Who’ll land a knockout blow in the fight over Islington Boxing Club?
From the ring to the courtroom, bitter row over rent looks set to go the distance
Published: 8 October, 2010
by STEVE BARNETT
A POUND-for-pound legal fight is set to break out between the founder of a top amateur boxing club and the men who have been helping to run it.
Islington Boxing Club in Hazellville Road, Upper Holloway, has become a hub of the community, helping get troubled boys off the streets and into the ring since it opened in 1974.
Earlier this year it received Club Mark Accreditation from the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) and the Mayor’s Civic Award. Honorary secretary Ron Hagland was also named Volunteer of the Year at the recent Sport Islington Awards.
But now Mr Hagland and his son Lenny, who took over as club chairman four months ago, are being taken to court by a private fitness-based boxing company that rents the premises in Archway.
The dispute broke out after Islington Boys’ Club tried to put up the rent paid by Left Hook Ltd, trading as Boxing London, claiming that the classes were taking away potential club members.
Owners Oner Avara and Enzo Giordano, both former members and coaches at the Islington club, have been accused of “hijacking” the club to the detriment of the youngsters and amateur boxers who train there.
Mr Hagland, 79, said: “I knew both lads as youngsters, they were very well looked after by this club. How can they repay us like this?
“I even wrote letters on Oner’s behalf to the Home Office pleading for his acceptance into the UK when he was an immigrant from Turkey.
“Oner and Enzo were offered reasonable terms to extend their lease despite their abuse of my trust and this boxing club. However, they wanted to continue to offer a pittance of rent, whilst charging exorbitant training fees to their clients.
“We’ve never been a greedy club, if anything we’ve been too relaxed. We had been charging them £8 an hour for 10 years and that was without including bills. So we approached them regarding a fair increase of £40 an hour, fully expecting a compromise that would see that figure drop to about £25 an hour. But you can’t negotiate with people who are unwilling to talk to you.
“Everyone knows that the people who come into a boxing gym are usually from the poorer classes, so we only charge our senior members £5 a week and our juniors £3. We found out that Oner was charging £50 membership and then £8 a session. They were certainly getting all the gravy.”
Mr Avara has angrily hit back at the claims, saying that he has no intention of destroying Islington Boys’ Club and that it’s Mr Hagland and his son that he is taking legal action against – not the club. “They tried upping the rent from £9,600 a year to almost £50,000 a year, which is ridiculous,” said Mr Avara. “We don’t have that kind of money, and when we protested they told us we had to leave.
“The club means so much to me, which is why I have been putting in 12-hour days as a volunteer. Over the years the club has helped me make great friendships and given me new business opportunities, so why would I want to damage it?
“I’ve always felt that I owe the club something in return for what it has given me, which is why I have dedicated the last 10 years of my life to making it bigger and better. I even helped raise over £110,000 towards a new building, and this is how it’s being recognised.
“Any claims that we’re trying to damage the club are nonsense. We’re not taking legal action against the club, we’re taking it against Ron and Lenny personally.
“We were running the club perfectly, and then Lenny turned up and wanted to run things his way, and suddenly our rent was being put up. They just want to get rid of us so that Lenny can take over.”