Sparta Boxing Club: Grangemouth club's fighters excel in opening club show of 2023/24 season

The packed venue, a stone’s throw from the club’s Station Road gym, featured an electric atmosphere from the opening bell, on an exciting evening with 13 all-action bouts pitting Sparta’s homegrown talent against boxers from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife and the Borders.

There were 12 competitive bouts on the card along with one exhibition. The fights were well matched and highly entertaining.

Sparta won eight of the 12 fights with the other four close points defeats for the home boxers in highly competitive contests which could have gone either way.

Luke Brand (Sparta) was awarded junior boxer of the night, Robbie Melville (Sparta) senior boxer of the night and Cameron Watt (Sparta) vs Josh Feighery (Boxers Booth) won fight of the night. Pictures (right) are by Eindp Sports Photography.

The season ahead looks like the club’s busiest yet. Sparta has nine boxers entered in the Scottish Develop ment Championships which begin at Ravenscraig on Friday, before their next home show on December 1 at another familiar venue, Bo’ness Town Hall, plus international duties with the Scottish team for GB schoolboy champion Thomas O’Reilly.

But the big news is the club’s relocation to larger purpose-built premises at Bankside in Falkirk, next to Ironworks Business Centre. Head coach Sam McLeod described the move as the logical next step for Sparta, although he will miss their home of nine years which he moved to after giving boxing lessons in his parents’ garage on Bo’ness Road.

McLeod said: “Members and all those connected to the club over the years have a real attachment to the old gym at Station Road and the wider community.

"But we’ve outgrown the building and the new location allows us to upgrade and modernise the facilities, as well as expand other areas like our online boxing tutorials and our partnership with the Scott Martin Foundation. The plans for the area long-term are also exciting, and we’re fortunate to be part of that, as well as continuing our links with CS Fitness who are moving with us.”