- Bobby Beaton
Robert "Bobby" Beaton (
June 19 1912 -June 11 2007 ) was a well known Atlantic Canadian sports figure, who distinguished himself in the boxing world.Hockey career
Beaton was born in Port Hood,
Cape Breton Island and played hockey in Atlantic Canada in the early 1930s. He moved toEngland in 1938 to play for the Stratham Lions and Brighton Tigers, winning the European Championship inBerlin . The next year he played for the Falkirk Lions ofScotland . Returning home toNova Scotia , Canada, he played and coached teams in Pictou, Truro, Stellarton and New Glasgow, winning seven A.P.C. (Antigonish, Pictou, Colchester league) titles, three Nova Scotia Championships and three Maritime titles in the 1940s and 1950s.Boxing career
Beaton boxed professionally; as a
welterweight ; he was 12-0 with nine TKOs. In 1941 he began refereeing. Until his retirement in 1983, he officiated at over 500 boxing bouts, including 41 Canadian, five British Commonwealth and one World Championship. Beaton is credited with conceiving the three-judge system in boxing, now standard practice in the sport. He was Referee-in-Chief and Adviser to the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority from 1978 until 1994.Hall-of-Fame Inductions
Beaton was inducted into the
Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame , the Nova Scotia Sports Heritage Hall of Fame, the Pictou County Sports Heritage Hall of Fame and the Cape Breton Sports Heritage Hall of Fame.Other facts
*Beaton's great-grandson Evan Chambers, at age 17, represented Canada in boxing at the
2007 Canada Winter Games .
*Beaton was a mentor to Hubert Earl, current Referee in Chief, Canadian Professional Boxing Federation and The Nova Scotia Boxing Commission.
*Beaton lost the sight in one eye in an accident at the age of three.References
* [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070828.OBBEATON28/TPStory/ Globe and Mail; Aug 28, 2007. Nova Scotia Boxing Referee Revolutionized Judging in the Ring]
* [http://www.herald.ns.ca/announcements/display.php?anntype=obituaries~2007/06/13~16140779 The Chronicle Herald; June 17, 2007]
* [http://www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=36822&sc=55 "The News"; June 12, 2007. Obituary: Robert M. "Bobby" Beaton]
* [http://www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=36813&sc=50 Adshade, K. "The News"; June 13, 2007. Boxing Great Bobby Beaton Dies at 94]
* [http://www.sportsnut.com.au/category.php?intid=7 Sportsnut.com.au; June 14, 2007. Bobby Beaton Passes]
* [http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20070202005 Government of Nova Scotia; Feb 2, 2007. Boxing Team Named for Canada Games]
* [http://www.novascotiasporthalloffame.com/inductee_view.cfm?InducteeID=19 Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. Profile: Bobby Beaton]
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