ONE of the biggest names in boxing will visit Dunfermline for a knockout evening that aims to raise thousands for two West Fife clubs.

Former world light-welterweight and welterweight champion Ricky Hatton is set to appear on stage at the Glen Pavilion in April next year for a benefit night in aid of Trench and Valleyfield Miners Amateur boxing clubs.

It has been organised by Craig Roxburgh, who over the past year has organised events in aid of Dalgety Bay youngster Josh Cathcart, who has a bionic arm.

The Press previously told you how Josh, of Meadowfield, was fitted with a £42,000 bionic hand last year after being bullied for being born with the lower half of his right arm missing, with a race night organised by Craig raising almost £5,000.

In May, a Sportsman’s Dinner featuring guests such as Jim Leishman, John Rowbotham and Dick Campbell, as well as top pro boxers Alex Arthur, Billy Joe Saunders and Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan, raised around £13,000 for Josh, who will need a replacement when he grows bigger.

Craig, whose seven-year-old son, Lewis, trains at the Rosyth-based Trench club, is optimistic that a sell-out crowd of 400 for an evening with ‘Hitman’ Hatton could raise a similar amount of cash.

He said: “It’s not until April 28 but we’ve already sold 20 tables, which is 200 tickets, so hopefully we will sell out the 400. Valleyfield Miners Amateurs are just starting up again so 50 per cent of the money will go to them and 50 per cent will go to Trench, who are in Camdean at the moment but have got a unit in Elgin Industrial Estate that they are moving to.

“I am good friends with Gordon Brennan, who runs Trench, and my oldest boy Lewis goes there, and I’ve got some good friends like Barry Paton who are involved with Valleyfield.

“I contacted local businesses and managed to get five sponsors for the event – Commando Park Training, Smile Enhance Scotland, Village Cabz and Taxis, S Ewing and Sons Ltd and WDR Ltd – and it rolled on from there.

“I did Josh’s fundraising race night and contacted a number of boxers about donating items for auction. When I could copy links to the stories in the Press and elsewhere to them, it proved I was legitimate and I got friendly with a lot of people, more so in boxing because I’m a massive fan. I know Hatton’s manager and I was at the press conference for Ricky Burns’ last fight and he was there. Hatton is a promoter now and one of his fighters was there, so I asked about it, and he said that if we could fill the venue then he’d do it.

“We need to do it on a big scale but, having looked at the figures, we raised about £13,000 at the sportsman’s dinner (for Josh). I think we could potentially be looking at about £12,000 on the night, with £6,000 going to each club.”

Craig continued: “It should be a great night and Ricky will speak about things that haven’t made the papers or been read.

“When I spoke to Gordon and Barry, they thought it was exciting and there’s maybe been no-one as big coming to Dunfermline in recent years, apart from maybe Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) at the Alhambra.

“We’ve already got five cracking auction items for the night and the money raised will help buy new equipment to get them up and running. The cherry on the top for me is that Lewis goes to Trench and my two-year-old is already running about the house wearing boxing gloves!

“The classes have helped Lewis because before he went, he was shy and reserved, but I can see a massive difference. He’s confident, interacts with other kids and takes the lead in games that they play.

“If it is a success, maybe it could be a yearly thing but maybe not quite on the same scale. It was an opportunity that I didn’t want to let pass by.”

Hatton, who turned professional in 1997 and retired in 2012, won the British light-welterweight title in 2000 and followed that up with the WBU light-welterweight title 12 months later, of which he made a record 15 successful defences.

In 2005, he defeated Kostya Tszyu for the unified IBF, Ring, and lineal light-welterweight titles, then went on to win the WBA (Super) light-welterweight belt before suffering his first professional loss to Floyd Mayweather Junior in 2007 in an attempt to win the WBC, Ring, and lineal welterweight titles.

Tickets, which are priced at £70 each on tables of 10, include a drink on arrival, three-course meal and a photo opportunity with Hatton, of which numbers are limited.

l An Evening with Ricky Hatton, including after-dinner speakers John Gahagan and John McKelvie, takes place on April 28, with doors opening at 6.30pm for 7.15pm, and for more information, call 07866561999 or 07510731439.