THE boxing club which set York's Henry Wharton on the road to glory is in danger of closing down.

All Saints Amateur Boxing Club, originally the York Amateur Boxing Club, has been based on the church grounds in North Street since September 1968, producing 31 champions along the way.

Even 'Hard 'N' Fast' Wharton, Britain's only undefeated super-middleweight at British, Commonwealth and European level, started his career there.

More recently, the Jorvik Viking Jamie Warters and Clifton welterweight Graham Fearn have come out the All Saints stable, while promising middleweights Mark Draper and Glenn Banks could be the next big things.

However, with the church set to sell the ground for development, the club, the only one in the area, could be forced to move or even fold.

Secretary and treasurer Lewis Gell told the Evening Press: "One of the developers who has put a bid in is happy for the club to stay, but the other two just don't want to know.

"I think we would have until 2004, but that's really not too long to find somewhere else to go.

"It is a worrying time for us. The church still wants the club there, but it is out of our hands now.

"We could build somewhere ourselves, but we haven't got the money there to do this."

The club have looked to rent premises elsewhere - but they have yet to have any luck.

Peter Goodrick, who sponsors and coaches at the club, said: "We just can't find anywhere. The big problem is the fact we need the ring to stay up all the time.

"It takes three hours to put up and three hours to take down again, so we need to keep it up. Everything else, like the bags, can come down.

"We looked at a few places, but people are after ridiculous rents. We only ask for a £1 from the kids for two hours, we're not in this for the money."

With the likes of British world champions Lennox Lewis, Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzage under the media spotlight, boxing has begun to enjoy a mini resurgence across the country.

But as the sport prospers elsewhere, in York it could well be on its last legs.

Gell said: "There doesn't seem to be the support for boxing here. I think the fact that it is a contact sport and because of the bad press it receives means people shy away and the council just don't want to know."

All Saints regularly get 40 youngsters coming through the door for training on with five of the current crop - Jimmy Cooper, Luke Atkins, Banks, Danny Smith and Draper - set to fight again at the end of the month at Willerby Manor, Hull, in an inter-club match.

Anyone who can help the club, whether as a volunteer, a trainer or in offering a new venue, can contact Gell on (07932) 458192.

Updated: 10:41 Saturday, February 16, 2002