SPRUCE CAPITAL BOXING

THE SPRUCE CAPITAL BOXING STORY: by brian zelley


Introduction
Today in 2012 it is called the Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing
Club  coached Prince George sports hall of fame inductee
WAYNE SPONAGLE.  For the complete story, we need
to go back to the days and years of  IRVING and HAROLD MANN.
== JACK MEDA ==

In the late sixties and early Seventies 
on of the boxing starswas heavyweight
Jack Meda who is an inductee of the
Prince George Sports Hall of Fame. 
Along the way there would be many
other excellent boxers such as
Harold Handlin, Laurie Rorick, 
Sid McKnight,  Laurie Mann,
 Buzz Montour and many others
 in recent years such as 
2012 Canadian silver medalist
light-heavyweight boxer
Thomas Speirs and Marcus Hume.  In 1972, the 
listed club officials were Harold Mann and Doug Martin.
== ALLAN BAYNE ==
Some may remember boxer ALLAN BAYNE.  In 1984, 
Allan would take part in the Silver Gloves that were 
held Decenber 17 th.  Bain would fight his way into
the finals as a junior open boxer and win against a
boxer from Cranbrook, BC.  Some other well known
junior open boxers in that tournament were
Jason Downie, Tony Duffy, Paul Deluca, Manny Sobral,
Alan Brown and Troy Taylor.


But many more tournaments would take place over the
years.  Ten years after that Silver Gloves victory as a
junior boxer Bayne would be part of the Canadian
Commonwealth Games boxing team in 1994.

           Some of the Canadian boxers and coaches 
           1994 Commonwealth Games, Victoria, BC


*Some may remember Dennis Rorick when he boxed in the Sixties and
made it into the finals of the 1967 Diamond Belt tournament and 
faced Donato Paduano in the finals.


== SID MCKNIGHT ==

Sid is one
of the few 
former
BC based
Olympic 
boxers.




The Eighties:
During the eighties many Spruce Capital boxers engaged in 
club shows and tournaments including:
Curtis Mann, Steve Noel, Todd Hatley, Tyler Walker,
Tyler Piddocke, Vince Schryver and Wade Csntelope. 

In the 1984 Bronze Gloves, the Bronze Boy was
Tyler Piddocke of Prince George.  The Bronze Boy runner-up
was Trent Storey of Gold River.  

The Dawn of a New Age for Spruce Capital Boxers:
Fast forward to March 2013, and boxer Thomas Speirs
makes his pro debut with succes to begin a new journey
along the path of many Canadian professional boxers.
His long time club mate Marcus Hume  was on the 
Spruce Capital Boxing Club hosted card in an 
amateur bout which he won.

Coach Wayne Sponagle
and Marcus Hume joined
Thomas Speirs at a news
coference prior to the
boxing show to discuss
the journey of club 
member Thomas Speirs.

THE BERT LOWES BOXING STORY

THE LONG BOXING JOURNEY OF BERT LOWES
- by brian Zelley


Introduction


The story of the Bert Lowes boxing story,
covers many decades and hundreds of boxers
from the South Hill and Firefighters Boxing
Clubs, to his role as head boxing official in
British columbia and Canada.

He was well known in boxing circles on
an International basis for officiating in numerous International 
tournaments such as the Olympic Games, and in 1994
served on the security detail at the 1994 Commonwealth Games

                     PAT WEST and BERT LOWES and their boxers

                    SOME OF THE ALUMNI OF BERT'S BOXING CLUBS
                      Freddy Fuller   Dick Findlay   Dave Wylie
                     Brian Zelley   Gordie Lawson  Jimmy Walters
                     John Gamble  Frankie Scott  Lindy Lindmoser
    

BRITISH COLUMBIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME - INDUCTEE
As of 2011, Bert Lowes is one of seven boxing names in the 
British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame.  The others to share this 
distinction are Jimmy McLarnin, Billy Townsend, Harold Mann,
Tommy Paonessa,  Dale Walters and Lennie Walters.

