed. In 1946 he joined Len Martins camp. He kept moving up the ladder with several outstanding successes but he has now struck his finest spell in the bantam division.

Within a few months his stock has soared sky high even though his natural ability and highly developed ring craft have remained unquestioned ever since he fought Ray Famechon the European featherweight champion and literally stunned the critics.


MERSEYSIDE AND WIRRAL EX BOXERS
Web site address

http://www.lmu.livjm.ac.uk/inmylife/Cha ... t/1116.htm

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 17:54
by silkov
Nice one Rob, how's your various projects getting on?.
I brought a good book the other day (another one!!!) 'Battling Jack- you've got to fight back' its the biography of Jackie Turpin, Randolphs older brother... very good read with quite a few insights... only £6.99 on Amazon!!!...... :box:

hi

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 18:16
by robert.snell1
Hi mate....things are getting along well thanks. will be able to get around soon so will be able to make a start on that printing from the Liverpool Records office. Interesting bit of news today....it appears dad is mentioned with regard to the old boxing booths in a book about Harry Legge. Trying to track the book down but no luck so far.

If you get any more books you will have to build an extension !!!!

cheers

Re: hi

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 18:23
by silkov
robert.snell1 wrote:Hi mate....things are getting along well thanks. will be able to get around soon so will be able to make a start on that printing from the Liverpool Records office. Interesting bit of news today....it appears dad is mentioned with regard to the old boxing booths in a book about Harry Legge. Trying to track the book down but no luck so far.

If you get any more books you will have to build an extension !!!!

cheers
I've heard of Leggs books, I think he wrote two about his life and his career... so you may want to find out which particular one you want. I think one of them is called 'a penny a punch' or something like that... its one of those books I've been meaning to get!. Look them up on ABE BOOKS and Amazon and they sometimes turn up on ebay.
Another place to look is HEADGROW books... he has a good collection and often has some copies of Leggs books.
Sorry if you know all this already!!! :oops: 8) :lol: :roll: :TU:

Re: hi

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 18:36
by lamphey
silkov wrote: Another place to look is HEADGROW books... he has a good collection and often has some copies of Leggs books.
Sorry if you know all this already!!! :oops: 8) :lol: :roll: :TU:
I'm guessing you mean "Hedgerow Books" as in Peter Hedgerow.

Always has an excellent inventory and at reasonable prices.

nice one

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 18:36
by robert.snell1
thanks mate that first one sounds like it may be the one about the BOOTHS side of things. had a feeling you would have some ideas.

Re: nice one

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 18:43
by lamphey
robert.snell1 wrote:thanks mate that first one sounds like it may be the one about the BOOTHS side of things. had a feeling you would have some ideas.
Just to clarify Robert, "A penny a punch" covers the booths and Legge's own career, while the later book "A few punches more" was more his insight and reminiscing of the game.

Re: nice one

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 18:53
by robert.snell1
lamphey wrote:
robert.snell1 wrote:thanks mate that first one sounds like it may be the one about the BOOTHS side of things. had a feeling you would have some ideas.
Just to clarify Robert, "A penny a punch" covers the booths and Legge's own career, while the later book "A few punches more" was more his insight and reminiscing of the game.
thanks very much indeed for that. Do you have it ?, intrigued as to what it says about dad

Re: nice one

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 18:54
by silkov
robert.snell1 wrote:thanks mate that first one sounds like it may be the one about the BOOTHS side of things. had a feeling you would have some ideas.

I've just had a browse around and abe books lists a copy of 'A few punches more' for about £15 in a bookshop in Oxford I think. The first book is called 'a penny a punch'. I should think he mentioned your father in the first book but you never know!. I wish I had the books myself but have always put it off when I saw copies of them. They were going for about £25 at the fayre I went to recently. Did you father box with Harry on the booths rob?...

Re: nice one

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 19:04
by robert.snell1
silkov wrote:
robert.snell1 wrote:thanks mate that first one sounds like it may be the one about the BOOTHS side of things. had a feeling you would have some ideas.

I've just had a browse around and abe books lists a copy of 'A few punches more' for about £15 in a bookshop in Oxford I think. The first book is called 'a penny a punch'. I should think he mentioned your father in the first book but you never know!. I wish I had the books myself but have always put it off when I saw copies of them. They were going for about £25 at the fayre I went to recently. Did you father box with Harry on the booths rob?...
Cheers mate. I will check whether i can get it via the library service tomorrow if not will order it anyway. He would not have boxed with him but if he is mentiioned it would indicate they may have met up. This may have been when dad was a referee etc.... great little puzzle this has turned out to be...great stuff eh

wish dad was around i could bloody ask him....sorry for swearing dad

Re: nice one

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 19:08
by lamphey
robert.snell1 wrote:
lamphey wrote:
robert.snell1 wrote:thanks mate that first one sounds like it may be the one about the BOOTHS side of things. had a feeling you would have some ideas.
Just to clarify Robert, "A penny a punch" covers the booths and Legge's own career, while the later book "A few punches more" was more his insight and reminiscing of the game.
thanks very much indeed for that. Do you have it ?, intrigued as to what it says about dad
I have the Legge books but I'm going through a drawn-out divorce at the moment and a lot of my belongings (including a huge part of my Boxing library) is in storage. I'm unlikely to be putting my hands on that particular book anytime soon, sorry.

But as Silkov mentions, it's not a particularly hard book to find but prices on it can vary greatly.

Re: nice one

Posted: 09 Nov 2005, 19:16
by silkov
robert.snell1 wrote:
silkov wrote:
robert.snell1 wrote:thanks mate that first one sounds like it may be the one about the BOOTHS side of things. had a feeling you would have some ideas.

I've just had a browse around and abe books lists a copy of 'A few punches more' for about £15 in a bookshop in Oxford I think. The first book is called 'a penny a punch'. I should think he mentioned your father in the first book but you never know!. I wish I had the books myself but have always put it off when I saw copies of them. They were going for about £25 at the fayre I went to recently. Did you father box with Harry on the booths rob?...
Cheers mate. I will check whether i can get it via the library service tomorrow if not will order it anyway. He would not have boxed with him but if he is mentiioned it would indicate they may have met up. This may have been when dad was a referee etc.... great little puzzle this has turned out to be...great stuff eh

wish dad was around i could bloody ask him....sorry for swearing dad
Maybe your dad refereed one of Harrys pro fights?. I think Legge had some illness as a child and was told he wouldn't walk again but then went on to be a boxer. The times I've seen his books have always been when I've already brought an armload of boxing books so I've ended up not buying them. As it is I've got a lot of my books in the loft as my book shelves are feeling the strain mate!... :o :-? :lol: :roll: :box:

Posted: 10 Nov 2005, 08:04
by lamphey
Harry Legge suffered from polio as a child.

Posted: 10 Nov 2005, 09:10
by silkov
lamphey wrote:Harry Legge suffered from polio as a child.
Yeah, thats right, ...he had a very interesting and colourful life. Its quite an achievement to become a boxer after having suffered from such a debilitating illness early in life.