Club of the week
This week’s Reformer Club of the Week is Durie’s Boxing Club.
As the Rutherglen gym celebrates its 10th anniversary, coach Archie Durie described how rewarding the job was.
Since its days on Crawfurd Road in Burnside to its current home in an industrial estate off Cambuslang Road, Archie has seen his boxers pour their hearts into their work and improve their attitude.
Durie’s have had boxers represent Scotland and made history after becoming the first Scottish club to have two winners at the Hull Box Cup in England.
But it hasn’t been all plain sailing for Durie’s. Last year, the club, which had over 200 members on their books, were in severe financial difficulty before another gym in Dumfries stepped in with £2,000.
Archie wrote to businesses to try to find sponsorship to save the club, which teetered on the brink over just a couple of thousand pounds.
However, after spotting an article on the Reformer’s website, Anne Armstrong of Doonhamers ABC in Dumfries offered Durie’s the money to pay their rent for the remainder of the year.
The club went on to have a successful season and Archie reflects back on a year that has been one of his best yet. Sweeney at the Hull Box Cup. Danny Burke came close in the final of the Scottish Open elite boxing final and Vicky Glover represented Scotland, so it’s been one of the best years for us.” “We’ve been running for 10 years and started out in a scout hall in Crawfurd Road and then moved to the Hillhouse Industrial Estate in Rutherglen where we are now.”