ARKWRIGHT


increased chance of depression. This is not just consigned to boxing with high profi le examples in the world of sport including ex cricketer Andrew Flintoff and footballer Dean Windass. McGuigan believes his academy will hopefully decrease the chances of the boxing fraternity contracting the affl iction. “Many sports people are not prepared


for life after sport. By encouraging young kids to develop other interests and gain qualifi cations, it will hopefully mean that their life after boxing will be rich and fulfi lling.” When asked about if boxing products should be an attractive proposition to retailers, McGuigan was very positive about the potential value. “Boxing is a very popular sport with millions of passionate fans. Aside from this, many other sports use boxing as a tool to improve fi tness. If retailers try and take advantage of the fi tness side of the sport, there surely must be a very lucrative market potential.” McGuigan raises an important point here.


Perhaps our industry has not made enough of the fi tness side of the sport when debating whether to sell boxing products. With 2012


95% of boxers will not earn enough money out of the sports to be


fi nancially secure


being an Olympic year and a fl ourishing domestic men’s and women’s sport, boxing could give the threat of recession a knockout blow. Before fi nishing the interview with


McGuigan, SGB couldn’t risist asking the Cyclone’s opinions on the recent antics of David Haye and Derek Chisora! “For many of boxing’s casual fans, the scenes in Munich would have been entertaining but for the thousands of dedicated volunteers who give their lives to teaching youngsters the discipline and respect needed in boxing, their behaviour was disgraceful and embarrassing. The security was the most lax I have ever seen it and they should never have got so close to each other. However this incident is the exception to the rule and 99% of boxers behaviour out of the ring is exemplary.”


Barry McGuigan was interviewed after speaking at the “Representing Players in Sport: Bargaining for a fair deal for athletes in an Olympic year” conference at the Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck, University of London.


Like most sports,


The Independent Voice H


ow much worse can it get? Even Mrs Arkwright, who


is one of the world’s biggest optimists (or so she tells me),


is on a downer at the moment. A tanker drivers’ strike will mean we


won’t be able to fi ll up our 35 year old Triumph Dolomite; a hose-pipe ban means that we will have to listen to our neighbours fi lling up their swimming pool during the night; increases in the price of fi rst class stamps means that my money-grabbing family will have to whistle for birthday and Christmas cards in future. With the Game group closing nearly


300 of their shops – adding to loss of shops like Woolworths, Past Times, Milletts etc - it means the local high street is likely to see a continuing decrease in footfall, placing other shops at risk as they struggle to survive. Even our shop – which has been in the


family for decades – will have to look at overheads. As I said to young Cratchit the other day, I may have to cut his holiday entitlement down to one week from two. Aſt er all, the cost of needles for our record player has gone through the roof. Mrs A blames all these new-fangled


ways of communication like Facebook and Twitter. She has a point- bless her! Twitter means panic can spread so


much quicker these days with users able to warn friends to buy their petrol before it runs out - leaving some petrol stations besieged by drivers fi lling up their tanks some two weeks before a strike could start. And with so many buying on-line rather than from the high street, shops


like Game are unable to compete with companies such as Amazon leaving


them with little option other than to go into administration. And I can see the use of e-greeting cards increasing and, with


fewer using Royal Mail, I can envisage the price of stamps going up even further. Having invested in a fax machine last


month, Mrs A has said that we will stand fi rm and stick to our principles. Me? Well, I say if you can’t beat them,


you have to join them. Trending, here I come!


Speaking of Mrs A, things are not


exactly a bed of roses at the moment. She actually accused me of name dropping the other day. Me – a name dropper? I ask you. I must remember to tell the Prime Minister – young David needs a good laugh at the moment. I see that the England Cricket Team has


resorted to type. Put them on the sub- continent and they look anything other than the world’s number one. A bit of turn and they play like rabbits caught in the headlights. They should play on some of the minefi elds I used to play on. Bring back uncovered wickets I say! Thankfully, though, the game locally is


thriving and I am just awaiting delivery of my new season’s stock. This year, we are again holding our ‘club


evening’ promotions. Having written to all local cricket clubs (next year we will email them no matter what Mrs A says) we are having a succession of late night openings for players with favourable discounts on off er. And if a club can guarantee its members


will spend more than £500, we will give them an extra discount. It has worked really well for us in the past – why not give it a go?


SGB-SPORTS.COM | 41


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