Boxing News Boxing News
Barking ABC has been left without a home after plans to re-house the club have been shelved meaning dozens of potential boxing stars have been left high and dry by the local council.
The club has been moved from pillar to post and has been out of Barking since 1992. The famed club is temporarily housed in Dagenham, but was initially told by the council that it would be re-housed into a new development in the Barking Park area.
Barking ABC have now been informed that the development plans have been scrapped and they will have to remain in Dagenham.
Dave Sadler has represented the club since childhood and coached hundreds of young boxers since 1984. With over 60 members, the gym is bustling but without a permanent home the club is left in limbo and with no identity or support from the local authority.
“We feel that we have been shunted out of the way and forgotten about really. The club has always been based in Barking and we were promised a lot of things would happen if we moved temporarily but these have just not materialised,” explained Sadler.
Crime in Barking has been steadily rising over the past decade and latest figures show that it is double the national average. More and more kids have been involved in anti-social behaviour, muggings, violent crimes and burglaries.
At the other end of the spectrum one of the area’s favourite sons, Kevin Mitchell is delivering at the highest level in the ring and is on the brink of world lightweight title glory.
With this in mind, one would think that amateur boxing in Barking would be highly thought of by councillors, but obviously not.
Boxing has often been seen as a way of harnessing aggression and installing disciple and pride amongst young people. This is not an opinion that has been shared by the former head of Barking council, Charles Fairbrass (who is now the current Mayor).
Sadler explained that the council had been in touch, but not with the answers they were hoping for:
He added: “Mr Fairbrass explained that he was anti-boxing and he even sent letters to me explaining as much. We exchanged a few letters and in his final letter he was quite clear in the fact that he was against us encouraging kids to box each other.”
The office of Barking UKIP candidate Frank Maloney gave Mr Fairbrass an opportunity to respond to these matters but received no reply.
This club has seen many young fighters move into the pro ranks of boxing when work has been hard to find. It also produced one of Britain’s most stylish boxers in former WBO world champion in Colin McMillan. Colin is still attached to the club and helps to raise funds and keep the profile of the club high.
The area has always had a great affiliation with both amateur and professional boxing and today the borough of Barking proudly boasts one of Britain’s most exciting undefeated young fighters in Mitchell who will challenge for the world lightweight title this summer.
Sadler said: “Colin McMillan and Kevin Mitchell are a great advert for the borough and we have had a few great fighters in the past. The two are perfect role models for any young person.”
Maloney has said that if he is elected as Barking’s MP, one of his first priorities would be to work at getting the club a new permanent home. He would also develop boxing programs throughout the borough as he himself, like Sadler, believes that the club should have a place in the community.
Amongst all sporting stars, boxers are the most down to earth and accessible even when they are truly successful.
This is another sign of Labour’s failure to serve it’s community properly.
