Frank Maloney: interviewed November 2003
1:06pm Monday 10th November 2003 in
THE gumshield is in, the fists are taped and the gloves are on. Chislehurst boxing promoter Frank Maloney is ready to do battle, both in next year’s mayoral election and in the ring.
But it is not his loud-mouthed rival Don King he wants to pummel. The plucky political hopeful says he would happily take on Ken Livingstone in a celebrity boxing match.
“I hate to say it but it would be no competition,” he laughed. “I would fight Ken in celebrity boxing. We could donate all the money to London’s transport system because congestion charging isn’t working.”
Maloney is in the opening stages of his campaign for London mayor and is signing copies of his new autobiography No Baloney: From Peckham to Las Vegas on home turf in Bromley this month.
The book charts his crazy rise through the boxing world and contains some pretty candid material about past misdemeanours and indiscretions.
So has anyone contacted Maloney since its release threatening to pummel him?
“I have heard of someone who is very unhappy but I don’t think they can do anything because it could open up a can of worms for them if they took it to court.”
Does he think it wise for a potential politician to be so honest and open?
“People will try and dig up skeletons and say ‘He has done this and he has done that’ so I thought I would lay it all bare. Then if they want to they can ask ‘Is this guy capable of running London because he has done this and went with that woman and did that?’ It was easier just to write it all down.”
The straight-talking Peckham boy is the former manager of Heavyweight Champion of the World Lennox Lewis and currently has a number of other top boxers on his books. He says people were wary of his political ambitions at first but now are taking him — and his policies — seriously.
“People were a bit dubious whether I was really going to stand or if it was a publicity stunt but now they have seen the amount of speaking and the places I have been to, the meetings in church halls and so on, I am being taken very seriously. I have built up a very good base.
“I have found people are beginning to realise there is an alternative to Labour, Liberal and Conservative and to believe there is an alternative with ordinary people in it.”
The affable UK Independence Party candidate says his main aim as London mayor would be to introduce a youth policy and stop schools and councils selling off playing fields and open spaces.
“I grew up in a society where there were lots of youth clubs around south London and it did really help. It kept a lot of us off the streets and out of trouble.
“I drove through Chislehurst and up through Mottingham recently and the gangs of kids I saw was unbelievable. I talked to one of them and they said ‘We’ve got nothing else to do, Frank, except hang around on the streets. Where can we go? We’re too young to go to a club and too young to go to the pub’.”
On October 27, Maloney joined Matthew Kelly on the sofa of Frank Skinner’s ITV chatshow. Wearing his trademark Union Jack suit, he chatted about his hilarious experiences with Viagra. His second wife, Tracey, — with whom he has two young daughters, Sophie and Libby — must surely have been less than happy about his revelations?
“She knew about the story,” he laughed. “She doesn’t like it really but she said ‘If you want to make a fool of yourself that’s up to you’.” But what about that suit? Does he worry people will associate him with more right-wing views?
“No, I don’t see a problem with being patriotic and supporting your country. The suit was worn to increase awareness of Lennox Lewis as a British fighter. It’s nothing to do with politics. I believe in Britain political correctness has gone too far.”
Passionate and outspoken, Maloney is also a life-long Millwall supporter .He said he was glad to see the back of manager Mark McGee, despite one of The Lions’ most promising starts to the season for years.
“I think he was the second-worst manager Millwall has ever had, next to Mick McCarthy. He has got no man-management skills. Dennis Wise seems very resourceful, which you can’t knock.
“They are playing with a passion now, which they weren’t under Mark McGee. I think they will make the play-offs but hopefully they will win the league.
“If I was the chairman I would leave Wise and Ray Wilkins until the end of the season. They may find that pays dividends.”
Frank Maloney is a small man with big ideas and a heavyweight in the boxing fraternity but only time will tell if he will be given the chance to knock London into shape.
You can meet Frank Maloney at Ottakars, The Glades, High Street, Bromley, Nov 20, 6pm, 020 8460 6037.
No Baloney: From Peckham To Las Vegas, is published by Mainstream Publishing, £15.99.
More News stories
Frank Maloney
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
