Boxing clever
BOXING fans who went down to the Track on Saturday evening will not only have witnessed a great sporting spectacle but can also lay claim to seeing a piece of Guernsey history in the making.
BOXING fans who went down to the Track on Saturday evening will not only have witnessed a great sporting spectacle but can also lay claim to seeing a piece of Guernsey history in the making.
As our special reports on pages 5, 40 and 41 reveal, the island's first Open Air Boxing event transformed the home of football into a venue that fans of the sport would previously only have dreamed of. True, it was no Caesar's Palace, but for those who were there to view the host of talent on display and bask in the atmosphere, it was a night that will long be remembered.
Organisers, the Amalgamated Boys' Club and Bels, will rightly proud of the event they put on. All reportedly went smoothly and without a hitch. And any worries about crowd behaviour were soon dispelled with the Track notching up yet another well-controlled event.
More than 2,000 people are said to have turned up to the stadium to watch the island's prize fighters battle it out in the ring which, as our pictures show, provided an ideal stage in the middle of the park. That compares with the same number for the Muratti – only the Siam Cup tends to attract larger crowds at around 3,000, although entry to rugby's showcase inter-insular is free.
As well as providing a great night out, Saturday's event has also done the club's image as a heavyweight sporting organisation in Guernsey no harm at all.
For years, its bi-annual Open Shows at Beau Sejour have been well supported, so much so that tickets have usually sold out within minutes. But with maximum capacity at 800, the only other option to help meet the growing local interest in the sport was to go outside.
The outcome was always going to be an unknown – would there be sufficient interest at an outdoor venue, could it cope with the logistics of staging such a major gathering at the Victoria Avenue ground. Or was trying to above its weight?
Clearly, the answer was 'no' and it came out fighting, helped in no small way by having the weather in its corner.
Many put the rise in followers of local boxing down to home-grown names such as Matt Jennings, Bradley Watson and Tom Duff. And having the ABA Junior Champion Gage Demore here is the jewel in our crown.
Yet harnessing this potential is key, making Saturday night's success also testament to the qualified coaches who have played a major part in their development.
All of which leaves just one final question: when can we expect round two?
