John Smillie (boxer)

Last updated

John Smillie
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Scottish)
Born (1933-11-01) 1 November 1933 (age 91)
Scotland
Sport
SportBoxing
Event
Bantamweight
ClubFauldhouse BC
Medal record
Men's Boxing
Representing Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1954 Vancouver Bantamweight

John W. Smillie (born 1 November 1933) is a former boxer from Scotland who won a gold medal at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (now Commonwealth Games).

Biography

Smillie became a miner aged 17, working at the Woodmuir Colliery in West Calder. [1] He joined the Fauldhouse Miners Club where he took up boxing. [2]

Boxing out of Faulldhouse BC, he reached the final of the Scottish ABA Championships and was selected to represent Great Britain at the 1952 Summer Olympics, as a reserve to Welshman Dai Dower. [2] He won the ABA bantamweight championship in 1953 [3] and 1954. [4]

He represented the Scottish team [5] at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, where he won the gold medal in the bantamweight division. [6]

Smillie continued working as a miner [7] but later turned professional and fought 46 bouts from March 1955 to October 1962. [8]

References

  1. "Scots Boxers For Honours" . Dalkeith Advertiser. 1 May 1952. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. 1 2 "Biographical information". Olympedia. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  3. "Midlanders fail to win a title" . Sports Argus. 25 April 1953. Retrieved 2 January 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "Ken Phillips wins title" . Birmingham Daily Gazette. 24 April 1954. Retrieved 27 December 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Pat Devine" . Dundee Courier. 29 June 1954. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Commonwealth Games Medallists". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  7. "Heavyweight hopes" . Evening News (London). 20 April 1953. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "John Smillie". Box Rec. Retrieved 20 September 2025.