UNFORTUNATELY Barnsley has been no stranger to boxing fatalities over the last century, Ashley Ball looks back at some of the tragic events involving Barnsley fighters and how they were reported in the Chronicle archives.
June 19, 1916National Sporting Club,
Covent Garden, London.
Charlie Hardcastle v ‘Sapper’ Louis Hood
‘Barnsley Bombshell’ Charlie Hardcastle, who was to become British featherweight champion a year later, forced a 14th round stoppage win over Hood in their scheduled 15-rounder. Hood had been knocked down four times, twice in the second and twice more in the 14th. Hood collapsed after the bout and died in the early hours of the next morning.All the people involved in the fight, including the referee, timekeeper and Hardcastle and his trainer John Goodwin were arrested on manslaughter charges before being released. Hood was just 18.Hard
November 13, 1927
National Sporting Club, Leeds.
Charlie McDonald v Richard (Dick) Roughley
Barnsley fighter Roughley, at 20, was very badly matched against Sunderland’s dangerous Charlie McDonald who had the 15 round fight all his own way.
Middleweight Roughley was reportedly knocked down several times in the fight and upon the last knockdown hit the back of his neck on the bottom rope. He never regained conciousness, despite a doctor’s best efforts, and died three days later at Leeds Royal Infirmary.
October 4, 1931
Midland Street Stadium, Barnsley
Alf Crummack v Eddie Walmsley
Barnsley boxer Walmsley, 15, died in strange circumstances in this contest with Wath’s fellow novice Alf Crummack.
He had gone down in the first round of their scheduled six to the reported bemusement of onlookers.
No real blow appeared to have been struck and both Crummack and the referee Charles Brennan said as much as they gave evidence at the subsequent inquest.
A post-mortem revealed that Walmsley had an enlarged thymus gland and a shock at any moment in his life could have killed him.
The cause of death was accordingly deemed to be by ‘misadventure’ by the district coroner Mr CJ Haworth and Crummack’s career continued.
