Future of Ricky Hatton's old boxing club in doubt

The future of the amateur boxing club where world champion Ricky Hatton learned his trade is facing an uncertain future.

Hyde & District Amateur Boxing Club's head coach Steve Strong said: "I don't want this place to shut. The boxers won't hang about, they'll go elsewhere and the youngsters won't have anywhere to go."

The building on Ward Street is in need of repairs, and despite the land it is on and the venue being owned by Tameside Borough Council, the club is responsible for its maintenance.

A council spokesperson said: "We are working with the boxing club to support them to find suitable alternative accommodation as their current building is not fit for purpose."

Officials at the gym said they did not know either when they would have to close or where they could move to.

Strong, whose links with the boxing club in Greater Manchester go back 50 years, said: "It's for everybody - not just boxers on a Tuesday and Thursday.

"It's for keep-fit, boys, girls, ladies. It would be a massive, massive loss."

Hyde & District Amateur Boxing Club has been running since the 1970s and is used by hundreds of people, of all ages, every week.

While the land has been deemed surplus to requirements by the Tameside Council, there are no immediate redevelopment plans.

A spokesperson said the club's current building was "not fit for purpose".

The BBC understands the council has not served notice on the building.

Paul McIlvenny, 44, trains young boxers, including his own children, at the club.

He explained it brought families together in the area.

"It's a network in here - the mums and dads - we're in a WhatsApp group. We share text messages if one of the kids isn't turning up.

"We'd be so sad to lose it."

McIlvenny grew up with Hatton and sometimes visited his home on the nearby Hattersley estate.

He said they attended the gym in their pre-teenage years.

Hatton, who died in September, remains an inspiration for many people in Hyde, said McIlvenny.

"His roots are here - he was born and bred here and he started his amateur career here..

"You ask the kids - that's why they love coming to this gym."

One of them, 16-year-old Oscar, said going to the gym was his main hobby.

"I spend all my time in the week here," he told the BBC. "It keeps me out of trouble, as well as fit and happy."

Tyler Daulby, 23, added: "If you're struggling with your mental health or struggling at home, you've got this place to come to. It helps massively."

CORRECTION - 3 February 2026: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the site of the boxing club had been sold by Tameside Council.

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