Boxing: Appleby ready to court talented team of Warren and Barnett

SOUTH QUEENSFERRY boxer Paul Appleby will have talks with the top ring management and promotional team of Jonathan Barnett and Frank Warren in London next month.

Terry McCormack, coach of the former pro British featherweight champion, explained that the meeting is scheduled for 4 February. "We still haven't ruled out signing talks with ex-world champion turned promoter Ricky Hatton as previously intimated," he said, "but Jonathan Barnett's sports management group have worked in the past with such names as former world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis and the idea would be for Barnett to manage Paul Appleby in tandem with Warren promoting his fights.''

Meanwhile, Lochend club coach McCormack disputed the points decision that saw Swedish lightheavyweight Kevin Kline win last night in Port Glasgow Town Hall against the Leith club's Mike McNeill. "The 8-2 verdict against my man McNeill was a travesty," he said. His stablemate Dick Dickson was also outpointed 12-2 by Viewpark's Andy McKenzie in a lightweight bout.

Two Leith Victoria boxers on the same bill had mixed fortunes with light-welterweight Paddy Jummelle being outscored by the Millennium club's David DePrato while light-heavyweight Tom Carter won an impressive points verdict against Millennium's Paul Allison.