Dunstable Yesteryear: Remembering boxer Cliff Field
One of the best-remembered personalities in Dunstable is the boxer Cliff Field, who died 14 years ago this week. He is pictured here by the Dunstable Gazette in a local sparring session.
Cliff, very tall and retaining the loping stride of an athlete even in his later years, was a familiar figure in the town. In his heyday his exploits, both in and out of the ring, made headline news.
Cliff went to Beecroft School in Dunstable and joined the Royal Navy, like his dad, when he was 15. His mum had a job as a cleaner at the local solicitor’s office of Benning, Hoare and Drew. In the navy, Cliff’s talent as a boxer became apparent and he won the Royal Navy Imperial Services championship.
He wanted to leave the navy to become a professional boxer but his application for an early discharge was refused. He misguidedly went absent without leave, thinking that this would force the navy to let him go, but instead he was court martialed. Famously, he spent 12 months in Colchester military prison.
His ambition to become a professional heavyweight fighter was realised in 1968 and he gained a reputation as a really tough man, “as strong as a horse”, who won his first ten fights. But he had a tendency to suffer from cuts around his eyes, and this caused his competitive career to come to a halt in 1971. For a time he was chief sparring partner to Joe Bugner and he did an exhibition bout in 1971 (pictured) with Muhammed Ali.
He became a pub doorman but was then told about unlicensed boxing which was attracting big crowds and was well paid. Described as “Iron Man” he fought on the unlicensed circuit in the 1970s and ‘80s. His two hard-fought victories over the previous champion Lennie McLean (later to be seen in the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) were rapturously celebrated. The fights are described in detail in the sought-after book about Cliff Field, “A Cut Above The Rest”.
Cliff, who liked a drink, lost an eye in a club brawl in 1984 and that finished his boxing career. He had various jobs in the Dunstable area afterwards but his final years were a sad reminder of his great days. He died on October 31 2010 and many friends attended his funeral at the Priory Church.
Yesteryear is compiled by John Buckledee, chairman of Dunstable and District Local History Society.