Boxing club celebrates new facilties

12:37pm Thursday 20th March 2008

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By Gordon Simpson »

WHEN Golden Ring founder Freddie Potter heard the boxing club's new gym was to be named in his honour, it brought him to tears.

Southampton's top club moved into its £1m purpose-built gym at Mansel Park Pavilion, Millbrook, this month, ending a six-year stay at Waterloo Road, Freemantle.

Although former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan will conduct an official ceremony later this month, the Freddie Potter Hall of Boxing is already open.

Trainer Stuart Gill said the name was a fitting tribute to the man who started the club 25 years ago.

Potter is currently seriously ill with throat cancer.

Gill said: "When we told him, he couldn't talk because of the cancer, and he just stood there and cried.

"He's done so much for boxing in the area. We are hoping he has got a long life ahead of him still."

Plans for the gym have been in the pipeline for about four years, but the dream only became a reality thanks to grants from the South East England Development Agency and Southampton City Council.

Based in the new Mansel Park community building, Gill said it is a vast improvement, including a substantially bigger ring.

"It's incredible, the place is just so much better," he said. "When we opened for the first time we were absolutely packed out.

"We have had a lot of compliments about the place and a lot of people have put a lot of effort in to get it open.

"I have got to give credit to Cllr Dennis Harryman. He has put so much work into it and he's been brilliant all the way through."

The club has a proud history of producing champions, with Ian Weaver one of the best recent successes The 18-year-old featherweight has captained England and is hoping to make it to the London 2012 Olympics.

Gill hopes the new gym will help the club's production line of talent to increase.

"Hopefully there will be a few more Ian Weavers coming out of the gym,"

said Gill. "We have got so many good, young boxers here now.

"We've got eight lads entering the ABA Championships this month and the most we've ever had before is three I think."

Gill said: "Our main aim is to work with kids that would otherwise be hanging about on street corners and causing trouble, and giving them a purpose in life.

"We want to educate them on why they shouldn't be out drinking and taking drugs."

● Golden Ring are running a new "Kids for a Quid" scheme on Sunday mornings (10am-11am).

The non-contact events are aimed at children from the ages of five to tenyears- old, who would not normally be allowed into a boxing gym.

For more information, contact Gill on 07958 277526.