ALAN BROWN's boxing story

            ALAN BROWN - BC BOXER and CANADIAN CHAMPION

 THE ALAN BROWN BOXING STORY:  By Brian Zelley (assisted by Alan Brown, and Steve Wood, and past members of various BC boxing clubs and some non BC boxing champions)
INTRODUCTION
As  we look back through the history of amateur boxing in British Columbia one  of the elite junior and youth boxers  was Vancouver Island boxer - ALAN BROWN,  a member  of the Campbell River Eagles Boxing Club and then the  Gold River Boxing Club.  For a brief period he also trained in  Vancouver at BOB DECKER's Shamrock Boxing Club along with MANNY SOBRAL. Alan  would also be a member of the  NANAIMO BOXING CLUB that was formed in 1971.

THE BEGINNING - CAMPBELL RIVER EAGLES 

                               The Eagles of  Campbell River                              (coaches George Shiels and Charles John)                                        (the Steve Wood collection) Those early days in Campbell River was an important learning experience in the basics of boxing skills.  Some of his Eagle team mates were Jim Fiddler, Jim and Tim Hunter, Jita Nagra, Andrew Swim, Cory Willcox and  Steve Wood.  The Campbell River  Eagles have an interesting history beginning in the Seventies through the efforts of JIM HOWIE and BILL WALKER, but other coaches like GEORGE SHIELS and CHARLES JOHN would play a part or add a few threads on the ALAN BROWN BOXING TAPESTRY.

The above video combines Alan's shots

with a random sample of other

Inductees

To add them all would be

a challenge, but elsewhere

We can see the full body of inductees.

In his early years in Campbell River, he quickly demonstrated the qualities of a champion.

(from the ALAN BROWN boxing treasure chest of Golden Memories)

THE GOLD RIVER AMATEUR BOXING CLUB In the early Eighties, MONTY BROWN would form the GOLD RIVER BOXING CLUB and Alan would be the shining star.  Some of the other Gold River boxers were: Kevin Archer, Wayne Hinchcliffe, Jason Adair, and Paddy Nelson
OTHER CLUBS -  GAINING EXPERIENCE

                             Manny Sobral - Alan Brown                                  SHAMROCK BOXING CLUB                                                (coach -  bob decker)
During the late Seventies and Eighties, Alan would train at various clubs to expand his skills and experiences such as the club in Victoria, Port Kells, and two  Vancouver clubs including  the Shamrock Boxing Club and Astoria Boxing Club. In 1987 Alan trained at the Nanaimo Boxing club. SPECIAL AWARDS - THE JIMMY SYME AWARD For junior boxers in British Columbia, one of the special awards that stand above all the rest would be THE JIMMY SYMES AWARD. The award was first presented in 1967 and over the years  the best of the best have been recognized such as CHRIS IUS - 1970 and 1971, MICKEY GRIFFIN - 1974, JOHN HERMAN - 1977,  CLIFF BALLENDINE - 1979. Alan's turn to shine and be recognized as the outstanding junior boxer of BC was  1982. BEST INTERMEDIATE (YOUTH) BOXER - VANCOUVER ISLAND

In 1984, Alan became only one of twenty boxers between 1964 and 1984 to be declared a Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing Champion.  Also, in the 1984 tournament held in Parksville Brown earned the distinction of being named the BEST INTERMEDIATE (Youth) BOXER of Vancouver Island.

