Gym · Amateur & professional · est. 1927 Collyhurst · Manchester

Collyhurst
& Moston

Ninety-nine years old and still £3 a class. Harry Fleming opened it in 1927; Pat Barrett and Thomas McDonagh run it now. Three world champions came out of the Fleming years, four British or world champions out of the Hughes years, and the juniors are in on Tuesday nights.

IMAGE · The ring, the bags, the photographs on the wall. No one posing. ▶ Short film · [MM:SS]

If you're thinking of going

Checked with gym 09.2026

Cost: £3 a class, pay on the night. No membership.
Ages: Juniors from [N] · seniors 16+ · adults' beginners [DAY]
Women & girls: [TBC with gym]
Parents can watch: Yes, from the benches by the door
Sessions: Mon–Fri [TIMES]
Juniors Tue & Thu [TIME]
Affiliated: England Boxing · [CLUB NUMBER]
Kit: Trainers and a towel. Gloves and wraps lent for the first few weeks.
Address: [ADDRESS], Collyhurst, Manchester [POSTCODE]
Buses [N], [N]; [N] min from Victoria
Contact: [PHONE] · [INSTAGRAM]

Directions Message the gym Safeguarding: we check the club holds current England Boxing affiliation and a named welfare officer. What we check →

The story

Three eras, one building.
Words [WRITER] · checked with the gym.

1927 — Harry Fleming

[PARAGRAPH — Fleming opens the gym; what Collyhurst was like; how he trained.] Out of these years came Jackie Brown, Johnny King and Jock McAvoy: [ONE LINE EACH ON WHAT THEY WON].

[YEAR] — Brian Hughes

[PARAGRAPH — Hughes takes over; the lads' club years; his method.] His fighters: Pat Barrett, Robin Reid, Michael Gomez, Scott Quigg. [ONE LINE ON HOW BARRETT CAME BACK TO RUN THE PLACE.]

ARCHIVE · [CAPTION, SOURCE, YEAR] · reproduced with permission of [HOLDER]

Now — Barrett & McDonagh

[PARAGRAPH — the gym today; who comes; the £3; what the two of them are trying to keep alive.] Read the full interview in Manchester People, MCR-0141.