1956

Notes:

We do not have access to complete TV listings for January to March of 1956. Between April and December, wrestling was only broadcast twice in the Midlands area. There were more Tuesday evening shows broadcast only in the London area, some of which we have now listed. The Tuesday shows were part of Cavalcade of Sport and aired at 8.30-9.30pm unless stated otherwise.

Match-ups were not included in the TV listings at this point.

All broadcast times are pm.

Click here for a key to results.

Tuesday 3/1/56, Lime Grove Baths
Alan Colbeck vs Harry Fields
Reg Williams vs Norman Walsh

Tuesday 17/1/56, Lime Grove Baths
Ernest Baldwin (Holder of the Lord Mountevans Challenge Belt vs Francis Sullivan)
Mick McManus vs Chic Purvey

Tuesday 24/1/56, Lime Grove

Ray Apollon v Geoff Portz

Bill Rawlings v Francis St Clair Gregory

Johnny Kwango v Johnny Allan
(The first two matches were also listed for 31/5/56.)

Tuesday 31/1/56
Geoff Portz v Ray Apollon
Johnny Allen v Kwango

Tuesday 7/2/56
Amateur matches:
A Buck vs A Nicholl
D Slesson v M Pretorius
J Taylor v P Amey
A Aspen v H Frevehlausen
(J Taylor may well have been Jack Taylor, who later turned professional and then became a promoter.)


Tuesday 21/2/56
David Armstrong v 'Judo' Al Hayes
(This was the first wrestling aired by ITV in the Midlands region.)

(TV Times printers were then on strike until early April. It's likely the wrestling slot continued but we do not have listings.)

Tuesday 10/4/56 , Islington 
Amateur Wrestling, England vs France

Tuesday 15/5/56, Islington (8-9)
Amateur Wrestling, Great Britain vs Germany

Saturday 19/5/56, 9.30-10 No matches were listed in the TV Times. Local advertising for a live show at Cheetham Public Hall said the event would be televised. Advertised matches were:

Reg Williams v Gordon Kilmartin

Jim Mellor v Fred Wooley

Danny Flynn v Frank O'Donnell

Les Kellett v Eric Taylor

We have also seen one listing for the broadcast being from Belle Vue, though this is likely incorrect. The matches at this live event were:

Bert Assirati v Vic Hesselle

(Bill?) Benny v Michael Habriann

Foy v Popcopolis

Gasparino v Kimber

Tuesday 22/5/56, Birmingham, 8-9

Wrestling appears to have been part of this episode of Cavalcade of Sport

Saturday 23/6/56, Cheetham Public Hall, 9.30-10

Dave Armstrong v Rex Gable

Stefan Milla v Melvin Riss

Eric Sands vs Harry Hall

Spencer Churchill v Arthur Jackson

(Our listings only have the first name initial and then the full surname. These are the likely wrestlers in question.)

(Cavalcade of Sport stopped airing from 3/7/56)

Saturday 28/7/56, New Brighton Tower Theatre, 9:30-10 The live event was billed as including:

Jim Lewis v Jack Dempsey

Bert Royal v Bill Hargeaves

Bill Howes v John Allan

Rex Harrison v Alf Cadman

Tuesday 14/8/56, Birmingham Indoor Stadium, 8-9

Tuesday 21/8/56, Wimbledon

Mike Marino v Reg Williams

Not listed in TV Times:

Ray Hunter v Norman Walsh

Ken Joyce v Jack Dempsey

Black Butcher Johnson v Rex Gable

Tuesday 28/7/56, Tower Theatre, New Brighton, 9.30-10

Tuesday 4/9/56 (8-8.30)

Buddy Cody vs Charles Fisher

Saturday 15/12/56, Victoria Hall, Hanley (9.45-10.15, Midlands and North Only)

Aired as "Round The Ring")

? Conroy (W) v (Chic?) Purvey

? Mitchell (KO) v ? Apollon

? Hayes (W) v (Billy?) Howes

Alf Cadman (W) v ? Cody