Following on from my post in "Who did not go on too long",can anyone give more information on Johnny Stead please? When did he retire and anything further.
The Ripey and Heanor News of June 17th, 1955 said that "Johnny Stead has retired owing to a serious leg injury."
I assume you've read his A-Z entry.
Johnny Stead
Johnny Stead was a class act. That's according to Heritage member Bernard Hughes, and Bernard's word is good enough for us, Bernard recalls, "The best fight and certainly the most enjoyable for me was the 15 round draw at Newcastle for the world lightweight title between the holder George Kidd and the British title holder Johnny Stead. Just 15 rounds of great holds and fast counters. One pin fall each." Coming from Bradford we think it's a fair bet that Norman Morrell would have been a big influence on the lightweight youngster. Morrell had competed in the 1936 Olympics and as one of the top post war amateurs Johnny Stead seemed a likely nominee for the United Kingdom team in the 1948 London Olympic Games. Until he made the sudden decision to turn professional that is. By 1949 Johnny had established himself as a well respected lightweight, working mostly in northern England and Scotland for promoter Norman Morrell against the likes of Tiger Woods, George Kidd and Alan Colbeck. It was Wakefield's Colbeck that Johnny outclassed on 28th October, 1950 at the St James Hall, Newcastle, to take the British lightweight championship. This was Johnny's second bid for the title, having failed a few weeks earlier when he challenged Colbeck in a title match on 29th August in Wakefield. Save for an eleven month period beginning April, 1953, when Eric Sands took the title, Johnny Stead regained the belt and was to remain in the dominant force on the domestic lightweight scene until the mid 1950s.
Yes thanks Hack, I had re-read it before I posted.
You see you do make some sensible comments, the one on Jack Wannock was not you.
The Ripey and Heanor News of June 17th, 1955 said that "Johnny Stead has retired owing to a serious leg injury."
I assume you've read his A-Z entry.
Johnny Stead
Johnny Stead was a class act. That's according to Heritage member Bernard Hughes, and Bernard's word is good enough for us, Bernard recalls, "The best fight and certainly the most enjoyable for me was the 15 round draw at Newcastle for the world lightweight title between the holder George Kidd and the British title holder Johnny Stead. Just 15 rounds of great holds and fast counters. One pin fall each." Coming from Bradford we think it's a fair bet that Norman Morrell would have been a big influence on the lightweight youngster. Morrell had competed in the 1936 Olympics and as one of the top post war amateurs Johnny Stead seemed a likely nominee for the United Kingdom team in the 1948 London Olympic Games. Until he made the sudden decision to turn professional that is. By 1949 Johnny had established himself as a well respected lightweight, working mostly in northern England and Scotland for promoter Norman Morrell against the likes of Tiger Woods, George Kidd and Alan Colbeck. It was Wakefield's Colbeck that Johnny outclassed on 28th October, 1950 at the St James Hall, Newcastle, to take the British lightweight championship. This was Johnny's second bid for the title, having failed a few weeks earlier when he challenged Colbeck in a title match on 29th August in Wakefield. Save for an eleven month period beginning April, 1953, when Eric Sands took the title, Johnny Stead regained the belt and was to remain in the dominant force on the domestic lightweight scene until the mid 1950s.