Terry Milligan 425 fights lost just 14

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Terry Milligan The Golden Boy By Joe Graham

Just two years after be joined the St John’s Boxing Club in 1942 young Terry Mulligan was orphaned, a heavy blow for any child and enough to make most children withdraw into themselves, but at 13 he entered into his first boxing bout.. and was beaten he continued in his chosen sport, at a later date,, knocked the same opponent out,, think this gives a clear picture of the sense determination and focus of the great boxer who most fans would agree was perhaps the best Light-Welterweight Ireland ever produced.. don’t take my word on that, the records show that such experts as Jack Magowan, Belfast Telegraph boxing columnist and Ed Thompson, I.M.B.A President, back in 1983, both agreed on that, even the legendry Belfast boxing expert, Johnny Black, agreed, be went on to say, “ I would have no doubt in saying that Terry Milligan was the greatest amateur boxer Ireland ever bad”, and Johnny was in the fight game for 42 years. Johnny , who

founded the great St Georges AB.C back in 1929, once told Jack Magowan, “Tommy Norton, Mickey McLaughlin, John Lyttle, John Kelly, the O’Neill Brothers, George Lavery, Billy Wright, Walter Henry,

were all great amateurs, great battlers...but Terry Milligan was the Daddy of them all., few of today’s fighting men (l96O’s) could hold a candle to that lad.. he was a super champion and a super lad.”

In 1946 Terry won the Ulster Junior Flyweight Title.

In 1948 Terry won the Ulster Senior Flyweight title. in 1949 he was beaten in the semi-finals of the European Championship in Milan, then went on to reach the second finals of the Olympics in 1952.

For three years running, 1951-1953, Terry was the Light Welterweight Champion of Ireland, in 1954 moved up to Welterweight and added that t to his collection., and he was only just beginning.!

‘Terry has also been Ulster & All-Ireland Champion in the Bantam, Welter, Light, Light-Middle, Welter and Middle weight classes, as well as fighting in the Heavyweight division.

0f his unbelievable total of 425 fights ... Terry lost only 14 and his proudest moment must surely have been the 1958 Commonwealth Games at Cardiff when he won a Gold Medal ... the first ever for Ireland Jack Magowan always liked to tell a joke about Terry, when the Duke Of Edinburgh battled through the crowds to get into the ring to shake Terry’s hand at Cardiff he was supposed to say, .. “Well done Milligan., you were terrific.. what a fight.. it was great.. just great”, the Duke was so excited he was almost crying with delight, Terry took his hand in bewilderment and blurted in amazement, “Thanks, .thank you very much, your holiness”, at which everyone in ear shot folded up in laughter... including the Duke. The crowds danced with joy in the streets of Belfast when Terry returned with his “Gold”.. and over in Rosapenna Drive there was none so delighted and proud as Mrs Hugh McCavana, Terry’s sister, who was like a second mother to him... Terry had brought home a suitable memorial to their late parents, Mary and James Milligan, formerly of 7 Whiterock Drive. Terry went to Short & Harland A.B.C in his early career and it was there that he met his trainer, Geordie Scott, whom he grew to admire greatly, and to whom he always attributed his boxing success .

In 1952 Terry and four other Irish lads went over to the States to box in “The Golden Gloves”, all five came hack with victories, just for the record the other four were, J. McNally, T. Reddy, D.Connell, A. Reddy. After 15 years of amateur boxing he was often asked why he never turned professional and get some money out of the game, Terry explained that he had often thought about turning pro, that he had had many offers from America and England to turn pro but he always felt that if he ever did, it would have to be with Geordie as his trainer., the week that Terry was really giving some serious consideration to turning pro, Geordie died, and there the matter ended... Terry never ever even thought of it again. In 1959, at the age of 28, Terry married Elizabeth Campbell and soon after set up home at 32 Rockdale Street, they had 3 sons and seven daughters.

from Joe Grahams rushlight magazine