Merlins Bridge ABC News:

Coaches, boxers, parents – everyone involved at Merlins Bridge Amateur Boxing Club is busily preparing for their show this Saturday (10^th May), featuring their talented youngsters against the best opponents from across South Wales and even further beyond before what is sure to be a huge crowd of boxing fans at the  Park House Building at the Haverfordwest Show Ground, writes Bill Carne.
 
It means a tremendous amount of work in arranging the bouts because they are all carefully managed in terms of age, weight and experience, confirming the availability of the referees, judges, timekeepers and medical staff (indeed, a local doctor has already visited the club’s excellent facilities at Merlins Bridge to conduct medical check-ups on all those hoping to take part – and all this work organised under the watchful eye of head coach Graham Brockway, who took over the club from another boxing ‘legend’ in the late Eddie Davies in 1990.
 
Two other ladies are also great helpers in terms of organisation in his wife Gill, who does wonders for ladies’ physical and mental health well-being at the club, and Naomi Dalton, who has now become a coach in her own right but also takes the role of the administrator who maintains all the documentation needed, grant applications. Child Welfare and a host of other things.
“I couldn’t do without either of them in the club,” Graham admitted and he is absolutely right!
 
Graham has also used his vast experience as a builder to provide even better facilities lately, helped by some of his coaches, so that the toilet facilities have been improved, as have the changing facilities and shower room!
 

Graham has a great boxing pedigree

 
Graham is held in enormous esteem across other clubs in Wales and when he recently travelled up to the headquarters of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association in Cardiff to collect some documents, little did he realise that he would also return with a framed certificate from this governing body to mark his elevation to life membership, in recognition of his 55 years as a boxer and coach, as a former Welsh Junior Champion and three-times World Champ in kick-boxing as he held the middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight titles simultaneously.
 
He also had four bouts as a professional boxer but after four successive wins he severely damaged his hand in an accident involving a cement mixer in his family business and at 19 thought his involvement with boxing was over but he went back to Pembroke Amateur Boxing Club to regain some fitness and as well as having over 70 bouts, most of them victories, he eventually became assistant to Roy Witts as coach.
 
 As a coach, he has had Steve Burton as his first Welsh champion, followed by a host of others like Micky McDonagh and Charlene Jones (who were respectively a medallist and quarter finalist at the Commonwealth Games), Andy Robinson and others, followed by Chris and Wayne O’Sullivan and now Ffion Evans, another British Champion,  then Sean Bolger and Alex O’Sullivan as recent Welsh champs.
 

It could be a memorable night for the O’Sullivan family

 
Both the last two are hoping to compete at the annual show, with 24 year old Alex likely to help achieve something of a Welsh record because he will be joined by his brothers Sion (27), Kyle (20) and baby brother Alfie (15) as the first time four boxers from one family who will take part – and with dad Wayne, who attends the gym at least three times a week with his sons, alongside Graham in the corner. The boys have been involved in a combined total of over 120 bouts and it will be amazing if all four can make it on to the programme for a special night!
 
Graham’s wife Gill is also a genuine help on the night with her organisational skills and another female who does so much work on the night, and also throughout the year is Naomi Dalton, small of stature but a giant in terms of work for the club! It is a pleasure to visit the packed gymnasium, which had to be enlarged because of the interest shown, not only by outstanding boxers but others who just want to get fitter or lack confidence and the club has a fine record of dealing with everyone – no matter what their needs are.
 
And another plus is the fact that no-one is ever pushed into sparring or any form of contact unless they ask for it! The coaches take small groups of youngsters so that they can give them close attention and expert one-to-one advice




 

Experienced coaches galore

 
Barry Frearson is one of Graham’s longest-serving lieutenants who has been involved for over a decade after going to ‘The Shack’; a training facility across town owned by Graham for use by adults only, and after doing really well in his quest for better fitness, started to pop down the club – and has been there ever since. “Graham is great to work with and it is wonderful to see children who have been in trouble benefit from the self-discipline expected, or the way that others come in nervously and soon grow in confidence.”
 
Ian Roberts is another experienced coach of well over a decade, who told me exactly why he joined the club.
“Someone told me to my face that I had put on weight and looked really fat!” said Ian with a chuckle, “and I decided to do something about it. So, I joined the Boxing Club because it was so accessible for parking and I was made very welcome. I lost weight and have kept it off – and gradually started to help and joined some of the coaches on a course in Cardiff over three days to qualify as a boxing coach. It is a decision I’ve never regretted and still enjoy working with the kids.”
 
Mark Jenkins, who is known to all as ‘Jenks’, is another of the older coaches and he is brilliant with young children starting out at the club, but also commands respect from the older boxers – and then there’s Gareth Williams, a former rugby player who started taking his son Morgan to train, and who could be boxing on the show - and Gareth enjoys a little bit of fitness work himself, despite the fact that he is in his 50s like the earlier trio!




 

Younger coaches also heavily involved

 
More recent coaches are Alex Ward, an-ex boxer and top kick boxer who is very good at working with the growing number of girls and women who now use the club, plus Joe Kelly, another ‘youngster’ at 39 who arrived to work at his fitness and now loves his coaching role.
 
Will Lukins is from Cardiff and boxed in Welsh finals there - and is now imparting his knowledge gained in almost 70 bouts,  and hoping his step-son, Miley Flynn, will be matched up on the night!
 

Talent galore waiting to get in the ring

 
Our photograph, taken last week at the gym, shows just how many boxers want desperately to be on the programme, including relative youngsters like Alfie, Louie Taylor and Amirah McGowan,  plus Osian Evans, Joshua Wall, Lewis Jones, Adam Lawrence, Miley Flynn, Osian Warden, Max Williams, Morgan Williams, Ashton Lewis, Gethin Roberts and Alfie Wardrun.
 
All the boxers from Merlins Bridge ABC have the same aim, to represent the club with pride and follow its mantra of just doing their best - and will receive every encouragement from Graham Brockway and his merry band of helpers, plus good advice between rounds and the chance to look back fairly soon afterwards in the gym.







 

And finally . . .

 
A great deal of thought is put into the organisation of the big night, which is carefully stewarded and which promises not only quality boxing but a real festival of sound and lights supplied by Pure West Radio, with large screens above the ring which give those sitting a little away from ringside in such an inevitably large and enthusiastic audience the same chance to view the bouts.
 
There is one thing for sure - and that is the fact that everyone in attendance with be guaranteed a great evening - and tickets are selling like hot cakes so contact the club or any member to buy yours.
 
We at ‘PembrokeshireSport.co.uk’ will be there on the night - and we promise a full report and superb photographs next week as a bonus if you are unable to be there for local boxing’s big night!