                HERBERT A LOWES - INDUCTED 1993 - BUILDER


AWARDS and RECOGNITION
Bert Lowes has received and given many awards.  One of the
most cherished non-boxing awards in the Harold Mann
Achievement Award for distinguished long-term service
to the sport of amateur boxing in British Columbia.  Lowes
was one of the early recipients of this annual award.


For several years in the Eighties, there was a special
"Bert Lowes Award" presented to a excellent boxer

from British Columbia.  One of the boxers was GARY ROBINSON.

THE HERE AND NOW  2011
Herbert (Bert) Lowes has been gone for 11 years,
but his image and influence remains in the footprints 
of amateur boxing history.  In October 2011, Bert was 
nominated for a place in the 
BC AMATEUR BOXING HALL OF FAME. 

THE GORDIE LAWSON BOXING STORY - FINDING THE GOLDEN KEY

(Photo courtesy of Gordie Lawson)

THE GORDIE LAWSON BOXING STORY: By Brian Zelley

Introduction
With permission of former amateur and professional boxer, 
I am writing a short story on the boxing story of Gordie.
Of interest, long after his journey along the twisting
turning boxing highway, there would be another 
journey and that we have called finding the
GOLDEN KEY to unlock the  treasure chest
to find his daughter. 

I first met Gordie during the 1967/1968 boxing season
while we were both members of the Vancouver
Firefighters Boxing Club training under coaches
Bert Lowes and Pat West along with some
outstanding boxers and some young novices. 

THE BOXING STORY  

                  Gordie Lawson      -     Brian Zelley

Long after the bright lights of the boxing ring
had faded to black, it would be boxing that
would be the source of the Golden Key.

THE BOXING JOURNEY BEGINS in 1967
 - The Vancouver Firefighters Boxing Club-

The beginning of the Gordie Lawson boxing story
takes place in September 1967 when he joined
the Vancouver Firefighters Boxing Club that
was located in the heart of the area known as
"Little Italy" and the training facility was
located on Adanac in East Vancouver.  But,
early in the new year, the club would change
locations to the Cambie and 12th. area in
a basement area of an old church within
walking distance of the Vancouver City Hall.

For the open senior boxers it would be an 
important year for a shot of making the 
1968 Olympic Games.  Some of the 
open senior boxers were:
Fred Fuller, Nicky MacDonald,  
Frank Scott, Dave Wylie and Brian Zelley 

THE 1968 SILVER GLOVES 
 TOURNAMENT JOURNEY BEGINS

sadly CHUCK ROBINSON would die with other members
of the 1980 USA Olympic Boxing Team when their plane
crashed and exploded in Poland.  

From 1968 throughout the Seventies Gordie
would be involved in numerous club shows
and tournaments including a Team Canada
Scandinavian Tournament in 1971.

                              (photo courtesy of Gordie Lawson)
Other one time Firefighters were Steve Tohill and Bert Lowes


The Scandinavian tournament saw action in various 
countries, but before the trip the Canadian boxers
would face a team of USA boxers.  Gordie
summarizes the tournament and touches on
a pre-Olympic tournament:

                  (memories from Gordie about the 1971 action)

GOLDEN MOMENTS IN THE GOLDEN GLOVES
Gordie was involved in numerous Golden Gloves tournaments in 
the Pacific Northwest and one of his best performances was the 
 1975 BC Golden Gloves in Vancouver.

     From Saddo Boxing site re. Golden Gloves activity

BACK IN BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR THE FESTIVAL: 

Elsewhere there was that British Columbia Festival of Sports
Winter Boxing Tournament in Prince George.  In that show
Gordie faced the experienced Chester Douglas in the finals.
One measure of praise came from a former South Hill boxer
and the coach of the Prince George Spruce Capital Boxing
Club.  Harold would call Gordie a "Slam Bang Body Puncher"
- HAROLD MANN,  member of the BC Sports Hall of Fame

CLUB SHOWS:
During the time period between 1968 and 1980, Gordie would
participate in his share of club shows hosted by various clubs
from Victoria to Vancouver and other places.  

