Frank’s final round

Frank was visited by Anthony Crolla the night before he died.

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AN inspirational Failsworth boxing coach was visited by his greatest prodigy — boxing champ Anthony Crolla — the night before he died.

Tributes have flooded in for popular Frank Nightingale (74) who set up Failsworth Boxing Club.

The brave former amateur boxer lost a long battle with cancer.

Frank’s devoted wife Patricia revealed how he coached Chadderton world champion Crolla when he first started boxing at the age of 11.

Patricia said: “Anthony came to see Frank all the time. He would ring Frank after his fights and ask him how he went on — Frank would be honest if he didn’t think he fought well but that’s the close relationship they had. He was so proud of Anthony and everything he’s achieved. He came over to see Frank the night before he died and brought his belt with him.”

A glittering amateur boxing career saw Frank — using the name Andy Lowe after his late uncle — have 57 fights, winning 52 — 26 via knockout.

He then went on to box professionally and had around 14 fights.

It was after his retirement Frank began to coach,helping to develop an 11-year-old Crolla at The Fox Amateur Boxing Club, then in Ancoats. The two of them stayed close ever since.

With the help of Patricia, Frank launched Failsworth Boxing Club around 16 years ago.

In 2007, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma but fought off the illness and continued to coach nearly every week. He won a Pride in Oldham Award in 2008. Frank continued to do what he loved and coached young boxers but was hit with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2013.

He completed his treatment while still doing all he could at the boxing club. After shaking off the illness again, it returned as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year — a battle he sadly lost.