Two people taken to hospital after bare-knuckle boxing event at Murrayfield Ice Arena

A bare-knuckle boxing event at the Murrayfield Ice Arena, which left two fighters in hospital, has led to the venue’s licence being altered.

The Carnage in the Capital event in July saw 30 fighters face off in one-on-one matchups in the sport’s first professional event in Scotland.

The arena’s bosses thought it fell within the terms of its indoor sports entertainment licence, which allows “ice hockey, ice skating, roller skating, boxing, and similar” activities.

But Edinburgh council officers disagreed, saying that what they termed both as ‘bare-knuckle fighting’ and ‘bare-knuckle boxing’ was not similar to the sports listed in the licence.

They took the rare step of writing a letter to the city’s Licensing Sub-Committee, asking for the term “and similar” to be removed from the licence.

In a narrow 4-3 vote, councillors sided with officers, with the two Labour and two Conservative councillors voting to modify the licence.

At the event, at least two boxers were sent to hospital – one with a broken jaw – and fighters had a range of injuries, including an arm fracture and a torn ACL.

During Monday’s meeting of the committee, licensing manager Catherine Scanlin said: “Concerns were raised ahead of this event, and this was raised with the organiser.

“The event did go ahead on the fifth of July, however, it’s the directorate’s view that we want to avoid any ambiguity under what activities should be included in the licence.

“The inclusion of the words, ‘and similar’, which was used by the applicant to justify the operation of this event, we would ask that the ‘and similar’ be removed from the [licence].”

And Tom Veitch, Trading Standards manager, said: “It was advertised as featuring ‘blood spattering, bone shattering, blood spills, and carnage’ in relation to this event.

“The concerns were such that both the council and the police considered the use of an immediate suspension.

“On this occasion, concerns were resolved, less than 24 hours before the event. There was, however, significant council officers and police officers required for it to go ahead.”

A police sergeant in the meeting said that Police Scotland had no contributions to make to the committee about the event.

Bare-knuckle boxing is legal in the UK, but has no official regulator. The event in July took place under the regulation of the International Sport Karate Association.

Caroline Loudon, a solicitor representing the ice arena, said: “We’re slightly surprised to get the notification to come to committee today.

“It’s our position that there is no ambiguity here, and that it’s not necessary to vary the terms of the licence at all.

“We don’t feel that the application by the Directorate is necessary or proportionate in the circumstances of this case.”

Scott Neil, who is involved in the management of the arena, said that ice hockey alone could not sustain the site by itself year-round, causing it to look for events in the summer months.

He said that he felt that the event was safe, and said the sport’s supporters would say it is safer than gloved boxing for a range of reasons, including the limits on the length of fights.

Conservative councillor Cuthbert Neil said: “I think I’m happy to go with the recommendation of the report.

“But just reflecting, and we’ve had quite a lengthy discussion about this, I think it has flagged up an issue that others have noticed as well.

“There is an ambiguity. So it does seem to me that that has to be resolved.

Liberal Democrat councillor Pauline Flannery advanced an alternative position, saying: “I think boxing is similar.

“I don’t think there is a difference, but it’s what we want to do for the future that I’m hearing underneath. And I think that is a separate conversation.”