One early example is a November 1969 All Star Show:

In the 1969 fight card in Vancouver

GORDIE LAWSON

(Firefighters Boxing Club)  

win over

GERALD (Tubby) BOYCE

(Astotia Boxing Club)

More Amateur Moments by Gordie Lawson 

Gordie's last major tournament would be the 1980 
BC Golden Gloves.  A short time later in 1980 Lawson
would hit the pro circuit running.

GORDIE LAWSON - Professional Boxer (1980 - 1983)
In his first four bouts in various Pacific Northwest places
Gordie would earn victories.  Then in his fifth fight, he 
would reach for the stars with a bout in New Zealand
against a country star by the name of MONTY BETHAM. 
Before Gordie, Betham  had fought in the light-heavyweight
division but came in  as a middleweight.

Gordie did not win the bout but gained much respect from the
boxing crowd in New Zealand and back in Canada.  But, 
in the Pacific Northwest, Gordie was well respected as a boxer
and a good guy. The words by David Ius that Gordie had
 "the heart of a lion" can be  validated with his New Zealand
 bout with dual champion MONTY BETHAM.

Of interest , one of the bouts took place in Eastern Europe
and received some coverage in a book titled "Flesh and Blood"
- A journery into the heart of boxing.  At that time, Gordie
and trainer Jimmy Johnston took a quick trip east from 
Vancouver to Europe.

 AFTER THE BRIGHT  LIGHTS OF THE RING &
THE ROAR OF  THE CROWD FADED TO BLACK
                     - a new journey begins-

Gordie continued to have pro bouts until 1983 and would
never hit the jackpot with a world title fight and earn that
pot of gold.  But, it wasn't Gold Medals and Pots of Gold
that GORDIE LAWSON was searching for.  It was the 
"Golden Key" that would unlock the mystery of his lost
daughter.  Life is strange, due to a number of circumstances, 
such as age and other issues, he would never see his daughter
from the time of her birth in 1970.  Difficult to say how
the events in 1970, would effect his boxing journey, but
it may have been the motivation to be a journeyman
globe trotting boxer fighting in the many different towns
in his amateur and professional trip.  Even after the lights
went out on his boxing journey in 1983, he went from the
"heart of a lion" to the "restless tiger" always searching in 
his mind.  And, when he moved to a Northern town, he 
would get involved in amateur boxing as a coach in the
 early Nineties.

Now, if he would of stayed a boxing coach in British Columbia
and kept his membership in BOXING BC, his search and 
likely his daughters search would have been resolved long
ago, or no later than 2008.  But, in the Nineties, the 
NORTHERN BC WINTER GAMES SOCIETY did not
want boxing in the Games, for whatever reason, we will
never know.  It killed boxing in the remote town, and killed
the thread that would have been the key to the solving 
the mystery of  the lost daughter and the lost boxer.   


GOLDEN MEMORIES

Some of Gordie's Boxing Memories:

DAVID IUS - former boxer with the North West Eagles
and son of the top coaches Elio Ius:

FINDING THE GOLDEN KEY  - THE MAIN EVENT OF LIFE

MONIQUE's SEARCH FOR THE LOST BOXER

In the year 2000,  Monique would begin her journey to find her 
birth father, but it would take eight long years before she would
find a key to unlock the door to the mystery.   From various 
records she was able to find a name and  some 
reference to Golden Gloves.  Not being sure of the real
meaning of Golden Gloves, she searched high and low
that would reveal a trace of the name Gordie and his
Golden Gloves.  

Then it happened, Monique did not find Gordie's
Golden Gloves, but she found the 'golden key' 

This opening line on a boxing forum site would turn out to be 
the Golden Key.  After  a few communications  between 
Monique and I, she left her e-mail address of the site and 
I set-up a new topic with the name of Gordie. 
There was no expectation but plenty of hope.

Despite eight long years, it would be another two 
years and five months before Gordie would find the 
Golden Key.  For Monique, it came as a surprise
to one day receive an e-mail with the Lawson name
and a telephone name.  If the past ten plus years
were painful, the receipt of the e-mail would create
 a flood of emotions rushing   through her mind.  
And,  the fear of uncertainty and the fear of rejection.
But,  that is not the reception that she received. 
It was beyond awesome, it was  complete joy.  
And, for the daughter with the determination,
the unknown disappeared in a flash.

