Gerry Marsden

Gerry Marsden Liverpool icon and Florrie Old Boy Gerry Marsden supports the launch of our online archive, with the following message: “Hello! This is Gerry Marsden, talking about one of my fondly remembered haunts, The Florrie. It’s fantastic that they’re launching their online archive and I’m really looking forward to taking a look at it. […]

Billy Williams

Billy Williams Another outstanding member of the restoration campaign – and Tommy Bache’s best mate – was Billy Williams. Although he never hit the heights like Tommy, Billy was an excellent boxer himself in his day. They actually had a bout together, on the 9th September 1963, at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. Appropriately, […]

Tommy Bache

Tommy Bache Tommy Bache is a true hero of The Florrie, as well as one of the best boxers the club has ever seen. There are many heroes who played key roles in the building’s salvation, but without Tommy, who stepped in when the Institute closed in 1988 to tin the ground floor up, at […]

Larry Paul

Larry Paul Larry Paul will be forever in the record books as the first British Light-middleweight Champion. He began his boxing career aged 14 at The Florrie. He had a total of 110 amateur contests, of which he lost only 10. During his amateur career, he won the National Association of Boys’ Clubs title as […]

Alan Rudkin

Alan Rudkin No history of boxing at The Florrie – or indeed, Merseyside or England – would be complete without the name of Alan Rudkin appearing very high up the list. In many people’s opinions, Alan Rudkin should now be recognised as a former British World Champion. In all, Alan had three world title challenges […]

Joseph Cunningham

Joseph Cunningham 1st Superintendent of the Florence institute Trust 1889-1894 Joseph Cunningham was a Liverpool born flour dealer and baker. In 1889 he became the first superintendent of the Florence Institute for Boys after working at another boys institute in North Liverpool, The Gordon Working Lads Institute. Cunningham and his wife Elizabeth later went on […]

The Hall Family

A Brief History of the Hall Family Taken from the book Finding Margaret by John Hussey. Published 2011 by Countrywise Ltd. Copyright John Hussey. Bernard Hall was the tenth of ten children, born in Cheadle, Staffordshire in 1813, six years after the abolition of the slave trade.  George III was still King of England until […]