42 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

How very sad to hear of Sir Henry Cooper's death. Moss always says that one of the things which gave him most pride in being Knighted was the fact that 'Enery Cooper, British Champion boxer, was Knighted at the same time. British warriors both. At a time when top-level boxing still retained some sense of nobility and fair play, 'Enery's 'Ammer was feared, not least by Clay, who was memorably floored by it. If only 'Enery had been less prone to cuts...

And out of the ring, 'Enery was a charming man - a gentleman... Rest in peace Champ.

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 01 May 2011 - 22:35.

[Tim Murray]

I'm very saddened by this news. I remember listening to the 1963 Clay fight on the radio and being ecstatic when 'Enery dumped Clay on his bum.

If only 'Enery had been less prone to cuts...

IIRC he was leading Ali on points in their 1966 world title bout before the inevitable cut eye. As Doug says, he was a gentleman, and a very modest, unassuming man. Another of my heroes gone. RIP 'Enery.

Edited by Tim Murray, 01 May 2011 - 22:50.

[Vitesse2]

I'm very saddened by this news. I remember listening to the 1963 Clay fight on the radio and being ecstatic when 'Enery dumped Clay on his bum.

... and if the fight had been in America, he'd have won. British rules decreed that the count stopped at the bell. In America, Clay would have been counted out. Three seconds in it, as I recall.

RIP 'Enery

[LittleChris]

A shock but given his age and some of the punishment he took not a massive one. Always enjoyed his Brut adverts with Sheene, if not the product . RIP Henry

[Gary Davies]

RIP 'Enry. Memories of the 1963 Clay fight flood back. Of Cassius' blustering before the fight, of the elation (as a Brit) when 'Enry's 'Ammer dropped him in the fourth, only for Cooper's susceptibility to cuts ending it. Then, IIRC, Clay coming onto Sportsview the following week and happily conceding, "Henry Cooper is no bum!"

Who would have been doing that interview, Peter Dimmock or Harry Carpenter? Goodness me, 48 years ago!

[Eric Dunsdon]

... and if the fight had been in America, he'd have won. British rules decreed that the count stopped at the bell. In America, Clay would have been counted out. Three seconds in it, as I recall.

RIP 'Enery

And if Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee had'nt caused a delay by splitting one of Ali's gloves during the break, who knows what the next round might have brought?. RIP Champ.

[Tim Murray]

He was the first person to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year twice, and is still one of only three people to have achieved this, the other two both being racing drivers.

[sterling49]

I did a series of trade shows with Henry years ago. Such an modest guy, it was hard to imagine that he fought Clay all those years ago ( and I remember the fights) suited and booted, a really smart and impressive gentleman, I was very lucky indeed. R.I.P.

[Mistron]

when it used to go to people with personality!

[Lola5000]

Along with Tommy Farr one of best heavyweights Britain has had.RIP.

[john medley]

I was an amateur boxer. I did all right -- won a thingie or two. At one time I was a gym mate of someone called Athol McQueen -- who nobody has ever heard of. All the Trivia Nights I went to later always got the question" Who was the last Australian to fight a World Heavyweight Champion?" wrong. They always said " Tony Madigan Golden Gloves etc Cassius Clay". Some foolishly said " Aussie Joe Bugner" ( the one " with the build of a Greek Statue although his moves were a bit slower"). No No I used to say, Smokin' Joe Frazier ( one of Ali's best opponents) Olympic Games Tokyo 1964 was decked by and trailing on points to tall Athol McQueen from the little country town of Kyogle NSW until in desperation Joe KO'ed Athol. Athol was coached in Kyogle from 1957 by Frank Cameron who went on to coach Australia at the 1964 Olympics (I had a hand in Frank getting the Australia job, and many of those who were there have recently died). These were great men. Athol went on to father " Chainsaw" McQueen Very Hard Rugby Player wellknown to some of my good rugby and motor racing mates, and to respond to a reporter's question" why didnt you go on to a professional boxing career?"( no-one EVER believed Athol led Smokin Joe) by saying ( waving a hand over his expansive but not lucrative Far North Coast dairy property) "Why would I ever leave this? This is God's country"

I was fortunate. I was there. I saw those fights, I saw Athol, I saw ' Enery's 'Ammer, I saw great men( but we really were just boys)-- good and gracious people-- and my life still owes a great debt to Frank Cameron. Farewell ' Enery....

