Essington Golden Gloves ABC is here

Essington's new amateur boxing club will be open for business next week - after a special visit from the man who turned their head trainer pro.

Former junior ABA champion Richie Carter was reunited with long-standing promoter Ron Gray, ahead of the club's grand opening on Monday.

It will be called Essington Golden Gloves ABC, named after the now-defunct Bilston Golden Gloves ABC that Carter graduated from in 1988.

It was Cannock's Gray who then brought him into the paid ranks as an 18-year-old, going on to win 10 of 12 contests before retiring in 1992.

Gray was at the forefront of promoting pro boxing at Wolverhampton Civic Hall for over 25 years, after his own paid career from 1958 to 1967.

The 69-year-old was inducted into the Civic's Black County Wall of Fame in 2008 and Carter boxed seven times for him at the venue.

The middleweight from East Park vanished from the sport after that and formed his own conservatory manufacturing company, Energy Seal.

Now, nearly 20 years on, Carter has returned to amateur boxing and he insists the buzz is back.

He said: "It's great to be back in boxing, I turned my back on the game but I have come back fresh and this is the right place for me.

"There's a lot of kids on the corners around where I live and I will be happy when the club is buzzing and everybody knows about it.

"This club will be here to give them an aim and the demand has been unbelievable so, whatever the call is, we are going to do it.

"If it gets people interested in the game, from the grass roots, I think we will get a bigger response and more kids coming through the door.

"I want to get the area back on the map and we haven't had any amateur boxing around here for years."

There had been pressure on the 41-year-old to open an amateur club in the town for some time, mainly from his next door neighbour!

Bryn Whitehouse just would not let it go and introduced Carter to another councillor, David Clifft, who went as far as to offer the premises.

On Monday, the hall at Essington Community Centre on Hobnock Road will be ready to take their first students, after a startling transformation.

The ring is centre stage, but the rest of the room is full of punchbags, speed balls and is literally a house of mirrors, donated by Ashmore Glass.

Richie's younger brother David, 39 and a co-owner of Energy Seal, joins him on the coaching staff, along with Phil Edwards and John Birch.

Their first club show is planned for October and it will be a family affair for the Carter's, as both could have children competing on the bill!

Richie's sons Jack, 11, and Joe, 8, are both waiting on medicals to become carded fighters as is David's son Corben, 10.

In their Dads' respective minds, it will do them no harm - they both fought at the same age under their father, Alan, who ran Bilston Golden Gloves.

The club has another six fighters lined up who are ready to box including Anthony Woolery, an intimidating 26-year-old heavyweight from East Park.

Another formidable physical presence is 15-year-old Callum Bradbury, who doubles up as a rugby player at county level for Greater Birmingham.

Alex Round, 14, already has three amateur wins under his belt while fellow Wolverhampton fighter Oliver Rooney, 16, has been cleared for his debut.

Likewise, Willenhall's Jack Routley, 15, is an active competitor with his younger brother, 11-year-old Daniel, set to follow him shortly.

They are the founding fighters of Essington Golden Gloves ABC and Richie insists their ambitions will match as his own.

He said: "With the knowledge I have got of this game, without blowing my own trumpet, I will expect big things.

"I want champions out of this gym and that's what I will strive for and these kids just need a bit of polishing up.

"I will start from the bottom, the grass roots, but we will be exploring all avenues so we can get them pushing on.

"With what I can see, I think we can do something with them. I will follow these lads through and through."