Yes, I had a couple of bouts at Kirkland Memorial Hall, not sure who my opponents were as all this is some 50 odd years ago, but I think one opponent was Lee Scott, who was a friend of Hal Strickland (Jock Cameron).
You think that Gerry Hoggarth was the promoter, not sure on this. What I do know was that Gerry did most of the refereeing at the shows there. Ray Steel from Rishton also did some refereeing there.
What I do know for sure is that Hal Strickland had something to do with running the shows with somebody else, who’s name eludes me. I have a shrewd suspicion that it might have been *Triple Promotions, as I did some bouts in Morecambe for them.
One episode (not a funny one) I would like to mention is that I was once told by Bob Bannister that he had fixed a bout for me there. So, on the evening I turned up on time and was met by Hal Strickland whom I then asked who was my opponent for that evening, he then promptly told me that there must be some misunderstanding, I was down to be the referee for the evening!
Bearing in mind that I had never refereed before that night we had a very heated discussion on whether I could actually referee or not, as I only had my wrestling gear with me i.e. no white shirt, no bow tie etc.
The best part came last. At the end of the evening, when I was getting paid by Hal, I said there was something wrong, as my pay packet didn’t have what was agreed upon between myself and Bob Bannister, to which I was told that my pay was for being the referee and not being a wrestler. After another heated discussion I got another couple of pounds more from him.
I’m afraid that was my last appearance at the Kirkland Memorial Hall.
*I started a Forum Topic on Triple Promotions some time ago, but without success.
Note on the bill from Hack:
The Bearded Monarch (real name Norman Kenworthy), Vince Lawson, Don Plummer, Ian St, John and Andras Svajick were all members of Bob Bannister’s gym in Accrington along with myself.
Hi William,
Yes, I had a couple of bouts at Kirkland Memorial Hall, not sure who my opponents were as all this is some 50 odd years ago, but I think one opponent was Lee Scott, who was a friend of Hal Strickland (Jock Cameron).
You think that Gerry Hoggarth was the promoter, not sure on this. What I do know was that Gerry did most of the refereeing at the shows there. Ray Steel from Rishton also did some refereeing there.
What I do know for sure is that Hal Strickland had something to do with running the shows with somebody else, who’s name eludes me. I have a shrewd suspicion that it might have been *Triple Promotions, as I did some bouts in Morecambe for them.
One episode (not a funny one) I would like to mention is that I was once told by Bob Bannister that he had fixed a bout for me there. So, on the evening I turned up on time and was met by Hal Strickland whom I then asked who was my opponent for that evening, he then promptly told me that there must be some misunderstanding, I was down to be the referee for the evening!
Bearing in mind that I had never refereed before that night we had a very heated discussion on whether I could actually referee or not, as I only had my wrestling gear with me i.e. no white shirt, no bow tie etc.
The best part came last. At the end of the evening, when I was getting paid by Hal, I said there was something wrong, as my pay packet didn’t have what was agreed upon between myself and Bob Bannister, to which I was told that my pay was for being the referee and not being a wrestler. After another heated discussion I got another couple of pounds more from him.
I’m afraid that was my last appearance at the Kirkland Memorial Hall.
*I started a Forum Topic on Triple Promotions some time ago, but without success.
Note on the bill from Hack:
The Bearded Monarch (real name Norman Kenworthy), Vince Lawson, Don Plummer, Ian St, John and Andras Svajick were all members of Bob Bannister’s gym in Accrington along with myself.
Cheers