Frank Markey, Blantyre Boxer

1933 Frank Markey

1933 Frank Markey from Blantyre, on left hand in pockets

Pictured here in November 1933, is boxer Frank Markey (on the front left with hands in his pockets), at a weigh in at Dundee with boxer Jim Cowie. This was an important fight for the 1933 Scottish featherweight championship final.

Unfortunately, Frank was beaten, but under controversial circumstances. Jim Cowie, Dundee, became feather-weight champion of Scotland on 15th December 1933 in the Music Hall, Edinburgh. He was scored, outpointed against Frank Markey, Blantyre, over 15 rounds. Markey gave the Dundee boy an exceedingly good fight, and opinions in the capacity house were pretty evenly divided as to the justice of the verdict. There was a tremendous storm of booing when it was announced, the crowd very much in favour that the Blantyre boy should have won it. The booing continued while Dundee’s Cowie was being presented with his championship cup and gold badge by Mr Gerald King, Glasgow. There was ‘such a pandemonium in the hall that it was impossible to hear word that was beingspoken in the ring. The margin of points in Cowie’s favour must have been very narrow indeed. Markey had a certain amount of cause for complaint, and when reporters saw him afterwards the Blantyre boy was very down-in-the-mouth. All he would say was, “I won it.”

Frank Markey (Blantyre) was a professional boxer who was active between 1926 and 1944. He boxed at flyweight; bantamweight; featherweight and took part in 159 professional contests.

On social media:

  • Marian Maguire Great info, keeping Blantyre and its residents history alive.
  • Jeanette Allardyce Ward The wee man on the right in the suit looks like Eric Pollard from Emmerdale

    Paul Burns Frank was my Mothers uncle, just showed her the picture and it’s brought back a lot of memories to her, thanks for posting.

6 Comments

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  1. James cowie was my grandad very proud of him and miss him

  2. Jim Cowie was my grandad, lovely man, still miss him

  3. Hi, Frank Market is the guy on the left with his hands in his pockets

    1. Hi Terry, I live in the United States. I recently found out that my grandmother was Margret Markey. She came to America in 1921. Her son ,Vincent ,was my father. I was adopted as a baby and just recently found out my ancestry through DNA testing. I’d be interested in learning more about the Markey family. My email is stratton_alice@yahoo.com.

  4. Frank was the one on the left front of picture with his hands in his pocket he was my step dad’s dad

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