RIP another part of my youth

[DogEarred]

He lived for a while in Wembley and as kids, we would sometimes (annoyingly, no doubt) go Henry Cooper spotting near his house. He would always graciously say hello though, if he did appear.
He would sometimes be seen on a Saturday, serving at the family fruit & veg stall. Obviously good for custom, with a queue waiting to hopefully have their King Edwards weighed & bagged up by Henry Cooper!
Didn't he do one or more of those celebrity saloon car races?

[David Lawson]

A shock but given his age and some of the punishment he took not a massive one. Always enjoyed his Brut adverts with Sheene, if not the product . RIP Henry

I don't think of 76 as being particularly old and his death wasn't linked to the blows he took during his boxing career, sadly he never recovered from the loss of his wife.

David

[Tim Murray]

Didn't he do one or more of those celebrity saloon car races?

I remember him in the one at the 1977 Race of Champions, and I'm sure there were others - he was a great worker for charity.

[Paul Hurdsfield]

RIP Enery

Now you can go and 'Splash it on all over' Barry.

Great memories of a true British Sporting Gent, Thanks.

[MCS]

...And out of the ring, 'Enery was a charming man - a gentleman... Rest in peace Champ.

I met him on a couple of occasions and was quite taken aback by his kindness, consideration and total lack of "celebrity" - as Doug says, a charming man. I'll never forget meeting him and feel very privileged to have done so.

I wonder how true the story was on that first encounter with Clay that the referee really did flaunt the rules and allow Clay's cut gloves to be replaced and then allow him to receive smelling salts? Incredible stories often have an element of truth and I've often wanted that referee seriously questioned subsequently.

It's interesting, though - when I saw the news of Henry's death this morning, I was minded of a Jeffrey Bernard comment some years ago regarding boxers in general (and by that I mean good boxers) in that they almost always were gentle men outside of the ring. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule.

Thinking of Jeff, I had a little read this afternoon of his collected thoughts and he refers - rightly, in my opinion - to Bugner as "an unprepossessing would-be"...

God bless you, Henry.

Edited by MCS, 02 May 2011 - 18:44.

[pete53]

He lived for a while in Wembley and as kids, we would sometimes (annoyingly, no doubt) go Henry Cooper spotting near his house. He would always graciously say hello though, if he did appear.
He would sometimes be seen on a Saturday, serving at the family fruit & veg stall. Obviously good for custom, with a queue waiting to hopefully have their King Edwards weighed & bagged up by Henry Cooper!

Here is a quick Pathe clip of Henry in the shop. http://www.britishpa...rd.php?id=44562

I remember going to see an Amateur Cup Final at Wembley in the mid-60s and as we drove away after the game my friend's dad pointed out Henry's greengrocery shop.

For me, his name still stands alongside other sportspeople that I, as a sports mad youngster, held in great esteem at that time - footballers, athletes, cricketers, racing drivers, and, Henry Cooper, our great heavyweight hope.

[D-Type]

Another sporting hero of my youth gone.

RIP Henry

[LittleChris]

I don't think of 76 as being particularly old and his death wasn't linked to the blows he took during his boxing career, sadly he never recovered from the loss of his wife.

David

Sorry David, I didn't phrase it very well. What I meant was that the profession he was in often takes a heavy toll on the body but it is only later in life that the impact is felt. I wasn't aware of the loss of his wife, but his twin brother George passed away almost exectly a year ago and that would certainly have affected him.

[Longtimefan]

Never been a Boxing fan at all but 'Our Enry' was a huge icon without a doubt. a legend in and out of the sport and he will be very sadly missed. RIP

[RS2000]

Don't know what other cars he owned but he had one of the "evolution" Sierra Cosworth RS500 road cars at one time.

