Kilsyth Golden Gloves Annual Show Report

Running a full contact sports event to bring the curtain down on a long season is always going to be a risky business. There’s simply nowhere to turn if something slips or an opponent pulls out. All you can do is hope, pray and rely on your good name to make sure as many people as possible turn up. And that was just the boxing side of things.

The week before the show is always a stressful time. Each time the phone rings there’s a feeling of dread as another green bottle is knocked off the wall. Luckily I started the matchmaking for the Kilsyth Golden Gloves Show in mid March with 18-20 bouts on my scrap of paper. If they had all gone through it would have been as much of a disaster as having 4 or 5 bouts though. There is only so much boxing the general public want to see in an evening and it important to the guys in the ring that all bouts are as eagerly awaited as the first one.

On the evening itself, the sun was shining, the air was light, and a warm breeze drifted through Kilsyth Academy  as the emergency doors were thrown wide and it was the perfect setting for our third and biggest show to date. The venue quickly filled up and the young gladiators waiting in the wings soaked up the anticipation and expectation in preparation of the 12 epic battles that were to follow.

First into the arena was Michael Brady who faced Irvine’s Corey Roberts. In many ways this is the hardest bout of the evening as it is the scene setter. Kilsyth’s young lionheart did not disappoint though as he hunted down his prey relentlessly and was a worthy winner at the end of the third round.

Bout 2 saw Chris “The Twechar Wrecker” Coyle up against the previously unbeaten James McAllister of Edinburgh’s Gilmerton club. Young Coyle knew the brief and didn’t give the Edinburgh lad any space to show off the skills he had previously demonstrated to such effect, so much so that the judges at ringside awarded Chris the best home boxer award for his efforts.

It was Kilsyth V Kilsyth in an exhibition for bout 4 so that we did not disappoint 2 lads who have trained hard all season only for their contestants to pull out with a day or two to go. Both Kieran Campbell and Steven Donaghy gave an excellent display of their skills to an appreciative audience.

The mid section of the evening started with two very game senior welterweight’s give an epic battle of ding and dong. Irvine warrior Jamie Kerr squared up to Newarthill’s Benham Degani and the two went toe to toe for four very hard rounds. Kerr won this encounter and Degaini is looking at turning pro after the summer break.  

In another senior slugfest, Kilsyth’s Chris Ferns battled Aberdeen’s “Granite” Greg Mackie. Once again this bout ebbed and flowed as one then the other boxer held the upper hand but Mackie was just a bit stronger on the night to have his hand held aloft at the final bell.

The last of the Kilsyth Young Guns entered the arena next as “Sensational Sean Mulhearn” faced James McLaughlin of Airdrie’s famous Four Isles Club. These two fighters had gone to battle the month previously and Sean had emerged victorious so young McLaughlin had a point to prove. In another very close contest, the Airdrie lad got his retribution to break young Sean’s heart but Kilsyth’s braveheart will be back stronger for it next season.

In the feature bout of the first half two British Champions went head to head. Granite City’s Steven McCallister was up against his weight counterpart in the year elder’s division Gary McCallum of Newarthill. This was one for the purists as McCallum tried to counter and McCallister landed some thunderous body and head shots. It was a real honour to have these two lads in the Kilsyth ring and McCallister took the plaudits over his older rival on the night.

The final four bout segment of the evening saw our premier boxers in action. First in was our co-stabled pugilist form Liverpool’s Golden Gloves ABC, Kieran Smith, son of Scotland’s national boxing coach Kevin. Young Kieran picked his opponent in the form of current Scottish Champion, Irvine’s Michael Jamieson. I wish he would have let me chose an easier option but fair play to him for not ducking a challenge. Not that he did badly, Kieran is a switch hitting counterpuncher and I definitely had him ahead by 2 rounds to 1. However, in the end he lost a close majority decision but he is not despondent and knows where the bar is.

Grangemouth residing Kilsyth rep, Derek Skinner also faced a mountain when up against current Scottish Champion, Barry Craig of Four Isles. Derek has had a really hard run in this season and had just recently defeated the world No 11 at the age group above him but with Barry in prime condition for the British Championships later this month, it was always going to be hard and Craig had to produce a best away boxer performance to win. It was actually the best I have seen Derek box but a seasons training is all about peaking at the right time and we were on our run down as it was the season finale so perhaps the close points decision going to Craig was inevitable. I have big plans for Derek next season though, so watch this space.

The penultimate battle of the night saw our local rivals Kirkintilloch send unbeaten Ally Black into the inferno against Kilsyth favourite Hugh McGhee. This was really touch and go stuff as I had no idea how it was going to turn out. Ally had impressed me previously but I was hoping Hugh’s experience would see him through. In the end it was a matchmaker dream, both lads came out full throttle and it was close. Full marks to Ally, as Hugh has had more that double the amount of contests, but this was McGhee’s finest hour. When his opponent pulled out of the last show with hours to go last season I really felt for him but he was not going to let this opportunity pass. He was supreme, throwing lightning jabs, crunching back hands and switch hitting continuously to edge this absolute belter. When the contest got best bout of the night from the judges, no-one would grumble, it was a cracker.

The Main Event saw another local derby. Kilsyth’s Scott “Mayhem” Mathieson was up against our local rivals and friends at Broadwood in the form of David McDonald. David’s dad was actually one of our doormen for the evening so you will see how close the ties are. Once again, these two gladiators stared one another in the eye and gave us a thunderous, ferocious, furious three rounds. An absolute stormer and very close to call. The judges gave Scott the nod on a majority which was probably a fair reflection on how things had gone. I thought Scott won and I’m sure Kenny though David won which is how it should be. I hope they enjoyed the first contest between the two clubs as I have always avoided it because of the proximity in the past but there is closeness between the clubs which I hope will grow despite the inevitable rivalry that will exist from time to time.

Thanks are due to all of our sponsors and helpers on the evening. If I got into it, it would sound like a Gwyneth Paltrow acceptance speech so all I will say is thanks to all, they know who they are and were all in the programme. I need to thank our boxers and coaches though as it has been a long hard season and we have had our highs and lows. So Gerry, Francie, Johnny, Joe, Trevor, Frank and Jim, raise a glass and Cheers.