                    Alan Brown - the man with the medal and the  award CLUBS SHOW - Serve as an important tune-up for Provincial and National action.
Over the years, Alan would participate in a number of club shows. A sample of these were:
.October 30, 1982 - Campbell River - Alan  Brown wins over Astoria  Boxing Club's   RAY ABRAHAM.
.March 12, 1983 - Campbell River - Alan Brown wins over USA boxer SCOTT BELINC of Evertett, Washington.
.May 7, 1983 - Gold River - Alan Brown wins over  Shamrock Boxing Club's MANNY SOBRAL.
.October 29, 1983 - Campbell River - Alan Brown wins  over USA boxer MIKE PAINTER.
.December 3, 1983 - Gold River - Alan Brown wins over Parksville Boxing Club's SCOTT CESSFORD. Spring of 1984   - Gold River Invitational Show ALAN BROWN (Gold River) over JIM HUNTER (CR Eagles). In the awards process - Alan was declared "Best Boxer". Some other boxers represented various Island clubs and one boxer from Vancouver was Manny Sobral - he dropped a decision to Tim Cessford.  Some other boxers were Steve Lincoln, Paddy Nelson and Wayne Hinchcliffe.  Head official was RICK BROUGH.

PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS and BC TOURNAMENTS
Over the years Alan has won his share of Provincial titles.
In 1984, as an Intermediate boxer in the featherweight division, Alan Brown demonstrated his excellence with a significant  victory over a Jimmy Symes award winner JAMIE BALLARD of the noted Cranbrook Eagles Boxing Club in Burnaby, BC at the BOXING BC Training Centre.

                  1984 - Brown - Murdoch - Zelley
1984 Provincial intermediate/Youth Featherweight Champion ALAN BROWN in attendance at the BC boxing training centre in July 1984 having a photo  with other BC Golden Gloves Alumni -  VIC MURDOCH and BRIAN ZELLEY during the training of Canada's 1984 Olympic  Boxing Team. 
   NATIONAL ACTION:
1980  JUNIOR NATIONALS
"SIX EXCELLED  AT PEI" - By Brian Zelley, (as published in   the "Sportcaster,  July 2, 1980)
A team of six  junior boxers including ALAN BROWN of Gold River, and CLIFF BALLENDINE of Victoria excelled at the Canadian junior boxing championships at O'Leary, PEI June 26-28th.  BROWN was one of three gold medal winners in the three day tournament.  Other champions included GREG LABOUCAN  and RANDY GALLER.  Ballendine was one of three silver medalists along with GORDON JONES and LARRY ADAMS. 
Team coaches coaches were Mike Caird and Gary Oakden while JOHN O'SHEA was team manager. An  Official from BC was BCABA President FRED FULLER.  (balance of article not included as it touches on "tough guy" bouts in Nanaimo). 1983 JUNIOR NATIONALS Coaches  Wally Hill and John Kovac Boxers:  alan brown, willy curry, deep butter, manny sobral, paul deluca, aaron wolfe, mike wood, tony francis, and scott bannink 1983 Champions from BC - BROWN and CURRY. 1982 JUNIOR NATIONALS bc team -  coaches - Tommy Hibbert and Ralph Galloway team manager - Jim Gallagher boxers - alan brown, gordon jones, willy curry, jamie ballard, paul simpson, blaine downie, scott bannink.   GOLDEN MEMORIES Alan became the first selection in 2011 for the Junio/Youth category for the BC Anateur Boxing Hall of Fame

Manny Sobral meets the greatest Muhammad Ali

Manny meets the greatest  - story of MANNY SOBRAL meeting MUHAMMAD ALI

from the LANGLEY ADVANCE, the artickle touches on Sobral being thrilled to meet Ali at an October function relating to a movie Facing Ali.  It also touches on current amateur boxer ROBERT COUZENS
and 1988 Canadian Olmpic team.  the one name mentioned was LENNOX LEWIS.

ANOTHER STORY BACK IN TIME 1972 - by brian zelley

Back in 1972, a number of us got to meet MUHAMMAD ALI

Not only did I see him training at the old North West Eagles boxing gym in Vancouver but,
two of us Zelley and fellow co-founder of the Nanaimo Boxing Club DANNY WRIGHT visited Ali in his place at the Georgie Hotel.  Ali was training for his but with George Chuvalo.  Also, we  met Houston welterweight MANUEL (Manny) GONZALEZ who had previously  a non-title win over EMILE GRIFFITH.

