DALE Youth made it three out of three in the quarter-finals of the National Novice Championships on Sunday.
In the senior tournament for box- ers with fewer than 10 bouts under their belt, Mickey O'Rourke lived up to his film-star name with a classy performance to dominate Russ Till from the Army, 11-1 in the 57kg division. But all O'Rourke's team-mates could do was stand and admire after Joe Till (51kg) - no relation - and Will McDermott (69kg) got walkovers when no opponent could be found to face the North Kensington fighters.
In Till's case, championship organisers even contacted a second- choice boxer from the previous round, to ask whether he would step into the breach - without success.
Dale's boxers now go to Aldershot for the semi-final.
Mickey Delaney now has all the time in the world to devote to his beloved Dale Youth after picking up his pension on Saturday.
The club supremo notched up his 65th birthday and promptly got a chance to blow his goodbye gift from Notting Hill builders mer- chants Nu-Line.
The company presented their ex- employee with a four-day pass for next year's Grand National and gave him an £80 voucher to blow at Wimbledon dogs.
