Four decades of keeping time at boxing's biggest bouts

For nearly 40 years, Dale Elliott has been keeping time for some of boxing’s biggest names.

He has watched the clock for the likes of Chris Eubank, Steve Collins, Lennox Lewis, Naseem Hamed, Carl Frampton, and Tyson Fury.

His unusual job has taken him right across the globe, but it all began at Ballynahinch Rugby Club in County Down.

“A friend of mine who I played rugby with, John McHugh, his father was Dr Paddy McHugh,” he said.

“He was the doctor for the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), and one night when he was bringing me back from a fight, he said, ‘Dale, do you fancy being a timekeeper?’

“I got my license in 1987. My first bill was in Ulster Hall, and I’d safely say I’ve now done 150 World Title fights, but thousands of fights in total.

“When you are starting out, you find yourself looking at ring-watch-ring-watch but the more experience you get a clock in your head that allows you to watch 30 seconds, then you start to think, ‘I’ll keep an eye on it'.”

'Eubank v Collins'

Amateur boxing is an all-Ireland sport, but professional boxing is governed by the BBBofC in Northern Ireland and the Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI) in the Republic of Ireland.

However, both bodies work well together, with Dale regularly involved in big fights on both sides of the border.

“In Ireland at the moment, there are three timekeepers,” he said.

“Two in Northern Ireland and one down south, but a second is being trained.

"Usually you stay in your own region, but when I was loaned out to the Boxing Union of Ireland, that’s how I ended up doing a lot of fights down south," he added.

These included the mammoth Chris Eubank v Steve Collins World super-middleweight title fights of 1995.

“I did both Eubank v Collins fights in Millstreet and Cork, which were huge. But the pinnacle is always the next one. Sometimes you get a couple of months notice, and sometimes you get a couple of weeks notice, but you are always ready to go.”

Adversity and inclusion

But things do not always work out.

In May, Mr Elliott was asked to travel to Saudi Arabia with the possibility of keeping time for the Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk world heavyweight title fight.

Despite travelling to Riyadh, it was ultimately decided that a local official would be appointed for the big fight.

Over the years, he has also had to deal with more unusual adversity.

“I think it was a Steve Collins fight in the Point Depot—I went to ring the bell and the clanger fell off,” he said.

“I thought Mel Christle, the president of the Boxing Union of Ireland, was going to have a heart attack, so I had to pick up the clanger and hit the bell instead of rattling it—you just adapt.”

Historically, boxing in Northern Ireland has attracted support from both sides of a divided community, something Mr Elliott has witnessed first-hand.

“The Northern Ireland supporters are probably the best in the world. It doesn’t matter what colour or religion you are; if you’re a fighter, they will get behind you 100%.

"Sometimes in the halls, you are seeing flags of Shankill and flags from Ardoyne two places apart, and you are thinking, ‘this is incredible’.”