Brentwood Looks Back at Champion Season!
If you go to Fairfield Road in Brentwood you will probably think there is just an old run down tyre depot, but if you walk into the small door at the front you will see some of the hardest working volunteers and young people in the boxing world. As the boxing season draws to a close Brentwood Youth ABA can look back at what has been a very successful year and all still in the clubs infancy.
The club on the inside has great facilities and a big area for training which is now open 6 days a week and with 3 sessions an evening. The club have held three boxing shows this year and has boxers competing every weekend with a number of Essex Junior and Senior champions as well as their newly crowned National Senior ABA Champion John Dignum.
Brentwood Youth ABC also give the young people more opportunities than just boxing as they entered events hosted by Essex Boys and Girls Clubs which included winning the CYP Cross-country event beating 60 other runners in the event. Their champion’s trophy was presented to them by the Mayor of Chelmsford whilst showcasing their skills to the public in the High Chelmer shopping centre earlier this year. This also saw Brentwood ABC enter the Brentwood half marathon as a team, which was great for the boxers fitness tests, increasing the clubs profile and their team work. They also ended up winning the Brentwood half marathon and again proving that boxers are the fittest and toughest people out there.
Brentwood ABC are currently in the process of achieving Clubmark which is an ABA accreditation to show that a club is working efficiently and is a safe environment for young people. They have a strong committee and volunteers have specific job roles in the club to make sure all bases are covered. Joe Taylor club leader said “we are pleased with the squads performance over the season and obviously Johnnys win in the elite championships but there is still a lot more to come from Brentwood Youth ABC.”
To finish off a successful season Eddie Hearn the managing director of Matchroom sport who produces events such as Prizefighter and the Premier league darts visited the club. Eddie said “people that run clubs like this need a medal, if it wasn’t for these people the sport would be dead on its heels. I would like to support clubs more at grass roots level in the future with anything I can help with. People like MP’s and politicians need to come and see the sport first hand and see the discipline and camaraderie that these clubs give young people” Eddie stayed for well over an hour talking with boxers, volunteers and parents. Hearns promotion of boxing is increasing with the signing of high profile boxers such as Carl Froch, Kell Brook and Darren Barker.
European champion Darren Barker attended with Hearn and gave the boxers at Brentwood Youth ABC an opportunity to ask questions about his amateur days and advice to becoming a champion as well as the chance to wear Barkers European and Commonwealth belts. Barker being an Essex boxer it was his first visit to the gym and when asked what he thought about it he said “It’s a fantastic club and it’s great to see an amateur club so busy which really shows you the sport is full steam ahead. This really is the grass-roots of the sport. You hear people talk about grass-roots football all of the time and this is the grass-roots of boxing and we want more European champions from these clubs with them bringing more blue belts back to Essex.”
Barker was signing gloves, posing for photos and talking with the boxers about advice and future fights. Brentwood Youth ABC now looks to attend Barkers next fight where he defends his European middleweight belt on July 23rd at the Brentwood Leisure centre. This will be a warm up fight for Barker before he challenges Sergio Martinez for the WBC World middleweight belt on October 1st in America.
It has not all been about champions and winning at Brentwood Youth ABC this season as they look to find a permanent facility to move to. Their private landlord was recently turned down for planning permission on the building and it is only a matter of time before the landlord applies again or increases the rent. If this is granted then this will leave Brentwood Youth ABC without a home and in an unsustainable place for the future so the search for a new facility is now in process.
If you are interested in supporting Brentwood Youth ABC to find a new facility or know anyone that may be interested then please contact the Essex Boxing Development Officer Af Panjalizadeh on 01245 264783 or email afsheenp@essexboysandgirlsclubs.org
