Brooks started boxing at the age of 11 and first competed in the Eastern District Championships aged 14. He won four successive Eastern District titles and three consecutive Scottish Youth titles.[1] He was a member of the Zetland Amateur Boxing Club in Grangemouth, boxed at bantamweight[2] and by profession at the time was machine operator.[1]
In March 1986, he won the 1986 Scottish bantamweight Championship at Grangemouth[3] and represented Scotland at international level.[4]
Brooks represented the Scottish team[5] at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he competed in the bantamweight division[6] He won a bronze medal after defeating Welshman Sean Ward before losing in the semi-final to Sean Murphy of England.[7][8]
In December 1986 while residing at 17 West Park Grove in Broxburn, he announced his retirement from boxing[1] but made a return to the ring in 1989.[9]
