MORE MANCHESTER INVESTIGATIONS 1950's

My grandad was a pro wrestler in the last 50s to 70s maybe and I really want to know more about him since he didn't leave anything from his day with us. Nan kinda through his belts out but Ive been looking for a while and I can't find anything about him I heard he had many names but all I know is angry ant cause he was a short tempered British but if anyone could find anything it'd be much appreciated

Sam Betts grew a beard. When he was planning to shave it the promoter at the Embassy Sportsdrome in Birmingham, told him to wait and arranged a beard v beard, loser to shave match.

Thanks a million! I was only a young boy when Uncle Stan wrestled.. unfortunately he passed awaw a few years ago at 84 or 85 - but he used his real name Stan Furness most of the time and he was from Chorlton. I have some info about his daughter and grand ndaughter who was/is still living in Manchester. Stan was 1 of 10 children born into the Furness family, my mother May Furness was very close to Stan. They lived on Caldervale Avenue (Merseybank) Chorlton cum Hardy, Manchester - Stan met and married Dorothy and are survived/had 2 or 3 kids themselves, lived in Broken Cross (Macclesfield) I am familiar with his daughter never met her in person, butd have been in contact with fairly recently - I will dig up her Facebook details and forward this mail to her. Hopefully fill in some blanks

I am sure she can provide more up to date news and pictures etc.

Thank you for your effort and dedication to keep part of the Manchester culture alive.

Peter Behan, Baja California Sur Mexico.

Looking for any references to my uncle.. Stan Furness (the bearded Giant) from Manchester who wrestled in the 1950s and early 60s Thanks Peter Behan.

Great work boys!

This guy Borsos pops up at the Domino Club in Openshaw. Can't be Dale Martin's Tibor can it.

A couple of things I thought worth a mention on the two bills here. I go on about wrestlers doing several nights a week in different Manchester Clubs. But here the singer Madeline Bell who I remember in the group Blue Mink a few years later, probably illustrating that these two Night clubs were linked.

And at the Dev we have some Accrington Lads including St John v Svajick who were not that prolific in the clubs.

I wonder what the set up was? They seemed to have both a stage and a ring. The seats would need to be turned around to switch viewing angle.

It comes across as demeaning wrestling a little; at least distancing wrestling from sport and setting it within a music hall bill.

Something else I came across this week is how the clubs put the wrestling on. Fred and Danny left joint to do Cape Promotions ultimately , I catch them here at the start of their time after Joint. The bill on the left is a return challenge match from a few weeks before , that bill with Streiger on shows it.

But what I am driving at is the evening schedule. Wrestling is on at 8.00 after Frank Ifield who I remember so well , but only Fred and Danny. It's timed for 35 minutes. It's then nearly another one and a half hours before Wojjoski v Black Panther at 10,00. 3 acts in the middle plus tombola. I did not know this and find it fascinating. Did they think the crowd did not want too much at once , or for the wrestling to dominate. It certainly gives the wrestlers an early and late slot in order to flip to another club. the second bout is up to 50 minutes.

Bill benny had quite a few of these clubs , not sure of this one , situated very near BelleVue in Gorton. Maybe Eddie Rose could tell us more about the schedule fitting in with other acts.

Another fascinating bit of history Ron. I hadn't thought of cinemas as venues in the context of declining cinema attendance and the pathway to demolition.

Manchester Investigations was a really good read. I wonder if there's any mileage in a Cinema Investigations, looking at wrestling and cinemas around the country.

Just to add to this thread , I highlighted in the Manchesters series how often old cinemaas were tried out for wrestling before they were demolished. This was in the later 1950's and early 1960's. One venture , the Wryton actually worked long term , most were just short ventures. Back in 1952 I found The Queens Park Hippodrome closed and demolished , but before the bulldozers moved in a couple of wrestling shows. From the opening poster I think they were planning more than three shows. Not so sure they managed it.

Great Name Turkey Lane and even though I am a Manchester Lad I have never really understood the area of Monsall. Might be wrong , but I think it is part of Harpurhey , North Manchester. Never heard of this place , built in 1904 and never a cinema , but a piece of history salvaged. Wonder who the promoter was.

One month later they tried to get a boxing and wrestling club going. It could not have lasted long , at least not at this venue.

Free Trade Hall wins it.......Belle Vue is just names, Free Trade has capital letter names.

the elusive Adam king ,Adam King had a stable of women wrestlers trained above a pub near the Bijou cinema,Adam was a barber and according to my uncle they were no Hollywood blondes, try he old Trafford barber tried in vain to generate interest but the ladies lacked how shall I say ,visual appeal.

Just found some 1935 bills for The Blood Tub , thought it was worth adding here.

Of note , Doug Clark V Barotte (Boratti) who we never found any more about. Jack Alker and Joe Carrol who came from neighbouring parts of Wigan , wonder if the Carroll's trained Jack. Many I don't know. Big shock ladies wrestling at The Blood Tub in 1935. Real pioneer stuff. Historically very good bills to have. As always "click" for bigger image.

any mention of the BELLE VUE CUP/TROPHY?

Excellent Ron. Sounds like Saturday morning at the pictures.

Going back to Ardwick I have no 1930'sbills which led me to believe that the Blood Tub only began about the time of the war. How wrong I was , having now found regular wrestling in 1934. The promoter indeed was Sam Cowan , looks like he had a minimum sixteen year run there. This article gives a flavour of the times.

Slowly we have chipped away on this thread revealing the fate of some of these old Manchester Stadiums and a bit more about a few more.

Found boxing also in 1933.

I have heard Ernie Derbyshire ran the Russell club even though to me Conroy seems more prominent. Here is Ernie as ref there for Wryton.

I'm trying to get some info in the blood tub from few remaining with any recollection,I remember being told by Bartelli it paid well but was hard.Beech had some connection with Ardwick on organisation side so did a guy who ran the gym in Leigh itvwas at that gym I heard stories bout the blood tub,the Leighgym lad was working with the guy off hag fold Atherton who lost a lot of venues to Wryton was this a small scale northern version of Lincoln coup.ill do my memories of the club's another day Ernie Derbyshire ran a few in Manchester and wanted to referee,Wryton frowned on this. Said Ernie is the guy referenced in the quality st gang Im sure Eddie will remember him.

Good work Ron. Life would have been much easier, but not half as much fun decades later, if wrestling had not been so secretive.