Lucas fought for the Sir Philip Game club, which was founded by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner of the same name and has always held strong connections with the police. That connection helped Lucas to claim a popular victory in unusual circumstances at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The selectors ditched Lucas from England's team and instead selected Carl Speare, a popular Liverpudlian who had been beaten by Lucas in the national ABA final in 1973.

Lucas had also won in 1972, following on from two great names in British boxing, Alan Minter in 1971 and John Conteh in 1970. Lucas could barely believe he had been overlooked and nor could his clubmates.

Ken Rimington, a police officer at the Sir Philip Game club, found another way to help Lucas go for gold. Lucas was born on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent, and moved to London aged seven. So, Rimington successfully set about creating a Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Boxing Association, and Lucas would go to Christchurch under their flag. 

The next big bonus was an offer from Frank Hendry, a senior official in Scottish amateur boxing. He knew Lucas from previous international contests and offered him a deal: go to New Zealand at Scotland's expense in exchange for sparring with their boxers. 

Lucas agreed and, said Hendry, "he was more or less part of our team out there".

"Our boys cheered him on in every round," he added. "He was a hell of a character."

He was a hell of a fighter, too. The one-man team from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines carried the flag at the Opening Ceremony, then won his way through to the semi-finals where he beat Speare, just as he had done in the National Championship final.

Next up was Julius Lupia, a talented Zambian who had been trained by the best in the business, the Cubans. "I've come for gold, I'm gonna get gold," Lucas told Des Lynam of the BBC. He did.

Lucas flew back to Saint Vincent, where, he told the eminent boxing broadcaster Steve Bunce, he "kicked back a bit, and had some herbal relief". 

On his return to Britain he became a professional, fought a memorable title fight against Tony Sibson at the Royal Albert Hall, and a few years later he disappeared.

Nobody in boxing heard from Lucas for more than 20 years. Many from his circle, among them Rimington and Minter - and even his own sister - thought he was dead.

But Conteh had seen somebody who looked like Frankie Lucas running in a park in North London. He told Bunce who, in 2002, found Lucas alive and well and living in the area.

Lucas remains the only Saint Vincent athlete in any sport to have stood on top of the Commonwealth Games podium.

The sprinter Natasha Mayers was a 100 metres gold medallist at Delhi 2010, but not on the day. 

She was promoted to first place from third after the disqualification of the two runners who finished ahead of her, one for a false start and the other for a doping violation.