Call Sign August 2009 - Page 19 - SAM’S BOXING CLUB THREATENED WITH CLOSURE

As Newham Council increases rent tenfold! *Call Sign* has for some time now been following the career of Sam Bezzina - son of Dial-a-Cab driver Dean (M10) – and his desire to fight for England and possibly even represent this country at the London Olympics in 2012. His biggest achievement so far was to win a prestigious Golden Gloves Championship and claim the national title, plus that pair of Golden Gloves. Dean has never been shy of passing on praise to Newham Boxing Club for their help with his training that has put him up there as one of the country’s most promising young boxers. But things could change. Newham Council have always been proud to give their support to the Olympics taking place in their borough, but now Newham Boxing Club, with several youngsters in the gym in addition to Sam aiming for success at the 2012 Games, are accusing the authority of trying to close them down! The club, based in Stratford's Church Street and just a short hop from the 2012 Games site, have been shocked that with their new lease offer, Newham Council are demanding a rent of £10,000 per year - TEN TIMES their current payment! "We were expecting an increase in rent under the new lease, but to ask us to pay around £200 a week is just ridiculous - it will close us down," said club official Joe Chapman, who also pointed out that the current rent and rates amounts to little more than £1,000 per year. "It looks as if the council want to throw us out and redevelop	SAM’S BOXING CLUB THREATENED WITH CLOSURE
	*Sam outside Newham Boxing Club. Will it survive until the Olympics?*
	the site, which already includes a derelict building," added Mr Chapman about the club started by his father Ron, together with Bob Galloway back in 1981.The club has been on the site for 20 years after an eight-year spell at West Ham's Memorial Road and over that time has proved an outstanding conveyor belt for boxing talent. Dozens of national champions at schoolboy, junior ABA and national boys' clubs tournaments have been produced under the successful training team at the Newham gym, with many top prospects going on to earn international success with England. Joe Chapman continued "We had four of our boxers reaching the national junior ABA finals this year and all of them will be aiming at earning their chance in the Olympic squad. How does it look for their future in boxing if the council is now trying to close us down," Joe asked sadly? The club’s list of impressive youngsters in addition to Sam, include John Coyle who won the 2009 national title, with Liam Desmond, George Moughton and George Veness as runners up. The club are urgently seeking talks with councillors to discuss the	new rent. The current lease expired in July. Coincidentally, the threat to the club comes just a few weeks after their successful neighbours, West Ham Boys Boxing Club, were also battling against the threat of losing their famous gym on the site of Plaistow's Black Lion pub. The West Ham officials were worried that a redevelopment plan of constructing flats on the site would leave them without a suitable home. However, the Hammers were relieved when pub landlord, Tom Friel, withdrew the planning application. Now, Newham Boxing Club officials hope that someone at the council will also have second thoughts about the cash demands of the new lease, which threatens the future of the club and with it the chances of talented youngsters like Sam Bezzina. Dad Dean Bezzina told Call Sign: "It will be an absolute disaster if the club is shut. It does seem the height of hypocrisy for the council to welcome the Olympics with one hand, while taking away some of the possible competitor’s chances with the other. I just hope there is a last minute reprieve…"

Forever Optimistic!

With the current economic downturn continuing, it’s perhaps refreshing to meet David Rance (D16) whose optimistic attitude to work is inspiring, to put it mildly!
"I’ve been driving a cab for nearly 40 years and been on DaC for 28 of them. When I stop at cab shelters for a quick coffee and croissant, I hear other drivers bemoaning the fact that there’s no work about. Well I’m not surprised they moan. They sit there chatting for hours on end and then complain there’s no work! This is a really a good job, but you do have to work at it to take your money," he told Call Sign.
"I do not want to criticise others, but I’ve found that through the ups and downs of the daily grind and over the years I’ve been driving a cab, you have to meet the challenges as the economy changes. It’s all about customer service, doing your best for the cab-riding public and retaining our customer loyalty. It may well be difficult out there at present - there’s no getting away from that - but I never refuse any jobs because you never know where any one job might take you and with a Dial-a-Cab radio, there is always the chance you’ll get something to bring you back into town."

   Looking at the wider picture, David continued: "Those drivers that have held a badge over the past 15 or 16 years have never seen anything like these present hard times, and I understand how difficult it is for them when they have commitments based on the flourishing economy they’d become used to. But those of us that have known harder times, like the three day week, minor’s strike and IRA bombings, have learned to adjust and survive. But I know it isn’t easy," he said thoughtfully.
   "Every person is the architect of their own destiny and while this is, as I’ve said, a good job in that it allows you the flexibility to work however and whenever you personally want to, it also means you have to stick at it even more when the going gets tough!"
   David left us with a smile. "Gotta go, it’s a bit quiet out there today…!"

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