THE LAST MILE OF THE JOURNEY
TO FIND THE GOLDEN KEY:

(a personal part of any story is best left to to the person)

GORDIE'S LAST ROUND - 

 THE FINISH LINE 

For the boxer, who could have guessed in their
wildest dreams, that it would be boxing that would
uncover his hopes, wishes and dreams.  What he found
in that moment was not gold medals or boxing titles, 
but the "golden key"and his tears would wash away
the pain of 40 years of uncertainty and loss:

A 2013 UPDATE: BC AMATEUR BOXING HALL OF FAME

Back To the Beginnig

of this two year period

"the symbolic golden key"

The above November 2008 post was the beginning

of the search for the golden key

and this post is the end of two years and six months

into the deep black unkown of fear, guilt, sorrow and pain.

 

Added video July 2014

 

   

SOUTH HILL and FIREFIGHTERS BOXING LEGACY

SOUTH HILL - FIREFIGHTERS BOXING: by brian zelley

INTRODUCTION
Part of the story of amateur boxing in British Columbia is the
legacy of the combined South Hill and the Firefighters Boxing
Clubs operated by  BERT LOWES and PAT WEST with
a few other trainers and coaches assisting to craft the legend.

                           BERT LOWES - Coach
          South Hill  and Firefighters Boxing Clubs
     One of seven boxing folk in the BC Sports Hall of Fame

As we reach into the boxing treasure chests of the two clubs,
there are a 1,000 or more stories of the coaches, the boxers,
the club shows, tournaments, the gyms and the travels.

JIMMY WALTERS - Multi-term champion and one of
the core group of 15 inductees in 2010 into the 
British Columbia Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame along with:
Harold Mann, Dick Findlay, Freddy Fuller and Frank Scott.

HAROLD MANN - Multi-term champion - Gold Medal 1962 
British Empire / Commonwealth Games, Inductee in the
British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame, the Prince George
Sports Hall of Fame and the BC Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame.
Also, served as a coach for the Spruce Capital Boxing Club in
Prince George and served as a Team BC Coach.

DICK FINDLAY - A star boxer of the Sixties.  Two time 
BC Golden Boy and a Golden Boy runner-up, winner of
numerous competitions and a member of the 1967
Canadian Pan Am Games team and the 1968
Canadian Olympic team.  Also, a core member
 and honorary director of the BC Amateur Boxing
Hall of Fame.  Dick also has served as an official
and a volunteer with Boxing BC.

FREDDY FULLER -  A long time star of BC Amateur Boxing
with numerous titles and awards.  Member of various boxing
clubs but a valued member of the Firefighters Boxing Club.
Was a champion in the 1968 Pacific Northwest AAU
championships/Seattle Golden Gloves and the 1965
BC Golden Boy.  Also, one of the most popular Canadian 
boxers to appear in Washington State boxing tournaments. 
Was a team member of  - Dick Findlay and Frank Scott
in the 1967 Pan Am Games and was a member of the 1970
Canadian Commonwealth Games team.
Freddy is also a core member inductee and an
 honorary director of the  BC Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame.

FRANK SCOTT - A former member of the Burnaby Boxing Club
and valued member of the Firefighters Boxing Club.  Frank was
another outstanding boxer with International standing earning
a Bronze medal in the 1966 Commonwealth Games and 
Following his active  boxing, he became the founder and
head coach of the Queensborough Boxing Club in 
New Westminster and thus passing his excellence to a
new generation of young boxers.  Frank is also an
inductee of the Canadian amateur Boxing Hall of Fame
and the BC Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame.

BRIAN ZELLEY - former Nanaimo boxer joined the
Firefighters Club and engaged in numerous tournaments
and club shows.  Also a co-founder of the Nanaimo 
Boxing Club in 1971 and involved with the revival
of boxing in Victoria in 1974.  Also served as a 
director with Boxing BC and served as an interim
chairman of the Boxing Committee for the 1994
 Commonwealth Games in 1991  Currently and one of 
the administrators of the BC Boxing Hall of  Fame.

