Declan may quit ring to play for Accies

May 8 2008 By Andy McGilvray

BELLSHILL teenager Declan McAvoy recently won a Scottish lightweight boxing title, but may bow out of the game after being handed an under-19 contract by Hamilton Accies.

Declan was one of five Blantyre Miners’ Welfare ABC boxers fighting at the Scottish Championships in Lasswade in March, where he scooped the under-64kg title.

The 16-year-old is also an accomplished left full-back within the New Douglas Park club’s youth set-up.

And after a promising season with the under-17s, Declan has been given a deal that dad Frankie, who is Accies’ academy director, reckons may see him forced to hang up his gloves.

However, he will continue to train at Blantyre Miners’ Welfare under the watchful gaze of coaches John McDermott, Tommy Slavin and Davie Simpson.

Frankie said: “I was absolutely delighted when Declan won the Scottish title.

“He’s worked really hard and he was excellent.

“He’s also just been given a contract at under-19 level, having done really well last season in the under-17s.

“Now that has happened, I think he might give up the fighting but he’ll still go and train at Blantyre because he absolutely loves it and the coaches John McDermott, Tommy Slaven and Davie Simpson have been brilliant with him, and with us.

“Declan always had the potential to be a good boxer, but they got him to the stage where he stopped the guy to win the title, rather than on points.

“All of the coaches are really dedicated and they have been fantastic so we can’t thank them enough.”

Young Motherwell boxer Ian Butcher also won a trophy, taking the light flyweight title.

Joe Kelso lost his lightweight title to Steven Sharouli from Forgewood, and there were final defeats for George McKernan and Allan Cameron at flyweight and bantamweight, respectively.

Delighted coach John McDermott said: “All five of our lads in the Scottish Championships got to the final, and those who lost were obviously defeated by the champions, so you can’t ask for more than that.

“The club is doing very well, there’s more boxers coming through and there are four or five Hamilton lads doing quite well. I’m hopeful that the new gym will be opening soon and we can cater for even more young boxers."