I've been holding this one back for a while but seeing as we're nearing Christmas he's an early gift lol. Taken from the TVTimes dated September the 5th 1967 the following is an interview Billy Riley gave to the magazine prior to the airing of 'The Wrestlers.'
As Jimmy Cricket would say "and there's more."
I've got the full docu at home from when it was up on Youtube. Lots of other great moments besides the Riley's Gym stuff - Billy Robinson vs Roy Bull Davies where Davies starts the dirty wrestling and Billy has a gleeful look in his eyes. "Haha, now I can say I was 'provoked'" and you know Davies is in for a hard time. It's the same look Billy got 11 years later before beating Lee Bronson to smithereens with a blizzard of forearms in their TV match. Jim Hussey looking like an evil Ted Bovis versus a rather serious Les Kellett, not in mucking about mode. Les and Alan Dennison as good buddies and training partners (As mentioned in a programme article reproduced in Simon Garfield's book). Billy running wrestling classes including a schoolboy Marty Jones.
From the October 1961 edition of "The Wrestler" comes a birthday tribute to Billy Riley.
The full documentary "the Wrestlers"was on the internet a few years ago but I cannot find it now
Alan I remember it growing wild on the banks of the then filthy river Douglas but Billy and Jack got it off the allotments seems it was prized for healing one lad even claimed to drink it ,not appetising then and certainly not now I think it's banned in the states.i also watched in horror a middleweight drink lambs liver strips and egg both raw in a concoction bet he couldn't find that in Canada
Wonder if the Comfrey was growing wild on the allotments as it's classed as a herb these days.
Billy Riley and Jack Atherton used to get Comfrey off the allotments for strains or to reduce swelling Jack Atherton called it pitman's knitbone it worked to stunk to high heaven,funny how a TV programme brings it all back,sorry to go off topic.
Seeing the TV Times listing is new to me. And noticing the Executive Producer's name comes as a big surprise.
Happy to have helped, Alan!, this is great stuff, thank you.
You're all very welcome, more to come.
I remember watching the documentary on The Wrestlers, on YouTube. It was great to see all the old greats in action in the ring. A real nugget of gold, when the fans went mad for a night out at the wrestling.
Thanks Alan Billy's bloody Alsations remember them so
Just all from my own collection Hack. I used to have a lot more but some of it went missing during a house move including nearly 150 wrestling programmes from the late 1970s - mid 1980s and also quite a few articles taken from newspapers and magazines. My late Dad was a big fan and wrestling was our time together, happy memories. Shall we say i've got a bit more to post yet lol. Some great uploads on Heritage already, by Adrian & Ruslan to name only 2. My big thank you goes to Saxonwolf for informing me of the uploading procedure otherwise i would'nt be able to share.
Brilliant as always alanapaily.
Your mum and dads buying of the TV Times was well worth it.
Where do you get these gems?
THANKS FOR SHARING THIS AMAZING MATERIAL!!!!