Sheffield legends enter hall of fame » Local Government » 24dash.com

Two more of Sheffield’s best known residents will be inducted into the city’s ‘hall of fame’.

World famous boxing trainer, Brendan Ingle, and top climber Joe Simpson will unveil their Sheffield Legends plaques in two ceremonies outside the Town Hall on On Tuesday 8 January.

Brendan Ingle was born into a large family (he has 14 brothers and sisters) in Dublin in 1941 and was formerly a professional boxer before becoming a manager and trainer.

Brendan has been training boxers out of the St Thomas' Gym since the 1960s and is still going strong. The champion boxers to come out of his Wincobank gym include champions Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham, Prince Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson and Junior Witter.

Brendan was awarded an MBE in 1998 for his services and contributions to British boxing and his work with young people in the Sheffield area.

Born in 1960, Joe Simpson is a renown mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. He was made famous by his book ‘Touching the Void’ (winner of the 1988 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature and subsequently made into a movie) in which he described a successful, but disastrous and near-fatal attempt by himself and Simon Yates to climb Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

In 1997 he began another career as a motivational speaker, talking at corporate events throughout the world. Joe has also survived many other major accidents, notably breaking his other leg in the Himalaya while climbing with Mal Duff.

Joe’s later non-fiction books describe other expeditions, including an attempt on the North Face of the Eiger, and his changing feeling towards extreme mountaineering brought on by the many deaths that surround the pursuit. One of his books, ‘The Beckoning Silence’ was made into a documentary that was released on Channel 4 in October 2007.

Cllr Jan Wilson, Leader of Sheffield Council commented: “Sheffield will be celebrating two of its most successful heroes - both at the top of their respective professions.

"Brendan has achieved so much in boxing, but also worked with young people in the community. Joe is regarded as one of the best climbers in the world and it is appropriate that he is acknowledged by the city, which has become an important centre for climbers using the Peak District.”

Both unveilings will take place on Tuesday 8 January. Joe’s ceremony will take place at 11am and he is expected to be joined by the top male and female climbers in Britain - seven times champion Lucy Creamer and Steve McClure - both from Sheffield. Brendan’s ceremony will be at 12.30pm and both events take place outside the main entrance of the Town Hall.