New boxing club aims to offer kids confidence and friendship

2nd May 2008

A FORMER victim of bullying who stood up to his tormentors after joining a boxing club is bringing the sport to Wigton.

Arthur Greaves, 63, moved to Fell View in Wigton two years ago from Greater Manchester, where he ran a similar club and went on to coach professionals.

He said: “I was picked on at school. When I first went into a club I was 13 and shaking like a leaf.

“Boxing made me able to stand up to my bullies. I didn’t have to do anything physically; it just gave the right frame of mind.

“I understand what it’s like to be tormented. It’s an awful feeling; I still remember it like it was yesterday. You feel you can’t tell anyone and you’re depressed and alone.”

Arthur is one of a team in Wigton who hope to get the club off the ground within the next month, running twice a week at St Ursula School’s sports hall.

They plan to move to the new Gathering Place hall when it is completed at Wigton town park.

Arthur says the club is about bringing young people in the community together, not about going out and having a fight on a Saturday night.

“It’s for friendship as much as anything. I don’t want them to come and feel they’re going to be thrown into a ring,” he said.

“It can be a frightening environment and I want people to know it’s not essential to participate – they can still come and feel part of the club and train or whatever.”

He said the boxing would be fully supervised and involve gum shields, abdominal protectors, head guards and safety gloves.

“There are so many safeguards now – it isn’t like the old days when you’d knock seven bells out of each other. You become close to the people you coach,” said Arthur, a former HGV driver.

Also coaching will be Andrew Crossman, 24, of Greenacres and Graham Harrison, 40, of Fell View.

Their ultimate aim is to put on tournaments.

“Carlisle, Workington and Penrith would be our nearest rivals. There has been a lot of interest already,” said Arthur.

He has been a qualified Amateur Boxing Association coach since 1981 and also used to train professionals Nicky Boyd and Glen Campbell.

“I prefer amateur though,” he said. “With professionals it’s all about the money, whereas amateur is about self-defence, keeping fit and building young people’s confidence.”

Children as young as 10 can join, though they cannot start boxing until the age of 11.

All three coaches will undergo police checks, and Cumbria Police has donated £250 to help kick-start Wigton Community Amateur Boxing Club. Former deputy mayor Paul Radcliffe left the town council on his doctor’s advice last month, but he has still been helping to get the club started.

“It is something positive for the kids to do and it’s great that the police are behind it,” he said.

Anyone else who wants to help in running the club can contact Arthur on 07765 288133.