When Graham Brockway recently travelled up the headquarters of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association 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 was persuaded by head coach Roy Witts to become his assistant.
 

Took up training like a duck to water

 
It was a wise move by Roy because he knew Graham had had 119 bouts in boxing and kick boxing, winning 99 and drawing one alongside 19 defeats: a remarkable record in the sport. Graham took to it like a duck to water and stayed there until Roy moved away to Canada, whereupon Graham helped the legendary Eddie Davies at Merlins Bridge ABC and eventually took over the reins when Eddie passed away.
 
The club’s headquarters consisted of one hall on their land at Merlins Bridge and since then have added two superb extensions to cater for the huge numbers who flock there to train and attend fitness sessions organised by Graham’s wife Gill, who is an equal partner in the club’s great popularity, which has some fellers training along with a crowd of females of all ages.
 
He was helped by his assistants like Barry Frearson, Ian Roberts and Ian Smith to name a few and now the facility has been enhanced beyond all recognition and has boxers and many others who love the ambience there and just want to train.





 

High praise from someone who knows

 
One such person is outstanding local sports journalist Fraser Watson, who told  PembrokeshireSport.co.uk,
 
”It’s impossible to summarise what Graham has done for Merlins Bridge Boxing Club.
 
“It’s not just about the fighters, the national champions and the success stories. It’s also about the youngsters he takes in, the people he helps get fit, get stronger, and grow in confidence. The levels of commitment and dedication he’s shown every week for so many years now never relents.
 
“When I first started out there, I learnt more about attitude and application to training in just a few weeks than I had in any other sport for any period of time - his life membership is fitting reward. But I also so know being recognised won’t change his approach to what he does, or any of the people he trains, a single bit.
 
He’s hard-nosed but humble and he deserves this.”



 

Early start – and a combative boxer from the outset

 
Graham started his own boxing days as a ten year old and after one bout ‘up the line’ he made his local debut at the old Drill Hall adjacent to Pembroke Castle and I was lucky enough to be the MC and even to my untrained eye he had something special that is hard to define – and in 40 years in that role across the boxing clubs in the county I followed his course as a hugely talented boxer and then  trainer where he 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 Commonwealth Games), Andy Robinson and others, followed more recently by Wayne and Chris O’Sullivan and now Ffion Evans, as current British Champion,  then Sean Bolger and Alex O’Sullivan as Welsh champs.




 

Interesting experiences at World Title fights

 
I was lucky enough to travel with Graham and a couple of others to watch Colin Jones lose to Don ‘Cobra’ Curry at the NEC and Barry McGuigan beat Eusebio Pedroza at Crystal Palace’s football ground and both occasions were memorable, the former fight not quite what we had hoped for because we ran out of petrol in thick snow driving up the M5 and had to push it uphill into the next services, which were luckily nearby - and then seeing ringside fighting when Jones suffered a cut eye and the fight was called off after only four rounds.
 
Chairs were being thrown and the fighting spread like a Mexican Wave and throughout it I made sure I stood just behind Mr Brockway because, coward that I am, I knew he was the toughest man I have ever met and I knew they wouldn’t get past him to me!
 
But he was as cool as a breeze and I have never seen him lose his temper, which is a great help in the gym environment because the air of self-discipline there is never far from the surface.
 
The citation from The WABA said,
“This year marks 35 years since Graham  became head coach of Merlins Bridge Boxing Club, a role he has held since 1990. Having boxed from the age of 10 at Pembroke BC, Graham went on to become a world champion in kickboxing before returning to boxing as a coach. Under his guidance, Merlins Bridge has produced Welsh, British and international champions, including Commonwealth Games medallist Micky McDonagh. Now in his 55th year in the sport, Graham remains hands-on, running the gym, leading West Division coaching teams, and investing countless hours to ensure his club thrives.
 
**This Saturday provides more evidence of his efforts for Merlins Bridge ABC because they hold their annual blockbuster of a show where local talent takes on opponents from all over South Wales and beyond at the Withybush Arena, and with great help from the local community our boxers will have yet another night to remember.**