SCOTT Quigg is hoping to give Bury sports fans something to cheer about on Saturday night.
The town’s former world super-bantamweight champion returns to the Manchester Arena after more than three years away when he takes on outspoken Irishman Jono Carroll.
The future of Bury FC, and football in the town, still hangs very much in the balance with the Shakers having been expelled from the EFL last August.
And the 31-year-old is well aware that he can put Bury on the map in a positive light in front of the Sky Sports cameras with victory likely to catapult either man towards another world title shot.
“It’s a real shame that the people who got hold of the club did what they did and how it turned out,” Quigg said after going head-to-head with Carroll at the final press conference yesterday.
“The club means a lot to the town. It hit a lot of people hard.
“It might have only been a small following that the club had but a lot of people lost a lot of work and lost their community at the weekend.
“The support I get from Bury is absolutely immense and I can’t thank them all enough.
“Hopefully I can give them something to celebrate on Saturday.”
Back from America and training with Joe Gallagher in Bolton for a fight he has described as “must-win”, the former Bury ABC fighter is enjoying being back on home soil.
He admits however that having been the fighter who brought boxing back to the town in 2010 – fighting three times at the Castle Leisure Centre in all – that the dream of turning Gigg Lane into Quigg Lane has passed.
“I remember boxing at the leisure centre which is a stone’s throw away from my mum’s house,” he said.
“I boxed in Bury and I always looked forward to potentially one day fighting at the ground.
“I think that has maybe passed now but they overturned the boxing ban for me to be able to fight in my hometown so I’ll be forever grateful, the support is massive.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here