Boxing club feels the glove with award wins

It was named club of the year and landed more glorious blows when head coach Sean McGann triumphed in the coach of the year category, while treasurer/receptionist Kelly Stead was named volunteer of the year.

It all testifies to the turnaround of a club which had to fight back from the brink of closure two years ago but is now stronger than ever and home to champion boxers.

The club has had to be as tough and determined as the community it serves to defy adversity during its 130-year existence.

Wyre Council’s Wyre Active Awards pay tribute to those who go above and beyond to make a difference in their local community.

Besides recognising exceptional sporting individuals and teams, the awards highlight the efforts of the local clubs, schools and volunteers who work in the background to support them.

McGann joined the club as a junior boxer, aged 14, and had more than 30 competitive fights before becoming a club coach.

He said: “Boxing is such a good activity for all of us and it does not matter what level of fitness we start at.

“As a club, we are engaging with people of all ages and abilities from Fleetwood and the surrounding area, and we are providing the facilities, encouragement and support that can make a difference to people’s lives.”

Based at the YMCA Lofthouse Building on London Street, Fleetwood Gym ABC holds classes for ‘Tiny Tysons’ in the five to nine age group, beginner/junior classes for 10 to 16-year-olds and senior classes for those 17 and above.

There are separate sessions for recreational boxers and for the more competitive, while women-only classes are available.

Sean, who is also a development coach on the England Performance Pathway Programme, added: “As a club, we are able to provide the training, equipment and strategies that promote physical fitness and also instil a sense of self-discipline and confidence, which is great for mental health – and we do this in a safe, enjoyable and wholly inclusive environment.”

For those keen to box competitively, Fleetwood Gym ABC is among the few on the Fylde coast regulated by England Boxing, the sport’s national governing body, whose role it is to ensure fights are evenly matched via strict weight and experience criteria, with qualified officials and medical professionals in attendance.

Club member Oliver Grimshaw won the 2022 North West Under-60kg Youth Development title and the Manchester Box Cup for U63kg.

Freddie Cheetham is this year’s North West U63kg Junior Development champion, while 15-year-old Thomas Cardwell has been selected for the England North West Regional Squad to face the Irish Leinster Development Squad next month.

Fleetwood Gym ABC's top talent will be on display at their Norbreck Castle Hotel show on December 9.

The last three shows have all been sell-outs, helping the club to raise funds, while enabling the boxers to showcase their skills and gain valuable experience in front of family, friends and supporters.