My first sporting hero Bruce came to town to give an exhibition of his skills.

(From Derby Evening Telegraph)

Byline: Stuart Haywood

MY first great sporting hero was boxer Bruce Woodcock, a railway worker from Doncaster who won the British and Empire heavyweight titles in 1945.

He defeated the veteran Jack London in the sixth round in a contest staged at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club ground.

I was only nine at the time but recall listening to the radio commentary of Raymond Glendenning, with interround summaries of W Barrington Dolby.

At the end of each round, Glendenning would say "come in Barry" and it became a well-known catchphrase.

This was only Bruce's 20th pro contest since his debut in 1942 and he had won them all. It seemed the world was his oyster.

However, in the next year he went to America to …