On 25 April, London Fire Brigade (LFB) proudly entered the ring at the O2 Indigo arena in North Greenwich to compete in the prestigious Lafone Cup, the world's oldest police boxing championship. In a thrilling display of athleticism and camaraderie, LFB boxers faced off against the Metropolitan Police Service in an event that showcased the resilience and skill of both teams.
This year marked the Brigade’s returned to the Lafone Cup after several years. A team of firefighters, members of the community boxing club, and LFB representatives from local boxing gyms joined forces to represent the Brigade in this historic competition.
The LFB team, led by dedicated coach and Wallington Firefighter Charlie Beatt, demonstrated outstanding performance throughout the evening. Brigade representatives Matt Shirling, Dylan Baldwin, and Simone Clarke emerged victorious in their respective bouts against Met boxers.
Firefighter Ashley Gordon from Lambeth fire station, one of four firefighters who competed in the event, expressed his pride in boxing for the Brigade: "I've been training quite hard, and I'm proud to get up there and represent us."
Joining Ashley in the ring were firefighters Klaudia Dyga, Luke Aisthorpe, and Vic Wipfler. For Vik, from East Greenwich Fire Station, this Lafone Cup held special significance. Vic had previously worked as a police officer for the Met before training as a firefighter, making this her first experience competing against her former colleagues.
Charlie Beatt said: "Vic's like a mini Tyson Fury- she's fantastic. We're all lucky to have her with us."
The electrifying atmosphere in the arena reflected the spirit of friendly competition and mutual respect shared between police officers and firefighters.
One police officer, Jamie, said: "It's always a pleasure to work with [the Brigade]; I've got confidence we'll be winning this, but I'll bet they'll make us work for it."
Reflecting on the event, coach Charlie Beatt said: "Last Thursday saw 1000 people come together to support boxers from the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, and boxers from clubs in the London region.
"The Lafone cup is historically an intra-Met police competition, but this year they hosted a special LFB vs Met component which allowed police officers, firefighters and London club members licensed with England Boxing to showcase their skills and courage. Thank you to the Met Police boxing team and the officials from London Boxing and Southern counties for hosting us in this great show."
Firefighter Dom Burridge from Fulham Fire Station added: "I had a great time supporting the team. Everyone boxed so well, it was great to see all the hard work in the gym paying off. I'm looking forward to next year's Cup, and hopefully being able to get in there myself."
Fellow LFB boxing club member Shane Mendoza, a firefighter from Kentish Town, echoed Dom's sentiments: "Between the massive crowd that was there to support everyone, to the extraordinary venue and the spectacular performance by the boxers, it was a great night. I'm looking forward to seeing and hopefully participating in the next LFB boxing event."