HE fought to build a proper boxing club in Abingdon and dedicated 40 years if his life to his beloved sport at Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club.

Now Robert Southey says he has finally had enough of fighting and hung up his gloves.

But the club says “his legend will live on”.

For the past nine years, the club has run from Dalton Barracks gym free of charge.

For most of that time it has been campaigning to raise £150,000 for a new gym and community centre in South Abingdon, but still has only £30,000.

Mr Southey, 52, said: “It was a big decision, but we have struggled for two years to raise the money and got nothing.

“I felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall.

“I just thought, I don’t need to do this any more; I have a grandson now.”

Mr Southey, who is married with three children plus a new grandson, will continue to work full-time as a maintenance man at Radley College, and the club will continue to fight for survival without him.

He starting boxing at the club when he was nine years old.

Mr Southey had a spell as a professional boxer for two years from 1984, before going into coaching.

Mrs Southey was a lightweight (60kg) fighter. He only fought half a dozen fights and although he didn’t want to give away his record he said: “I didn’t do too bad.”

Two years ago he stood as a town councillor for Peachcroft promising to fight for young people in the town, but lost by 48 votes.

Now he plans to spend more time at his home in Compton Drive with wife Andrea and their grown-up children Wayne, Scott and Bonniemay.

Taking over as head coach at the club is Zaheer Ahmed, who also coaches at Oxford University boxing club.

He saidMr Southey is a legend, “he has been the club”.

“For the last 40 years other coaches have come and gone, but he has been the continuous factor.”

Mr Ahmed joined the club in May, at a point when Mr Southey had already decided to step down as head coach, and the other potential head coach, Kevin Mason, had announced he was emigrating to Australia.

Because of personal commitments Mr Ahmed has cut the senior coaching, but is still taking up to 20 10 to 16-year-olds every week.

He said: “The club was very close to folding and I happened to step in at the last minute.

“Everyone who joined the club has had the ambition of building their own gym, and they have been demoralised.

“My ambition in the short term is just to keep sessions running.”

  •  Anyone who would like to join the club should go to the website abingdonboxing.co.uk.