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History of ABAE
In 1880, 'Mr R Frost - Smith' arranged a meeting at the offices of 'The Referee' (in London) on 21st January with a view to organising a sports governing body for amateur boxing. The Meeting formed the idea of establishing the 'Amateur Boxing Association' (ABA). Those in attendance were:
- H. Sampson J.G Chambers
- R. Frost-Smith J.H Douglas
- T. Anderson G.J Garland
- E.T Campbell R. Wakefield
- J.B Angle
At the meeting of the 21st January 1880) it was agreed to call a further general meeting to put into action their idea. At this 'General Meeting' Mr Frost-Smith was appointed as the ABA's first ever 'Honorary Secretary' he would also go on to become the first ever 'ABA National Heavyweight Champion'. A truly remarkable man. From this small gathering grew the sport of amateur boxing, not just in England but throughout the world.
A set of 12 rules were agreed to govern the sport of boxing (these rules have continued to evolve and develop up to the present day).
Original 12 rules:
- In all open competitions the ring shall be roped, and of not less than 12 ft or more than 24 ft square.
- Competitors to box in light boots or shoes (without spikes), or in socks, with knickerbockers, breeches or trousers, and jerseys.
- Weights to be, for Championship Competitions - Bantam, not exceeding 8st 4lb; Feather, not exceeding 9st; Light, not exceeding 10st; Middle, not exceeding 11st 4lb; Heavy, any weight. Competitors to weigh on the day of competition in boxing costume, without gloves. For all other competitions weights to be decided by the Association or Club promoting the same.
- In all open competitions the number of rounds to be contested shall be three. The duration of the first two rounds shall be three minutes, and of the final round four minutes, and the interval between each round shall be one minute.
- Where a competitor draws a bye, such competitor shall be bound to spar such bye for the specified time, and with such opponent as the judges of such competition may approve.
- Each competitor shall be entitled to the assistance of one second only, and no advice or coaching shall be given to any competitor by his second, or by any other person, during the progress of any round.
- In all open competitions the result shall be decided by two judges and a referee, who shall be stationed part. The judges shall award, at the end of each of the first two rounds, five marks, and, at the end of the third round, seven marks to the best man, and a proportionate number to the other competitor. At the end of each bout the judges' papers are collected by an official appointed for the purpose. In the case where the judges agree, such official shall announce the name of the winner, but in cases where the judges disagree, such official shall so inform the referee, who shall thereupon himself decide. Two opinions must agree as to a winner, otherwise a further round of two minutes be ordered by the Referee.
- In all competitions the decision shall be given in favour of the competitor who displays the best style and obtains the greatest number of points. The points shall be for "attack", direct clean hits with the knuckles of either hand on any part of the front or sides of head, or body above the belt; "defence", guarding, slipping, ducking, counter-hitting, or getting away. Where points are otherwise equal, consideration to be given to the man who does most of the leading off.
- The Referee shall have power to stop a round if in his opinion a man is unfit to continue, and that man shall be deemed to have lost the bout. In the event of a competitor being down, his opponent shall retire out of distance, and shall not re-commence boxing until told to do so by the Referee.
- The Referee may disqualify a competitor for delivering a foul blow, whether intentionally or otherwise, and, after cautioning the offender, he may also disqualify any competitor who is boxing unfairly by flicking or hitting with the open glove, by hitting with the inside or "butt" of the hand, the wrist, shoulder, or elbow, or by wrestling or roughing.
- In all competitions any competitor failing to come up when time is called shall lose the bout.
- That the decision of the judges or referee, as the case may be, shall be final and without appeal.
1884 witnessed the first recognised President of the ABA, Mr Frost-Smith (1894-1888) who was affiliated to Clayton ABC. Lord Oaksey being the last post-holder (1973-1993). This post continues to the present day and will soon be appointed to. The annual Club Fee was one guinea.
In 1892 the Army Boxing Association was formed, followed by the Royal Navy in 1895 and the RAF in 1919.
Since 1880 the rules evolved. For example In 1895 a further rule was added (4th January) "no amateur shall (without the permission of the Association) spar in public with a professional, except at an Assault-at-Arms or Entertainment promoted by one of the affiliated clubs".
