Where did the money go? It seems that joint promotions didn't invest in raising production values. Yet the tv ratings in 1960 and 70s were great. So where did the money go?
By 1980s the daddy road show was working (but talent left). Max bought joint promotions in 1986.
So did max make money before 86? How much did he buy it for,? How did he pay?
It was dead by 1993. Did max wind up in a big house?
Any links appreciated.
Here is the copy I found somewhere... Westling giant Big Daddy foretold his death eight months ago and planned his own funeral in secret notes to his family. The 25-stone legend died yesterday aged 67, weeks after a massive stroke. Wife Eunice found the poignant notes as Daddy slipped into his final coma. Bizarrely, he showed no signs of illness when he wrote them. His family said he was "like health on a stick". "He obviously had some sort of premonition," Eunice said. One note read: "I've not got long to live. Everything I have .... does not amount to much .... I'd be delighted if you would look after mum." In another, he wrote: "God bless you all. No doctors, hospitals, no public funeral, no public ceremony." It was signed "Daddy xxxxx". Daddy - real name Shirley Crabtree - hid one note in the teapot where he kept his household bills. Another was stashed under his karaoke machine. In a third note to Eunice, he said: "If you ever run short of money, please sell my gym equipment." Eunice said last night: "We started finding the notes in the most stupid places while he was in hospital. "They were places you'd never think of looking, but where he knew they would reappear in time. "It is rather spooky that he had these predictions so early. But it's typical of him to think about what we are going to do when he has gone." Daddy will be cremated on Friday in his home village of Millbank, Yorkshire.
Did you see the story about his wife eumice saying that he had left notes around the house?
Daddy was in such poor health he was wrecked by the time he climbed the ringsteps, there's no way he could continue, he'd had a stroke and had a very short retirement before he died.
Ok I see.
And max did have a good summer when he toured davey boy smith around before he went back to the us. But after that there seemed to be nothing.
I just wondered if max could have done both the daddy roadshow ....and still retained a more authentic wrestling circuit that might have continued into the 90s and beyond
It wasn't that simple. Brian Dixon was certainly in the ascendency and challenged Joint in a way even Lincoln hadn't managed, grabbing a share of the TV contract. Use of Shirley was part of an agreement that each could use one another's main eventers by paying a commission.
The point I was making earlier was that profits and losses would be through Dale Martin and Wryton Promotions which Max owned, not Joint Promotions.
Once WOS finished joint shared the tv spot with all star and even WWf Tapes
I saw a story where Max and Shirley went to Sky... to see if they could provide 10 tapes... but Sky said WWF were sending over tapes for just £500. I think Max said it would cost him 20k to make 10. So they knew they could not compete. Their own promotions were no longer full hence Max letting Shirley fight on dixon's bills in return for a commission. And they wound joint up.
I would imagine Joint Promotions had little value, it only employed one person. The value would be in the individual promoters. Max bought Dale Martin in 1987. ITV had told the promoters in July 1986 that the TV contract was changing so presumably Max to thought he could make a go of it.
He had been running the show for years so would presumably know the financial situation.
Yes... I watched it last . He explained the need for change and was pretty straightforward I thought.
Max took part in a BBC documentary almost ten years ago and gave an impressive explanation of Professional Wrestling
After Shirley died there seems to be no interviews with Max Crabtree. He spoke out in the Garfield book.. in 95. But subsequently there was silence. Does anyone know if he gave any further quotes on how things turned out? There is so little I wonder if the right to erase yourself from the internet may have be invoked.
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I think he did a date or two for all star.
I think he did a date or two for all star.
I read last night that towards the end (early nighties) max arranged for daddy to wrestle on others promotions and took a commission... driving shirley to the halls and back home. Anyone know which promotions? Size of fee ?
Max was living on his farm... where was shirley living?
Read The Years of Wrestling and Men In Suits.
In 1965, Dale Martin reported profits of £100,000 which is around £1.8 million in today's money. That was a year after it was bought out by Hurst Park Syndicate for £225,000 (£4.2 million today.)
In 1970, Dale Martin profits were £61,668, so the slump was underway.
I expect max will have made money before moving to run joint first in the north and then nationally. From the mid 70s he probably had a big slice of the daddy based revenues too. Yet the daddy cards were too predictable and many fans missed the more athletic wrestlers... who left joint in the early 80s.
Unless I am wrong, wrestling declined in the 80s... world of sport got cancelled in 85 and max bought joint promotions in 86... I expect for a song.
The Banger Walsh exposé made things worse... followed by the death of Mal Kirk. Leaving the daddy road show to parade round until the fans were sick of it. By the early 90s joint had a last hurrah with Davey Smith for 6mths and then folded.
I wonder if Max reflected on what went wrong or just felt it "was what it was"... nothing he could have done. That was the impression I got from the garfield book.
I expect he grew up in small
House and by the 90s had a farm. There is little on the net about him... or the transactions of joint.
Some of the replies here say the crabtrees may have lost money in the 80s and 90s... it would be interesting if there is any info about that.
Max did live on a farm, not sure if he still does, but there were pictures of him and Brian on a farm, around 10 years ago.
I watched this from the mid 90s... it looks like Max lives on a farm... so he must have done ok.
I am not sure that any corporate accounts would still exist for Joint Promotions, for us to look through, and if they did, they would be in the possession (probably) of Steve Fury or Tarzan Boy Darren, who I think (between them) have the majority of Joint Promotions/Dale Martins/Relwyskow and Green memorabilia.
By the way, it looks like a husband-and-wife team had tried to set up a number of wrestling businesses (that don't appear to have traded) under names like Dale Martin and Joint Promotions
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/nuwmwg0k64p3m3pZf70wLYLViVs/appointments