Tommy Fairhall Is Coaching At Burnham

Southland Times, Issue 24109, 24 April 1940, Page 11

Tommy Fairhall Is Coaching At Burnham

Boxing is extremely popular at Burnham. In charge of it is Quartermaster Sergeant T. H. Fairhall, a former welter-weight champion of Australia, still at his old fighting weight of 9st 121 b and highly enthusiastic over his section of the recreation programme. “The boys I am coaching are all particularly keen, and it’s a pleasure to help them along.” he said the other day. “Some 15 or 16 of them are very promising indeed, and they will go further than most. It will be better than that. ‘ By the time the battalion gets to Egypt, I feel sure we will have three or four ‘dark horses’ for a crack at the British Army titles. It will not be Major Leckie’s fault if we do not. The encouragement the boys get from him and Colonel Falconer has kept things going with a swing.” Ably filling the post of assistant boxing trainer is Private J. McGrath, a leading Ashburton fighter up till the

time he went into camp. Other boxers of note who help whenever they can are Privates Percy Rainer, of Blenheim, and Jack Page, of the West Coast. It is interesting to recall that Quartermaster-Sergeant Fairhall made his first trip to New Zealand in 1923, when he was undefeated in seven fights, including a win over Les Murray, lightweight champion of New Zealand, at Timaru. Two of his most notable wins in Australia were over the British Empire welter and light-weight champions, Harry Mason and Ernie Izzard. Capping his boxing career when on the verge of retiring, and concentrating on the training side, was a decisive win over Jimmy Kelso, in 1932. For boxing tournaments at Burnham —a weekly feature that is becoming exceptionally popular with all ranks—the cany? theatre is available, with a special ring lent by the South Canterbury Boxing Association.