Tommy Langford helps his old club in fundraiser
Former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Tommy Langford, signed to BCB Promotions, took part in a 100-rounds sparathon for his old amateur club in Bideford on October 28.
The 29-year-old Devonian-turned-Brummie participated in 30 of the rounds with all different boxers to help his former club raise money for a visit to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield where Team GB and Anthony Joshua trains.
The fundraiser lasted all day and was free to the public to attend with voluntary donations available for spectators.
The former club captain said, “I would like to thank each and every person that turned up to watch the 100-rounds sparathon, which raised over £660 through donations, which is absolutely fantastic! I, myself, did 30 of the rounds, mixing in with all the different lads and lasses from the gym.
“It was nice to get in there with them and great to see so much talent coming through and I enjoyed being able to coach a lot of the junior boxers through the rounds and teach them a few things.
“The greatest moment for me was being able to spar a round with my godson, Rocky Grigg, who is now part of the junior classes at the club.”
The Bideford Boxing club is run by Tommy’s best mate Richard Grigg, his former coach Dick Kersey, and his younger brother Jack is a long-standing member of the club.
An England amateur captain during 2011, Tommy knows just what the trip could do for the young, aspiring boxers of Bideford ABC, “When I got a place on the England boxing squad, I learnt so much from attending the academy at Sheffield. There were things I’d never been exposed to before and it’s a real eye-opener and invaluable experience for anyone that visits. The sports science and lifestyle perspective of the sport will really educate the Bideford boxers and give them an insight into what it takes to become an elite athlete.”
Langford moved from Bideford to Birmingham as a teenager to further his education at Birmingham University combined with training at Hall Green ABC under the tutelage of Tom Chaney and Frankie Gavin as a sparring partner.
A columnist for the local paper – North Devon Journal – Langford maintains strong ties with the coastal town he grew up in and was the first ever boxer from North Devon to win British and Commonwealth titles.
His dedication to his birth-place has seen him honoured with the prestigious ‘Town Shield’ in 2017 from Mayor David Howell in recognition of his sporting accomplishments and loyalty to his hometown.
Follow Tommy Langford on Twitter @Tommy_Langford1