Draft:Orpington & District Amateur Boxing Club

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Orpington & District Amateur Boxing Club is situated in Pettswood, Orpington, Kent, England. Originally established in 1912 as the Orpington Lads Club by the St. Mary Cray Scout Troop, the club aimed to support underprivileged young men in the Orpington area, Orpington & District Amateur was one of the original 16 forming clubs of Kent Amateur Boxing Association established 1948 [1]

Orpington has a rich history of boxing with early records dating to 1895 at the Village Hall. [2]

In 1936 Jack Doyle built a boxing centre in Orpington in Lagoon road which played a pivotal part of the development of Orpington ABC. In 1936 the British Olympic Boxing team, team GB trained at the centre. Amateur boxers from Orpington & District ABC helped assist in the training. [3]

Orpington lads club changed its name to Orpington Boys Club in 1949. The club was based at 93 High Street Orpington.[4]

Orpington & District ABC has produced notable amateur champions. Some of these include Jimmy Cable, Albert Hillman[5] and Mark Baker. The club has a remarkable record of producing numerous national champions, making it a standout among other boxing clubs in the borough. Additionally, it has garnered the highest number of Kent, Southern Counties, and London Champions titles, further solidifying its reputation as a successful and influential establishment in the boxing community..[6] From 1962 to 1980,[7] Orpington & District ABC won a record number of school boy titles in Kent. The club also hosted the Kent and Southern Counties school boy championships at the RoseCroft Club.[8] Its geographical position on the Kent border allowed the club to compete in the South East Divisional championships and win multiple London titles.[9]

In 1986, the club affiliated with Surrey ABA Southern Counties when it was based in Westerham.[10]

Orpington & District ABC is one of the oldest boxing clubs in Kent and is currently located in Pettswood.[11] In 1936, the club changed its name from Orpington Lads Club to Orpington & District Amateur Boxing Club [12] under the guidance of former professional boxer Harry Taylor, who introduced the Taylor's Cup.[13]

In 1937, under Harry Taylor's guidance, the club organised various tournaments to raise funds for Cray Wanders Football Club, ensuring its survival during challenging times.[14]

During World War II, the club temporarily closed its doors, as many institutions did during that time. After the war there were four clubs in Orpington, Cray Valley Boxing Club, Orpington Boys Club,Chelsfield Valley Junior Boxing Club and Orpington & District Boxing Club.[15]


Harry Taylor head coach was the coach at Cray Valley, Orpington & District ABC and Orpington boys club. Come 1950 all clubs would come under the name Orpington & District ABC.[16]

It wasn't until 1962, under the leadership of Alf Reilly at St. Joseph's Boys School in Orpington and Eric Lubbock MP as the president,[17] that the all gained national success as one club. It later moved to St Mary Cray's Sea Cadet Hall[18] and then the Rosecroft Social Club.[18] Eric Lubbock an Oxford Blue boxed for Orpington and District ABC which made headlines in the Daily mail [19] Jack Stewart, the then-president of Rosecroft, helped organise various Interclub club sparring shows, club, regional and national shows, Mr Stewart introduced his Sons, and Grandsons to boxing along with Larry McGuire, Jack ensured the club had a home until he resigned in 1980,[20]

Orpington & District ABC has produced amateur champions,[21] including Mick Spencer,[18] Gary Cable, Alan Cable,[18] Johnny Hillman,[18] Albert Hillman,[18] Mark Baker, Robert Mullholland,[18] Robert Stacey, Terry Pearson,[22] P Martin, and Ray Mason.

In 1966, the club successfully raised funds to build the Magpie Hall Lane Youth Centre in Southborough.[23] It briefly operated from the Youth Centre at Magpie Hall Lane in Pettswood before relocating to the Rosecroft social club in St. Mary's Cray, where it was coached by ex-England international and national champion Mick Spencer.

