Obituary: John Connolly, distillery worker, boxer and trainer Born: 27 November, 1928, in Dumbarton. Died: 12 April, 2013, in Vale of Leven Hospital, aged 84 John Connolly, who has died from lung cancer in Vale of Leven Hospital at the age of 84, was a well known figure in the world of Scottish boxing. He was a member of the Scottish Ex Boxers Association, who support and promote the sport at amateur and professional level and give assistance and companionship to retired fighters suffering from physical and mental health problems. Connolly ran Renton Amateur Boxing Club for nearly 40 years until 2005 when the then Labour-controlled West Dunbartonshire Council decided as part of a programme of cutbacks to close the community education centre where the boxers met and trained. The retired distillery worker from Dumbarton refused to accept defeat, however, and with the support of local independent councillor Jim Bollan battled for three years to secure the re-opening of the venue and keep the sport alive in the village. By 2008, the club, which was founded by Rentonian Richard "Skeets" Gallacher, world champion amateur fly-weight champion in 1948, was back in its old square ring. Connolly, who had been a keen boxer in his youth and was a veteran corner man and trainer, was delighted at the re-opening but dismayed by the fact that when the old club closed "the council put 100 boys on to the streets." He said the point of the club had been to combat drug taking and alcohol abuse: "Boys will get into trouble without anyone there to discipline them - that's what the boxing club gives them. I'd say to them to have a sandwich and milk before training at 6pm. They would train hard until 8:30pm when they'd be so hungry they would run home for their dinner. By that time they would be too tired to go out anywhere and get into any trouble. Connolly was dismayed by the closure decision and maintained it had saved council taxpayers nothing, saying: "How can they say they were saving money when they were putting over 100 boys out on the street with nothing to do? "If just one of them ended up in jail it costs tens of thousands of pounds worth of taxpayers" money - where is the saving there? There was a big group of boys in the boxing club at that time and I don't know what happened to any of them. Councillor Bollan said: "John was a staunch fighter for his local community and helped hundreds of young people over the years by giving up his time freely to organise local boxing clubs. He successfully fought to save the local club he ran when they lost their premises and ensured it was re-established. It continues to flourish as a boxing club for young people. The club continues to be a fitting legacy for John and his absolute commitment to assisting young people locally. John was a gentle giant of a man who went about his unpaid voluntary work in a quiet, dedicated way with a determination that was unshakeable when it came to defending and fighting for his local community. He lived and breathed boxing and tried to pass on the discipline that came with the sport to all the people he helped and supported over the many years he was involved both as a boxer himself and as a trainer. Connolly's son, Andrew, who delivered the eulogy at his funeral, recalled his father's work with "old timers," including Peter Keenan, the renowned Scottish bantamweight of the 1950s, who won European, British and Empire crowns. Friends and acquaintances from the fight game included accomplished local boxers like Donald McQueen, Walter Glover (aka Frankie Narrow), John Poker Law and famous Scottish champions, Ken Buchanan, Jim Watt, Walter McGowan and Benny Lynch. The conversation at home was always about football and boxing. John Connolly was brought up in Dumbarton, went to St Patrick's High School and did his National Service with the army in Malaya. He worked at the Hiram Walker whisky distillery in the town. His wife, Margaret, predeceased him and he is survived by his children, Andrew, John and Theresa. He had great affection for Ireland, from where his forebears came, and the order of service for his well-attended Requiem Mass was decorated with shamrocks. It was celebrated by Father Anthony Gallagher in St Patrick's Church, Dumbarton, where John was a long-serving minister of welcome. His funeral took place at Dumbarton Cemetery.