The precursor to Jersey Leonis Boxing Club was the Central Boxing Club run by Bob Furshard and his son Max. The club’s gymnasium was a former German World War II telephone repeater station in Trinity Road, St. Helier. The bunker was owned by the States of Jersey who took it over and made it into the Civil Defence Headquarters.
Central Boxing Club closed in 1950 and from the ashes of that club came a new boxing club formed in 1955 by Paul Holley, Dave Evans and Bert Langford. The new club was named Leonis Boxing Club and George Troy, a States of Jersey Senator and founder of Channel Television, was the Chairman and Patron. Brian Follain joined the fledgling club shortly after its doors opened as a 15-year-old and has been with the club ever since. He is currently the boxing Supervisor in Jersey.
It is not known where the name came from, but it may have originated from the constellation Leo. Alternatively, and possibly more appropriately, Leonis is a name of Germanic origin meaning ‘Lion’s Strength’.
Leonis Boxing Club’s first home was on the first floor of the old Jersey Motor Transport bus station at the Weighbridge in St Helier. Unfortunately, this was not much more than a tin shed so in about 1955 it moved to the first floor of a warehouse in Nelson Street, which was a vast improvement on the previous Weighbridge site. At the time Leonis was still being run by Paul Holley and assisted by his “sponge man” Jock Ward.
Although Leonis boxers are known best for their bright red strip, this was not the original colour strip for the club. In the earliest days, the strip was black with a red vertical stripe running down the side of the shorts.
