I'm more than half way through, The Saturday Afternoon war book. On page 167 is a wrestling poster
The bill looks good two title matches, Jones v Finlay and Grey v Collins also Faulkner v Iron Fist, Cooper v Valentine and Skull Murphy v Ringo Rigby. But slap bang in the middle of the poster are the words MC BRIAN CRABTREE. I've never seen an MC named on a poster before. So had being a referee and MC wearing glitter outfits on TV elevated Brian Crabtree to celebrity status or was this a case of an inflated ego?.
Brian brought a much needed splash of Barnum style razzamatzz to dour 1970s wrestling.
Well that's what he and brother Gerald thought.
The reality was that after a glittering career brought to a conclusion by a career ending sprained ankle,Brian wanted the spotlight both the magazine and the lights.He clumsily mismanaged bouts attempted to advise workers with vast experience engaged into pantomime good ref bad ref shenanigans and alientated the punters who admired the sporting element as well as the drama.He went onto the mangle the English language on the microphone wound poor old Kent by constantly using his fore and surnames in the intros whist calling the rest of us kid.So yes he was a star in his own firmanent.I managed not to mention the everley bros or st Tropez.
Couldn't have put it better myself, Hack.
Oh, but I did.
As someone who is well known and gets lots of attention Brian Crabtree must be thankful to Talk Wrestling members for making him a celebrity.
Obviously Brian Crabtree wore the glitter to make himself more noticeable but I thought he looked ridiculous and out of place when he wore it as a referee.
The glitter was best suited to Pallo and Street, I would call them celebrities.
Since we started this 14 years ago, any mention of Bryan Crabtree brings an avalanche of abuse. He never disappoints.
This makes him a celebrity in my view.
I understand he was very good to his cat!
Big Head,Big Mouth,Big Nothing.He was the only ref I heard booed by the punters when he appeared.As popular as a boil on the end of your W*ll*.Not a celebrity,,imo Sorry Hack could not resist
definitely inflated ego, he was hated at Newcastle city hall