ALERT FOR BERNARD AND ANGLO!!

Is Dave Sutherland still using this site? He might know some of the answers.

Interesting to see Hussey nursing The Ghoul in early bouts and 15 years later doing the same in Nagasaki's debut.

Some accolade for Hussey, we are probably seriously underestimating his work.

Hi MM. You have been reading "Headlocks and Handbags".

That book says 64 appearances for The Ghoul, but I once did some research and I think I made it more than that. I can't remember the figures, but if that kind man, Hack, knows where that thread is, it would save us both a lot of searching.

I can't comment on the bout v Jim Hussey , but I came in just after that and The Ghoul was always in black singlet and tights with a grubby white elastic type mask.

Whether he went back to the red strip after 1956, I can't say.

Dave or Powerlock, may be able to help there, as they followed me into the arena, so to speak.

Also I never saw him in a leather mask. I would think that would be too hot to wear for long. Can anyone else help on this please?

Hi MM. it would seem that the first time the The Ghoul appeared at St. James Hall was 19/6/1948.

If you look in Ron's brilliant galleries, it no. 21 of 53 in Newcastle bills 1948 .

It is a boxing/ wrestling bill dated 21/6/1948, but The Ghoul bit v Jim Hussey is clear enough.

I don't remember Bomber Bates being billed at Newcastle after that, during my time anyway.

I think up to 1950 Bates wrestled as Bomber for Wryton and Ghoul for Morrell and Relwyskow.

Not hard and fast but with the Ghoul taking off in a big way that became his only alias.

What does seem to be the case is that he did not work for Dick and Jessie Rogers so was absent from Belle Vue. Bartelli also seemed to skip Belle Vue in the Rogers period so for whatever reason Dick Rogers did not seem to have a regular masked man.

Hi MM. Sorry to prick your bubble, but see the following:-

21/8/ 1948 The Ghoul 1-1 Sandy Orford.

3/6/1950 The Ghoul K O Sandy

15/7 1950 Ghoul 2-1 Sandy

9/5 1953 The Ghoul K O Sandy.

And I think that I saw them all except the first one. So not as rare as Sandy Orford v Bomber Bates.

On a different note, whilst looking for these matches ,I came across this..

10/11/1951 Ernie Baldwin 2-1 George Clark for British Heavyweight Title.

Hint....Ardwick did Tuesdays.

This is amazing MM.

I have all 1949 bills for Hanley, or I thought I did , and they are Saturday nights.

The papers don't seem to have Tuesdays Wrestling in them.

I wonder if they actually did twice weekly wrestling.

Are we 100 percent it is Hanley.