Lochee ex-Pat Rob Boag came up with some interesting stuff while having a clearout.
He revealed: “Sifting through old photos, I came across a snap taken in 1976 of my uncle Joe Boag, who, at that time, was aged 68.
“With the photo was a copy of his 1931 boxing licence.
“Known in his birthplace of Lochee as ‘Josie’, the address on the licence was 4A Atholl Street. When you leaned over the bunker in 4A Atholl Street, the living room window had a fine view of Maloney’s park.
“A boxing licence wasn’t a bad thing to have in Tipperary!
“Josie was known as Mr Lochee, and he knew every character and every family in Tipperary – and beyond. He was a gifted story teller and selecting words the way an artist selects colours from a palette, Josie painted you a story.”
Rob continued: “When he described training as a young lad in the Camperdown Boxing Club under the watchful eye of the old pro Johnny Dougan, you were there with him.
“There was humour and pathos in his stories of how families survived the hard times of the 1920/30s – and they were hard.
“Josie’s tales of the devious antics used to poach players from one football team to another was always entertaining.
“Anyone who stopped to have a blether with Josie Boag left with a smile on their face.”
Joe once came up against a world-class boxer, as Rob went on: “He was one of four Dundee boxers – Freddie Tennant, Jim Brady and Willie Vogan the others – to climb through the ropes and have a go with Benny Lynch.
“The decision in Glasgow was a draw between Joe and Benny.
“Joe’s purse was £1, with travel expenses coming out of that richly sum.
“The trophies held by Joe in the photo were gifts from Danny O’Sullivan, a British bantamweight champion in the late 1940s.
“In 1939, when World War 2 started, Joe enlisted with the RAF regiment and, after basic training, was transferred to Montrose air base as a physical trainer and boxing instructor.
“One evening in 1940, a new posting – a young lad from London came into the gym and asked if he could work out.
“His name was Danny O’Sullivan, and Joe was amazed to see what Danny did to the punch bag. Joe coached the young Londoner and entered Danny into every amateur boxing contest in Scotland at that time, and was in his corner for every fight.
“Danny won the Scottish featherweight title – that is the medal Joe is holding in the photograph, and the cup was a winner’s trophy from another amateur boxing contest.”
Rob revealed Joe introduced Danny to the Boag family and a lasting friendship began, and continued: “Back home in London after the war, Danny turned professional and, in 1948, he won the British bantamweight title. He also fought for the European and world titles.
“When stationed in England in 1960 during my National Service, any 48-hour pass coming my way was spent in London with the O’Sullivans.
“Danny’s brothers, Dick and Mickey, both ex-professional fighters, took me under their wing and it was a weekend blur of snooker halls, boxing gyms, pubs and introductions to a host of cockney characters.
“Mickey O’Sullivan’s grandson is Ronnie O’Sullivan, the legendary world snooker champion.
“The coach and the champ maintained contact with each other until Joe died in 1978.
“Danny kept involved with his sport, and was active in events that supported amateur boxing.
“Danny passed away in 1990.”
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