‘A tough man but a nice gentleman’ – South London heavyweight Dave Ould dies aged 84

South London’s boxing community is mourning the loss of Dave Ould.

The 84-year-old passed away earlier this month.

Ould’s twin brother Johnny, who competed at light-heavy in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, died in June 2014. Dave was also close to fighting in Italy in the heavyweight class – only missing out after he lost on points to Dave Thomas, who captained England’s boxing team.

The Oulds were born and raised in Bermondsey.

Both were highly-respected fighters with former British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper always talking about wanting to have “his old mates” – aged 17 at the time – to provide him with quality sparring.

The Oulds both represented Fisher Amateur Boxing Club, which was founded in 1908 and is now based in Coxson Place, Druid Street.

“They were such good prospects,” their brother Jimmy told the South London Press.

“My father was a professional in the 1930s and had 200 fights. Sometimes he’d have two or three fights a week – the twins took after him and my uncle.

“My father started taking them to towns all over England to spar all the top fighters when they were just 15 or 17 – Brian London up in Blackpool, Dick Richardson in Porthcawl and Joe Erskine in Cardiff. They were fantastic fighters – but not syndicated. If you were syndicate you got to fight mugs for years and years and then get a world title shot.

“They boxed in Gothenberg at the same time as Sonny Liston. Liston said: ‘Be my sparring partner’. Dave said: ‘I’d love to, but my wife is having a baby any time now in London. They had a little baby girl, Siobhan. A week afterwards Liston rang the family home in Rotherhithe to ask what Dave’s wife had and to congratulate them.

“Muhammad Ali knew the twins. Years and years after last seeing them he went to the Thomas O Beckett gym to see Terry Downes and my twin brothers were there. Straight away he went across and put his arms across their shoulders.”

Bob Cheeseman, chairman of the London Ex-Boxers Association, said: “All those years ago, when I was getting into boxing and visiting the Fisher Club on a regular basis, there were the obvious outstanding heroes that you would want to get close to as a kid or speak to, even if all you got was a hello.

“One of those guys was David Ould, twin brother to Johnny. They would later become staunch members of the London Ex-Boxers Association and both regularly attended meetings when they held them at Kings Cross.

“Dave, born in May 1940 in Lambeth, would develop into a star amateur boxer and the people who mattered in the fight game – and the fraternity – were noticing his name and his ability, proving his talents at boxing events.

“That’s why he signed up with Jim Wicks as a heavyweight professional fighter in 1960 and he progressed. His debut contest was in February 1960 and he would take one loss in his first 14 fights.

“In 1964 Dave fought his way to being the Southern Area heavyweight champion.

“Dave had 33 contests in all, losing 11. He met Jack Bodell twice in the ring and Jack went on to be British champion. He also fought Roy Enifer, his stable-mate, three times .

“I never got close to Dave but I never forgot him – he recognised my face as a Fisher boy and he always showed out.

“I would watch him spar up the Thomas O Beckett with Henry Cooper or at the Fisher gym as an amateur. He sits with the elite of the club – Terry Downes, Steve Hiser, Phil Lundgren and many more. A tough man but a nice gentleman who would never pass you by.”