Gilmerton is a small mining village in the South of Edinburgh in beautiful Scotand.

in the 1950's Gilmerton Boxer Hugh Riley won Gold in the Commonwealth games for Scotland. He was one of many great champions to emerge from the club. It was known as a very successful club at that time and had great boxers at many different levels. But for years the spirit of Boxing seemed to be lost as the club closed down around the 1970's, and it wasn't until 1994 When local 10yr Old Gary Young brought Boxing back to Gilmerton.

Young (of the Sparta AAC) Won Eastern District and Scottish National Amateur Titles at the age of eleven. He moved onto the Craigmillar based Portobello A.B.C where in total he won 7 Eastern District Titles, 7 Scottish National Titles, he Struck gold twice at the Gaelic Games in Dublin 1999, and Fife 2000, He was a successful Internationalist representing  Scotland numerous times over the world.

In 2000 Gary Young's father Rab re-opened the once famous Gilmerton AAC in "the Old Green Halls" as it was known to local residents. 

After 98 Amateur Bouts - 81 Wins with 56 Knock-outs GARY YOUNG signed Professional with Frank Maloney and Frank Warren of Sports Network and is now a rising Star in Professional Boxing. He is currently Undefeated and has a massive support in his home village of Gilmerton.

But this Site is not about the names mentioned above, it is about how the areas of south Edinburgh - Gilmerton, Inch, Gracemount etc,  once known for its gang rivalry, violence, and ability to produce dissadvantaged youth, now has a team of healthy young athletes,  from all the areas mentioned, united together, learning the art of boxing, discipline and how to live a better life.

Gilmerton will soon be famous for one thing - BOXING!

a little village that produced Champion after Champion and our rising stars of tommorrow could be on this site already.

In its first year Gilmerton opened the doors to many youngsters, on our opening night we had a total of 65 lads turn up wanting to learn. The Gilmerton area at the time had 7 National Amateur Champions who were all travelling into the centre of town for Boxing clubs. So when a local club was said to be opening alot of youngsters were delighted.

Like many Clubs on week 2 almost everyone brings a friend, and this made the first few weeks of training very difficult. Some lads quickly realise Boxing is Not for them and few drifted off, but even at that early stage the coaches were beginning to spot the Raw Talent.

A Shy Quiet little lad was noticed shadowboxing, he was very slim and didn't look very strong, but he was watching Local Scottish Champion at the time Shaun McKinnon, copying his movements and combinations perfectly,  almost throwing punches faster than him. His name was Shawn Cairns. 

Shawn was one of our first novice Boxers to be registered, he made his amateur debut at the SheratonGrande Hotel on the 20th Ocober 2001 with an Excellent win over Hollyroods Paul Deegan, who later joined the Gilmerton AAC. Shawn went on to win the Eastern District Championship in just 4 fights. He lost the National Championships due to inexperience but went on to win both district and National Titles the Following year, Along with the honour of Representing Scotland in the four Nations Junior championships winning a Bronze medal. 

Paul Deegan, Danny & Mark Woods, and George Clarke came to us from the Hollyrood A.B.C, they had boxed before but many of their fight had been loses through no fault of there own. Alot of their contests had been heavily over-matched. Clarke had lost 9 contests out of 9. But once he had the correct coaching and looking after he began to feel the joy of winning, and winning and winning som more. In his first year at Gilmerton he managed to reach the Semi-Final of the Scottish senior Championships loosing to Commonwealth Games rep Mark Hastie. He also got Bronze at the Four Nations Junior Championships when he was picked to represent Scotland. But all Georges Success has come with Hard work and 100% Determination. 

There is a terrrific team spirit in the Gym on training nights and on fightnight the lads are always in good spirits, heart and soul of the dressing rooms.

why not nip over to the gallery and meet the gang face to face.