Gilmour predicts Belfast joy for bullish Appleby

Published on Thursday 11 December 2008 09:23

BOXING boss Tommy Gilmour is so confident British featherweight champion Paul Appleby will see off the challenge of Martin Lindsay that he was happy to concede home advantage to the Belfast fighter.

South Queensferry-based Appleby, who defended his belt for the first time against Esham Pickering at Glasgow's Bellahouston Leisure Centre last month, will face the Irishman in his home town on March 7.

And Gilmour, whose father Tommy senior, who guided Cambuslang's Charlie Hill to British featherweight title glory over "Spider" Kelly in the Northern Irish capital in 1956, confirmed: "I've ceded hometown advantage to Lindsay because, not only am I confident that Appleby can win, but he will have the best possible motivation that any pro boxer can have – a record purse.

"No other British champion I have managed has ever received the megabucks that I've negotiated for Appleby to get in lieu of home advantage against Lindsay."

The figure is believed to be 70,000. Gilmour added: "I've had lots of big purses in the past but this is exceptional and I had no option but to take it. Paul told me that he is not only astounded by the size of his purse for defending against Lindsay in Belfast but that it has fired him up and the huge purse has made him even more determined to keep his crown.

"Paul believes he would beat Lindsay wherever the fight takes place and there will probably be three English judges so there is no worry about a hometown decision.

"I'm not worried about hometown advantage in Belfast's Ulster Hall for Lindsay as I want to emulate my late dad Tommy, who was in Charlie Hill's corner when he won the British featherweight title in December 1956 in Belfast."

Appleby, meanwhile, insisted: "Given how much dosh I am getting for fighting Lindsay in Belfast, I'm not really worried about fighting him in his own backyard.

"Besides, to win my Lonsdale Belt I had to fight Greenock's John Simpson in Glasgow, which was virtually his backyard, and I won. I'll come back from five weeks' training in Cyprus in March and I'll be raring to go."

The fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, Gilmour also believes his other contender, super-middleweight Steve McGuire, will bring back the British 12-stone crown and Lonsdale Belt from London on Saturday when he faces another Belfast fighter, Brian Magee.

He said: " I believe his southpaw opponent will try to dictate the fight at his pace but Steve has both the ring speed and punch-power to dominate Magee, who will be awkward in the early rounds but Steve will win through on points."

McGuire's dad and coach, Steve senior, said: "The time for talking is over – my son has never been fitter or more up for any fight as he is for this one and we mean to bring back the title to Scotland." However, former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan said: "McGuire will be a tough opponent for Brian Magee but I honestly believe that Magee will still have too much ring smarts and experience for McGuire and will probably outpoint him after a tough distance fight."

Magee's coach Steve Hawkins also had a warning for McGuire, saying: "Brian has looked awesome against his two Cuban sparring partners in Dublin and he knows that victory over McGuire would open all kinds of championship doors so he's coming to beat McGuire on Saturday."