Gang Wars of the North - The Inside Story of the Deadly Battle Between Viv Graham and Lee Duffy. Stephen Richards
I wasn’t even properly warmed up because I’d been standing waiting about all that time in the cold.
‘Billy was throwing lefts, coming forward with lefts, straight lefts, and trying to catch me with them, but obviously I was jumping about a little bit, flicking a punch here and there, getting him to move and at one stage Billy got on top of me, but I managed to quickly escape from underneath his arm and I was back up on my feet in no time. At that time I was only 13½ stone, pretty fit and agile, so I could jump about a little bit. [Don’t be fooled by Ernie’s modesty: he is still very fit and looks like he could walk through a barn full of troublemakers.]
‘We stood, we bounced about a little bit again. He was trying to get his punches and I noticed he was open for a left hook. But something inside’s telling me to hold that left hook back, so now I’m throwing right hands all the time and now I’m warmed up and they’re coming over strong. I even said during the fight, as a bit of hype, “Right, I’m warmed up now. I’m starting the fight off now.”
‘I don’t know how long I was fighting. I cannot say if it was five minutes, but it wasn’t half an hour or three-quarters of an hour. When you think, five minutes could be a long time for most fit fellas. Anyhow, I never took any punches – I might have had to a little bit, but nothing really hard – and I came in with a right hand all the time. I’ve thrown a right hand and caught him with a left hook, so now I’m coming in to finish the job off.
‘Billy’s moving around, but as he’s staggering over I’m thinking, Whoa, I’ve been caught with an uppercut! But then I fell over. It was a good punch, one of my hands was on the ground – in fact, it was the left hand – and then Keith Bell came around and he got hold of my hand.
‘I was embarrassed because I thought they were stopping the fight because I’d been knocked over. I thought Billy was now going to run in and kick me because he would have been desperate. I was going to roll around and spring back up, that was the theme that went through my mind. I was confident that that was the way it would go.
‘I knew I was vulnerable because he could have run at me and kicked me. I got up and that was the point I went berserk. I tore into him, split his lips and that and went mad and shouted, “Come onnnnnnnnnn!” I just literally went straight at him, as if to say, I’m not getting beat by anybody! I was really hyped up.
‘Then I went forward and Viv grabbed me, shouting, “Howway, Ernie!” and things like that. So they stopped the fight. I was confused because I’d realised Billy had knocked me over, but they said, “Howway, you’ve beaten him fair and square.”
‘So then Billy went one way and Viv went the other way and I was still confused, so I followed the way Viv went. Remember, walking away from that, I’d been involved in a fight and I’d been hit and for a minute my mind went a bit blank. As I walked through the door, I remember walking into Viv and he was sitting on the seat and he was saying, “Look, I want no trouble! I want no trouble in this gym, mind.”
‘I said, “Look, I’ll stand here with you.”
‘I folded my arms and stood beside him. Andy Webb was standing there, his head was bowed down. I didn’t know why. I thought it could be because of what Viv had said or he was embarrassed with the way Viv went on, because he seemed to be like an honourable type of person and was nice towards me and made me feel comfortable.
‘I can remember I went to the toilet, came back and then shook Viv’s hand and everything and we were all right. I recall as I walked towards the door and went out I could feel Viv watching me from behind; without turning my head, I knew this.
‘When I got outside the gym, Billy was at the other side of the door, so he must have walked around and out some other way. He came up to me and hugged me and I hugged him back and we shook hands and everything, just like he said before the fight; he kept his word.
‘I’d previously boxed Viv Graham and I beat him in the ring. I was too strong for him pound for pound. When I was young I used to idolise Rocky Marciano and when I used to fight in the ring I didn’t want to box, I used to think it clever to take punches, so I knew I could take a punch even though I’d boxed only a few times.
‘Getting back to the fight with Billy, as I was getting back into the car Keith Bell said, “You know, Viv shouldn’t have stuck that sly punch on you.”
‘“Ah, I see what you mean,” I said, realising it wasn’t Billy that gave me that walloping uppercut.
‘I got out of the car and went back into the gym and Viv was on the phone and I think Keith was in the other room, although I’m guessing about that.
‘When Viv finished, he came over and said, “Ernie, look, Billy was like a dad to me; he really brought me up when I was younger.”
‘I said, “Look, it was only a daft punch, forget about it.”
‘Viv said, “Is it OK if I come through [to Sunderland]?”
‘I said it would be all right, but I’m always like that. Even when I got out of prison [after serving a sentence for manslaughter] I forgave certain people for what they’d done against me.
‘After the fight with Billy, I maintained some links with Viv and we had a few discussions on the phone about it because I’d heard rumours going about that I’d been knocked out for ten minutes! I discussed that with Viv and he explained, “Look, I haven’t said anything like that, Ernie.” He told me that he had lots of respect for me and for how I went through there on my own.
‘I built up a friendship with Viv and actually went through to his house and had a cup of tea with him and had a discussion over different things. I remember Gavin Cook was working with Viv through there [Newcastle] and he came through and said, “I’ve told Viv that you’re not bothered about him and I’m keeping out of it, so here’s his phone number.”
‘He must have been match-making and I said, “Look, I’m not going to back down from him, Gavin.”
So I pulled Viv up and said, “You’re the one going around telling everyone that you knocked me out for ten minutes,”
‘He replied, “Ernie, I’ve never said that. I’ve got nothing but respect for you and all I want is your respect.”
‘I replied, “Look, Viv, you’ve always had my respect. I’ve heard a lot about you, although the only thing that put me off was when you punched me, but you’ve always got my respect, but now you’re going around saying you knocked me out.”
‘Anyway, Viv denied saying it to the end. I remember meeting one of Viv’s friends called McNally from around where Viv had once lived in Rowlands Gill and he said, “Honestly, Ernie, Viv Graham had lots of respect for you,” and he went on to tell me that Viv was telling everyone I was “a man” and how I’d gone on my own to the fight.
‘There was another lad training with me in the gym and he said, “You know something, Ernie, you should never take notice of what some people say. I was training with Viv once and he’s got loads of respect for you.”
‘I ended up getting on well with Viv, but you’ve always got to remember that there’s still a dividing line and you do hear Chinese whispers. I’d heard stories, how true they were I don’t know, but he’d come and have a drink with you, he’d take you to the bar when he was ready and as you go in he’ll put his arm around you and all of a sudden it’s BANG! BANG! and he’s on you.
‘Other stories were that he wouldn’t take his coat off and stand in front of the man. It would be something like, “You all right, mate,” and then BANG!, so I was advised to be wary of that sort of stroke. I always kept that little bit of doubt in my mind and I was very careful of how I went about it if I ever socialised with him because he did want to come through here.
‘I’d also heard that Viv liked to have an audience around him when he kicked off with a couple of lads who he might knock out and then the word spreads: “Viv knacked three lads