Most successful people like to think they are self-made and
are proud to say “I did this on my own”. I don’t believe anyone makes it
alone. I consider myself as reasonably successful;
not financially but personally. The
blurb on the cover of this book shows I have achieved possibly more than was
expected from me. I could even be seen
as an over-achiever. But I didn't achieve anything on my own and am happy to thank everyone who has helped me and
those who are still assisting me to achieve what I have accomplished and go on
to accomplish. This book includes
stories from various people I have met and will show how their opinions of
success have changed over the years. What I am hoping to achieve like in the
best-selling book ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho, is that success and
happiness is far closer and easier to find than you can possibly realise. Much of what I have written is from my own
life experiences and reflects what I have learnt, and a lot of what I have
written is taken from the experiences of others. The book is largely story based, and will
show a variation of stories from many people I knew before embarking on writing
this book, people I have met since, and also people I have researched. Sadly some of the people within these pages
are no longer with us, and even more sadly, these represent the people I most wanted
the book to help.
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Tuesday, 26 November 2013
The making of a boxer
When I joined the Bell Green boxing club as a ten year old I
was confident because of what I was taught by my dad. I was convinced that I was born to be a
boxer. I believed that boxing ran in the
family and my destiny was predicted though genetics. I knew my dad had been a professional boxer,
at 10 years old I thought everybody in the world knew my dad was a boxer. He had told me that he had beaten an Irish
boxer called Pat Stapleton (stopping him in 6 rounds) who was, at the time,
ranked ninth in the world and fifth in the British Empire. He also told me he
had knocked out a famous boxer in sparring called Henry Cooper, and beat Henry
Cooper’s twin brother George in 2 rounds.
As a child I believed everything he said and now with the advent of
Google I can confirm he did beat the undefeated Pat Stapleton in 6 rounds at
Tolka Park, Dublin in Ireland and Henry’s brother George Cooper at the City
Hall in Hull in two rounds. He also told
me that he was too tired to continue in one fight, so decided to knee his
opponent in the groin. Taking all these
facts into consideration I decided that if I didn’t party like my dad did and
trained harder I could become a world champion. He also told me that after each win he would party wildly which explains his fight record
of 21 fights 9 wins 8 by knockout 10 losses 7 by knockout and two
disqualifications. I figured that, by all appearances at
least, I was black, although I did have my mother’s
white blood running through my veins, and most world champions at the time were
black. In fact all the top heavyweights at the time were black. Muhammed Ali, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier and
George Foreman were top of the tree for more than a decade. All undisputed heavyweight world champions in
my lifetime had been black. It seemed to
me that the only way forward as a young mixed race boy was sport and in
particular boxing.
My first attempt at boxing came as a 10 year old. At the time I was living in Wood End with my
father and two sisters. Wood End like
the neighbouring Bell Green was a council estate and the boxing club was like a
sanctuary for kids who used boxing to keep them out of trouble. I have to admit that the thought of going to
a boxing club aged 10 was exciting but at the same time a daunting experience. The short walk to the boxing club was across
an unlit open field. We were always told
to walk using the pavements, but being kids we always walked the shortest
route. If I was alone I would take the
longer safer route but when you are with your mates you need to show them you
are not scared. It wasn’t so much the
dark I was scared of but the stray dogs that would be barking as they heard us
crossing the field. Coming out of the darkness into the Bell Green’s shopping
area was both a relief and also a different type fear. The worry of the stray dogs would be replaced
by the concern of walking through gangs of older kids hanging outside the shops
who would occasionally tease us.. Bell Green ABC was in a room above Bell Green
Working Men’s Club. The first time we
went there we walked through the bar, as we were unaware that we should have
used the Steel fire escape at the rear of the building that would have taken us
to the first floor where the boxing club was.
I remember the stench of pipe tobacco, beer and sweaty old men. Back in the early 70’s you would rarely see
women at such establishments. Working men’s clubs as the title suggested were
places where men went after work to drink beer chat and play games like darts
cards and dominoes. As we climbed the
stairs we could hear the hum of voices coming from behind the tatty double
doors and the sound of people warming up with skipping ropes whistling through
the air. Above the noise I am sure I heard my own heart beating.
I was trying to be cool and relaxed. In my mind I knew I could box a bit from what
my dad had taught me but I felt so nervous.
I would like to say I was excited but I don’t think I was, I was just scared. As we entered
the room where we were to train the smell of the cigarettes, Pipe tobacco, beer
and sweaty old men was quickly replaced by the warm odour of stale sweaty
boxing gloves and sweatier boxers. 40
years later I hear people, who are used to air conditioned sports centres,
complain about the smell of my Spit n Sawdust gym, but over the years this
smell became my ‘comfort blanket’. The
room was full of boxers, the noise of skipping ropes whistling the air punch
bags that looked older than my dad being pounded and instructions being
bellowed by boxing coaches were intimidating.