The 'ABA' continued to go from strength to strength. International 'matches' were being arranged and 'Great Britain' teams being represented at the London Olympics in 1908.
The administration of boxing was beginning to develop. In 1911 the Midland Counties were formed followed in 1914 by the Northern Counties.
1918 Metropolitan Police Boxing Club formed.
In 1920 the ABA added (3) additional weights to the existing (5). Also 'London' was split into (4) Divisions to accommodate the number of ABA entries, so Divisional Championships were born! 1920 witnessed the birth of the 'Schoolboy Championships'. Split between 'Junior' and 'Senior' across (4) weights in juniors and (5) across seniors. The first Championships took place in February 1920 and the second in December 1920! The London Schools ABA was formed the following year.
In 1920 the newly formed Federation Internalise de Boxe Amateur and later to become (AIBA) adopted the 'ABA's' rules of boxing for the World Sport.
It was 1924 when the European Championships were launched. However no-one boxed! It was agreed the title would be awarded to the highest placed European in the Olympic Games (Paris Olympics). Great Britain won titles at the 1925 Championships (Stockholm, Sweden) but did not send a team in 1927 (Berlin, Germany) due to cost concerns!
The first Patron of the ABA was announced in 1929 with the appointment of His Royal Highness Prince of Wales (1929 - 1936). Today the ABAE Patron is His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh (since 1953).
In 1930 the ABA sent a full team to the then British Empire Games, held in the City of Hamilton (Canada). The start of a long tradition of the (now) Commonwealth Games.
In 1931 the ABA appointed Mr Bert Brundle to the post of 'Chief Clerk to the Council'. A post he served in from 1931 until 1963! A lifetime commitment to the sport.
In 1932 the ABA appointed its first Life President, Mr Val Barker (Belsize ABC) who served from 1932 until his death in 1941. The award presented at every Olympic Games since 1936 to the most stylish boxer at the Games is names the Val Barker Trophy in his honour. Mr Barker had been the ABA Honorary Secretary 1911 - 1926.
The ABA continued to grow. The Western Counties was formed in 1933 followed by the Southern Counties in 1945 and London County in 1950. Northern County split in 1957 (1914 - 1957) to become the North West County and North East County. The remaining Counties formed in 1968 (Home County) and 1970 (Eastern County). In 2005 North East County split into Yorkshire County and Tyne, Tees and Wear County to complete the nine Associations.
In 1997 the ABA recommended the use of gumshields for sparring and all contests.
The sport did not stand still, with new championships being established; Senior Novice ABAs, Female Senior ABAs, and the most recent Golden Belt (2004). Rules and Regulations likewise have continued to develop such as
- compulsory retirement of boxers at 35 (1985)
- drug testing (1985)
- wearing of headguards (1991).
The road however has not always been a smooth one. In 1993 Scottish and Welsh boxers were excluded from the ABA National Championships as they became an 'all England' affair. It was around this time the 'ABA' became under increasing political and financial pressures. In 1993, an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) was held on the 3rd April (at the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, (Oxford) following a vote of no confidence at a EGM where a decision was taken to form an Emergency Steering Committee to formulate plans for the development of the sport. At this time it was feared that the ABA was heading for bankruptcy. This followed a vote of no confidence on the 13th March 1993. After a stormy meeting the resolution was passed 49 votes to 5.
On the 14th May 1993 a limited company was formed - The Amateur Boxing Association of England. The ABAE moved from its long time headquarters to Crystal Palace to reduce expenditure. Affiliation fees were introduced. The sport witnessed a decline in popularity and in participation. The sport did not enjoy full public support and faced continuous calls for its abolition on health grounds inspite of the weight of medical evidence which demonstrates the safety of amateur boxing.
Internationally, the sport did not fulfil its potential. It wasn't until the Sydney Olympic Games (Australia) in 2000 did England once again produce an Olympic Champion (Audley Harrison, Heavyweight Repton ABC). For these games only two English boxers qualified. For the Athens Olympic Games (Greece) in 2004 only (1) boxer qualified.
