Judo club moves to new home

A JUDO club on the Nunsthorpe estate has closed its doors on a 34 year chapter of producing some of the world's best judo champions.

Coach Terry Alltoft became a coach 40 years ago and 34 years ago, Grimsby Judo Club was born in the Sutcliffe Avenue hut it has been training in ever since.

And in that hut, he has produced 40 national and international champions, including Sharon Rendle, who went on to win British, European, World and Olympic titles in the same year – 1990.

However, the club said goodbye to the sporting history made in the old hut on Thursday, with Terry throwing a student onto the mat for the last time.

The victim he chose was junior Commonwealth Games silver medallist Ryan Ellrich, 16, who is helping to renovate the new building. He said it was "a privilege".

The club is now looking forward to moving into its new home in St Martin's Church Hall – literally opposite – in September.

Mr Alltoft said: "There's a lot of memories in this place – I'm 65 this year so I've been coaching here for more than half my life.

"I remember Sharon Rendle asking if she could stay for six weeks when her mum passed away. She stayed for 16 years and won Olympic gold.

"Sharon came back a few years later with a French judo star, who could not believe that she had trained in this little hut.

"It does bring a tear to my eye to say goodbye to this place. But I think it needs knocking down before it falls down – and the new dojo should be ready soon."

Terry and members of the judo club are pulling together to renovate their new home, adding a dropped ceiling, changing rooms and giving the old bingo room in the church hall a general lick of paint.

The group have already been working on the new place for five weeks and hope it will be ready for training in early September. Grimsby Judo Club closes every summer, so members shouldn't lose out on training time – which is good news for junior British number one and two Lois Brown and Kirsty Guest.

Lois, 19, British number one in the under 78kg weight, said: "I come here from Beverley twice a week, because if you want to succeed you go to wherever is the best place to train that you can get to.

"I'll miss this place – it gets pretty hot inside but it's good when you're trying to make weight."

Kirsty, British number two in the over 78kg weight, from Scunthorpe, said: "I've been training here for 12 years and I'm very stuck in my ways so it is sad to see it close – but I'm sure I'll get used to the new place."

The old building is also owned by the church but, showing signs of wear and tear, will be demolished eventually.