A team of ‘disciples’ will take on the legacy of a Bermondsey boxing club’s head coach, after he passed away having spent over fifty years training youngsters.
Fisher Boxing Club tragically lost their head coach, Steve Hiser, last month, after a lifelong commitment to amateur boxing.
As his colleagues, many of whom he coached as kids, recover from the loss of a man who shaped their lives forever, they told us why the club will go on despite his passing.
Trevor Thirwall, who knew Steve for over 40 years, said: “Steve was the head coach for a very long time and he held together a whole community.” Trevor explained that part of his worry was who was going to carry on his work.
“It was so important for the gospel Steve created to carry on, that only his disciples could have taken it over.”
Trevor is one of the new head coaches, or ‘disciples’, that have taken on the running of the club.
“A few years ago, towards the end of his life, he called on each of us to get more involved in the running of the place.”
He explained that now there will not be one head coach, but five, all ‘hand-picked’ by Steve himself – Omar Riz, Ash Sharma, George Wadman, Andrew Wadman and Trevor.
But despite the newly shared responsibility, the mission remains unanimous. “The immense success that Steve generated: it was more than just teaching people to box. It’s a legacy of love,” Trevor explained.
“It’s a responsibility – we’re dealing with and nurturing people with real-world problems.”
Andrew Wadman, another one of the ‘disciples’, added: “So the new club will be run with a fresh eye – but the ethics and ethos have to stay the same.”
Trevor added: “He instilled in us morals, duty and discipline – a code of conduct for life. And that is what we continue.”
They said although it has taken some time for the changing of the guards to be completed, the future of the Fisher Club looks “more successful than ever.”
Fisher Amateur Boxing Club was formed in 1908 at Downside Youth Club in Bermondsey. Its rich history includes not only nurturing world-class champions but consistently serving the ever-changing area. Its location in a youth club means every boxer is free to use the weight section, the pool, and the rest of the building – ‘as long as they pay their subs.’
A more recent addition is the women’s programme – which Steve started in 2016 and it has continued to grow. They are trying to encourage more female boxers to join them. Recently they partnered with the England Boxing Association to host the first London female squad day where female boxers from all across London came to train and spar together.
The new schedule can be found on their Instagram: @therealfisherboxing or on their website www.downside-fisher.org
