St George's Hall attracted one of boxing's legends
Jersey revived professional boxing recently but Guernsey has not had any for half-a-century. Sports editor Rob Batiste recalls one of the great local pros and one of the sport's all-time greats, Randolph Turpin
ONE thing you quickly learn from a trawl through the Guernsey Press archives either side of the Occupation is that, after football, boxing was the best and most popular way to make a name for yourself in local sport.
Boxing was hugely popular with no end of venues and no end of amateur shows across the age-groups and even Elizabeth College staged it.
Boys clubs dotted around the island regularly came up against rival ones and in those good old days for the sport every year was topped off with Guernsey and Channel Islands championship shows.
Pro promotions, though, were rare and while Jersey recently ended their long abstention from staging professional tournaments, you would have to go back to the early 1950s for the last one put on here.
It came just a year after a spectacularly successful return of pro boxing to Guernsey.
On 24 April 1951, 1,400 fans piled into St George's Hall to see six fights, including the island's favourite boxing son, Bob Nicolle.
Pre-war there was no bigger name in local boxing than Nicolle, brother of 'Boxer' who did not box and was christened Albert John Arthur, with not a hint of Bob or Robert on his birth certificate.
