Bare knuckle fight event at Doncaster village farm rejected by councillors

Applicant Daniel Howarth, asked Doncaster Council for a temporary events notice (TEN) to sell alcohol and provide a DJ at an event at Stubbs Hall Farm off Wakefield Road in Hampole.

But South Yorkshire Police (SYP) submitted an objection and said the event was mainly for a ‘bare-knuckle boxing’ which they described as not a sport but ‘just a series of criminal assaults’.

The event has been issued a counter notice by the council.

A promotional picture on Facebook, sent to the council by SYP, shows two fighters facing off at the event on March 28 at £35 a ticket.

The event, dubbed BKF 3, is described as ‘the home of Yorkshire bare knuckle fighting’ and 30 fighters would be going up against each other for a variety of titles.

The application said up to 450 people could attend.

When questioned further by licensing officers at DMBC Mr Howarth said: “The fighters will not actually be fighting bare knuckle.

“I stated it was a bare knuckle show and that has probably given the wrong idea and impression as I never made it clear that the fighters hands won’t actually be bare.

“The fighters hands will be professionally wrapped using custom wraps that are made up to 8oz which are the same weight as a boxing glove.”

Mr Howarth added the event was planned to take place on a grass paddock inside a large tent and a security team would be brought in to deal with any anti-social behaviour.

He also said fighters would be checked over by a fully trained professional fight medic after bouts.

But Andy Steele, licensing enforcement officer at SYP, said: “Although the applicant didn’t list that the event is a bare-knuckle fight, after discussing the application with Mr Howarth, he confirmed the TEN was for alcohol and regulated entertainment during the bare-knuckle fight.

“We have consulted the SYPS solicitor who has replied that ‘no one cannot, lawfully, arrange a bare-knuckle fight - whether under a TEN or otherwise - as bare-knuckle boxing isn’t considered a sport, it is just a series of criminal assaults’.”