Dickie-bows at the ready for Chichester boxing show

Over the past six years, the Rotary Club of Chichester Priory with the help of the public have raised more than £60k through the event and every penny has been given to youth organisations in the Chichester area to keep them going in this harsh financial period.

Dubbed the Mini Las Vagas Show by the boxers thanks to the fantastic lighting sponsored by Haddow Electrical, the event has become legendary in boxing circles. The young boxers feel like they are stepping into the ring at Las Vagas.

The big night at Chichester College on Saturday, February 17, will see the venue transformed into a professional boxing arena, where the young boxers can soak up the atmosphere of a big fight night.

There will be 12 planned contests which should please the pugilistic punters in the audience. This year it will be an invitation event, attracting the top boxers from West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight.

George Brown, the main matchmaker with Southern Counties Amateur Boxing Association, said: “There will be fireworks on the night, with some of the best boxing talent on the south coast taking part in the show.”

As at past shows, Rotary will be hosting a military table as a thank-you to the men who have served their country. Some of them were boxing in the golden years of Chichester’s boxing history in the 1950s, when the city boasted county champions at most weights.

The regiments represented will be the Royal Sussex, the Queens and the Special Air Service. This year there will be a new trophy for the evening’s best boxer sponsored by the Queens Regimental Association.

The main fundraiser on the night is the auction and organisers would like to thank all the businesses in the area that support them by donating prizes. As usual, the star prize will be a wheelbarrow donated by Beaver Tool Hire, and this year’s is a magnificent silver one.

The evening will start with a four-course meal and tickets are £50 per person on tables of ten. Organisers can also make tables up. For those that just want to come and watch the boxing there are standing tickets at £15.

Tickets are available from Ray Richardson on 01243 543701.