This was pre ‘political correctness’.
This was when if you didn’t do as you were expected you would get a clip
round the ear and your parents accepted it.
Being ten years old and living on a council estate and being surrounded
by bigger older council estate children was initially very scary. But
what I found then and have continued to see in all my years being involved in
boxing is that boxers are generally honourable people. Bullies rarely attend boxing clubs and boxers
although having to be single minded due to the nature of the sport, are respectful
of each other.
I saw joining a boxing club as a way of learning to look
after myself but ultimately had bigger dreams.
I wanted to be the next Muhammed Ali and after a few months training I
found people were describing me as a natural.
I was in a comfort zone, sparring with people who had started training
about the same time as I had and I have to say I was feeling smug. What I had learnt over the years with my
father had brought out my natural ability…. Until the day they asked me to have
a spar with a bigger boy. This boy was
not only bigger and older than me but I had just given his previous sparring
partner what I considered a serious beating and made his nose bleed. I refused to spar him, was told I would never
make a boxer and left that evening with my tail between my legs never to return. Running was my new sport, I ran everywhere. Four
years later, when we moved a little over 5 miles across town from Wood End to
what in comparison looked to a posh part of Coventry, Radford, I chose to run
to keep my bus fare and run to school.
My sister Maxine used to catch a bus to the city centre and another from
there to school.
I met a lad called Andy Christie. He was a year younger than I was but
taller and looked athletic and to be honest hard as nails. He walked and talked with an air of
confidence and seemed very self-assured.
We had a paper-round at the same newsagent in Radford. I quickly found out that Andy was one of five
brothers who all boxed. All of them were
either a former a British Champion, a British Champions or a future British Champion. After visiting the Christies house and
meeting the family and seeing their mountain of trophies it wasn’t a difficult
decision to join the Standard Triumph Amateur Boxing Club. Joining such a
boxing club for me was a big moment for me.
As a 10 years old joining the boxing club was impulsive and something to
help my confidence. At 15 I knew it was serious and this time I was joining
knowing that I was going to become a boxer for realThursday, 7 November 2013
Inspiration comes to us in many ways. Many times it will come from positive role models in our own communities, often it will come from our parents who want the best for our futures. It also comes from school teachers who show us the value of education and how education can help shape a better future. Many of us are inspired by our heroes. I was inspire by my father to become a boxer and also by watching boxers like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. My friends at school were inspired by footballers and all wanted to play for their favourite football teams. Our inspirations and what influences us can shape our lives.
I recently wrote a blog about a friend of mine who I have known for many years. His name was Phillip Panadher and he had recently started to help out at the gym with the young lads who aspired to be boxers. He had recently successfully come through rehab after 7 years of drug abuse and was looking and sounding brilliant. He was lorry driving through a temping agency and told them he couldn't work on Tuesdays or Thursdays as he needed to be here at Spit n Sawdust to help train the children.. During his short time here Phil had a massive influence on the children and had a certain uncomplicated way of getting them to train. It was like turning back the clock listening to him talk to the lads. People these days seem to tip-toe around children so as not to offend them where as Phil was to the point and couldn't understand why they came boxing training but didn't seem to want to work hard. It wasn't that he was strict he just would laugh at their excuses for not putting the effort in and tell them in the simplest of ways why it was important. I remember doing the same thing to Phil when he was a child. He reminded that I had laughed at him when he told me he lost his fight after winning the first round easily because he got too tired and had no energy left. I had told him it was because he was unfit and should have trained harder. He trained harder after that and won his next eight fight before discovering 'wine and women' and packing it all in. His experience was helping him to inspire the boys at the gym to train harder.
On Thursday of last week Phil didn't turn up to training. I knew that he had started to drink again but it was not on a regular basis and seemed to have it under control. At the end of the Thursday's class My step Brother came into the gym to see me asking what I was doing after training so I told him I was going home. He the asked if I could go with him to see my sister because Phil had just died at her house and she was distraught. I can't go into the details of what happened as there has to be an autopsy but on getting there, there were police both inside and outside the house. My sister was inconsolable and there was a lot of emotion in the air. Phil's body was still in my sisters house and rumours of what had taken place were spreading like wild fire. It was a terrible evening. Many of us had lost a close friend who seemed to be on the road to recovery.
This blog is about inspiration and what influences us. Phil was starting to influence the lives of others in a positive way but at the same time was clearly dealing with demons in his own head. 2 days after Phil had died The Olympic torch arrived in England. The Olympics will hopefully inspire future generations to take up sports and sport will become a focus that will lead them on the a successful life. Phil knew the dangers that were out there and joined the boxing club to ensure others didn't go down the wrong road.......
