Looking through ancient copies the TV Times I discovered that at 7:00 pm New Years Eve 1960 Professional Wrestling was broadcast. The second broadcast of the day!
Interestingly the poster gives the commencement time as 7:45 after the TV broadcast had started! I expect this fight would have encouraged those fans with a one channel TV to upgrade very soon
According to the Liverpool Echo on the eve of the fight , the broadcast was to feature the Pallo v Bobby Steele fight at Coventry. The write up stated that Bobby had returned from USA where he had failed to find regular work. I don't know if it was kayfabe for Kent Walton , but they say Steele was offered a job in Alcatraz prison.'In the Coventry paper it says Kent Walton was presenting and his selling point was that he was of Cool For Cats Fame.
Remembering the format myself I think it is doubtful that any other bouts were shown , maybe just a flash of another bout at the most.
Maybe a higher percentage but in 1960 ITV there would still be relative few homes with tv, and I remember sets in the 1960s which could only receive BBC as they had been bought without a tuner before ITV launched.
Years ago I went to the Birmingham Central library to trawl through the newspapers for wrestling reports. When the new library opened five or six years ago they no longer had all the newspapers available, just specific ones containing significant historical events. Apparently wrestling down Digbeth and at the Embassy Sportsdrome wasn't considered of historically significant importance. I don't know if that was a temporary situation as the library had only recently moved and I haven't been back since.
The Central Library in Birmingham has bound copies of the Radio Times and TV Times going back yonks so yes the source is open to anyone near Birmingham!
The Radio Times for 31 December 1960 reveals that the BBC was showing a western at 7:00 pm.Therefore it was western versus wrestling!
Interestingly the poster gives the commencement time as 7:45 after the TV broadcast had started! I expect this fight would have encouraged those fans with a one channel TV to upgrade very soon
The bill can be seen in the galleries and Jackie was already sensational TV Star
https://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/apps/photos/photo?photoid=204795504
According to the Liverpool Echo on the eve of the fight , the broadcast was to feature the Pallo v Bobby Steele fight at Coventry. The write up stated that Bobby had returned from USA where he had failed to find regular work. I don't know if it was kayfabe for Kent Walton , but they say Steele was offered a job in Alcatraz prison.'In the Coventry paper it says Kent Walton was presenting and his selling point was that he was of Cool For Cats Fame.
Remembering the format myself I think it is doubtful that any other bouts were shown , maybe just a flash of another bout at the most.
These days the newspapers are available on micro film but the Radio/TV Times are in bound volumes
Maybe a higher percentage but in 1960 ITV there would still be relative few homes with tv, and I remember sets in the 1960s which could only receive BBC as they had been bought without a tuner before ITV launched.
Years ago I went to the Birmingham Central library to trawl through the newspapers for wrestling reports. When the new library opened five or six years ago they no longer had all the newspapers available, just specific ones containing significant historical events. Apparently wrestling down Digbeth and at the Embassy Sportsdrome wasn't considered of historically significant importance. I don't know if that was a temporary situation as the library had only recently moved and I haven't been back since.
With just two channels in 1960 this broadcast must have got considerably higher viewing figures than the late afternoon broadcasts
The Central Library in Birmingham has bound copies of the Radio Times and TV Times going back yonks so yes the source is open to anyone near Birmingham!
John Lister's work seems to solve the problem. Several papers report that it was from Coventry
A good find Peter. Wrestling at peak time on New Years Eve. Five hours before the White Heather Club.
Did you manage to find the bill. More importantly, is the source open to all of us. Thanks anyway.