Hastings West Hill Celebrate 80th Anniversary

Southern Counties club Hasting West Hill celebrate a milestone anniversary with a dinner show.

As well as some great bouts of boxing on show West Hill were celebrating their 80th anniversary after being formed in 1938 before the advent of the Second World War. There were three special outstanding achievement awards for services to West Hill presented by West Hill Chairman John Badrock.

The show was a great success and with 4 long service recognitions being awarded.

2 awards went to husband and wife team of John and Jean Gray have served the club for over 50 years each. John boxed for West Hill and went on to produce several national champions and still coaches youngsters up the club.  Jean is still acting as club secretary.

Achievement awards also went to Joe Lee and Dave Harris who has also achieved over 50 years service with Joe amassing an amazing total of 65 years. After joining the club as an 8-year-old Joe went on to become a National Schoolboy Champion himself and coached several boxers who also became National Champions Joe still has a large stable of young boxers who are benefitting from his experience and extensive knowledge of the sport. Dave Harris also boxed for the club and set a world record for sparring 162 consecutive rounds to raise money to stop the club from folding in the 1960’s a feat that has never been surpassed and the record still stands to this day. Dave is still actively involved with the Hastings Ex-Boxers association and is one of the most respected figures in English Boxing.

Former British, Commonwealth, European and World light heavyweight champion John Conteh MBE was in attendance to present the medals for the boxers and entertain the crowd with his skills as an after-dinner speaker and auctioneer. The show was a fantastic event attended by many local businesses who purchased tables at the event.

England Boxing would like to congratulate Hasting West Hill on this fantastic achievement.