The British Champion Tancy Lee became Leith Victoria's coach and recruited such notable boxers as Curly Paterson, Jock Stevenson and ‘Nasher’ Ness. Tancy having won the British Flyweight Championship in 1915, stepping up two weight divisions and wining the British Featherweight Title in 1917.

He twice successfully defended his title and in doing so became Scotland’s first-ever outright winner of a Lonsdale Belt. Tancy was also the first Scot to win two British titles (Flyweight and Featherweight) and what’s more, ‘Leither’ Lee beat the Welsh Flyweight regarded by many as the finest ever, Jimmy Wilde, in London in 1915 by stoppage.

At the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, boxers George McKenzie (Tancy Lee’s nephew, uncle Tancy being in his corner) and Alex Ireland won the Olympic bronze and silver medals.

In the 1924 Olympic Games, Jim McKenzie won a silver medal, making this the first pair of boxing brothers to win an Olympic medal.

Tancy Lee coached Johnny Hill who won the British ABA Flyweight Championship in 1926, soon after turning professional that same year, he then went on to win the British Title in May 1927, the following year Johnny out pointed American Al ‘newsboy’ Brown, and became Scotland’s first World Champion at Flyweight.

In 1928, America’s most powerful boxing authority, the New York State Commission, recognised Edinburgh Flyweight Johnny Hill as the World Champion.

Hill received the recognition from the NYSAC on 10th December 1928, just three and a half months after he had out-pointed American World Flyweight Title claimant "Newsboy" Brown over 15 rounds at London's Clapton Greyhound Stadium on 29th August 1928. This is a fact confirmed by Johnny Hill's sole surviving brother, Alf, who has a letter in his Strathmiglo, Fife home on New York State Athletic Commission-headed newspaper dated 10 December 1928. Most Scottish and British newspapers in August 1928 hailed Johnny Hill as Scotland's first World Champion.

Born in relative middle-class comfort in a respectable tenement that still stands just off the capital's Leith Walk. Hill exploded on the Scottish Amateur boxing scene aged 19 in 1924 when tutored by his dad and Scotland's first outright Lonsdale Belt winner James "Tancy" Lee at Edinburgh's Leith Victoria Club, he won in quick succession the Scottish Flyweight, and Bantamweight titles. In 1927, Hill not only won the British ABA Flyweight Title by beating English favourite Ernie Warwick in London's Albert Hall, but also was awarded the Best Boxer of the Championship Trophy.

Within a year of turning pro, Hill stopped Englishman Alf Barber in the 14th round to take the British Flyweight crown. The following year, 1928, the European Title was annexed from Frenchman Emile Pladner on points, despite being decked in the ninth round by a vicious left hook. Pladner would later win the title back by inflicting the only knockout defeat suffered by Hill. The World Flyweight Title came on 29 August 1928 at Clapton Orient's football ground. There he fought Californian "Newsboy" Brown in front of 50,000 spectators. Hill won the title on points in a thrilling 15-round bout.

While Hill was dying, an American fighter called Frankie Genaro, who had won a gold medal at the 1920 Olympics, was on his way to challenge him for the undisputed World Flyweight Title. Genaro only learned of Hill's death as he stepped off the ferry on England's South coast. Fight promoter Jeff Dickson broke the shocking news to the challenger.

Frankie Genaro ended up attending Hill's funeral in the late champion's adopted home of Strathmiglo Fife, on the very day that he and Hill should have been crossing gloves in the ring. The 1985 edition of the British Board of Boxing Control Official Yearbook lists Hill on page 279 as being "Undefeated World Flyweight Champion 1928-29.”

In 1934 Jim Rolland then aged 16 won the British ABA Championship at Wembley, Jim competed at the Empire Games held in Hamilton Ontario as a Lightweight, becoming Scotlands’ first ever winner of an Empire Games Gold Medal. The devotion of Jim Rolland, whom despite serving in Nottingham City police, made a three hundred mile journey to box in Leith Victoria’s club show.

Whilst at these Championships at Wembley, two of our boxers were involved in a memorable incident; Alec Bell dived fully clothed into the Empire pool to rescue club college Joe Connelly from drowning.

Between the years, 1937 and 1947 Alec Watson won seven Scottish Light- Heavyweight Titles. On two occasions, Watson went onto win the ABA Championships at Wembley in 1945/47.

Bill Sutherley was the only boxer to win a Scottish Title before the end of the 1960s, when the club was forced to leave Kinniard Hall due to Leith’s endless redevelopment.

