Benny Lynch, Scotland's "greatest ever sporting legend", honoured in Glasgow on anniversary of famous win

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

On September 9 1935, Benny Lynch fought at a tea hall which had been converted into a 7,000-capacity arena in Manchester, and beat his flyweight rival Jackie Brown to become Scotland’s first ever world champion boxer.

The wee man from the Gorbals returned by train to Glasgow’s Central Station to be met by 100,000 cheering supporters. Two years later, he won and defended the world flyweight title in bouts at Wembley’s Empire Pool, Anfield Stadium in Liverpool and at Shawfield Park in his home city.

A campaign group, Remembering Benny Lynch, wants to create a statue at the station, where they are returning to host a one-day exhibition of the world and European trophies he collected in 1937, held on the 81st anniversary of his victory over Brown.

For the first time in more than 70 years, Lynch’s World Championship trophy, earned with a win over the highly-rated Englishman Peter Kane at Shawfield, will be seen alongside his European Championship medal from the same year, borrowed from Willie Haughey, the Glasgow businessman who bought it at a charity auction. The famous local gym, Kelvin ABC, will even be offering boxing sessions at the station.

Kevin Kerrigan, of the travelling Open Museum, noticed the campaign on social media, and was partly intrigued because of his own ancestral part in the story: his grandfather sparred with Lynch, and a search through Glasgow Museums’ database revealed the star’s world championship trophy in the collection.

“I am delighted to have assisted the group in creating a travelling exhibition and bringing it to an even bigger audience at Central Station,” he says. “Benny Lynch is Scotland's greatest ever sporting legend.

“He was our first world boxing champion. He has inspired thousands since his memorable win 81 years ago.

“It is important that future generations are aware of his legacy. I hope it will help the group realise their ultimate ambition of having a statue of the world champion erected in his home city.”

Lynch suffered from alcohol addiction. His death, at the age of 33, came just eight years after his retirement.

His son, Bobby, and granddaughter, Sharon, attended a civic reception in the sportsman’s honour in Glasgow last month. Actor Robert Carlyle is the patron of the campaign for his statue, and another Glaswegian world champion in the ring, Jim Watt, is among those passionately backing the idea.

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Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/art561677-benny-lynch-boxer-glasgow-central-station