The sport had not always lived up to its potential during the nineties and in 2005 the entire Board of the ABAE (now over thirty members) resigned to allow a new Constitution, Governance Structure and Articles of Association (PDF [7.4Mb]. Download time 29 minutes 18 seconds based on a 56k modem. Will open a new browser window.) to be established. This brave decision assisted in the publication of the 'Whole Sports Plan' to be put in to place.
The ABAE will now be judged by its international and domestic success in terms of
- participation at grass-roots
- quality of delivery, and
- international success.
A good start has been made but a lot remains to be delivered. The bronze medal (Neil Perkins 69kg, Kirdale AB) at the 2005 World Games held in China was a good indicator. The 2006 Commonwealth Games proved successful with five Gold, one silver and one bronze medal. A bronze medal at the 2006 European Championships continues to demonstrate progress. Backed up with schoolboy, female and cadet, European and world medals.
Journey of the ABAE
Introduction
Scroll through the rich history of the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) (1993) and the former Amateur Boxing Association (1880 - 1993). This 'snap shot' over time highlights the development of the sport, the introduction of key rules and regulation, and the establishment of major domestic and international tournaments. We hope you enjoy the journey ......
· Twelve rules of amateur boxing agreed by the newly formed 'ABA'. | 1880
|
· First ABA National Championships held. | 1881
|
· First 'President' of ABA appointed (Mr Frost-Smith, Clayton ABC).
| 1884
|
· Army Boxing Association formed. | 1892
|
· Navy Boxing Association formed.
| 1895
|
· Point scoring system by round introducted. | 1898
|
· Boxing makes its first appearance at the St Louis (USA) Olympic Games.
| 1904 |
· The introduction of 'pre-bout' medical demonstrating how the safety of a boxer is paramount.
| 1906 |
· Great Britain win five golds, four silvers and seven bronze medals at the London Olympics (Great Britain).
| 1908 |
· The first association was formed (Midlands).
| 1911
|
· First ever multi-nations boxing tournament held in New York (USA) between USA, Canada, and Great Britain.
| 1911 |
· No ABA championships were held due to First World War | 1915 - 1918
|
· Imperial Services Boxing Association formed (now the Combined Services Boxing Association).
| 1917 |
· R.A.F. Boxing Association formed. | 1919
|
· First ever 'Home Counties' International. England losing to Scotland (5) - (3). The event was hosted by the City of Edinburgh.
| 1920
|
· Federation de Boxe Amateur (FIBA) was formed. Later to become A.I.B.A. An Englishman (John Douglas) became its First President).
| 1920 |
· Schoolboy Championships launched for 'Secondary School Children'.
| 1920 |
· Flyweight, welterweight and light-heavy added to the contested weight categories of the National ABA Championships.
| 1920 |
· London is 'split' into four Divisions for the 1920 ABA National Championships.
| 1920 |
· Over 100 amateur boxing clubs affiliate to the ABA. | 1921
|
· London Schools ABA is formed. | 1921
|
· 'Senior European Championship' were awarded to the highest placed European boxer at the 1924 Olympic Antwerp Games.
| 1924 |
· Wearing of hand bandages were banned except for (schoolboys) and could only box within a 3kg weight band.
| 1927 |
· The ABA introduce eliminating rounds for the National ABA Championships by splitting the Country into four Regions).
| 1927 |
· Introduction of 'round' duration which was reduced from four to three minutes.
| 1928 |
· First ever British Empire Games (now Commonwealth Games) held at Hamilton (Canada).
| 1930 |
· Discontinued the rule to allow as 'required' extra round, if officials could not agree a winner.
| 1930 |
· The Western Counties Association is formed. | 1933
|
· If both boxers could not continue because of injury, the boxer ahead on points would be declared the winner.
| 1934 |
· The Second 'British Empire Games' stage in London (England)
| 1934 |
· The launch of the National Junior ABA Championships.
| 1935 |
· No ABA Championships were held due to the Second World War.
| 1940 - 1943
|
· Weight band reduced from 3kg to 2kg for schoolboys. | 1941
|
· The 'AIBA' formed to replace the 'FIBA'. | 1946
|
· ABA National Championships begin their long association with Wembley (London)
| 1946 |
· Schools 'Amateur Boxing Association' formed. | 1946
|
· Schools ABA hold their first National Championships (Brighton).
