ENGLISH boxers Billy Jo Saunders knockout of the Ghanaian champion in the Beijing Olympics made me recall a similar performance by a Barry boxer 50 years ago in the 1958 Empire Games in Cardiff when Billy Brown from Cadoxton knocked out the Ghanaian champion A Samuels in the first round.

In his next contest he dropped the Scottish champion Tommy McGuinness five times before gaining a stoppage victory in the third round.

Stuart Pearson the English ABA champion was his opponent in the semi-finals but despite putting Pearson down twice the point's decision went against him and Billy had to settle for the bronze medal.

As he stood proudly on the rostrum Billy's mind was also filled with regret that his older brother Bobby had not also stood on the rostrum.

Some 13 years earlier their father George Brown took them to join the Barry Amateur Boxing Club and the boys took to the sport like ducks to water both boys winning four British schoolboy titles, two British Army Cadet titles and a British youth title.

Bobby joined the army to do his national service and was stationed in Rhyl where he supplemented his meagre pay by sparring with the former World middleweight champion Randolph Turpin.

On completion of his national service Bobby retired from boxing got married and settled down to raise a family. Billy also retired. But in 1958 sat in the bar at the Sea View Labour Club watching the Welsh team perform on television the boys boasted they could lick both the Welshmen boxing at their weight. An irate barman told them to put their money where their mouth was. A bet was struck and they went back into training with their old coach Bill Manning at Cardiff Gas.

They won their bet comfortably, Bobby knocking out all his opponents on route to the title.

There followed selection for Wales on a trip to Belgium where Bobby defeated both his opponents but Billy lost his first fight before stopping his opponent in the next.

Their performance in Belgium earned them the honour to represent Wales in the 1958 Empire Games at Cardiff. But this posed a problem for Bobby. Whilst Billy was being subsidised by his employer Cllr Bert King, Bobby was now married with two children to support and a mortgage. It would mean two weeks without pay.

Bobby's father George wrote to the Welsh ABA explaining his son's predicament and stating his son would train every night after work at Cardiff Gas. The outraged ABA officials angered by Bobby's ungrateful attitude without bothering to reply dropped Bobby from the team and named his replacement.

This was a tragedy for both Wales and Bobby. The light-welterweight division that year was not particularly very strong, and with home advantage Bobby was capable of winning a medal of any colour.

Of the 10 weights Welsh boxers won seven medals that year. Howard Winstone won a gold and Malcolm Collins a silver as did Ossie Higgins who lost in the final to Australian Tony Madigan. Two years later Madigan gave a young Cassius Clay a rare tussle in the semi finals of the Rome Olympics. Brian Curvis, Don Braithwaite, Roger Pleace and Billy Brown all won bronze. Bobby would surely have added to that total.

Their older brother Henry Brown was also a fine boxer winning a Welsh schoolboy title and was light welter and welterweight champion of the TA RAF in West Germany.

On retiring Henry became coach of the Barry Boxing Club coaching both his sons Charlie and Tony took Welsh Schoolboy titles. Their cousin Michael Bowley boxing for Rhoose ABC also won a schoolboy title.

Charlie was to go on to have a hugely successful senior career. In his first three senior contests Charlie defeated the champions of Puerto Rico, West Germany and Czechoslovakia. In a match between New York and Wales Charlie was the only Welsh winner.

There followed selection for Wales in the European Championships where after beating the Finnish champion in his first bout Charlie lost to Norwegian Henrik Palm who would later become the European professional welterweight champion. Perhaps Charlie's most memorable fight was against the English ABA champion Dave Williams in London. At the end of the contest the crowd threw over £70 in 'nobbins' into the ring. An unheard of occurrence in amateur boxing.

Charlie eventually turned professional with Cardiff manager Mac Williams and made a successful debut at Barry Memorial Hall.

After a promising start the wars that Charlie had had in the amateur game began to take their toll and after a couple of defeats Charlie retired the last of Barry's greatest boxing dynasty. At least for now.

Mr R Jones Barry Road Barry