|
|
In 1952, when a reporter from Boxing News decided to do a bygone piece on a name from the past, he headed for Derby where he found Billy Pritchard happy in his job as a millwright's assistant at the British Railways Carriage and Wagon Department.
In his heyday, Billy Pritchard - who grew up in Stalybridge, Cheshire - was known as "The Fighting Postman" because of the day job he combined with his exploits in the boxing ring.
His real name was Archibald George Pritchard. He was born on July 14, 1897, in Bath, Somerset, to Bertha (nee Cole) and George William Pritchard, a general labourer.
Billy was a confident fighter. He took part in more than 300 contests and lost only eight of them. He once won 52 contests consecutively in as many weeks without a single defeat.
In a "Boxing News" article about his career he said that he couldn't remember a difficult fight despite fighting some of the best fighters of the generation. His opponents included Ted "Kid" Lewis, Tommy Millingan, Alex Ireland, Len Johnson (eight times), Billy Mack, from whom he won the Northern welterweight title at Liverpool Stadium, and Joe Bloomfield.
He never refused a contest and sometimes boxed two and three times a week.
In the 1950s he was to be found passing on his knowledge to Derby youngsters at local boxing clubs. He told Boxing News: "Boxing is a great game."
But it certainly did not make him a wealthy man. An eye injury in 1929 brought about Billy's premature retirment from fighting, but he was soon back as a referee and operated in that capacity all over the north of England until 1936 when he turned to coaching and training members of the L.M.S. Sports Clubs in athletics and boxing.
Billy moved to Derby in 1932 where the Boxing News found him in 1952, with his wife and three children.
His wife was the daughter of Pat Dowling, a former feather-weight champion of Ireland.
Billy's one and only manager was Jim Tolley of Royton. He still spoke of him with great affection in the 1950s. "It is a pity there are not more like Jim today," Billy told the Boxing News.
|
|
 | | Billy Pritchard, as a postman. | |
 | | Billy in his fighting days. | |
To add a comment you must first login or join for free, up in the top left corner.
|
|