[Callisto]

R.i.p henry,a great boxer and a true gentleman.My dad met him at a charity do 14 yrs ago,my dad said he was very easy to talk too.Henry said to my dad with a smile "you're a big lad"(my dad was 6ft 4 & 17 1/2 st)

[arttidesco]

I never met Henry Cooper but I did see him around London on several occasions during the 1970's, the only time I saw him compete was in a Ford Consul charity race the first time I went to Brands Hatch in 1973, IIRC he was in with a shout of a podium while Chay Blyth sailed away in the lead.

RIP 'Splash it all over' Henry !

Edited by arttidesco, 12 October 2017 - 20:58.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Did his son not do the Renault 5 Championship in the late 70's?

[David Birchall]

Last night there was a 'special' on Cassius Clay on tv in N.America--of course the bout with 'Enery was shown and my gawd, Clay was lucky! Even Angelo Dundee admitted that Clay was in very serious trouble. I remember listening to the bout on the radio with me mum-we were behaving in a very un-English manner when 'Enery decked Clay. Clay/Ali became my hero after that. But 'Enery was a great boxer.

[Doug Nye]

...who was NOT beaten by Joe Bugner...

DCN

[D-Type]

I agree - but the judges didn't

[Doug Nye]

Harry Gibbs, the referee, didn't. A quarter of a point, indeed...

DCN

[MCS]

I agree - but the judges didn't ;)

An absolute travesty - but in any case wasn't the referee the sole Judge? Or am I dreaming?

[Glengavel]

I remember seeing Henry as a guest on a Tommy Cooper (no relaition!) magic show. Tommy's trying to do that trick of pulling a shirt out from under a jacket. Henry menacingly points out that he's wearing an expensive silk shirt, and Tommy proceeds to tear it to shreds. I think the skit ends by Henry pulling Tommy's shirt off.

[Eric Dunsdon]

...who was NOT beaten by Joe Bugner...

DCN

Joe who?!!!!! .

[Paul Rochdale]

Yes Harry Gibbs the referee WAS the sole judge of the Cooper v Bugner fight, and unlike his usual character Cooper never spoke to Gibbs again for many years claiming that "things happened before the fight which I won't repeat". I wonder if the full story will ever emerge?

As secretery of a local amateur boxing club I had the very good fortune to meet Henry during the evening of our annual boxing tournament. The club chairman had managed to track down Henry's home number and called him. His wife answered and was asked if Henry could come along to present the prizes. She said he would. The chairman was later told the Henry would never appear for less than a few hundred pounds and this caused our chairman some worry as we were a small club. He phoned again and his wife said "Don't worry" but there was still a lingering doubt in the chairman's mind. Should he withdraw a few hundred from the bank just in case? Henry turned up on the night in his Jag, stayed for quite a while awarding prizes and signing autographs before quietly leaving. He didn't ask for a penny.

For much of his career he fought at around 14st, very light for a heavyweight, and on one occasion lead was added to his boots at a weigh in to make him a little heavier.

I didn't know he was profoundly deaf in his later years and couldn't even hear his doorbell.

A true gentleman the like of which, at least in boxing, we'll never see again.

[Lola5000]

An absolute travesty - but in any case wasn't the referee the sole Judge? Or am I dreaming?

from memory Cooper was 37yo and Bugner early 20s.Poor old Joe never became the people champion due to this win.

[DogEarred]

[quote name='Paul Rochdale' date='May 4 2011, 08:49' post='4998217']
Yes Harry Gibbs the referee WAS the sole judge of the Cooper v Bugner fight, and unlike his usual character Cooper never spoke to Gibbs again for many years claiming that "things happened before the fight which I won't repeat". I wonder if the full story will ever emerge?



Very interesting. I believe Gibbs was normally a well respected referee who even officiated in World Title bouts.
Even as a youngster with no boxing knowledge, I thought that decision appalling.

