East Kilbride Probus Club learn about career of ill-fated champion boxer

At the latest meeting of East Kilbride Probus Club members learned about the career of boxer Benny Lynch.

Proceedings got underway, however, with President Ray Jones announcing the death of a founding member Mr Tom McNeil age 87 for which there was minutes silence.

He then introduced the speaker, Mr Kevin Kerrigan who talked about Benny Lynch.

Kevin has worked for some 20 years within the Glasgow Museums.

Since 2015, he worked for the Open Museum, which is Glasgow Museums outreach service. He takes the Museum to people in the community through exhibitions, projects, talks, papers and events.

He has been working from home these past two years including researching and writing of a new book about Benny Lynch, which this talk was based on.

There is also an exhibition about the boxer that he curated, which is currently on at the Peoples Palace and will run until summer 2023.

Benny Lynch started his ‘boxing’ career literally in the streets and was soon taking part in boxing booths on the likes of Glasgow Green.

Generally a bit of a scrapper, he was soon spotted by Sammy Wilson, a boxing promoter, as someone with potential.

In the early days, Sammy created a training camp in the Cathkin Hills south of Glasgow.

It was a fairly rough and ready encampment but it toughened up Benny and was where he also started to learn the skills of boxing.

He made his professional debut in April 1931 with a second round stoppage of Young Bryce.

His first significant victory came in June 1932, when he beat the experienced Jock Joe Aitken on points.

Lynch, recognised as champion in Britain, settled the matter when he out-pointed NBA and NYSAC flyweight champion Filipino Small Montana in London in January 1937 to establish himself as the