Trainer Keith MacDonald has admitted that he needs volunteers to come forward and help at North Northumberland Boxing Club.

Experienced Keith, who has more than 25 years of coaching under his belt, has made the plea because he fears the amount of time he can spend at the club is shrinking.

Keith, who proved he was king of the ring when he scooped the very first Northumberland Gazette Sports Personality of the Year award at the beginning of the year, admitted: "I do need help now.

"I've coached for the love of the sport but now is the time when I need that little bit of help.

"I haven't been able to do the amount I would like to do at the club recently because of ill-health.

"I haven't stood down because I don't want to leave the lads without a coach. But I do need help with it now."

He has said that potential helpers would not need boxing experience and would be shown the ropes and guided through coaching courses.

He also added that people can help outside the ring, including administration work, to aid club secretary Jack Fairbairn and competition secretary Owen Reay.

Keith said: "The club is really up and running now and we have around 20 boys.

"I have had so much satisfaction by being a coach. It has kept boys off the streets and it is great to bring them in from different angles and then see them in the ring."

The club train at Hadston Community Centre on a Tuesday and Thursday night.

Anyone interested in helping at the club should contact Jack on 01670 761230.

>> A string of successful bouts have displayed the talented boxers at the club's disposal.

Leon Murphy and Judd Donohoe battled to victory while Chavez Pattinson was unlucky in his clash with Evander Harwood.

The fights were the first under the club's new North Northumberland name.

First up was Murphy who scored a notable points victory against D Armstrong in Motherwell. The North Northumberland boxer had fought less than half the times of his opponent but, after a close three rounds, the talented boxer dominated the final round to take the points decision.

Another away trip saw Pattinson box Harwood of Boldon at Grainger Park's November 5 show.

Harwood came out punching and threatened to overwhelm Pattinson early on by forcing an eight count, but he showed skill and courage to weather the storm. In the second round Pattinson, under instructions to box his big-hitting opponent, put his opponent down for an eight count.

But, on the verge of a stoppage victory, Pattinson was drawn into a fight and was caught with a great right hook which ended the fight early.

The North Northumberland boxer won over the plaudits though with coaches saying how unlucky he was.

Also boxing at the Grainger Park show was Donohoe, who took on home boxer Mark Sutherland.

Sutherland had exactly twice as many fights as Donohoe and was described by his coach and matchmaker as an "excellent, pure boxer".

But Donohoe defied the critics and immediately silenced the crowd by forcing an eight count and having Sutherland on the verge of being
stopped within a minute of the first round.

Sutherland, taken aback by Donohoe's power, was outpunched in the first two rounds, and Donohoe followed this up in the final two to battle to a unanimous decision.

Donohoe's victory, against a more experienced boxer at his home show, helped him scoop the best junior boxer of the night.