TWENTY-ONE years ago to the month, I was living and working out of Bristol. On a Saturday morning, I jumped in the car and switched on the radio, only to hear the awful news that Newmains fighter James Murray had died as a result of injuries sustained in his British bantamweight title fight against Drew Docherty in Glasgow.
I didn’t really know James, but Drew was a pal; I’d seen him defeat Joe Kelly and Donnie Hood (two other guys I can call friends from a close-knit Glasgow fight scene) to earn him a Lonsdale Belt; I’d also seen him beaten, quite literally, by Vincenzo Belcastro and Alfred Kotey for European and World belts respectively.
My heart and thoughts went out to James and his family, but I also felt it for Drew and his manager, Tommy Gilmour. Through no fault of their own, they found themselves wrapped in to the most horrible downside of professional boxing.
That was in 1995.
Read more: Partner pays emotional tribute after boxer Mike Towell dies following Glasgow bout
Today, in a tragic irony, Tommy again finds himself associated with a ring death, that of 25-year-old Mike Towell, who Gilmour managed; the Dundee boxer paying the ultimate price for chasing his dreams and ambitions, succumbing late last night after being critically injured in his final eliminator for the British welterweight title against Dale Evans.
I messaged Tommy, early evening, last night, not to pry, not to be nosy, but to offer support to him; I knew how hard he’d be taking this. I also knew there was a very real possibility that this episode would end badly, and, that he would have to be strong for Mike’s immediate family, especially Chloe Ross, Mike’s partner.
Chloe wrote on Facebook, “I’m absolutely heartbroken to say my annoying best friend passed away tonight at 11.02 very peacefully.
“Michael had severe bleeding and swelling to his brain. He had been complaining of headaches for the last few weeks but we put it down to migraines with the stress of his fight.
“It has been the longest 24 hours of our lives. My baby has lost his daddy. But he will be so, so proud of his dad in what he achieved.
“Once he was taken off of his life support he managed 12 hours, 12 whole rounds off his life support, he fought right to the end and he’s done us all so proud ... He left doing the thing he’s best at ... there’s only one.”
A sad loss, a young, fit fighter taken too soon. But, some of us have seen it before.
Perhaps what we haven’t seen, however, is a week in sport where a sportsman pays with his life, hours after a champion, at the very pinnacle of the sport, could have thrown everything away after testing positive for cocaine.
Or a week, where someone like Michael Towell dies, trying to put food on the table and give a better life to Chloe and son Rocco, when certain individuals from the world of football have the food put on the table for them, and then try to leave that table with their pockets stuffed with cash, or, the promise of a bung being fired their way somewhere down the line.
Those wrapped up in football’s seedy, corrupt world, and exposed this week, are not victims. They are collateral damage, in that proximity, pulled there entirely because of greed.
No, the victims this week are Mike Towell, his partner, his son, and the family and friends from boxing that will be surrounding them at this sad time.
Feel sorrow, hurt and even anger for them, not the likes of Fury or Allardyce …
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