Look through the tapestry of the BC GOLDEN GLOVES
and you will see many threads relating to the alumni of the
clubs.  Look through stories of JIMMY WALTERS,
 HAROLD MANN, DICK FINDLAY, FREDDY FULLER,
FRANKIE SCOTT, DAVE WYLIE, and GORDIE LAWSON
and we see traces of the South Hill - Firefighters legacy
painted on the wall.  Then take another look and see those
such as KALMAN SANTOSI, LINDY LINDMOSER,
LLOYD DUPAS, WINNIE SCHELT, BILL ADAMS,
BOB GINETTI,  PADDY CLARK, JIMMY MACMILLAN, 
STEVE TOHILL, DEL DEUGAU,  JOHN GAMBLE       
and  others - it paints  a glowing picture of amateur boxing.

  

SOUTH HILL BOXING - FIFTIES

PAT WEST - BERT LOWES

A NEW DECADE - SIZZLING SIXTIES

1960 BC GOLDEN GLOVES

South Hill Champions

Winnie Schelt - Bill Adams - Bob Ginetti

Lindy Lindmoser - Paddy Clark

  

DAVE WYLIE  - 1967 DIAMOND BOY

1967 BC GOLDEN GLOVES - FIREFIGHTERS

A JANUARY 1968 FIREFIGHTERS BOXING CARD

An important boxing card  hosted by the Fire Fighters took

place on January 5, 1968 in Vancouver but the key objective

was to assist in the selection of the BC Team for the

1968 Tacoma Golden Gloves which would kick-off

the tournaments in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

Firefighters in the first 7 bouts were John Gamble,

Alf Cool, Danny Gontes, Eddie Ostapovich, 

Nicky MacDonald, Jake Wiebe and John Carr.

The top four bouts in-order featured

Brian Zelley, Frank Scott, Freddy Fuller, Dave Wylie 

A sample of the open class opponents were

Brian Gray, Jim Dixon, Chester Douglas,

Dave Allerdice, Ron McEcherin, Derek Austin

Ken Henderson, Pat O'Reilly Jr., Les Vegas

Coaches in attendance were

Len Barker, Jack Lucas, Walter Austin, Earl Thompson,

John Wylie, Elio Ius, Terry Cooke,

Pat O'Reilly, Bert Lowes, Pat West.

Continuity and Gloving - Timekeepers

Tommy Yule, Henry Wolfe, Bob Smith

Bill Cowie and Barney Deslauriers

Garry Wallace and Geo. Metkovich

CON ETHIER  KEY VOLUNTEER

BCABA BOARD

Len Robertson - Dave Brown - Ron Hollard

Stan Smith - George Sargen

A PERSONAL TOUCH

For a moment in time, I was a member of the Firefighters.
Three of the former members of the club would be part of
 another legacy - DAN WRIGHT and BRIAN ZELLEY
would be the co-founders of the NANAIMO BOXING CLUB
in 1971 and in 1973 JACK SNAITH would be the first Nanaimo
Canadian champion.  Part of the Nanaimo legacy
can be traced to the FIREFIGHTERS, Lowes and West
and every boxer that trained with the club.

                                 Dan Wright - Brian Zelley in 2010

POST 1968 -  coach PAT WEST retired and his place was filled by
former boxing star Lindy Lindmoser and others.  By 1970, two of
 the key boxers were JOHN GAMBLE and GORDIE LAWSON
 also FREDDY FULLER would be in the game for 1970 
while FRANKIE SCOTT formed a club in New West. 
called the Queensborough Boxing Club.

However, in the Seventies coach Bert Lowes  would  primarily
focus on Officiating - refereeing & judging and hosting clinics

                                     LINDY LINDMOSER
            Best known on an International basis for fighting Cassius Clay
                                   now known as Muhammad Ali
                                     1957 USA National 
                            Light-heavyweight Champion

1967/1968 A YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY

 There were also other young boxers that would be part of
 the club such as Gordie Lawson and Jack Snaith. 
 Gordie made and impression when he entered the
 1968 Silver Gloves in Richmond.  but that was nothing 
like his performance in the 1975 BC Golden Gloves.
He scored the only knockout that left his opponent
on the deck for over a minute.

