Town boxers excel in Canadian contest

Spennymoor Town Council awarded Community Grants to Alfie ‘Bomber’ Ellis 11 from Spennymoor, and Charlie ‘Junior Silk’ Hodgson, 15 from Middlestone Moor, to enable them to travel to Canada and compete in the prestigious Brampton Cup.

The two fighters excelled in the tournament, with Alfie, the youngest member of the team, boxing three times in three days to take the gold medal, dominating each match-up against Canada’s finest in his age group.

Charlie won through to an incredibly tough final, but he showed his mettle, dug deep and ground out a well-deserved unanimous points decision to claim victory. In a classic back and fourth contest, Charlie’s skill and endurance ensured he came out on top.

The boys, who represent Brandon Boxing Club, helped their club secure The Brampton Cup, becoming the first British club to ever do so in over 40 years of the boxing competition.

This is Alfie’s second competitive season and he’s undefeated in eight contests, winning The Monstown Box Cup in Ireland last year and will be looking to defend his title later this year.

Alfie said: “What an experience to compete with my club mates in the Brampton Cup and come away with a victory. Boxing is a great way to exercise, compete and learn discipline, but being able to travel and compete against boxers from across the globe is also fantastic.

“Thank you to the Town Council for the grant funding. It was brilliant to be able to represent the town and Brandon Boxing Club in this prestigious contest.”

Charlie is from the famous Hodgson boxing family, with his father, uncles and grandad all boxing and coaching.

Charlie said: “The contest was fierce and the competition were skilled, so it was great to come away with a hard won victory.

“Me and Alfie loved representing Spennymoor on the international stage and hopefully we’ll get to do it again in the future.”

Spennymoor Town Council awarded Alfie Ellis and Charlie Hodgson individual community grants of £200 in January, to help them in their efforts to raise money to compete in the Canadian competition.

Town Mayor, Cllr Ian Geldard, said: “Spennymoor has a wealth of sporting talent and the Town Council does all it can to help these talented young people fulfil their dreams and their potential.

“Congratulations to Alfie and Charlie for their incredible performances. I look forward to watching their progress as they develop their boxing abilities and, no doubt, win more competitions.”

During the trip, the boys also visited Toronto, the CN Tower and Niagara Falls, representing themselves, their club and local area with honour.

Brandon Boxing Club coach, Alex Oliver, said: “The Spennymoor lads did themselves proud and it was a pleasure to not only watch them box, but see how well they conducted themselves away from home.

“Brandon Boxing Club would like to thank Spennymoor Town Council for its support. Without it these trips would not be possible, creating memories for life for these young lads.”