Springhill Boxing Club coach Frank Delaney is celebrating the club's 50th anniversary this month with a triumphant return to the ring, following a two-year health ordeal that resulted in the amputation of both his legs. The 78-year-old, a renowned figure in Scottish boxing, has coached 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Reece Lynch and top amateurs including Willy Hutchison, Ross Henderson, Kieran Smith, and Scott Forrest.
Health battles and recovery
In January 2025, complications from diabetes led to sepsis, a heart attack, and kidney failure. Frank had his right leg amputated in January 2025 and his left in October 2025. Despite these challenges, he has learned to walk again on prosthetic limbs and uses a mobility scooter in his Shotts gym to continue coaching.
Frank told Lanarkshire Live Sport: "I have been through the mill with various things, so it is good to be at this stage now. I am walking again, not for miles but around the house and moving about on crutches. I have prosthetics on both legs now."
Coaching through adversity
He added: "I have a wee scooter to get around the gym and I have adapted to get myself jammed into a corner so I can do the pads with the guys. I obviously can't jump about as much but I am finding wee ways of doing things because I don't want to be just sitting in the house all the time."
Frank is now on dialysis three days a week, but he remains dedicated to his coaching. "I took unwell with sepsis, I had a heart attack and then my kidneys failed. I am now on dialysis three days a week - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - and I have to do that for the rest of my life," he said.
Setting goals and looking forward
Frank has set small goals to keep himself motivated, achieving his latest goal of walking unaided by the end of July. He now aims to walk completely without crutches. "The good thing is a lot of what I can pass on is just telling boys what to do, rather than showing them," he noted.
Over five decades, Frank has received numerous awards, including the Sunday Mail Great Scot Community Hero and NLC Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2025, he was inducted into the North Lanarkshire Sporting Hall of Fame. He looks forward to the club's 50th anniversary celebrations in October at The Marble Club in Shotts, where many former boxers will gather.