In 1980, the club moved again, this time behind the Queenshead public house in Green St. Green, with Mick Spencer moving to the Fitzroy Lodge. Arthur Davis, a former professional, became the head coach. In 1986, the club merged with the Sir Winston Churchill Boxing Club and the Spitfire Boxing Club in Bigginhill [24] due to a lack of funding and an unsuitable venue.[25] Jimmy Cable served as president, and John Hart as coach during this period. The club continued to produce national champions,[26] such as Robert Stacey and Mark Baker, as well as regional boxers like Neville Smith, Dean Philp, Justin Worrel, Ian Tebbit, and Mark Dalton.[27]

The club faced challenges in the 1990s when the Royal Standard pub in Westerham closed, resulting in the closure of all three clubs: Spitfire, Sir Winston Churchill, and Orpington ABC. This led to temporary closures due to a lack of venues and funding. In 2007, the Cray Valley Boxing Club in Cray valley briefly reopened and whey relocating to Tillingbourne Green they were called again Orpington & District Amateur Boxing club, the club produced regional champions[28] under coach Olly Rutherford and national finalists such as Ernie Rutherford,[29] However, the club closed in 2013 due to a lack of funding once again.

Orpington & District ABC reopened its doors [30] in Pettswood on April 8, 2024, with a 15-year lease.[18]

Orpington & District Amateur Boxing Club the is the only official regulated boxing club affiliated with the National Governing Body England Boxing & Sport England in Pettswood.[31] The club also has a professional affiliation with the British Boxing Board of Control.

The club’s motto is ‘progredior’ (to make progress, advance, develop, proceed, go on)

