NATIONAL glory – that’s the no-quarter given motivational force providing a renaissance in the city’s amateur boxing status.

York Boxing Club is standing in the corner gazing at the possibility of one of its best seasons for many a year with 2011 earmarked as the time for the club’s fighters to step up to the mark.

So believes head trainer Billy Wilson. Now in his four years at the Redeness Street-based club since he quit the professional arena, he is confident a brand new breed of big and hard hitters can do York proud.

“The feeling is that we should be aiming to bring a national schoolboys title back to York,” said Wilson.

“There’s strength in depth now at the club and the kids we have here are some of the best I’ve seen in my time.

“We have 20 carded boxers and plenty of other kids interested so hopefully we can do well.

“We are hoping to field our biggest contingent in next year’s national schoolboy championships, but not just to enter. Some of the lads I believe will have a good chance of winning a national title.”

Landing all-England glory is tougher for Yorkshire boxers than any others outside of London.

Wilson explained that apart from the capital the Yorkshire region is the biggest in amateur boxing, so to actually win a county championship might mean at least four bouts – and that’s before hitting the regional rounds and then on to the national stage.

But the YBC lads should be well prepared as Wilson and his training team have upped the competitive schedule.

Both Wilson and Ivan Inns have concentrated a lot of attention to match-making, ensuring the York lads are kept busy aided by gaining more crucial experience in the ringcraft arts.

“The club was dormant for a while. There was little interest,” revealed Wilson.

“There are two us who just do the match-making and that means we get more contests for the lads.

“I think since September we have already organised more fights than we did all the previous season.

“And after having a bit of success last year with the likes of Thomas Mulvana and Sonny Dalton the other lads are inspired.

“They train with those sort of lads and say to themselves ‘they can have success, then so can I’ and that’s helping the club to thrive. Once you get a good kid in everybody else wants to show they can do it.”

* York Boxing Club – a registered charity since 2004 – also formed its run education department entitled Off The Hook three years ago at its Redeness Street base.

The club trains three nights a week – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – and the training team comprises Billy Wilson, Liam Graham, Gary Kelly and Ivan Inns.

For further details see the website yorkboxingclub.co.uk