JUDO CLUB CALLS IT A DAY
BURTON JUDOKWAI OPENED IN THE 60S BUT HAS BEEN HIT BY CONTACT SPORT RESTRICTIONS
A WELL known Burton judo club, which has taught more than a 1,000 students over the past 50 years, has called it a day and sold its premises.
Burton Judokwai, in Broadway Street opened in 1969 having been set up by two judo enthusiasts Derrick Skivington and Murray Horton eight years earlier. The men had first met at Burton Judo Club in 1956 and together they created their own club Burton Judokwai.
Initially the club held sessions at All Saints Church School Room in All Saints Road, and moving to Broadway Hall, Broadway Street in 1969 provided a permanent club room, where it remained.
The club closed to the public in March 2020 due to Covid-19 and with social distancing guidelines dictating that close contact indoor sports cannot resume for the foreseeable future, the trustees of the club made the decision to sell the premises.
Rebecca Skivington, the granddaughter of Derrick, said: “Burton Judokwai was a family club and a huge part of the community with more than a 10,00 students being taught here.
“The club was among the few sporting organisations which pioneered the town twinning link with Lingen in West Germany with regular exchange visits taking place, commencing in 1983.
“We as a family all went to the club and took out time to help run the club and it’s somewhere my granddad taught all his life.
“The club was run by a committee of Derrick Skivington, Murray Horton, George Fargher, Jane Palmer (nee Skivington) and the late Joe Eyley, all black belt instructors who gave their services voluntarily. Derrick and Murray were the stalwarts of Burton Judokwai and continued to be involved in all aspects of the running of and teaching at the club throughout the decades.
“However since they retired, running and managing the club was a full time job, which we were unable to do.
“It’s very sad news that the club is no more but times have changed and especially now with my granddad’s health and him living in a home it was getting difficult to run the place.
“I wish the future buyers the best of luck and I hope they look after the building and remember the connection it has with Burton.”
The sale of the premises is currently going through, with a children’s nursery likely to be the next venture to be based there. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to local sporting organisations, she said.