Historic British boxing venues and inns/pubs

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Former NSC building in Covent Garden

 

For my area mate it is

Sunderland: Holmeside Stadium

Newcastle: St. James Hall
New St. James Hall
Ginnetts Circus

Hartlepool: Engineers Club
Bourough Hall

 

This Thursday on the BBC London 94.9 Boxing Hour I could ask taxi drivers and other boxing fans for more...Teddy Baldock fought at some long, long gone exotic sounding venues in east and north London (Premierland, Wonderland in Somers Town etc). What about a BBHofF plaque for the venues?

Adios.

 

You going? I'll be there.

 

Going to be on holiday - shame. Should be a great day and for a good cause.

Just read that the London Ex Boxers website was set up with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund - which is nice. On the site there is a London Boxing map which lists around 30 old and current venues - though the map feature doesn't work.

 

Pudsey Street Stadium
“The opening of Pudsey on 13 July 1911 marked a new departure for boxing stadia in Britain. It was regarded as the finest all-purpose boxing stadium in the country, with only St James Hall in Newcastle being the other large venue outside London. However, St James Hall’s capacity was smaller than Pudsey Street – 2,500-3,000, compared to 4,000 at the Liverpool arena. Prior to its opening, Liverpool had a vibrant and developing boxing scene, but to attract top international and championship contests on a more regular basis, a larger stadium was required. The inspiration behind the new stadium was Arnold Wilson...Seeing the full-up signs night after night at the Arena and the International Athletic Club, Wilson recognised the great potential for a new and enlarged boxing stadium in the city.”

“Upon its opening, Boxing described the stadium as ‘palatial...the equal of which will not be found outside the metropolis’. The article continues, stating ‘that each patron will have his own tip-up chair, while a perfect view will be obtainable from all parts of the big building...’ It was indeed the finest hall in the country; extra comfort was offered for spectators on summer evenings as the Liverpool Stadium (as it was called) had a sliding roof to facilitate the circulation of air.”

“From the opening night right up to the First World War, weekly, sometimes twice-weekly shows of top quality drew crowds in their thousands. More often than not, the full-up sign was posted on the entrance doors. The programme often included leading American boxers on the bill such as Dixie Kid and Joe Jeanette. Boxing continued at Pudsey Street during the war, one of the few centres in Britain to put on regular shows.”

“In contrast to the pre-war years, which were once of economic boom and increasing leisure time, the post-war situation was marked by severe economic fluctuations resulting in high levels of unemployment in Liverpool. This had a severe impact upon attendances at Pudsey Street, a situation that was compounded by the lack of top-class bills at the stadium...In this period the main event was often devalued as Taylor (manager of the stadium at the time) frequently had to find substitutes. This combination of factors led to the temporary closure of Pudsey Street in December 1928.”

“Only five days passed and an announcement was made that Johnny Best was to take over the stadium and that after a short closure it would reopen on 10 January 1929 and weekly thereon...”

“Best had realised that while the stadium had developed a reputation for being the graveyard of champions, it was also a nursery for future champions. Outstanding local talent was emerging, talent that would ensure that the ‘house full’ sign could be dusted off and hung out each Thursday night. Apart from Volante and Tarleton, boxers of the calibre of Alf Howard, Harold Higginson and Dick Burke also helped build up a loyal spectator base and restore Pudsey Street as the venue with the highest boxing attendances in the country.”

“Other factors were going Best’s way as well. For example, the National Sporting Club had come to accept that British title fights should be staged outside the capital. Indeed, the Johnny Cuthbert/Nel Tarleton British featherweight title fight, held at Pudsey Street on 6 November 1930, was only the second such contest for a Lonsdale belt to be held outside London...Another factor was the establishment of the British Boxing Board of Control in 1929, which brought greater regulations to the sport and improved conditions for boxers.”

“...However, having re-established itself, the whole site – bounded by London Road, Lord Nelson Street, Pudsey Street and Hotham Street – was bought by a property developer in February 1929.”

“There was no immediate threat to the stadium as some of the properties on the site had short leases to be considered. However, within a year it was clear that the whole site was to be redeveloped, with a cinema being at the centre of the development. It was eventually demolished in March 1931, with the last night for boxing at the original Liverpool Stadium being 5 March 1931. Today the Odeon cinema on London Road stands on the site of the Pudsey Street Stadium.”

Some more facts about the Stadium:
The first major championship fight at the stadium was between “local favourite Ike Bradley and Digger Stanley for Stanley’s (British version) world bantamweight title. Such was the clamour to see the fight, the Stadium Syndicate was able to double admission prices and still turn people away at the door.”

More notable British names that boxed at Pudsey Street include; Jimmy Wilde (“...boxed at Pudsey Streey at least 15 times, winning on each occasion...His greatest triumph in Liverpool was when he won the world flyweight title on 24 April 1916 – the first international world flyweight championship bout ever held.”), Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis (“...boxed three times at Pudsey Street.”), Freddie Welsh ("He boxed several times at the stadium..."), Alf Howard, Bombardier Billy Wells and Johnny Basham.

“In the first decade of the 20th Century, Pudsey Street attracted many top American boxers including Sam McVea, Joe Jeanette, The Dixie Kid, Harry and Willie Lewis, Alf Langford, Bob Scanlon, Harry Stone, Fred Yelle, Noah Brusso, Blink McCloskey, Artie Edwards, Young Pierce and Fred Sydney.”

(Excerpts taken from the book Liverpool's Boxing Venues; pages 40, 42, 44, 46, 49 and 52).

 

Cheers Kos.

That's made my mind up then, I'm buying that!!!!!

Ike Bradley by the way is related to (I think, grandfather of) Warren Bradley who was the leader of Liverpool City Council under the Lib dems last term.

 

Some quality, quality boxers fought there too! Imagine getting that calibre of boxer almost weekly on your door step!

 

The Beckett when Tommy Gibbons had it was great, Danny Holland running the gym Happy Days. I had a room upstairs, loved it.

 

Was Beryl there then?

 

That is a class venue - would love to see a boxing show in there:good

 

First fight I saw there was Alan Richardson - Vernon Sollas for the British FW title. I don't know what the seating arrangement is like now but then you could get seats in the choir and it was like being in the ring with the fighters. :thumbsup

 

It looks like an old medieval hall, steeped in character - I love those old venues - the same ilk as the likes of the i.e. York Hall, Ulster Hall with the crowd on top of the action, etc certainly ten times better than watching a show in a lifeless leisure centre....

 

Al, yes She was, Great Lady.