Historic city boxing ring set to be hooked up at museum

Boxing chiefs are trying to find a new home for the ring before Sparta amateur boxing club in McDonald Road is demolished to make way for houses.

Sparta boss George Forsyth said he was determined that the boxing ring would be saved from the scrapheap and is hopeful it can be preserved as a museum exhibit for fans of the sport.

Mr Forsyth wants to gift the historic piece of equipment to the sports history section of the Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street. And he said it would be "a tragedy" if the ring was to be scrapped, especially after it survived a devastating fire in the gym 14 years ago.

The ring is where Buchanan learned the skills which won him lightweight championship honours at world, British and European level and a place in the International Hall of Boxing Fame in Canastota, New York.

Buchanan held the British, European and undisputed world lightweight champion titles at various times between 1968 and 1972 and was voted Britain's greatest-ever boxer in 1978.

Mr Forsyth said: "We will soon move out of the traditional hut gym we have occupied in McDonald Road since 1946 to make way for a building development on the site. But I'm determined that this boxing ring where the young Ken Buchanan learned to throw his first punches aged just seven in 1953 will be saved for posterity.

"I am offering it to the sports history section of the Royal Scottish Museum in Chamber Street. They already have the gloves worn by Scotland's first ever Olympic boxing medal- winner, Hugh Roddin of Musselburgh, and the Lonsdale championship belt won outright by Leith featherweight James 'Tancy' Lee in 1918.

"This ring would be yet another great addition to that display in the Scottish sports history section of this museum. The alternative will be to scrap it and that would be a tragedy."

The boxing ring was also used by other famous Capital fighters, including ex-British featherweight champion Bobby Neill.

Edinburgh welterweight Eddie Phillips used the ring often both as an amateur with the Sparta club and as a professional Scottish welterweight champion.

A National Museums of Scotland spokeswoman said: "We haven't been approached by anyone from the club yet, but we'd be delighted to speak with them regarding adding the ring to our collection."

IN PROFILE

KEN BUCHANAN was born in Edinburgh on June 28, 1945. At only eight years old he joined the Sparta Amateur Boxing Club in McDonald Road where he was to train for all his amateur fights.

He left Portobello High School at 15 and fought his first international bout at 17 in Glasgow's Kelvin Hall.

In 1964, Buchanan won the East of Scotland featherweight title and then went on to win the Scottish crown, but had to wait until the following year to take the British featherweight title.

He turned professional a month after winning the British title and his first fight was in London's West End against Brian Tonks. He knocked him out in the second round.

In February 1968 he won the British lightweight title but two years later missed a chance to take the European title when he lost to Miquel Velazquez.

On February 12, 1970 he won his first world lightweight title when he beat Ismael Laguna and a year later he became undisputed world champion when he beat Ruben Navarro in a 15-round contest in Los Angeles. In 1971 he was awarded the MBE. He lost his title in June 1972 in a controversial bout against Robert Duran who felled Buchanan with an illegal punch.

His last official fight was in January 1982 when he lost to George Feeney on points. In June 2000 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame to take his rightful place alongside other boxing legends such as Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler.