`THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1952.
Signing Up THE BLACK FLASH FROM THE
For Jack?
Fight promoter, Jack Solomons, was not signing up the Bedser twins was only an autograph, Picture at the Savoy during the gathering of sports per- sonalities for the presentation of the Sporisman of the Year trophy to world champion racing motor-cyclist, Geoff, Duke,
1951-52 FOOTBALL SEASON
TODAY
ENDS
FOR MANY
ENGLISH LEAGUE CLUBS
By DENNIS HART
The 1951-52 Football season which, for many clubs, ends today, has produced some of the most exci.ing promotion and relegation strug gles seen for many a year.
Only in the two Third Divisions have clubs been allowed to make the running for the whole season. There has been no holding Lincoln in the northern, and Ply.- mouth in the southern section. But even they had their challengers.
Victory Shield Match
Tomorrow
The first match of the annual Victory Shield series between teams from the Combined Services and the Chinese National Amateur Athletic Federation takes place at Sookumpoo tomorrow, commencing at 5.30 p.m.
Although both teams will be somewhat depleted on account of the Colony inter-port team being away in Singapore, there is still a wealth of remaining talents to make the match worth seeing.
in
tay.
Leen
after
3
Grimsby,
A feature of their games, was the way the goals were shared by all the forwards. In of their matchez players scored.
GOLD COAST Just Arrived BECOMES THE GOLD FLASH FROM THE BLACK COAST
By PETER WILSON
In what is all too often the "hoodlum empire" of boxing they tell a cruel story, which is no more than a slight parody of the truth.
Certain of the more unscrupulous managers are alleged to meet the bangnu bonts, go down in the holds, shake the biggest hunch and say; “Come out of there. I know you're a.stowaway, but I can get you a job as a boxer!".
Roy Ankrah, from „Africa's Gold Coast, now Featherweight (nine stone) Champion of the British Empire, and the most successful little man" to appear in 11 a British ring since the war, was not quite so-unlucky as that.
He did have h's fore Daid from Arcra and he has always bren managed by Joe McKean, why is a credit to the game..
The manner of his discovery was one of those little roman-
In ces
which abounds.
Ankrah's, an orphan, born on Christmas Day, 1025, with one rister, Gladys, who is two years older. He was brought
vlial primitive energy which except no normal fighter could with stand."
And no normat Aghter has withstood it. He started this year by defending h's 1e Clayton, successfully against
when it comes to
one of his; clothes, which are main passions in fe-he has 12 sults of West End cut--stud with dancing which he does his lovely 18-year-old wite,
Rebeccn. ring history
the man from whom he
11.
won
Now "The. Black Flash from become the Gold Coast" has
from the "The Gold. Flash
Black Coast, for Ankrah is in
his
ten-
Apart 'from boxing. favourite sports are table
ils and, above alt, swimming.
PREDICTION
What of his future? Logical-
the world whom he should
up by an aunt and uncle, who the big money," and with the 15, there are only two men in
apprenticed him AS O motor mechanic.
exception of perhaps three or
title
for the
In 1943 the 17-year-old four of the heavier mep he is' meet. One is Ray Famechon, youngster with legs
like th biggest draw in the coun-who has held the European
featherweight liquorice sticks started in the try.
QUIET, SHY....
past four years. fight business which, on the
Ankrah could not fight hin Gold
old Coast, is an even rougher,
His secret?, A fantastically | for that Championship, ot low heart beat, in the low course, as he is an African, but enables him to with Famechon out of the way 40's, which keep up to full pressure 45 there would be no one between minutes of non-stop aggressive him and Negro-American World
Champlon Sandy Saddler: lighting.
Lougher business than it is
around Windmill Street.
ca,
A
Then the war came to Afr-
Roy became and young
in- sergeant physical training structor la the Royal West African Frontier Force..
__IN_INDIA
He was sent with his unit to India and Burma, and while he was in the Far East he was given permission to appear with The band of boxers headed by Freddie Mills, later to win the world's lightheavyweight title.
There the story might have ended with Just another coloured kid batting his hear: ou back home in Acero had it not been for Freddie Mills who, in 1848 the year he won the world title was giving an exhibition in Edinburgh.
