Burnham boxes clever

3:30pm Thursday 4th September 2008

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LEIGH boxers were knocked out when Leigh MP Andy Burnham returned from Beijing with two club vests signed by the GB squad’s trio of Olympic medallists.

They had asked the club president to take them with him on the journey to China, but Andy had his doubts that he would be able to get them signed.

Fortunately he bumped in the GB boxing coach at the Games and three of the fighters agreed to sign the red and white vests - before becoming medallists.

Now the Leigh ABC is the proud owner of the vests bearing the signatures of gold medallist middleweight James DeGale, and bronze winners super heavyweight David Price and light heavyweight Tony Jeffries, after Andy handed them back to head coach Adrian Fleming at the Scott Street gym on Monday, along with a package of Olympic memorabliaia.

Andy said: “When I arrived the three Olympic boxers were the last British lads left in and they had not yet reached the finals. Thankfully they all brought home medals in the best British Olympics show for a century.

“Hopefully the Leigh club may have boxer in the London 2012 games.”