I recently wrote a blog about a friend of mine who I have known for many years. His name was Phillip Panadher and he had recently started to help out at the gym with the young lads who aspired to be boxers. He had recently successfully come through rehab after 7 years of drug abuse and was looking and sounding brilliant. He was lorry driving through a temping agency and told them he couldn't work on Tuesdays or Thursdays as he needed to be here at Spit n Sawdust to help train the children.. During his short time here Phil had a massive influence on the children and had a certain uncomplicated way of getting them to train. It was like turning back the clock listening to him talk to the lads. People these days seem to tip-toe around children so as not to offend them where as Phil was to the point and couldn't understand why they came boxing training but didn't seem to want to work hard. It wasn't that he was strict he just would laugh at their excuses for not putting the effort in and tell them in the simplest of ways why it was important. I remember doing the same thing to Phil when he was a child. He reminded that I had laughed at him when he told me he lost his fight after winning the first round easily because he got too tired and had no energy left. I had told him it was because he was unfit and should have trained harder. He trained harder after that and won his next eight fight before discovering 'wine and women' and packing it all in. His experience was helping him to inspire the boys at the gym to train harder.
On Thursday of last week Phil didn't turn up to training. I knew that he had started to drink again but it was not on a regular basis and seemed to have it under control. At the end of the Thursday's class My step Brother came into the gym to see me asking what I was doing after training so I told him I was going home. He the asked if I could go with him to see my sister because Phil had just died at her house and she was distraught. I can't go into the details of what happened as there has to be an autopsy but on getting there, there were police both inside and outside the house. My sister was inconsolable and there was a lot of emotion in the air. Phil's body was still in my sisters house and rumours of what had taken place were spreading like wild fire. It was a terrible evening. Many of us had lost a close friend who seemed to be on the road to recovery.
This blog is about inspiration and what influences us. Phil was starting to influence the lives of others in a positive way but at the same time was clearly dealing with demons in his own head. 2 days after Phil had died The Olympic torch arrived in England. The Olympics will hopefully inspire future generations to take up sports and sport will become a focus that will lead them on the a successful life. Phil knew the dangers that were out there and joined the boxing club to ensure others didn't go down the wrong road.......
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
Whats in the book?
The blurb on the cover of the book may lead you to believe that the book is all about me and my struggle through a difficult upbringing. A story that will take you on a journey through my difficult childhood, where you may expect to read how I fought through the difficult streets of my council estate, endured racist taunts, family unrest and despite my lack of education, came through all of that to become successful, despite the odds. Whilst these things maybe facts, the book will show you many stories that show how many people including; my family, people I have loved, people I have lost, people I have trained and even strangers I have met whilst writing the book who have struggled with their lives and emerged with differing results. At least one story will resonate with you, whether you find it is your own life story or the story of a family, friend or colleague, who's life is seeming to be replicated within the pages. In the second half of this book you may find, as I did, answers to questions that you never considered asking yourself. You may find that there is more to this life that you realised and discover that you are far more capable than you ever thought.
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Choose your journey
I started this Blogspot on the 7th March 2011 and have written 42 posts over 2 years and 8 months.The blog has had more than 20,000 hits in that time and on the whole, judging by the comments, has been positively received. Although they were not all great pieces of work, and I cringe at some when reading them back, I linked the post to Facebook and sometimes Google + and Twitter to maximise their audience. I also gave some posts provocative titles to develop more interest from my prospective audience.
I stopped writing the blog regularly once I decided that I wanted to write a book that will be somewhat based on the blog. Since I stopped writing the blog, I have become immersed in my book writing and now spend between 1 and 4 hours a day writing. The book is now in it's final stages and I will be going to Italy to finish the draft on the 9th November before talking to a number of editors, publishers and literary agents, that I have contacted using Linkedin over the past couple of years. I hope to have a book launch some time in the new year.
The reason I started the book was to show a wider audience that their life is in their own hands. It is story based, and will tell of stories of how 'real people' and their choices have steered their lives. The stories show the journeys that friends, family and some famous people have made and how events have shaped their lives. Not all of stories have a happy ending and most of the journeys are still in progress. Some journeys are making good progress and some not so good and some sadly ended whilst I was writing this book.
My purpose in writing this blog and the book has never changed. From my gym I believe I change lives by giving peoples lives a purpose. The book is aimed at helping redirect people, who seem to have lost their way, and show them a journey that helps them understand among other things, that they don't have to let other peoples opinion of them become their reality; and that we can all achieve far more than we realise.
Spit n Sawdust |
Phillip Panadher a good friend & victim of a drugs overdose |
Some of the boxers that have been through Spit n Sawdust |
Friday, 30 August 2013
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