Fair City Amateur Boxing Club’s upcoming show is set to pack a real punch.
A top quality programme of bouts is pencilled in for Sunday, October 16 at popular venue Perth Civil Service Club.
Organiser and coach at the Fair City ABC Derrick Riley had barely rung the first bell on ticket sales before being inundated with people signing up to attend.
Talented boxers from the Scone Airport-based gym will be pitting their wits against opposition from the likes of Aberdeen, Blairgowrie, Brechin and Dundee.
It will be the club’s first show since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and Derrick is thrilled with the support shown from the local community.
“We’ll have 10 boxers on show and a lot of them will be in action for the first time,” he told the PA.
“But we will also have the likes of Hussain Shah, who got to the final of the senior intermediates last year. He had to pull out of that final because of an injury.
“This will be our first show after Covid-19 so we’re really glad to be putting it on. There had been no funding coming into the club for the last couple of years.
“A lot of work goes into shows like this and one of the good things is that it’s all Perth lads on the show.
“Everyone is really excited, especially the ones who haven’t had a bout yet.
“But you need to get them to pace themselves in their very first fight because they may come out all guns blazing. You can then tire in the second round.
“We’re working on three minute rounds just now, doing a lot of bag work, pad work and sparring. They are all up for the contest.”
The show was this week heading for a sellout and Derrick can’t wait to watch his boxers proudly enter the ring in front of cheering crowds.
Derrick said earlier this week: “More than 100 tickets have sold already and there were only a few left. That is what keeps me going, watching them boxing and coming through the door.
“You see them turning into men and it helps instil discipline.”
Fair City ABC had two boxers in action up at Kingswells last Saturday and it proved the perfect warm-up for young Lucas Townsley and Jamie Lee.
Derrick said: “Wee Lucas had his very first bout, while Jamie stopped his opponent in the first
round.
“I’m pleased with what is happening at the club. This is our 10th year of being in existence and it takes a good five or six years to get the boxers who are going to stick at it.
“At novice level we’ve won silver at the Scottish Championships and had gold at the District Championships.
“And that was Hussain breaking into the seniors last season, beating two good boys to get to his
final. We’ll now hope to start winning more medals at the championships.”
Derrick also revealed that the club will be looking to hold another show early next year, perhaps in May.
