1950's Greats Still With Us

This list will now need to be updated

Is Ray Fury still around?

is young alan colbeck still with us

Ray Fury is almost certainly still alive. He was at the Kent Reunion a few years back, and if he had died since then the Reunion would almost certainly have known.

Alan Colbeck is a mystery. We have had reports both ways but not found anyone who knows.

IIRC, Alan Colbeck had been reported as having passed on some years ago only for a recent (at the time) picture of him with his grandson to subsequently appear, but that was several years ago. He must be quite an age if still with us.

Well Peter,

Here's the list.

You, everyone, pipe up with comments, please.

Update of 8th February 2019

Bob Anthony

Bobby Barnes

Jim Breaks

Dazzler Joe Cornelius

Jon Cortez

Spencer Churchill.

Max Crabtree

Joe D'Orazio

Barry Douglas

Ray Fury

Horst Hoffmann

Gerry Hoggarth

Dwight J Ingleburgh

John Lees

Gori Ed Mangotich

Al Miquet

Al Nicol

Lou Ravelle

Alf Rawlings

Bill Rawlings

Frank Robb

Blackburn Roberts

Bert Royal

Johnny Saint

Tony Scarlo

Roy St Clair

Dean Stockton

Adrian Street

Dickie Swales

Billy Two Rivers

Uncertain whether active in the 50s

Alan Bardouille

Syd Cooper

Jim Green (The Monster)

Colin Joynson

Peter Kaye

Sean Regan

Andy Robin

Uncertain whether still alive

Grant Foderingham

L'Ange Blanc

Bobo Matu

Joe Murphy

Rudi Schumacher

Gordon Smith

Bob Sweeney

Please continue the discussion and add more names.

As per the recent post pleased Frank Robb is listed

I recently stumbled across this: https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=8632&gimmick=Pete+Roberts

I can't vouch for its accuracy, but is there any evidence to support Pete Roberts having started in 1959?

I have never quite solved this mystery , but I can pick up Pete Roberts in 1961 , significantly at the Wryton Stadium. I have heard of Pete having a Salford connection.

If Roberts was indeed Worcester , where he clearly did have connections , it seems strange that right at the start , he should be popping up in the Wryton.

Pete was cutting his teeth with Reg Williams and Vic Stewart

It is after this period that he then seems to have regular work as a Birmingham man and much of it in the early to mid 1960's not with Joint.

I could offer the theory that although Pete was a Midlands man , he may have lodged in Salford to try and get a start in Wrestling with all the Lancashire Lads.

If I remember rightly William Regal took the same route. Much more opportunity in Lancashire.

I have a mate who lived over the road from Les Thornton and it is this friend who seems to think Roberts lived locally. ( maybe for a while)

Of course the man who could tell us is Pete himself.

https://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/apps/photos/photo?photoid=200326887

Can also add about Roberts that I can find him in the Russel Club (Hulme) in 1961.

The Russel club was a Wryton Experience School in effect where newcomers could try out against each other or work with Vets. People like Ginsburgh , Roy StClair , Colin Joynson got a lot of early experience there.

For me Pete Roberts was initially Wryton Trained. He seems to have then gone on to work with Gordon Corbett.

It might be fair to say that Pete must have got the wrestling bug maybe as early as 1959 , but it seems doubtful that he had bouts that early , but it could be possible in a small venue.

I read somewhere once that Pete Roberts travelled up to the Wryton gym in Bolton every Sunday for 3 years to be trained by Francis St.Clair Gregory. I think that I might have read this years ago in a posting on a website forum by Tony St.Clair, who spoke very highly of Pete Roberts.

And of course he could have started training in 1959.

If not the Russel club , I can't imagine where they would try him with a bout

So , thus far earliest sighting September 1961

Could maybe Eddie Rose shed some light on this subject. He was in the Bury/Bolton/Manchester area at this time. Maybe he came across Pete Roberts at some sort of venue?

Cheers

Update of 14th August 2019

Bob Anthony

Bobby Barnes

Jim Breaks

Dazzler Joe Cornelius

Jon Cortez

Spencer Churchill.

Max Crabtree

Joe D'Orazio

Barry Douglas

Ray Fury

Horst Hoffmann

Dwight J Ingleburgh

John Lees

Gori Ed Mangotich

Al Miquet

Al Nicol

Lou Ravelle

Alf Rawlings

Bill Rawlings

Frank Robb

Blackburn Roberts

Bert Royal

Johnny Saint

Tony Scarlo

Roy St Clair

Dean Stockton

Adrian Street

Dickie Swales

Billy Two Rivers

Uncertain whether active in the 50s

Alan Bardouille

Syd Cooper

Jim Green (The Monster)

Colin Joynson

Peter Kaye

Sean Regan

Andy Robin

Uncertain whether still alive

Grant Foderingham

L'Ange Blanc

Bobo Matu

Joe Murphy

Rudi Schumacher

Gordon Smith

Bob Sweeney

A shame there remains so much uncertainty, particularly of those we often discuss such as the two Roughnecks.

Please continue the discussion and add more names.

Someone will have to ask Colin Joyson at one of the reunions if he was active in the 1950's

Joynson was not active in the 1950's

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11310466.angela-kellys-me-and-my-sport-colin-joynson/

November 18 1960 first fight