Today, the club is run by ex-boxers and family members of the original Orpington & District ABC under the affiliation of England Boxing, established in 1880.[32]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "no headline". Eltham & District Times. 29 March 1912. ORPINGTON LADS' CLUB. The Village Lads' Club is doing well, and the comfort of having a good room with plenty of amusement is demonstrated by the numbers which turned up last Thursday evening. St. Mary Cray Troop of Scouts sent up two ...
  2. ^ Ian Stone (2023). Alec Nelson and British Athletics prior to World War II: A Professional. Cambridge Scholars. ISBN 978-1-5275-1383-9.
  3. ^ "Olympic Boxers". Bromley & West Mercury. 10 July1936. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Published: Friday 01 November 1940 Newspaper: Bromley & West Kent Mercury
  5. ^ "Orpington boxer three times ABA champion". Kent Evening Post. 23 November 1972.
  6. ^ "no headline". Kent Evening Post. 17 January 1974. They are facing the first hurdle of the national schoolboys boxing championships in the Kent semi-finals at RosecroftWorking Men's Club, Orpington. The Chatham team is Geoffrey Morrall (Sheerness Secondary), David Brincat (Walderslade Secondary), Andrew ...
  7. ^ "no headline". Maidstone Telegraph. 25 January 1980.
  8. ^ "no headline". Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph. 4 November 1966. .. included in an evening's boxing promoted by the Orpington Amateur Boxing Club will go to the disaster fund. i At Ramsgate Martin Young proved too strong for his opponent, K. Otter, and the fight was stopped the fn.( round. An aggressive Michael A Idous gained ...
  9. ^ "no headline". Acton Gazette. 25 October 1973. .. Bathurst. King. Russell. Kimber. Leach, Pol Land. Emment. Graham's the boy Two Oid Actomans were on the boxing bill at the Orpington Amateur Boxing Club in Kent lair week. ,Graham Scarrou was the (but to appear. He used an of fettive left jab and a powerful ...
  10. ^ "no headline". Sevenoaks Focus. 29 October 1987. within the club) went to club president Mr Maurice Ingleton The trophies were presented by Mr W Silvester president of Orpington Boxing Club and chairman Mr Melvyn Shorter and Mr Doug Sayers vice-chairman of the Sir Winston Churchill ...
  11. ^ "AMBULGAMIA". Bromley & West Kent Mercury. 5 June 1936. .. had to be abandoned owing to rain. boxing programme was organised by Mr. Garry Taylor, of the Crays and Orpington Boxing Club. A comic bout between Larry Eames, trainer to the club. and S. Burgess. chairman of the t...
  12. ^ "BOXING AT CRAY". Bromley & West Kent Mercury. 28 May 1937. .. (dhortlands); Jeff Thomas (Kent House) v. A Manlier (Tunbridge); George Tucker (United Dairies) v. Eric Young (Orpington and District Amateur Boxing Club); rzid Evan (0. and D. 8.0.) v. Charlie Phillips (London); Edgar Westbrook v. George Clark (both 0. and D. 8 ...
  13. ^ "no headline". Bromley & West Kent Mercury. 26 June 1936. The last of the staged events was a series of boxing contests, mostly by well-known local performers, arranged by Mr. Harry Taylor
  14. ^ "VILLAGE HALL BOXING. SPIRITED CONTESTS". Bromley & West Kent Mercury. 5 June 1936. Mr. Harry Taylor's boxingprogramme attraeted an enthuniastic crowd to Orpington Village Hall on Thursday last week. and if they were inclined to give npirted advice and criticism to combatants it showed at least ...
  15. ^ "no headline". Bromley & West Kent Mercury. 5 June 1936.
  16. ^ "ORPINGTON BOXING BOUTS. MAN KNOCKED OUT OF RING". Bromley & West Kent Mercury. 23 April 1937. A sensation was caused during a boxing tournament at Orpington Village Hall on Thursday last week, when one of the contestants was knocked clean out of the ring and fell on his head at the feet of two ...
  17. ^ "no headline". Daily Mirror. 30 March 1965.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h Clarke, Amy (16 March 2024). "Boxing club with rich history set to reopen in new Petts Wood home". News Shopper. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  19. ^ "That Lubbock fight KO'd". Daily Mirror. .. be meeting Councillor Bill Cain in the boxing ring after all. Mr. Lubbock, 36-year-old one-time Oxford University amateur boxer, is M P for Orpington., Kent. He and Mr. Cain, 50-year-old Liberal member of Orpington town council, had planned to fight next ...
  20. ^ "no headline". Kent Evening Post. 17 January 1974. They are facing the first hurdle of the national schoolboys boxing championships in the Kent semi-finals at RosecroftWorking Men's Club, Orpington. The Chatham team is Geoffrey Morrall (Sheerness Secondary), David Brincat (Walderslade Secondary), Andrew ...
  21. ^ "Terry Chases ABA chances / Orpington & District ABC / Terry Pearson". Kent Evening Post. 23 January 1980.
  22. ^ "TERRY SETS PRO TARGET". ... national junior title and is making great strides as he approaches senior status A A S 5 a member of Orpington Boxing. Club, he won' the London 80{;' Clubs' title in the autumn, went on to take the regional champion: ship and finished the job at the Hilton ...
  23. ^ "Busy boxing boys are held to 3-3 draw". Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph. 4 November 1966. .. included in an evening's boxingpromoted by the Orpington Amateur Boxing Club will go to the disaster fund. i At Ramsgate Martin Young proved too strong for his opponent, K. Otter, and the fight was stopped the fn.( round. An aggressive Michael A Idous gained ...
  24. ^ "no headline". Sevenoaks Focus. 17 September 1987. .. Westerham will be teaming up' with Orpington Boxing Club and the Spitfire Boxing Club Biggin Hill for several joint promotions as well as providing fight fans with a higher grade of boxing On Tuesday November 3 ...
  25. ^ "no headline". Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser. 18 September 1987. This season Westerham win be teaming up with Orpington Boxing Club and Spitfire Boxing Club Biggin for joint promotions The Orpington and Westerham Boxing ...
  26. ^ "no headline". Sevenoaks Focus. 26 November 1986. .. collage at Cambridge in A PARTY of 40 Including boxers from Sir Winston Churchill Boxing Club and Orpington Boxing Clubreturned triumphant from Cornwall recently group twin club Penryn and Falmouth ABC winning ...
  27. ^ "no headline". Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser. 10 October 1986. Evening's action is available Sir Winston Churchill Boxing Club are now working towards a big dinner show set for Thursday (October 16) at the Marlowe Rooms in Sidcup in connection with OrpingtonBoxing Club The ...
  28. ^ "Rutherford makes history at Cafe Royal". News Shopper. 7 January 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Sidcup boxer determined to bounce back". News Shopper. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Boxing club set to re-open". Newsshopper. 21 February 2024. BOXING club with a storied history is set to reopen. Orpington & District Amateur Boxing Club (ABC) dates back to its forma tion in 1962 by Alf Reilly at S Joseph's Boys School in Orpington. Over the years, the club has moved locations, including the Sea Cadet Hall in St Mary Cray and Ruxley, before finding its home ad The Rosecroft Social Club in St Mary Cray. Under the guidance of esteemed coaches Peter Hughes and Ted Norris, Orpington & District ABC quickly gained a reputation as one of the best boding clubs in Kent and London from N042 to 1477. ...
  31. ^ {{cite web |url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24345148.orpington-district-abc-boxing-club-opens-petts-wood-venue/%7Cwork=News Shopper |date=25 May 2024 }
  32. ^ "Orpington Boxing club", 2BX Website , May 2024
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