A NEW boxing club aims to put the city back on the world's boxing map -- while helping local charities to fight their corner.

The Preston City Federation Boxing Team, which formed last week, is aiming to revive the city's historic links with sport.

But before the dream can become a reality, they need to raise £1,500 to set them up with a new kit and to pay for their first year's running costs.

Amateur boxers aged from 11-30 years old, from across Preston, Leyland, Chorley and Kirkham, are lining up to compete for the 30 places in the team. They hope to follow in the footsteps of teen hero, Amir Khan, who shot to fame after winning a silver medal at this year's Olympic games in Athens.

The city's mayor, Councillor Pat Woods, has pledged her support and agreed to grant the team the use of the Preston city logo.

And plans are already in the pipeline for a fight night at the Guild Hall, Preston, later this year.

Organisers are hoping the new club will echo memories of the past when Preston produced a wealth of boxing champions including Johnny Sullivan, British and Empire middleweight champion; middleweight boxer Ronnie Riley; and bantamweight, Jackie Fairclough, who fought European champion Louis Romero in the fifties.

A decade later Preston turned out ten British schoolboy champions in just one season including John Sherrington, from Preston Grammar School.

These days it is the likes of Rod Allen, an Amateur Boxing Association champion from Preston, and Fulwood Boxing Club, who keep Preston in the ring.

Bernard Simpson, 66, chairman of the team's steering group, was in the city's last boxing team, Preston Police Club, which disbanded a decade ago.

He said: "It's a lifetime's ambition for me to get the team going again.

"I've been trying to do this for years and it's taken a long time to get it together but we just need the start-up money and then we'll be able to start giving back to the community.

"Preston is a hot-bed of boxing talent that goes back through history and it's time it was brought back in."

Mr Simpson, of Millbank, Fulwood, has been playing the sport since the age of 11 and has years of hands-on experience fighting national boxing champions including two challenges against Hungarian bantamweight, Zenmen Irme, in the fifties.

More recently his boxing interests have focused on coaching would-be champs and as an official for the Amateur Boxing Association.

Now he is hoping the new Preston team will get off the ground and says cash raised from fights will go to some of the city's numerous charitable concerns.

"We're asking to be supported for the first year but then we will be able to hold events that will put money back into our community charities," he said.

"I've been to fund-raising shows in Manchester for Hope Hospital and thousands of pounds have been raised. I want it to be the same here.

"I want to make sure that boxing is as recognised as other sports like football.

"But we want to make sure we're giving something back and hopefully the new team will make sure of it."