Manager Joe McKean had heard of Ankrah, whose cou
sin is an engineering studen:
gow,
What of the man himself? He is delightful. Quiet, shy,
They Don't
Like Soccer
By Connie Ryan
It was just a brief story on the sports page, but it told clearly why the USA, a leader in world sport, rarely is successful in inter-
to cer.
the
Anyone
+
an-
In the South, after a spell of seven defeats in nine games, Reading came through with a brilliant mid-season run, in which out of 20 games they won 19 and
at Glasgow University and who national competition in soc- lost one. This took them from near the bottom of the table into second position.
actually paid for Ankrah Brighten and Norwick too put
come to this 'country,
Said the item: "Soccer Freddie WOS enthusiastic strong challenge, but Plymouth thowed great consis about "The Black Flash's" pos- as a major sport will be tency and held their rivals at sibillies, and McKean agreed dropped at Franklin & Mar
to manage him. And In Lincoln's chief rivals nave winter of 1940 a small, slightly shall College, athletic direc
BR head for Shober Barr seared bov with a
Barr said soccer Division which makes him look sight nounced. ten to the Scsontv
was dropped for economic an absence of only one by top-heavy, came down season. However, Lincoln's free-gang-plank and made for Glos- reasons, and because there
line, led. by scoring forward'
There was nothing sensational was a lack of student parti- Andy Graver enabled them to
about his opening here. Preity cipation in the Apart.' ordinary fighters he met; prel stay at the top.
who ever, has seen ty ordinary fights he put up. Arst-rate doerer must admit it is Then in May, 1950, he came a better game fera any stand- to London to the Empress Hall point than American football. It Some 10,000 fight fans had is faster and more interesting packed the big indoor ow to the spectators, it needs less to see Luis Romero, the equipment and is less expen- | FIRST DIVISION HIGHLIGHT! "ammer-hitting
Spanish
more boys 15 sive, and therefore bantamweight, who had
can play it. The highlight of the First Boored the British champion. Yet it never has had the Gregor, Davey, Dalziel, Thomp- Division kas been Arsenal'
Danny O'Sull'von, 13 times, and but the most limited popularity great bid for the League und
was right In pch as badly at the Services, ron.
line for. the In America. Not one out of despite the fact that only, four On paper the Chinese team
Cup double. Eurly in the sea-
world's title.
wverage Americans ever hundred fendership the League
But if the crowd had come has so much as even seen of the Service players, Etheridge; seem to have a right edge son, Tennuci, Miller and Wilson will their opponents, but the R.A.F.
changed almost weekly, but representatives had been show-gradually
United to see Romero, they stayed to soccer ball. Manchester nites be missing among their ranks.
cheer Ankrah. Ilo met Fran-
inside And no one, ing good form just before first forged their way to the front,
outside, Can my exactly The following will be the division league ended,
clsco Latorre, ex-Featherweight or and it
tall. Ine-ups:
will not be surprising if last with renal right on their eae Champion of Spain, and I have why the game which is the
As Malt Busby's boys emerge
Rover seen mo
+ more sensational
national sport of more than 40 year's history is repeated when
as champions, few will grudge London debut in my life.
nations should be such a fallura CNAAF: Yiu Yu-tak; Lene Services beat the Chinese
them the honour. After finistr
UNORTHODOX
in America Ping-nam, Chiong | Ying-ching: by 3-1 in the Best match, but
ing second in four of the post- Luk Tat-hay, Ng Kec-chcung lost the second match by a
"war seasons, their success "Kwok Shek; Te Kam-ho, Chou similar score,
fully deserved. Man-chi, Kwok Ying-lok, King
The second match will Lok-rang and fau Ching-to.
played on May 6.
The Chinese have a full team, Inzon, Osborne: Johasan,
but will not feel
away,
Combined Services: Gammon: Baralele, Kirkland: Lo5b, Tom-
ANNUAL APPEAL
To help
those
who cannot
help themselves
is the aim
of The Hongkong Society
for the
Protection
of Children.
Donations should be address-
ed to the Hon. Treasurers, Hong- kong Society for the Prolecilon
of Children, P..O. Box. 2502, oc
to the newspapers:
Memupra
Me-
TODAY'S GAMES
+
4 p.m.).
