Knockout 70 years of Wolverhampton Civic Hall boxing

Ron Gray was 16 years old when he first stepped into the boxing ring at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in 1959, and the atmosphere was electric.

"It was only my second professional fight, I was a very young and inexperienced," says Ron, who as a leading promoter, went on to become one of the most influential figures in West Midland boxing.

"It is very exciting when you step out there for the first time, the crowds are fantastic."

This month is the 70th anniversary of boxing at the Civic, and to mark the milestone the Central Ex-Boxers' Association will be holding an exhibition chronicling the venue's rich sporting history. The exhibition, on March 9, will be followed by a full fight bill in the evening.

The Civic has a longer history of holding paid fights than any other venue in the country, with nearly 1,200 boxers having plied their craft over the last seven decades.

The tradition began on March 8, 1943, with a charity show to raise funds for the Express & Star's comfort fund for those serving in the Second World War.

Ron Gray in his boxing days. He was 16 in his first Civic match in 1959 – matches began there in 1943

The event was headlined by 29-year-old Jack London, a year before he beat Freddie Mills to be crowned British Heavyweight champion for the first time. Express & Star sports editor Bert

Wilson, secretary of Wolverhampton Sportsmen's Committee which organised the event, described the evening as a success in every way.

At the end of the night, the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor A Byrne-Quinn, was handed a cheque for £2,500, which was shared between the venue and the comfort fund.

In the audience that night was the Marquess of Queensberry, the grandson of the founder of modern boxing, who was greeted with vigorous applause when he said he hoped the evening would be the first of many.

British featherweight champion Neil Tarleton was also in attendance, along with the Earl and Countess of Dudley, while Sam Brierley played popular tunes on the organ at the start of the show to add to the sense of occasion.

While the much vaunted contest between Jack London and Jim Wilde ended abruptly in the second round when Welshman Wilde retired with a knee injury, it was the fights between Arthur Danahar and Frank Duffy, and Sam Reynolds and Billy Hazelgrove which stole the show. Tipton's Hal Cartwright also maintained his unbeaten record by beating Londoner Herbie Smith over eight hard-fought rounds.

It marked the beginning of a long and illustrious history of boxing at the Civic. Heavyweight legend Henry Cooper appeared twice during the 1960s, recording spectacular one-round knockouts on both occasions, and Maurice Cullen won the first British-title fight held at the Civic Hall when he outpointed Viv Andreetti in defence of his lightweight title in November, 1965.

Founding fathers of boxing at the Civic: Mr Patsy Hagate, Sgt Teddy Waltham, Mr W Scholefield, and Bert Wilson

Ron Gray, who was boxing promoter at the Civic from 1974 to 1999, describes it as the best small boxing venue in Britain.

Given that he knocked his opponent, Barry Poulson, out in the first round, it is perhaps not surprising that he holds the venue with particular affection. But he says it is the crowds that makes it a really special place to fight.

"The atmosphere is brilliant, it's the crowd you get," says Ron, now 70.

"When you get a local fighter, everybody all comes out in support, you get people from all over the Midlands and it makes for a great night."

He says the greatest night of all was in May, 1980, when Oldbury's Pat Cowdell defeated David Needham to retain his British featherweight title, in what would prove to be Needham's last fight.

It followed a much-talked about bout at the Civic the previous year, when Needham was awarded a controversial points victory over Cowdell, who Ron managed. Two months later, Cowdell got his revenge at the Royal Albert Hall, and the final night at the Civic would prove to be the decider.

The anniversary exhibition, which is being promoted by Paul "P J" Rowson of the Central Ex-Boxers' Association, will see Ron being interviewed on stage by boxing pundit Nigel Turner, along with boxing veterans Bunny Johnson and Nigel Rafferty.

The hall will be filled with memorabilia, and the plan is to stage amateur and exhibition bouts during the day.

Paul says the Civic is the best boxing venue in the UK.

"There's not a bad seat in the house, and it has got a lovely tradition," he says. "They always sing the praises of York Hall in London, but I think anybody around here will tell you the civic has the better atmosphere."

For more information and tickets to the 70th anniversary show, call 07976 283 157 or the Civic box office on 0870 320 7000.

By Mark Andrews