Staff and Coaches
RON HAGLAND
In 2000 Ron retired and sold his metal reclamation business and moved away from London to Frinton-on-Sea, Essex but continues with his work at the club even into his retirement. In May 2012 he stepped down as the clubs treasurer. He still visits the club once or twice a month. Ron’s son Lenny and Grandson, Reggie are also involved with the running the club. ‘Big Ron’ is Mr Islington Boxing Club!
LENNY HAGLAND
Lenny started off at the club when it first began in 1974. He boxed for the club as a junior and senior boxer winning national titles and international honours. After retiring from boxing himself and having a short break he became a coach at the club. Lenny now has over 25 years experience of coaching boxing. Lenny has gone through every stage of this club from boxer to coach to committee member and is the current Chairman of the club. It is not often you don’t see Lenny in the gym working hard full time to keep the place going. Lenny is the longest serving member of the club along with his father Ron, and there is nothing that he doesn’t know about the club and it’s running.
ANDY ROE
Andy is the Vice Chairman, Welfare Officer & a senior boxing coach of the Islington Boxing Club. Andy started his boxing career in South London at Bromley and Downham Boys Club before boxing for Teams ABC in Newcastle and the Army where he also got his assistant coach’s card, after 62 bouts (youth and senior) he hung up the gloves after he began to lose more than he was winning!! Andy boxed in national completion as a senior, and was an Army championship finalist representing a number of teams in the Army. An ex army officer (Captain Royal Artillery) he is now a senior officer in the London Fire Brigade running Southwark Fire Station.
Since moving back to London in 2000 on leaving the Army he has coached at Islington gaining his full coaches award. Now married with two young kids he can’t get down the club as much as he would like, but makes up for it by running the most unpleasant circuit he can when he is there as many of the boxers say! Andy does a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes, the club are trying to prepare to move forward and have a new gym built.
BEVIS ALLEN
An Islington Boxing Club ‘old boy’, Bevis originally joined the club back in the 1980’s, during arguably the club’s most successful period and boxed for the club for 7 years (32 bouts) as a youth & senior during which time he was club captain. He boxed in national competitions and became a London Champion & national semi finalist. He later joined St. Monica’s ABC (Hoxton) & St. Pancras ABC. After 50 amateur contests, a serious spinal injury ended his career in 1998.
Returning to the club in 2004 originally ‘only to lend a helping hand’, Bevis gained his full ABA coaching badge just a year later. Since that time Bevis has played an important role in helping to develop the new crop of up and coming talent at the club as a senior club coach. He also is a member of the club’s management committee. Bevis is a qualified accountant and previously a senior financial director at Thomson’s Holidays, now he is the owner and Managing Director of Bevis Allen – Fitness Coach Limited.
PAUL HAMMICK
Paul Hammick started out at Angel ABC in 1985 helping out with juniors and eventually took the assistant coaches course in 1987, progressing to full coach in 1990. During which time he was lucky enough to work with some talented youngsters including Patrick ‘Blue Boy’ Gallagher, Pat ‘PJ’ Gallagher and Francie Doherty.
Paul joined Islington Boxing Club in 2001 and continues to enjoy the company of a great team who strive tirelessly to seek new talent and nurture their potential, which is being shown by the current crop of young hopefuls as a coach to the junior section of the club.
Paul works as a caretaker at Pools Park Primary School and is also a qualified sports massage therapist
JERRY MITCHELL
Senior coach Jerry has been part of Islington Boxing Club for as long as anyone cares to remember. Steve Bunce said on radio that he joined the club in 1867!
Another former IBC ‘old boy’, Jerry originally started his amateur boxing career with the New Enterprise Boxing Club. He later joined Islington Boys Club back in the days when they were still based at Michael Sobell Sports Centre, Finsbury Park. Jerry enjoyed a 31 bout career before retiring at the young age of 27. He began coaching almost immediately.
As a coach Jerry has enjoyed incredible success with Islington Boxing Club over the years coaching many national champions. Jerry is a member of the management committee of the club and works on the London Underground. He is one of the most well known and respected trainers in amateur boxing.
JOHN ‘JR’ RICHARDS
Affectionately known as ‘JR’, John has been coaching at Islington Boxing Club since the early 1990’s joining in the autumn of ’91. A British Telecom engineer by trade, John holds a full ABA coaches badge.
Over the years, John coaches the up and coming boxers, teaching them the invaluable ‘basics’ of the trade and passes them on, whereby on several occasions the boxers he has worked with have progressed to both Junior and Senior honours.
John’s enthusiasm and sheer love of the sport is evident to all who know him. He is also a member of the management committee of the club.
