Scottish boxer Dick McTaggart to be honored following British Olympic Snub

He told Telegraph Sport last month that he had been “hurt” to receive a letter from the organisers of the London Games, which merely offered him the chance to enter a prize draw for tickets Even if his application had been successful, he would still have been asked to pay £500 for two tickets, with no guarantee that he would be able to see any boxing. Now the 76 year-old will be flown down to the capital, where he will be introduced to the crowd before the lightweight final. He will also meet the British boxing team during his visit after Scot Ray Caulfield, the treasurer of the London Ex-Boxers Association, intervened to spare the BOA's blushes. McTaggart won the gold medal in the lightweight division at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne and was also awarded the Val Barker Trophy presented to the most stylish boxer in the tournament.

He also won bronze at the 1960 Games in Rome. Caulfield was determined that McTaggart should enjoy the Olympic experience first hand, 56 years after his greatest achievement. “The organisers had been in touch with LEBA so that we could provide them with memorabilia,” he said. “As a result, I've made sure that Dick will have tickets for the lightweight final. “He'll be picked up at the airport by an Olympic limousine, the Amateur Boxing Association will pay his air fares and he'll be staying with me while he's here.” McTaggart, who resisted the temptation to enter the paid ranks in spite of losing only 24 of his 634 amateur contests, is thrilled to be part of the world's biggest sporting event once again. “It was disappointing to be asked to pay for my tickets and air fare in the first place, especially since I'm a pensioner and simply couldn't afford it,” he said. “However, I'm really looking forward to going to London now and, in particular, I'm looking forward to meeting Josh Taylor from Lochend. “Josh is the first Scottish lightweight since me to box in the Olympics so it'll be a case of the southpaw meeting the grandpaw!”