sport news No wonder he's a Happy Gilmour! He's shared a ring with some of boxing's ... trends now
There is an air of mischief about Tommy Gilmour. But it should never be mistaken for childish naivete.
When it is pointed out that he has shared the ring with Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston and Sugar Ray Robinson, he replies: ‘How proud must they be.’
There is a pause, then a loud laugh. But this is a serious man, particularly in professional matters.
The Gilmour story could be titled Dynasty and would fill the biggest screen. It is an extraordinary tale with a cast of the greatest sportsmen ever and generations of a Glasgow family who tell a compelling story in a distinctive accent.
It is transferring from the ring, from the bookies’ pitch, from the Glesca close to the stage. Haudin’ the Jaikets is to be premiered later this week.
Tommy Gilmour is moving from ringside to centre stage in a new play about his life
This is the creation of Jim Orr, who brought such whimsical and entertaining plays as Bend it Like Brattbakk and Bend it like Bertie to adoring audiences.
‘I met Jim on a radio programme a few years back and he said he would like to do something on me because he had read my book,’ says Gilmour.
‘I said that it would be a privilege, He came up with a script and it was supposed to be put on a couple of years ago but the pandemic hit. It is comedic.’
But, like Gilmour, it has an important story to tell. It was originally planned to premier on the 30th anniversary of Pat Clinton winning the world flyweight title at Kelvin Hall.
The fight was promoted by Gilmour, who also managed the boxer from Croy.
‘It doesn’t get better than that,’ says Gilmour. ‘It can’t. Promoting a world title fight in your own city and being at the side of the champion…’
But for all the obvious power of such a triumph, the Gilmour story has threads that pull together a wonderful tapestry of how Glasgow was in the 20th century and what made it special.
The leading characters in this extraordinary tale are Jim Gilmour, the Auld Yin, his son, Thomas, the Starmaker, and his son, Tommy. ‘I suppose you would call me the Pretender,’ says the third in line to the Gilmour crown with another of his trademark laughs. All three are expected to feature in Haudin’ the Jaikets.
The Gilmour story, at least in Glasgow and world boxing terms, starts with Jim, a lightweight who was a British champion and fought in the 1920 Olympics. His son, Tommy Sr, managed his first fighter at 14 and went on to become a bookie, boxing promoter and manager. His son, Tommy Jr, took the family name to the top of the world.
He stepped into this world with a quiet certainty. ‘It didn’t really mean much then,’ says Gilmour of the days when he carried the ring cards for such as Ali, Liston and the original Sugar Ray. ‘This was my dad’s business and I just met these people. That was the way it was. I met such as Kid Gavilan too and had a blether with him in Miami.’
Gilmour grew up in an era where he saw first hand the likes of Muhammad Ali fight
He chuckles again in remembrance of meeting the Cuban legend but points out: ‘Boxing was a small world then, you know.’
It was inhabited by huge personalities. One was undoubtedly Gilmour’s father. It is 100 years since Tommy Sr managed his first fighter. His son carries the lessons of this life.
‘In later years, I would promote fights and have arguments with him about how much fighters would be paid. He would always say: “You only know because I telt ye.”’
