WANGANUI BOXER’S SUCCESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 68, 22 March 1939, Page 6

WANGANUI BOXER’S SUCCESS

ALAN DEERE WINS TITLE EARLY TRAINING BY WESTPORT TUTOR Private advice was received yesterday that Pilot-Officer Alan C. Deere, formerly of Wanganui, succeeded in retaining his middle weight championship title in the Royal Air Force championship tournament, at. Uxbridge, last month. The tournament was a great success and with over 100 competitors, lasted over two days. The Wanganui lad won his first and second heats on points, and in the final had Pilot-Officer Hyde down a couple of times neart he finish, when the referee declared in the Wanganui boy’s favour. Deere’s next important, bout, will be against the Army crack, Mudrock, who has just returned from Denmark with the army team. This will be for the inter-services championship in April. Young Deere, who is a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Deere, of Wanganui, has had remarkable success in the athletic arena since going to England with the Air Force, having gained representative honours at Rugby, cricket and boxing. Laying the Foundation Alan Deere came to Wanganui as a lad from Westport, where he learned the rudiments of boxing from the veteran and pastmaster of the art, Mr. Jack O’Neill. In Westport he showed rare promise and many visiting boxers to the coalopolis predicted a big future for the lad. On settling in Wanganui, Deere received further instruction and coaching from such highclass tutors as Mark Carroll and Tommy Souter. Profiting by his earlier tuition, he quickly made good, and became one of Wanganui’s ablest exponents in the art of self-defence. Deere played for the Marist Rugby team in Wanganui, and also represented the union.