A recent date marked 70 years since the death of Scotland’s first-ever world boxing champion Benny Lynch.
I was reminded of this by regular BwB contributor Rob Boag.
He opened: “August 6 marked 70 years of Benny’s death.
“He died aged just 33 and destitute following his hardest battle of all — fighting alcohol addiction.
“An article in August’s Scots Magazine titled ‘Little King of the Gorbals’ provides a thumbnail sketch of Lynch’s rise and fall as a world champion.
“It is encouraging that actor Robert Carlyle, former world boxing champion Jim Watt and other Scottish luminaries are currently actively supporting an exhibition and a fund to design and erect in Glasgow a statue of Lynch.
“My thoughts turned to cities and towns who have honoured their boxing champions.
“Belfast erected a statue to Rinty Monaghan, who was the 1948 flyweight world champion. Belfast also commissioned a statue in honour of John Caldwell, who in 1961 won the world bantamweight title.”
At that point, my thoughts turned to an old chestnut of mine.
Through this column, and in conversation with a couple of (now former) councillors and politicians, I have tried in vain to get a city centre statue of Dick McTaggart MBE on the agenda.
Rob, formerly of Dundee and now resident in Canada, provides an example of another area honouring their Olympian.
He continued: “The Irish town of Drogheda, with a population half the size of Dundee, have in the centre of town a statue dedicated to Tony Byrne, a bronze medal winner for boxing in the Melbourne 1956 Olympics.
“Tony was in the same weight class as Dick McTaggart, who won gold.
“The Irish seem to honour their champions with statues so that generations to come will always be aware that such a man, a glorious champion, came from their home town.”
Rob went on: “Over an aperitif, I whinged to my better half Hilda about my frustration of Scotland’s lack of recognition toward its boxing legend.
“Why, I asked, are the Irish so admirable in their honour toward their champions?
“A statue should have been commissioned by those in power in the 1960s.
“Any man who has been married for any length of time (I am in my 53rd year) will know that look.
“Hilda stared, then said: ‘If any city or town council truly wants to erect a statue of anyone — it will be done’, and then went back to her concern over a birthday gift for one of our grandchildren.”
Rob conceded: “Hilda, though, struck a chord . . . why don’t I ask a former Dundee councillor and former provost about the priorities of honouring sports legends who were born in the city of Dundee. Having moved from Dundee decades ago, I know little about John Letford but I have enjoyed his contributions to BwB.
“As a sportsman and politician, I believe John could shed some light as to why Dundee has never honoured Dick McTaggart in a manner that many Dundonians and Scots from other parts of Scotland, and other parts of the world believe should have happened.
“John strikes me as a man who would provide an opinion on any topic if asked.”
For those unaware, McTaggart was an Olympic gold and bronze medal winner, in addition to Commonwealth gold and silver medals.
At the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, he was awarded the Val Barker Trophy, given to the most stylish boxer.
He also won five ABA titles.
It does seem ironic that Dundee’s town centre is awash with countless Oor Wullies, Desperate Dan and Minnie The Minx but there is no place for our greatest ever Olympian.
I’m certainly not knocking those, far from it, as it has been proved they all have significant roles to play in the history of this city.
However, the sports centre named after Dick in the outlying suburbs is now home to gymnastics, which could not be further down the spectrum from boxing!
There is also a statue of him in a local boxing club but it is well out of the public eye. We currently have streets, avenues and grass areas at the Waterfront being named after people associated with this city.
Surely even a wee corner dedicated to Dick would not go amiss.
Even at the Rio Olympics, when boxing was on, commentators continually brought up Dick McTaggart’s name.
That is how highly regarded he is held worldwide but not, apparently, from those who make the big decisions in his home town.
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