Many individuals achieved notoriety during this period, with many still involved with the club. George Renouf, Alec Ireland, Jim Rowland, Dan McGarry, Joe Connelly, Bud Watson, Lord David Douglas Hamilton, Jim & Bob Watson, Davy Coburn, The Shaw Brothers, Alec Stevenson, Jim McLean, Joe Fortune, Alec, Eric & Marshall Bell, and George Hand.

An official of Leith Victoria A.A.C. Eugene Henderson, who was at the top of British Boxing Referees throughout the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Eugene officiated at the World Middleweight Championship between Sugar Ray Robinson and Randolph Turpin. In 1951. Eugene went onto published the book “BOXING” TEACHES A BOY.

In 1950, Jackie Brown swept to prominence with wins in the Scottish ABA, British ABA, and British Empire Flyweight Championship, after turning professional Jackie became British Empire Champion in four short years. Jackie was involved in a car crash a few hours before going on to win a Flyweight Lonsdale Belt.

Between the years 1960 to 1988 their were many good boxers some of whom boxed in the International arena. Ricky Day won the Eastern District Flyweight Championship, and went on to turn professional in Australia, today Ricky is Vice President of the club.

Billy Black the Scottish Bantamweight Champion achieved notoriety when he was ‘sin die’ by the Scottish Amateur Boxing Association, following Billy throwing a punch at the Moroccan referee during a bout between Scotland and Morocco.

Bill Sutherley boxed for 11 years, winning the Scottish Heavyweight Title in 1961 joining the army in 1962, he continued to box for the club and country when available. After waiting forty-four years, he received an entry into the Guinness World Records In. 2006, for winning the Scottish ABA Heavyweight title at the age of 18 years 11 days on the 23rd February 1961, as the youngest boxer to win a National Heavyweight Title.

At present Bill is awaiting another world record to be sanctioned, after first boxing for Scotland as Heavyweight in 1961, he next appeared against France as Middleweight in 1963, if there are no other records of a boxer descending two weight divisions in International boxing he will be accredited with this record.

Leith Victoria was also been instrumental in providing top class referees during this time  such as George Smith, who refereed Henry Cooper verse Muhammad Ali in 1966. In addition, Tom Jones who could often be seen on televised Amateur International Championships, and Donald MacNaughton.

In 1992, Bradley Welsh won the Scottish and British ABA lightweight title.

In 1998 Leith Victoria was the first club in Scotland to have three representatives in the Commonwealth Games Team held in Kula Lumpur, namely, Alex Arthur winning the Gold Medal. Lee Sharp quarter finalist and Douglas Fraser referee and judge, who went on to referee the first sanctioned International Woman’s Amateur Boxing bout between Scotland and Wales. Alex Arthur turned professional after the Commonwealth Games; securing the British Super Featherweight title in 2006, Alex became World Champion at that weight in 2008. He therefore becomes the second Leith Victoria boxer to win a World Championship.

Steven Simmons is one of our current top class amateurs in the club, since 2004, Steven has won numerous medals throughout Europe and just missed out on a place at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. Steven as been awarded the position as an ‘elite athlete’ with Sport UK and as such will be competing for a place in the 2012 Olympics.

Another boxer deserving recognition is Fundo Mhura who won the Scottish Welterweight Championship, Four Nations Silver Mhura left the African country of Malawi when he was five months old and has lived in Scotland since. The 6'0 fighter fought for his native country Malawi at Welterweight (69/152lbs) at the Commonwealth Games 2006 where he lost in the second round to Nigerian Olufemi Ajayi.

He moved up a division afterwards and became the first Scot to win a European boxing medal since Scott Harrison in 1996. He lost the semi-final controversially on points to Azeri Rahib Plavadov 18:23.

Over the years, there have been many individuals in the positions of officials, coaches, and committee members, who have contributed to the success of Leith Victoria for the past 90 years; although not boxers, without such people, we would not have achieved this success. To name but a few James Proctor, Benny McLean, Jimmy Davis, David Bell, Jimmy lamb, Donald MacNaughton, John Porterfield, Freddie Stannett, Harry Craft, Dainty Milne, George Borden, Terry McCormack, Mark Inglis, Kenny McClorey, Craig Hunter, Kenny Simmons, George Piggott, Tam Ross, Jack Grahame, Tony Reid, and Tom Nimmo.

(Special thanks to Brian Donald, Hstorical Consultant)