Conisbrough Boys in Roses Boxing Clash.

November 1963

South Yorkshire Times, November 23.

Conisbrough Boys in Roses Boxing Clash.

Conisbrough is Ellershaw Boxing Club, a newcomer to competitive junior boxing, surprised many of the “old hands” last year, both in local and nationwide competition. This season, with two ABA Yorkshire schoolboys champions amongst its members, the club is attracting a steady stream of match offers.

In their first match of the season at Croft House Settlement, Sheffield, the Ellershaw entry was 100% successful.

Dennis Reed (Ellershaw) aged 12, a Yorkshire Schoolboy Champion, beat L.Devanney (Halifax Star)

A.Fitzgerald (Ellershaw), aged 16, beat L.Oliver (Enfield house).

R.Pearson (Ellershaw) aged 14, another schoolboy champion, beat R.Bonzer (Firbeck)

Reed and Fitzgerald were points winners, while Reed, who has won most of his contests by knockout, forced the referee to stop the fight in the third round.

Best Ever.

Extremely satisfied with his team’s performance – “it was the best I’ve ever seen them fight.” – Ellershaw coach Mr Norman Arrowsuch of Poplar Grove, Conisbrough, as another contest lined up at Croft house in three weeks time.

Meanwhile Read and Pearson having chosen as members of the Yorkshire team in the coming Roses match with Lancashire, their first representative honours.

These two, along with Ian Bond, Neil Fitzgerald and Paul Reid have been entered in the schoolboys Championship for 1964, while Fitzgerald and Pearson alone will fight in the ABA Junior Championships.

But Mr Arrowsuch has problems.

“We have lost a couple of lads this season and we could deal with half a dozen more lads to be able to field a really strong team,” he told me on Tuesday.

“I believe this is the only boxing club round here, so you would think we could draw more support – including one or two members from Mexborough,” he added, “we can promise them plenty of action this year.”