Bobby Neil

Outstanding Service

British Featherweight Champion, Leading Manager & Scottish Amateur Team Coach
35 contests, won: 28, lost: 7

“PLEASE SIR… How long does it take to be a champion?” The machine gun rattle of the speedball and the sweaty swish of skipping ropes froze and died like magic as all eyes in the Sparta Gym in McDonald Road riveted on the questioner. A dark haired youth who even then bore a strong facial resemblance to Hollywood tough guy, John Garfield spoke with a polished, middle-class accent. He wore a blazer identifying him as a pupil of Trinity Academy one of Edinburghs prestigious fee-paying schools. An academy more associated with rugby rather than roughing it in the ring. Yet the young man who caused no end of mirth in the Sparta on that evening long ago was to prove as tough in and out of the ring as any British or American slum reared boxer ever was. His name was Bobby Neil. Possessed with shoulders many a prop-forward would have envied, this middle-class maestro from Craigentinney soon won titles for the McDonald Road Club at every amateur level, as well as boxing for Scotland. Nonetheless, despite his affluent background, Bobby told your writer: “My amateur days were a dress-rehearsal for being a pro fighter. I always had that in mind from a very early age. ” Even his day as a vested warrior, the hard knocks inside the ropes seemed pallid compared to the vicious swipes fate took at this aspiring champion: Not one, but two, bouts of rheumatic fever; a broken wrist high jumping; and a damaged knee in a rugby scrum. But, much more serious trouble occurred shortly after his eighteenth birthday – he was hit by a motorcycle and shattered his left hip. Eighteen months of operations left one leg nearly an inch shorter than the other, and Bobby with an even greater desire to return to the ring.

In May 1955, Neil turned pro with London manager, Sam Burns, and promptly created not one, but several, sensations. Frances Ray Femechon specialised in beating British fighters until Bobby Neil stopped him inside the distance; in September 1956, Neil become Scottish featherweight champion by stopping Coatbridge’s Mat Fulton. (It was typical both of Neil’s confidence and his gentlemanly instincts that, noticing Fulton’s gum-shield had been improperly fitted when the opening bell ring, he stepped back to allow his foe to fix it.)

Next in line was reigning British Featherweight champion, Charlie Hill of Cambuslang. Many thought Neil was crazy to challenge the champion, even in a non-title bout such as this. But Neil answered his critics by sensationally stopping the more experienced Lonsdale belt holder inside the first round. Little wonder then that British boxing writers awarded him their Young Fighter of the Year award for 1956. But the Craigentinney clouter’s most persistent spar-mate – misfortune – was just dying to recommence hostilities! In January 1957, a trip to Belfast led to an unexpected eight round stoppage by Ireland’s Jimmy Brown. Bad enough, but worse was to follow, much worse.

Having lost unluckily by a cut eye to Greenock’s Arthur Donnachie in August 1957, Bobby, his father and two brothers were involved in a near fatal car smash at Newbridge while returning from Glasgow. Amazingly Bobby was back in the ring within 12 months, even a broken jaw suffered in one of his first comeback contests (against Belgian Andre Devisch), was treated as a minor irritation, for in April, 1959, Bobby knocked fellow Scot Charlie Hill to the canvas no less than ten times at Nottingham to win the British Featherweight title. Having been mangled by motor vehicles and ravaged by rheumatic fever and sundry other misfortunes, it must have been particularly galling to lose his coveted Lonsdale Belt due to a cut that was no bigger than a shaving nick, but this is precisely what happened in the first British title defence in London in 1960. Neil’s opponent was ex-Olympic flyweight champion Terry Spinks, whom Bobby had previously stopped in 1959. “Ike Powell the referee was totally out of order. I fought Andre Devisch with a broken jaw for eight rounds, and beat him. Powell took away my British title for a cut of shaving “nick” proportions!’

Nobody – Least of all Edinburgh’s Bobby Neil, could have foreseen the drama of life and death proportions that occurred two months later in the return contest at Wembley arena.

Out-boxed for thirteen rounds by Cockney Spinks, Neil crashed to the canvas for a count of eight from Spinks left hook, and rising, was finally dumped by a right and an uppercut for the full count.

Even more sensationally, Neil collapsed during a post-fight dressing room interview. Bobby was rushed to Wembley Hospital for an operation to remove a blood clot on the brain. It was the end of active boxing for this incredibly brave man, at the beginning of an illustrious career that would see him train, coach and manage the likes of Alan Rudkin, Johnny Pritchett, Vernon Sollas and Alan Minter to British and World title status. Had Spartas George Shaw possessed a crystal ball when young Master Neil had asked: “Please Sir, how long does it take to be a champion,” he might well have replied “With your guts son just a matter of time!”