Boxing coach says club is safe despite brawl

THE HEAD coach of an amateur boxing club in East Lothian has insisted the venue is a safe and friendly place despite a fight breaking out in the crowd during a boxing match.

Spectators started fighting during the bout between Bronx light-heavyweight Steven Lindsey and opponent Larry Meldum, from Alloa, at the Tranent Loch Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The boxing match was halted while two men, thought to be in their 30s and from Tranent, were escorted from the building and the police were called.

The boxers were said to have been pulled to safety while eyewitnesses reported tables being thrown and glasses smashing.

However, the head coach of Tranent-based Bronx boxing club, Alex Brown, insisted no one was ever in any danger and was keen to stress his club remained safe and friendly.

Mr Brown said: "Two local guys, who were best friends, had a bit of a fight and were evacuated from the place within seconds of it happening.

"One of them was taken away by the police. It was a very minor fight and there were no arrests.

"The boxers were told to stop the fight for a few seconds and stand in neutral corners until the two men were evacuated, and then the fight restarted."

He added: "The two men that had the fight were well away from the ring, they were about as far away as you could get from it. They were standing close to the bar area.

"It was a nothing event. There were no tables or glasses flung and there were no boxers, officials or spectators ever in any danger at all. The fight was over within seconds."

The sell-out show was a fundraising event for the Bronx boxing club, attracting a large ringside audience of between 450 and 500 people.

A police spokesman said no arrests were made in connection with the incident but a 26-year-old man had been arrested in connection with other matters.

Mr Brown said: "My biggest worry is that other clubs might not want to invite us to venues because they are going to worry that we will take an away crowd to the events which is going to cause trouble.

"I would like to send out a message to say the incident was a nothing."