ROY CALLAGHAN
Roy is one of the most experienced men in the club in terms of boxing having been involved in the ‘noble art’ for 40 years, previously he boxed for St Pancras as a junior & senior before turning over to the Professional game in the late 1980′s. After a 18 bout Pro career he turned to coaching at his old amateur club
WINSTON WORRELL
Winston joined the club over a year ago as a coach and was previously a member of IBC back in the 1990′s as a boxer. Winston is a very enthusiastic individual and quickly went on to complete his ABA Assistant Coaches badge and is one of the most known coaches at the gym due to him regularly teaching boxing to the academy members (senior & junior), competitive seniors, and recreational keep fitters during the week. Winston is currently studying in a Personal Training course at the YMCA and hopes to work as a PT very soon so he is able to develop the boxers physical aspects. His son Richard Worrell currently boxes for the club at 86kg.
PAUL STAHL
Paul was originally a junior and senior matchmaker for twelve years firstly at Finchley ABC and then moving to Islington before taking a break from amateur boxing due to work commitments. Paul is a media and management services specialist by profession and studied Russian Language at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Paul holds a full ABA coaching badge and is a trainer to the main Junior competitive section of IBC.JOHN EMBERSON
John Emberson is an Islington ‘old boy’ who returned to the club in January last year (2012) 15 years since last boxing for the club in the finals of the London Senior ABA’s. John’s Dad, Terry Emberson was amongst the founding members of the club and was a coach for many years with Islington before moving out of London to Stevenage. John competed in over 40 contests for the club as a junior and senior boxer winning a mutilape Middlesex & London titles as well as the honour to box for his country, England.
His older brothers Steven and Terry (Spassi) Emberson also both boxed in the early years of the club.
John has become a head figure of the Junior section of the club taking the role of the Junior Matchmaker recently despite only being back at the club for a short amount of time but he is willing to learn is already starting to become a well known face in the amateur boxing world and is hungry for the clubs junior boxers to perform well and win titles. He is a member of the management committee
MOHAMMED BENCHIKH
Mohammed joined the club in 2012, he is a coach to the Juniors. Mo as he is better known as had 102 amateur bouts half in France and half in the US (won 71) and turned Professional in 1990 in the US and competed in a further 14 contests. He was a sparring partner to former world champion, Oscar De La Hoya when he was an up and coming boxer. Mo holds an ABA Assistant Coaching Badge and works as a London Bus Tour Guide.
MICK DOHERTY
Mick is a committee member, events manager and longtime friend of the Islington Boxing Club. Mick boxed for 9 years as a junior 
and senior for Tottenham & District ABC and Finchley ABC. He competed 50 times as an amateur boxer, becoming a light-middle/middle weight when he graduated to the senior ranks. Mick’s achievements include Middlesex Schoolboy Champion (3 times), Southern Area NABC champ, NW Division Junior ABA champ, National NABC semi-finalist and London Rep. His younger brother Tom Doherty boxed for the Islington Boys Club and became a NABC Finalist after only 9 bouts!
Mick’s role on the management committee is as an Events Manager. The club’s recent Dinner/Dance held at the Emirates Stadium was largely Mick’s brainchild and he was responsible for most of the ticket sales. It turned out to be a great night for the club and Mick can be proud of his efforts. He has set the bar high and we look forward to running similar nights in the coming seasons.
He now runs a successful foreign exchange business in central London having previously been a senior union official for the post office.
STEVE O’NEILL
Steve O’Neill has been involved in football in the borough of Islington since 1983 as a player, manager and secretary of Islington Admiral United Football Club (also known as Admiral FC). He has seen the club that he started, expand to include two adult teams and six youth teams and flourish with the amalgamation with Islington Boys’ Club. It is now the biggest football club in Islington, only Arsenal FC can match it!
Steve works as a Black Cab Driver and is also a Arsenal season ticket holder.
REGGIE HAGLAND
Reggie has been brought up in boxing as his father Lenny and Grandad Ron both heavily involved with the IBC for many years. Reggie took a big interest in the club in his later teenage years due to his Grandad Ron inviting him along to committee meetings to ‘gain an education’ of how a boxing club runs and the set up. Reggie later became a committee member of the club, his role is Media & PR officer. Reggie runs the clubs Facebook, Twitter, website and design various posters/flyers that are displayed amongst the gym walls.
Reggie works as a Postman for Royal Mail
DIETER PERRY
Dieter is the clubs press photographer and attends most shows with the IBC boxers up and down the country photographing the action at ringside. He is best known for out eating everyone on the trip to Denmark in March 2012 and taking the ‘undisputed eating title’ from JR.
Dieter works as a freelance photographer for local newspapers across the boroughs near Islington mainly for the Islington Gazette. He is a committee member of the club.
REINALDO OLIVER
Reinaldo was a former 2x world junior boxing champion at Havana City Boxing Club before his career was cut short through injury. He is now a coach at the Islington Boxing Club in both sections of the club (recreational & competitive). He coaches in the midweek recreational boxing sessions 5 days a week (Mon-Fri) & the Junior Academy classes on Mondays & Fridays. He is very popular amongst many faces at the gym and he is very proud of his Cuban heritage, he always has some Cuban music to play in the background during his classes!
