While living in Cambuslang and serving his national service with the Royal Scots in Benghazi, Libya, McDermott and fellow boxer Tommy McGuinness formed a boxing club for the regiment.[1]
In 1962 boxing for Scottish National, he defeated Ronnie Lendrum in the semi-finals of the prestigious ABA Championships but lost the final to Billy Wilson.[2] However, he did win the Scottish featherweight title and defeated Evan Armstrong in the Empire Games eliminator.[3][4]
He represented the 1962 Scottish team[5] for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. He competed in the featherweight category,[6] where he won the gold medal, defeating Ali Juma of Kenya in the final.[7]
McDermott turned professional and fought nine bouts in 1963.[8] He then switched to becoming a boxing trainer, a position he held for decades, earning an MBE in the 2004 Birthday Honours, for services to the sport and working with youngsters at Blantyre Miners' Welfare Gym.[1]