5.30 p.m.).
by
Form
three or mo:c
Is
It has been the Second Dle. sion, however, which has kept exeltement almost to fever plich,
bowl,
To paraphrase the old song, it wey Ankrah who blighted the Spaniard's life, and if he
any
Soccer
ONE REASON
poste Some experts bolleve
to Americani appeed
did not actually raise a bunion because it demands fes; dexter- on the Spanlard's onlon he d'dity. The American athlete .c.n enough to him to have got him to prefer games which ure 1b: six months without the option honours-been-ra-close.......In:Jeed,pilEd occurred anywhere, such as basketball, which
Rarely
145
the
race
for
the
They nearly reached the Final teo, only succumbing to New casile in the replay,
་
outside a box'ng-ring.
on
the foot any
mare,
and
etc.
Unfortunately, there is one snag. Saddler is due to be In- ducted into the US Army shortly, so the world title will go into the deep freeze.
But championship, or championship fight, white
non-
or
coloured opponent, feather oz lightweight division, I predict that the "Blacic Flash" will be a Summer Stariler who will get roaring fans on their feet as he knocks the opposition off theirs.
-And-Division-League
was invented in the USA, se antil well into the season the
ball, softball, tennis, golf ani Police v Dockyard (Boundary difference between the top and
Certainly most of
his bowling. Even American fco:- St., 5.30 p.m.)..
bottom cluba was no morɑ than
punches were never found inball doctn't have much emphasis twelve points. 3rd Division
box- bock, at least not a Cny Outstanding in this section ing book.
depends more and more upon University v CMB (Caroline was the amazing recovery staged The purists were appalled. passing the ball by hand. Hill, 4 p.m.).
by Blackburn Rovers." After They Fald he might be able to Other observers think Abst gamer they were botter keep un this phrenelle energy soccer hasn't made much of en Rediffusion
sixteen Dairy V
with only six points. Then cank for gx rounds. but that he effort to get into schools und (Curatine Iii, 5.30 p.m.).
a spell of 15 League games of would not be able to win colleges, but has prefered to RAMC v Taikoo (Sookumpoo, which they lost only twu, and eight-rounders that way.
remain us a club sport. For the semi-final of
As a matter of record,
most part, the clubs which have Jost v Aces (Sookumpoo, reached the
tock him 'cne year, one month,
sre clubs of a soccer teams three weeks and five days to nationalistic type-The German- be regarded as the outstanding American Athletle
Clus,
th: challenger
the for
Empire Swedish
Club Football “featherweig*T*** title then held Soccer thus was identified as
by that
that classic little boxer
oxer from "foreign"
by
the average American, and when belatedly Blackpool, tennie Clayton.
tried to win a place in the of colleges, the students had
soccer aver promoted Never hos a player braken on
ten- to Sea (l'to silention of the.. the soccer scene so forcibly tacita of the octonus gripped sports riters and the public. November ..ho.came. Into the League an unknown reserve. By
"There was nothing of box- can be noted that corces is inak- April he had beaten record, with 44 gents-and he ing in all this, but there was ing no gains in America. will be out to add to that total today
at the expense of West Ham against whom he has al- ready recorde one hat-trick.
London Express Service).
TOMORROW
Victory Shield ist matels Combined Services v CNAAF (Sookumpoo, 5.30 p.m.).
Anitual match
Chincic referees v Forelga referees (Sookumpoo, 4 p.m.)
3rd Division League Wayfoong Western Navy "12," H: V., 4 p.m.),
Lane Crawfordv RNFB (Navy . H.V., 5.30 p.m.).
C & W v Gymnastle (Caroline 1, 5.30 p.m.).
CAME DEREK DOOLEY But no mention of the Second, Division would be complete without reference 10 Derek Dooley, Sheffield Wednesday's the 12th round which I wrote inter in it.
young goal-scoring glant
FRESH STOCKS of
PENFOLD
GOLF
BALLS
In
the club
are always available from the Sole Agents
CO., LTD
$200
TALÁN &
House Tel. 31175
PRIMITIVE FORCE
ere is the description Herc the
по
Indestructible Ted publizity campaign}
at the Empress. Hall:
"The black, ball Bounced back; the
and slapped and hit again..... But whatever the reason.
POP
-(London Express Service}