Repton Boxing Club
{{Short description|Boxing club in London, England}}
Repton Boxing Club is a boxing club in Bethnal Green, east London, England. The club grew out of Repton Boys Club, which was founded by Repton School, a public school in Derbyshire. Repton Boys Club was set up by the school to help underprivileged young men in east London.{{Cite web|author=Guardian Staff|date=2001-11-07|title=John Crace on Repton amateur boxing club|url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2001/nov/07/boxing.sport1|access-date=2021-03-01|website=The Guardian|language=en}}
The club is located at 116 Cheshire St, Bethnal Green, London E2 6EG.
The club has produced many notable alumni, including world champions and Olympic gold medallists. Notable ex-members include John H. Stracey, Audley Harrison and Maurice Hope.{{Cite web|title=About Us|url=https://www.reptonboxingclub.com/pages/join-us|access-date=2021-03-01|website=Repton Boxing Club}}
History of the Club
The club has been called Britain’s oldest boxing gym and is housed in a corner of a former Victorian Bath House on Cheshire Street, Bethnal Green.{{Cite web|title=History of East End Boxing|url=https://whatshotlondon.co.uk/history-of-east-end-boxing/|access-date=2021-03-01|website=What's Hot London?|language=en-GB}}
Repton Boxing Club was established by Repton School in 1884 and operated as part youth club, part boxing club. Repton School ceased its involvement in 1971 and the club became solely dedicated to boxing.{{Cite web|last=Admin|date=2020-10-31|title=NO GUTS, NO GLORY - THE REPTON BOXING CLUB|url=https://www.britishvintageboxing.com/post/no-guts-no-glory-the-repton-boxing-club|access-date=2021-03-01|website=britishvintageboxing|language=en}}
Ronald and Reginald Kray, the notorious gangster twins, trained at the club and made donations to it.{{Cite web|date=2018-10-23|title=The Kray Twins' notorious Double R Club on Bow Road, now Enterprise Car Rental|url=https://romanroadlondon.com/history-double-r-club-kray-twins-nightclub-bow-road/|access-date=2021-03-01|website=Roman Road LDN|language=en-GB}}
The club’s motto is ‘Non Viscara…Non Gloria’ (No Guts...No Glory).
Notable alumni
Film and music video setting
The club is located in a former bathhouse and as such has provided a retro backdrop for many films and music videos over the years.
The boxing gym has played host to artists such as JLS and Plan B who have used the club as a setting for their music videos. The music video for Take That’s first top-ten single, “It Only Takes a Minute” was filmed in the club in 1992.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-13|title=From Gangsters To Guy Ritchie Flicks, Welcome To Britain's Oldest Boxing Club|url=https://www.thesportsman.com/features/from-gangsters-to-guy-ritchie-flicks-welcome-to-britain-s-oldest-boxing-club|access-date=2021-03-01|website=The Sportsman|language=EN}}
Director Guy Ritchie has also shot scenes for two of his films inside Repton Boxing Club. Ritchie’s 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels features scenes shot inside of the club,{{Cite web|title=Filming Locations for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)|url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/l/Lock-Stock-And-Two-Smoking-Barrels.php|access-date=2021-03-01|website=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations}} as well as his 2019 film The Gentlemen.{{Cite web|date=2019-01-25|title=The Londoner: Lock, Stock and East End Gridlock|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/the-londoner-lock-stock-and-east-end-gridlock-a4048831.html|access-date=2021-03-01|website=www.standard.co.uk|language=en}}
Current club activity
Repton Boxing Club was a male-only club for many years, but in recent years have introduced women's classes.{{Cite web|title=Club Information|url=https://www.reptonboxingclub.com/pages/club-information|access-date=2021-03-01|website=Repton Boxing Club}} As of July 2020, Repton had 12 female boxers who were carded.{{Cite web|last=Kempson|first=Chris|date=2020-07-17|title=Boxing: Women making great progress at London clubs|url=https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/sport/london-s-boxing-women-make-great-progress-3842034|access-date=2021-03-01|website=Islington Gazette|language=en-UK}}