Harty on the Albion and Adur Boxing Club

ALMOST running out of superlatives, but a new post-war Albion club record of eight successive wins, and a Football League record of the most points, 24, in a calendar month.

These are truly golden days at the Albion, something the younger should savour.

I always felt for Albion supporters born probably after 1970/71, just as they would have been really getting into following the team, the Cup Finals of 83 came and went as did the top flight status. What followed, aside from a couple of exciting seasons in 88 and 91, was nothing short of dross, the club were asset stripped and left homeless.

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Credit needs to be given to Dick Knight for what he did in the very dark times. Even when things were bad off the field, we still could celebrate success on it in 2001, 02 and 04. I say bad off the field because things were still very precarious and without Tony Bloom, there would be no new stadium, no Gus Poyet and no runaway success at the top of League One.

The golden moment, or should that be moments, are not far off. First promotion, then the title. I don’t care where it happens, really, although doing it at Withdean would make things all that bit sweeter.

And spare a thought for our rivals. I don’t know whether some might call him thick-skinned or just plain stupid, but Southampton boss Nigel Adkins went along to the Dagenham game on Tuesday night and received constant banter from the first moment he was spotted by the Albion faithful. “Good luck in the play-offs, Adkins” was one of the more conciliatory things shouted at him.

He couldn’t even leave the ground quietly. With the Daggers home not being the biggest, he was spotted leaving 10 minutes from time with the obligatory chant “we can see you sneaking out”.

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I’m sure he’s looking forward to a warm welcome at the Withdean on Easter Saturday.

When Adur Boxing Club faced eviction from their gym in Shoreham, the whole future of the club looked bleak, but club coaches Laurie Vincent and Dave Binns have fought as hard as their boxers do in the ring to keep the club afloat.

Their perseverance has paid off as the club have now moved to new premises in Lancing, ironically at the site of the former cannabis café.

Drugs, or specifically drug money, is also helping the club bed in at its new home. Adur have been given £5,000 by Sussex Police from the fund which is made up of the money seized from drug dealers.

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All monies in this fund has to eventually be put back into the community for youth projects, and the boxing club have taken advantage of this and are using their grant for new equipment and to help with running costs.

Their next dinner show is at The Charmandean Centre on Friday, May 6, and it is in aid of local young footballer, George Dowell, who was paralysed in a car crash 12 months ago.

Dinner tickets are £40 each and can be purchased invidually or in tables of eight or 10. It’s a very worthy cause and with the Albion all done and dusted by then, well worth a visit.

For more details, contact Dave Binns 07803 190313.

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