A former boxing star who was coached by local legend Syd Bodell shares his memories as he tutors the stars of tomorrow at a Newhall boxing club.
Derek Price, 87, from Newhall started boxing from an early age and was taking part in competitions when he was just 14 years old.
Although he is now too old to enter the ring himself, that doesn’t stop him heading down to the Royal Oak Boxing Club, in Newhall, along with head coach George Balfour, to share his wisdom with the younger generations. His grandson, Joel Cantrill, is set to follow in his footsteps as he trains alongside his granddad at the boxing club, every Wednesday evening.
In his younger days, Derek was coached by boxing star Jack Bodell’s uncle, Syd and took part in several competitions as a middleweight boxer.
The father-of-three boxed professionally for six years, but the profession wasn’t as glamorous as it is today. He spent his days working down the pits, before heading into the ring for a match in the evenings.
He was approached by Tom Hurst, who famously managed Bruce Woodcock, who was keen to represent Derek, seeing his potential. However, the move didn’t take place as Syd Bodell was reluctant to let Derek go, due to his talents.
He narrowly missed out on a chance to box for the regional title, in Grimsby, as his opponent weighed in at seven pounds too heavy to fight in the middleweight.
When training at the George Boxing Club, Derek would often spar with friend Tom Bodell, as future starlet Jack would watch on as a child. He said: “Tom would wait for me to finish a round with someone and then ask me to spar with him.”
After his wife, Nancy, became ill and died in January of this year, Derek found that he was unable to help out at the club, but when he came back it helped him to come to terms with the death.
He said: “I like to come and help out the kids, it’s great to see so many young people interested in boxing and making an effort to improve their skills.
“I love to share my experience with them, and after I give them advice, I can just see them getting better and better.”
The young boxers at the club are grateful to have a helping hand from someone as experienced as Derek, and although some might not know his whole story, he is a pivotal part of the club.
Derek’s Top Boxing Tips
When we caught up with Derek he gave us some of his top tips that any budding boxer should follow
“Always punch from your feet”
Your stance is extremely important, according to Derek. He says that if you bend your knees slightly, then you can use the strength from your legs in your punch, making much more impact.
“Never punch from the side of your glove”
Derek warns boxers to not use the side of the glove to throw a punch, as if you hit someone at the wrong place you could easily break your wrist.
“Only throw hooks when you are close”
Hook shots can be a useful tool for boxers, but Derek warns that if you are too far away when throwing one you could be wasting your energy, and not hurting your opponent much.
“No-point hits can be important”
Although you might not get points for hitting the top of the head or on an opponent’s upper arm, it can still help you in the long run, so never forget them.