The MANNY SOBRAL BOXING STORY

THE MANNY SOBRAL BOXING STORY:  By Brian Zelley

Introduction

I first met MANNY SOBRAL in the Eighties when he was a junior amateur boxer for the Shamrock Boxing Club in Vancouver, BC.   Recently, he has been recognized as a boxer inductee in the
BRITISH COLUMBIA AMATEUR BOXING HALL OF FAME and recently he has been recognized in the coaching area by the BURNABY SPORTS HALL OF FAME.

MANNY SOBRAL JUNIOR BC BOXER

(Photo: Manny training
with boxer Alan Brown
at Bob Decker's 
Shamrock Boxing club
at the Main Street gym.)















Step back in time to the early eighties in British Columbia amateur boxing and boxer
MANNY SOBRAL was one of the many amateur boxers that would be involved in open
competition and club shows.  A sample of others TONY DUFFY, TONY FRANCIS,
WILLY CURRY and many more.

1983 BC JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM

Coaches - WALLY HILL and JOHN KOVACS

Boxers -  Alan Brown, Willy Curry, Deep Butter, MANNY SOBRAL,
Paul Deluca, Aaron Wolfe, Mike Wood, Tony Francis, Scott Bannink.

1984 Junior Nationals Championships - Burnaby, BC -
British Columbia Amateur Boxing Association -  training centre - May 1984.

1985 - BC Amateur Boxing News - hot topics -
- editor brian zelley, president george armson
Special Award Winners:
the harry twist award - JOE PENDRY
the jimmy symes award - MANNY SOBRAL
the harold mann award - RUDY BIANCO

1988 Canadian Senior National Boxing

1988 Canadian Amateur Olympic Boxing Team

SOBRAL in the HERE and NOW

Manny Sobral is still involved in boxing on the Professional level 

and to some degree on the amateur level.  One of his main areas

of interest has been promoting fights which stems back to when

he helped organize and promote one of the BC Golden Gloves

tournaments a number of years back.

In the North Burnaby Boxing Club which used to be a key location

of the Boxing BC headquarters and location for Olympic team 

training for the 1984 and 1988 Canadian teams.  

Also, he was involved with boxer JUNIOR MOAR and was involved

with arranging the promotions of a couple of the title fights in

Richmond, BC.

In the near future, there will be another pro boxing card with

the headliner being ADAM "A-bomb" TRUPISH at River Rock.

And, a special guest being former world champ: Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
aka Edward Gregory, the multi-term golden gloves champion.

  

PRO BOXING - Vancouver & Tacoma regions

PROFESSIONAL BOXING'S COMEBACK: By Brian W. Zelley

VANCOUVER - RICHMOND, BC area:

Professional boxing has made a significant comeback in recent years through the efforts
of West Coast Promotions under the hands and eyes of MANNY SOBRAL, NEIL POPE and ALISTER BRODIE.
Recently, the last pro card featured Canadian Light-Heavyweight JUNIOR MOAR.

Of interest, both Junior Moar and Manny Sobral are former Canadian Amateur senior open boxing champions.
Although they fought at different time periods. Of the two Sobral was an amateur boxer in the
Vancouver region during the Eighties. One of his first major National tournaments was the 1984
Junior Nationals of which some other noted boxers participating were Alberta's SCOTTY OLSON, Nova Scotia's
RAYMOND DOWNEY and Quebec's STEWART HILTON.

Aside from Pro Boxing Promotion, Sobral also was involved with the North Burnaby Boxing Club
which until late last year was based out of the old BOXING BC Training Centre.

TACOMA Region

Professional boxing's main force in the Tacoma region is BRIAN HALQUIST PROMOTIONS.
In 1997, the Emerald Queen Casino and Brian Halquist Promotions commenced
"The Battle of the Boat" boxing series.