SPORT

As you are all aware,“ Aussie” Joe Bugner passed on September 1, leaving behind a host of memories for those who knew him and admired his great skills in the ring.

T’ was back in the winter of 1986 when I was a committeeman at Newtown Police Boys Club when a new fighter joined the great Johnny Lewis’ boxing team.

This wasn’ t a promising 18-yearold, but England’ s Joe Bugner, who had relocated to Australia with his Aussie wife, well-known journalist, Marlene.

Joe hadn’ t fought for two and a half years but the lure of the ring always called,

Joe Bugner lands a body blow to Muhammad Ali during their first title bout in Las Vegas on February 14, 1973. and he was smart enough to link with the doyen of boxing trainers.

Prior to his break from the sport, Joe had established himself as one of the world’ s best heavyweights – renowned for his boxing skills but also, as many in the boxing fraternity believed, lacking the“ killer instinct”.

But this giant of a man was good enough to tackle and beat some of the best men in his division – Brian London, Henry Cooper, Chuck Wepner, Jimmy Ellis and Ernie Shavers.

Joe’ s boxing skills, footwork and hand speed enabled him to go the full 15 rounds with two of boxing’ s greatest – Joe Frazier, and twice with The Greatest, Muhammad Ali. After linking with Johnny Lewis, Joe scored a trifecta of wins against highly rated Americans, James Tillis, David Bey and Greg Page before heading back to England to have a crack at the rising local star Frank Bruno.

Bruno stopped Joe with a TKO in round 8 after which Joe“ retired”.

Johnny Lewis told me on his return from London

KING PEDRO is a former Kiwi now with the Shea-Charlton team. He was absolutely flying to the line when 6th in 10030m trial at Randwick on September 16. Still a maiden but did run 6th in the NZ Derby last March.

BURMA STAR indicated he could be a surprise packet this time in with closing 5th in 1050m trial at Randwick on Sept 16. There was a lot to like about his maiden win on August 20 and the trial indicated he is further improved.

EMPRESS OF JAPAN handed in the run of the trial when hitting the line powerfully when 4th over 1050m at R’ wick trials on September 16.

ROSELYN’ S STAR absolutely cruised throughout – the others were all under the bat – in winning 1050m trial at Randwick on Sept 16. Don’ t miss out on this lightly raced 4YO.

BEECHWORTH was given an easy task early before absolutely flying to the line when fast closing 6th of 9 in 1050m trial at Randwick on Sept 16.

POLYGLOT finished by far the best when closing 3rd, less than a length behind two very handy gallopers in 740m trial at Randwick on Sept 16. that he was disappointed with Joe during his month-long stay over there prior to the fight.

“ Joe, being Joe, put much more time into socialising than putting in the hard yakka to prepare himself to go into the fight at 100 per cent fitness,” Johnny said.

Joe spent eight years out of boxing but on September 22, 1995, aged 45, he made a comeback and over the following four years had nine bouts against a couple of handy boxers, winning all but one.

His last outing was a ninth-round disqualification win over American journeyman, Levi Phillips, on June 13, 1999.

Ya gotta admire the man – still throwing leather and mixing it with much younger opponents at 49 years of age!

Sixty years ago, I was 15 years old and one of the 78,056 fans who jam-packed into the Sydney Cricket Ground( and surrounds) to witness the 1965 rugby League grand final between the battlehardened and all-conquering St George Dragons and the new kids on the block, South Sydney Rabbitohs.

You couldn’ t fit another body into the grandstands and on The Hill, so footy fans climbed onto the grandstand roofs and children were permitted to sit about three of four deep inside the fence.

Officials closed the gates at 1pm but the footy hungry crowd smashed them down, scaled walls, spiked themselves getting over barbed wire and bravely – and foolishly- faced a life-ending fall by climbing up to the roofs.

In fact, fans climbed the clock tower in the adjacent showground, including my great old journo mate, Normie Lipsom – a Rabbitohs tragic!

And each and everyone at the SCG that day witnessed a game for the ages with the Dragons getting the bikkies 12-8 to claim their tenth of 11 successive premierships.

Both sides were packed with champions and future champions – Saints with the former, and the Rabbitohs with the latter.

The St George team was, Graeme Langlands, Eddie Lumsden, Reg Gasnier, Billy Smith, John King, Brian Clay, George Evans, Johnny Raper, Norm Provan( captain-coach), Elton Rasmussen, Kevin Ryan, Ian Walsh, Robin Gourley.

On the field for the Rabbitohs were, Kevin Longbotom, Eric Simms, Arthur Branighan, Bob Moses, Mike Cleary, Jimmy Lisle, Ivan Jones, Ron Coote, John Sattler, Bob McCarthy, John O’ Neill, Freddie Anderson, Jim Morgan.

What an array of rugby league champions!

St George was represented by three Immortals – Raper, Gasnier and Provan- all of whom were also joined as Hall of Fame inductees by Lumsden, Clay, King, Walsh and Smith.

All those men played for Australia as did Rasmussen and Ryan while Gourley, an Irishman who came to Australia as a 23-year-old, represented NSW Country and NSW.

The young Rabbitohs team, coached by club legend, Bernie Purcell, later produced eight Australian representatives – Simms, Cleary, Lisle, Coote, Sattler, McCarthy, O’ Neill and Morgan!

Coote is also an Immortal inductee as well as a Hall of Fame member along with teammates McCarthy, Sattler and O’ Neill. Well, sixty years down the track, naturally“ time” has been called for the great majority of the men who took to the field that momentous day.

Just three Saints haven’ t joined the saints- 91-year-old Kevin Ryan, and Billy Smith and Johnny King who are both 83.

Four Rabbitohs are still with us – Mike Cleary, 85, Bob McCarthy, 81, and Ron Coote and Eric Simms who are 80.

Eric Simms was one of those athletes on the world stage whose skills forced sport officials to change the rules- reducing field-goal points from two to one.

And man, oh, man, could he boot a field goal, landing an amazing 86 during his 10 seasons with the Rabbitohs.

In a 1969 match against Penrith, Simms drop-kicked five goals within 11 minutes – could you imagine the Panthers moping back to the kick-off each time!

Another from the 1965 grand final who created an amazing record – Saints flawless Johnny King who scored tries in six successive grand final victories – 1960- 65.

Aaah, as Dean Martin sang –“ memories are made of this.”

Team

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