AMATEUR boxing has always been in the blood for Paul Faulkner, who is celebrating his 35th year on the Salford boxing scene.

The 46-year-old, who has been a coach for the past 21 years, said: "I just love amateur boxing. It’s that challenge of taking a kid with nothing and making something out of them through boxing that keeps me going.

"We see many kids, good and bad, come into the gym at the Salford Bridgewater Boxing Club and turning those fighters into boxers is the real challenge.

"I have no interest in pro boxing. The pinnacle of my career would be for one of the lads to make it to the Olympics. And if they won a medal that would be the icing on the cake.

"My involvement wouldn’t be as it is without the constant support of my wife Christine and my children Emily (aged 15) and Matthew (aged 10) and I would publicly like to thank them for putting up with me and the boxing!"

Faulkner started his boxing journey when he went along to his local gym (Marchants Boxing Amateur Boxing Club) as a youngster in 1974.

He moved to Salford Boxing ABC in 1982, which is now known as the Salford Bridgewater Boxing Club, at the request of well known Salford boxer and successful businessman Russ Arrowsmith.

Faulkner fought 25 times for the club, beating the highly respected Johnny Nelson twice, before being forced to hang up his gloves at the tender age of 23 due to a back injury. Unable to turn his back on the sport entirely, he then moved into coaching the next generation of fighters at the club.

Faulkner, who is a heating engineer by trade, has had many successful students over the years, most recently 16-year-old Adam Fleming, 15-year-old Marc Leach and 21-year-old Lee Gillespie.

Fleming became a national boys club champion this year, Leach has won two national schoolboy championships and Gillespie, who has trained under Faulkner for seven years, has been an ABA finalist and boxed for England at international level.

Lee Whitehead, Faulkner’s fellow Salford Bridgewater Boxing Club coach, said: "Paul has been a fantastic servant to this club and I’d like to congratulate him on his 35th anniversary in the sport. For a married professional man with a family to turn out four times a week is nothing short of phenomenal.

"Paul is the lifeblood of this club and long may he continue."

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