| 1947 |
· National Association of Boys Clubs formed.
| 1947 |
· 'National Miners' boxing championships held for the first time (London). | 1948 |
· Olympic Games held for the second time in England (London).
| 1948
|
· The Southern Counties is formed. | 1950
|
· Bronze medals awarded in both losing semi-finalists at the Helsinki (Finland) Olympic Games for first time.
| 1952
|
· North Counties split into the North West Counties and North East Counties.
| 1957 |
· Launch of the first ever 'National Docks Labour Board' National Tournament (Liverpool Stadium 27 November).
| 1956 |
· Bronze medals awarded to both losing semi-finalists at the Cardiff (Wales) British and Empire and Commonwealth Games for first time.
| 1958 |
· Great Britain defeats a team from the USA 10 - 0.
| 1961 |
· In 1964 introduction of the 'Standing Count'. | 1964
|
· The Home Counties Associations formed. | 1968
|
· The Eastern Counties Association is formed. | 1970
|
· Light flyweight introduced to the ABA Finals.
| 1971 |
· In 1971 'long hair' on boxers was banned on the grounds of safety.
| 1971 |
· In 1977 'low blows' became compulsory for all boxers.
| 1971 |
· George and Ray Gilbody (St Helens Star) become the first brothers to win an ABA title at the same evening.
| 1979 |
· Scoring machines first tested in Liverpool (multi-nations event).
| 1980 |
· Erroll Christie (Standard Triumph ABC) becomes the first boxer to win a school, junior and senior title in successive years.
| 1981 |
· The ABA became formally the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE).
| 1981 |
· Super heavy (+91kg) is introduced as an ABA Championship weight.
| 1982 |
· 'Henry Cooper' inter-city competition launched and televised by BBC.
| 1983 |
· 'Super heavy' (+91kg) is introduced as an Olympic weight at the Los Angeles Games. Headguards made compulsory in Olympic Games.
| 1984 |
· Failed attempt by the British Medical Association (BMA) to ban amateur boxing.
| 1984 |
· Drug testing introduced at National ABA Championships. | 1985
|
· In 1985 compulsory re-medical of all boxers every five years and compulsory retirement age of (35) years for all boxers. | 1985
|
· Simultaneous use of (2) rings in the Olympic Games. | 1988 |
· Launch of the 'Golden Gloves' tournament for under (17) year olds. | 1989 |
· In 1989 scoring machines introduced for all international tournaments. | 1989
|
· Headguards could be worn in the semi and finals of the ABA National title in 1990. | 1990 |
· Headguards became compulsory in 1991.
| 1991 |
· Compulsory use of head guards for all international bouts. | 1991 |
· Entries limited at the Barcelona (Spain) Olympic Games. Introduction of 'World Zonal qualifying tournaments' and computer 'scoring'. | 1992
|
· Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) established as a limited company. | 1993
|
· Last occasion boxers from Wales and Scotland completed in the 'ABA' National Championships.
| 1993 |
· Introduction of 'affiliation fees' for all boxers, coaches and officials. | 1993 |
· AIBA agree to competitive 'female boxing'. | 1994 |
· ABAE National Championships move from London for only their third time since 1881. In 1944 they were held at Belle Vue (Manchester) for one year. They remained in Birmingham for three years, then Barnsley for a number of years before returning to London in 2004. | 1994 |
· British Universities Championships launched by the B.U.S.A. | 1995
|
· Launch of the National ABA Novice Championships. | 1996 |
· England win its first medals at the World Games. Held in Belfast (Northern Ireland) David Hayes of Whitley Bay ABC (Silver) and Carl Froch of Phoenix ABC (Bronze). | 2001
|
· Commonwealth Games held in Manchester | 2002
|
· Introduction of eleven weight categories for all international and national competitions. | 2003
|
· Novice Championships (Golden Belt) launched
| 2004 |
· Launch of the first ever Female National ABA Championships at the Metropolitan Police College, London. & |