Bugner went on to a 'great' acting career in Australia and even tried a comeback fight, loosely disguised an aged Mr. Blobby...

[kayemod]

Bugner went on to a 'great' acting career in Australia and even tried a comeback fight, loosely disguised an aged Mr. Blobby...

Joe Bugner used to live quite near me, just outside Huntingdon, he and his Rolls were often seen in the town and he was well liked, he seemed pretty unspoiled to me, not much charisma, but quite 'normal' to chat to. He had a rather tasteless 'Southfork' style house built on the St Ives road, and there's a very sad motor racing connection. Following a collision with an HGV early one morning, Dave Jackson, co-founder of Specialised Mouldings and my best mate at the time, passed away right in front of Joe's ornate wrought iron gates.

[RobertE]

Some background on this matter:

Gibbs had been of the opinion that he had not been getting his 'fair share' of top-level fights; a reason for which was possibly a track record regarding dodgy decisions; Billy Walker losing to Johnny Prescott in 1963 and Henry Cooper losing to Amos Johnson on points in 1965, being two.

There has never been a serious suggestion that Gibbs took a 'bung' although rumours at the time suggested that he was less than fair about London fighters, perhaps to prove his objectivity. After the Bugner fight, Gibbs had to be escorted from the arena by police. The crowd and most informed commentators thought that it was a decision so bad that Gibbs should never work again. But, of course, he did.

When he retired from being a referee, Gibbs became a boxing judge; in 1987 Marvin Hagler's corner turned him down as an official for the fight against Leonard.

Henry Cooper and Gibbs did at least shake hands (long after the event) at a charity do, but Jim Wicks (H's manager) never spoke to Gibbs again. When I interviewed Henry in conjunction with my authorised biography of him (2002) he was still sure that it was a fix, and, knowing him as I did, it is not a remark he would have made lightly, either at the time or later.

All possibly unfair on Gibbs, but also possibly not as unfair as he was on Henry. I watch the fight from time to time (and very boring it is!) and it is clear that the last bloke who thought that Bugner had won was Bugner. To his credit, he still doesn't claim it. But at the time, he was 'the Great White Hope' at the very point when serious money was invading (wrecking) the sport.

Sounds familiar...

I'll miss Henry; he was a magnificent man, likeable and straightforward and, after he retired, boxing receded in the national consciousness by a huge margin. Even people who disliked boxing could never bring themselves to dislike him.

R.I.P....

Edited by RobertE, 06 May 2011 - 16:54.

[Doug Nye]

The above is one of the best single posts I have ever read in this place... Respect.

DCN

[elansprint72]

The above is one of the best single posts I have ever read in this place... Respect.

DCN

Agreed.

I am fortunate enough to have shaken hands with both Ali and Cooper; that's as far as my connection with boxing goes.
Both of these great champions took the time to ask how I was doing in my chosen sport.

[RobertE]

The above is one of the best single posts I have ever read in this place... Respect.

DCN

Thank you very much, Doug! To be frank, I've always found it rather strange to be writing about my childhood heroes! It's comforting that (so far) they haven't let me down...

[Vitesse2]

BBC2 tonight at 9.45:

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rammes/b011k3rv

[David Lawson]

The programme echoed and reinforced all the comments above in this thread, well worth watching on iplayer if you missed it.

David

[RobertE]

I'm pleased to report that the paperback edition of the Henry Cooper biog. will be out (finally) later this year. It will contain a few more details regarding both the Clay fight and the last fight. I had been adding to/refining and expanding the book as he died, which rather served to put me off my stroke, as you may imagine.

I don't use this forum to plug my stuff but people have been so nice about H that I thought that in this case it would be appropriate. Also, I'm not a member of any boxing forums! A proportion of the take (as yet, I must confess, uncalculated - it's all contingent) will go to H's favourite charity.

[Vitesse2]

If anyone has 70 grand to spare, Our 'Enery's Ferrari 365GTB 2+2 is coming up for auction: http://www.telegraph...cooper-auction/