The Firefighters of March 1968 :
SCOTT  -  MACDONALD - FULLER - ZELLEY- GAMBLE

1968 OREGON GOLDEN GLOVES - Portland

Three Firefighters in the finals were - 
SCOTT - ZELLEY - JAKE WIEBE
Other BC boxers in the finals were
Earl McLeay, Dick Findlay, Wayne Boyce,
 and Pat O'Reilly.  Former Firefighter Findlay was
competing for the East Vancouver Optimists club.

1968 BC GOLDEN GLOVES

At the end of the tournament, the trio of Lennie Walters,
Bill Dickinson and Don Bullough had the task of
selecting  - GOLDEN BOY  - GOLDEN BOY RUNNER-UP
Runner-up was former Firefighter DICK FINDLAY and
GOLDEN BOY was Portlandès own RAY LAMPKIN.

Firefighters in semi-finals and or finals
Frankie Scott - Brian Zelley - John Carr
Dave Codville - Ted Kellenger  - Nicky MacDonald
1968 SEATTLE GOLDEN GLOVES 
- PNW AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS-

 Of the 19 BC Team, the Firefighters were:
 Zelley, Gontes, Wylie, Scott, Fuller, Carr,  Sinitsin, and MacDonald.

STARS OF THE SEVENTIES:

Other one time Firefighters  in the Seventies:
Steve Tohill, Freddy Fuller, Frank Scott, John Gamble and others.

JOHN GAMBLE reported as a Scientific Boxer, but 
lost a decision to  FRANK SCOTT (former Firefighter) 
but now in New Westminster.  

1970 BC AMATEUR BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Firefighters in action:
Larry Sinitsin, Gordie Lawson,John Gamble,
Tommy MacDonald, Steve Tohill. Dave Wylie

1970 CANADIAN CHAMPIONS 
A Team Photo including Frank Scott and Freddy Fuller

1968 OLYMPIC GAMES

 Donato Paduano and former Firefighter's Dick Findlay
preparing for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.

                           -DIRECTORY -
          THE PARADE OF BOXERS and COACHES
        Vancouver, British Columbia
      South Hill - Firefighters Boxing
Alf Cool - Bert Lowes - Bill Adams - Bob Ginetti - Bobv Lohvin 
Brian Zelley - Butch O'Gurien - Colin Coleridge - Dan Wright 
Danny Crawford - Danny Gontes - Dave Wylie - Del Deugau 
Dick Coulson - Dick Findlay - Eddie Ostapovich - Frank Scott
Freddy Fuller - Fritz Breismeiser - Gordie Lawson - Harold Mann
Jack Snaith - Jake Wiebe -  Jimmy Walters - John Cowan 
John Gamble - Kalman Santosi - Ken MacDonald - Larry Sinitsin
Lindy Lindmoser - Lloyd Dupas - Nick MacDonald - Paddy Clark
Pat West-Pete Key-Sandy Lorenzen-Steve Tohill-Winnie Schelt  
Dave Codville  - Jimmy MacMillan - Terry Eastman - Roger Adolph
     Ted Kellenger   - Tommy MacDonald -  Phil Ethier  - Kai Yip
(note - these are not all of the boxers that fought for the clubs, but they
represent many of the known boxes - other names will be added if possible)

                          Roger Adolph - South Hill boxer

ONCE WE WERE YOUNG AND WARRIORS
("It all fades so quickly, like a sunny summers day" - Phil Ochs)
- Training in the dusty old gyms and touching gloves under
the bright lights. But, soon the lights fade to black and we move
in a hundred different directions looking for the answers or searching
for some lost or hidden treasure with no guarantees of success.

                              GORDIE LAWSON -  DAVE WYLIE
                         LINDY LINDMOSER - BRIAN ZELLEY

                                               1970