Interesting Items of Sport from Britain Bos Murphy Favoured

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 January 1948, Page 5

Interesting Items of Sport from Britain Bos Murphy Favoured

(Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent) Received 6 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 23 Bos Murphy had a new experience this week when he went to Alexandra Palace to be interviewed before the television camera. He replied to several questions diffidently, but was enthusiastic about his reception in English boxing circles, especially the fact that his request for a title fight was agreed to willingly without the necessity of a number of preliminaries.

He gave only one demonstration, his favourite knock-out punch. The “Daily Mail’s” sports editor says of Murphy: “He is a grand boxer and one of the most stylish seen for many seasons, quick to score, clever in evasion and with a punch that puts men away for the count. He will find Hawkins more formidable than the coloured Roy Paterson, but I think the odds are in Murphy’s favour.” BRUCE WOODCOCK Boxing circles are now speculating whether Bruce Woodcock will ever tight again. The reason is Woodcock’s return to the Leeds Inflrmary with eye trouble for which he underwent an operation last year. It started while he was working in a

. quarry to toughen un his hands. A piece of stone worked behind his left i eye and after the operation he had to be kept in a darkened room for five weeks. „ The trouble has recurred and he is , now resting under observation. In * some quarters it is suggested that 1 the heavy punishment Woodcock ’ took in his fight with Baksi, when J his jaw was broken, has caused him • to lose his sting as a fighter and that - for his own good he should retire. 1 ; FREDDIE MILLS I Freddie Mills, who was recentlyj I resting after a series of fights, is to ' defend his European light-heavy-• : weight title against Pancho Bueno, l ’ Spanish champion, at Harrlngay, on j ■ February 17. Bueno, who has only i - been beaten once, has a good repu-I ? tation. He recently beat the French-1 man, Renet, and the Scottish heavyl i weight champion, Shaw. j

OLYMPIC GAMES I The first events of the Olympic I i Games bejjin at St. Moritz, Switzerland, within a few days. There are ■ seventeen events end thirty-one na- i ■ tions will be 'competing. Over 500 1 pressmen, photographers and radio [ commentators will report the events. 1 The ' British skiers arrive this week-end to join the skaters and ; hockey players. Some of the most interesting events will be races on the Cresta run, an ice track 1200 metres long and just wide enough to take the steel toboggan with its rider, who lies face downwards. One Olympic event will be held on the Cresta run, a race consisting of six 1 courses. The champion will be he 1 who has the best aggregate on all 1 six. Britain’s chances in this event are reported to be rosy. WEST INDIAN SPRINTER The West Indian sprinter, E. McDonald Bailey, who is British sprint champion and co-nolder of the British 100 yards record <9.6sec. 1 may , run for Britain in the Olympic , Games. i Though Trinidad intend to enter a ; I team for the Olympics they notified i the British Amateur Athletic Board I that they will release Bailey. Bailey ! 1 is very pleased about the decision, 1 I “I have done nearly all my training 1 | and achieved most, of my successes 1 in Britain,” he said. Bailey, it is I commented, will strengthen the Brit- | I ish entry and give Britain a second , ■ chance of reaching the Olympic final in either the 100 or 200 metre races, j

D. M. HARRIS I The New Zealander, D. M. Harris, is training at Loughborough. He is ' coming to London shortly to be in- ’ terviewed by the American Broad's casting Company. i It is reported that Jesse Owens, i who is regarded as the greatest ; sprinter the world has ever seen, ! and who won four gold medals at , the 1936 Olympics (100 and 200 i metres, long jump and relay), is ; coming to London this year. He turned professional in 1937 and after earning £40,000 he filed as ‘ a bankrupt in 1939. Now it is reported he has made a financial comeback I and that last year he earned £4OOO las a lecturer and sports gear salesJ man. SOCCER SENSATION Jack Bray, manager of Watford 1 Football Club, and former Manchester City wing-half, has caused a sensation in English soccer circles by resigning and declaring he is finished with football. '‘IL has become a racket,” he said, "and I am getting ; out of it.” I* Bray declares ho cannot reconcile '■ his ideals with the game as it is run 'today. “It is being ruined by ruth- ; lessness of its finance.” He said, “the player or the little club don’t matmoney and a mad scramble for ter any more. All that matters is | points. No one seems interested in the game as a game. All they think about is the commercial aspect.” He added that sportsmanship was declining, too.