BLACKPOOL have turned to a boxing champion to add punch to their season.
British light-middleweight champion Brian Rose was invited to Pool’s Squires Gate training ground yesterday to put the club’s stars through their pace.
It’s not the first time the local hero has been called in – he took pre-season sessions for Pool’s previous boss Ian Holloway.
Rose, 27, who will defend his British title against Sam Webb at the Winter Gardens in a fortnight, is a popular figure among the players and a regular at Bloomfield Road.
Winger Tom Ince revealed it’s great to do something different in training.
Ince said: “It was fantastic to have Brian here again. He’s been down quite a few times.
“The training is totally different to what we normally do and it’s a lot tougher.
“It’s great for the lads to experience it. It shows what boxers have to go through.
“It’s great for Blackpool to have such a successful boxer.”
Ince comes from a boxing family – dad Paul is the cousin of former world champion Nigel Benn and would often accompany him into the ring.
The Pool winger could be seen ringside at Ricky Hatton’s ill-fated comeback fight last weekend return and he’s promised to be there for Rose’s next bout.
Ince added: “We’ll all be hoping to get down and watch Brian’s fight on the 14th.
“Hopefully he can keep winning. All the lads and staff down here are fully behind him.
“We used to watch boxing all the time when I was younger. I love boxing – it’s such an exciting sport.”
Ince is part of a 22-man squad which heads south to Peterborough today ahead of tomorrow’s game at London Road.
Ian Evatt, Matt Phillips and Gary Taylor-Fletcher will again miss out through injury.
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