The Motherwell Times has kindly granted ABS Ltd permission to publish its article on Archie McKay entitled;
Farewell to Forgewood’s King of the Ring
MORE than 1,000 mourners packed Motherwell Cathedral on Saturday for the funeral of one of Scotland’s top boxing coaches, Archie McKay.
Co-founder and head coach at Forgewood Amateur Boxing Club, Archie died aged 52 last week after a short illness.
Mourners were told that the father of five had made a “huge difference” to the lives of many young people over the years.
He was described by Fr Kenny Campbell as “the best unpaid social worker Motherwell ever had” for his work in taking youngsters off the streets and “keeping them on the straight and narrow”.
Prior to the funeral Archie’s body was taken to the boxing club’s centre in Mabel Street, Motherwell, where hundreds of people went to pay their respects on Thursday and Friday.
Family members held an overnight vigil at the club on Thursday before Archie’s body was taken to the Cathedral.
Archie and his dad, Tommy, were instrumental in setting up the club at Braidhurst Sports Barn in 1985. A few years later it moved to Mabel Street, but Archie insisted it keep the Forgewood name.
The club has produced a string of champions over the years, from schoolboy level through to British light-welterweight champion Barry Morrison.
Many of them were among the mourners who crammed into the Cathedral for the funeral service. Around 100 people had to stand outside.
