Jeux Sans Frontières 1974

European International Series

Entrants 1974: Belgium (B) • Switzerland (CH) • West Germany (D) •
France (F) • Great Britain (GB) • Italy (I) • Netherlands (NL) 

Presenters / Commentators of International Competitions:
Jacques Careuil (Heat 1), Paule Herreman and Michel Lemaire (Heat 1) (RTB-B)
Jan Theys (BRT - B)
Christian Defaye (Heat 4 and Final) and Georges Kleinmann (SSR - CH)
Jan Hiermeyer (SRG - CH)
Mascia Cantoni (Heat 6) and Ezio Guidi (Heats 1-5, 7 and Final) (TSI - CH)
Hartmut Brühl (Heats 1-2, 4-5 and Final), Erhard Keller, Marie-Louise Steinbauer (Heat 7)
and Karl-Heinz Wocker (Heats 3 and 6) (ARD-WDR - D)
Simone Garnier and Guy Lux (ORTF / A2 - F)
Stuart Hall and Eddie Waring (BBC - GB)
Giulio Marchetti and Rosanna Vaudetti (RAI - I)
Barend Barendse, Dik Bikker (Final) and Dick Passchier (Heat 2 and Final) (NCRV - NL)

International Referees:
Arthur Ellis (Heat 6)
Gennaro Olivieri
Guido Pancaldi (Heats 1-5, 7 and Final)

National Referees:
Marcel LeFavre (B)
Franco Crameri (CH)
Hans Ebersberger, Hubert Gunsin, Peter Hochrath, Gerd Siepe and Werner Treichel (D)
Philippe Meiringe and Bernard Stollere (F)
David Ashton, Arthur Ellis, Paul Ridyard and Mike Swann (GB)
Gian Paolo Carusi, Livio Orvani, Alessandro Trapassi (I)
Ben Bril (NL)

Collaborator / Assistant Referee:
André Lange

Production Credits:

National Games Designers: Stuart Furber (GB); National Producers: Pierre Chevreuille, Diane Lange and André Lange (RTB - B), Jef Savenberg, Lode Hendrickx and Herman Verelst (BRT - B), Jean-Luc Balmer (SSR - CH), Marius Berger (SRG - CH), Sergio Cavaglieri (TSI - CH), Marita Theile (D), Guy Lux and Claude Savarit (F), Barney Colehan (GB), Luciano Vecchi (I), Bernard Prins and Dick van 't Sant (NL); National Directors: Michel Rochat (RTB - B), Jean Bovon and Jean-Marie Schorderet (SSR - CH), Günther Hassert (D), Roger Benamou and Jean Cohen (F), Bill Taylor (GB), Gian Maria Tabarelli (I), Matthias Meuser (NL)

Produced by the European Broadcasting Union and
RTB-BRT (B), SSR-SRG-TSI (CH), ARD-WDR (D), 
ORTF 2 / ANTENNE 2  (F), BBC Manchester (GB), RAI (I), NCRV (NL)

Key: International Heats ● = Qualified for International Final / ● = Heat Winner (Silver Trophy) International Final ● = Gold Trophy / ● = Silver Trophy / ● = Bronze Trophy Trophy   ▲ = Promoted to Position / ▼ = Demoted to Position DST = Daylight Saving Time (ONLY Great Britain and Italy observed DST)

B

Jeux Sans Frontières 1974

Heat 1

Event Staged: Tuesday 28th May 1974
Venue: Château de Bouillon, Bouillon, Belgium

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
BRT (B): Tuesday 28th May 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
RTB (B): Tuesday 28th May 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
Nederland 1 (NL): Tuesday 28th May 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
SSR (CH): Wednesday 29th May 1974, 8.15-9.40pm
SRG (CH): Wednesday 29th May 1974, 8.15-10.25pm
TSI (CH): Wednesday 29th May 1974, 9.00-10.20pm
WDR 1 (D): Wednesday 29th May 1974, 9.05-10.30pm
RAI Due (I): Thursday 30th May 1974
ORTF 2 (F): Saturday 20th July 1974 (2nd)
BBC1 (GB): Friday 2nd August 1974, 7.55-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Dry

Winners' Trophy presented by: Dr. Michel Stecker, Mayor of Bouillon

Theme: The Crusades of Godfrey of Bouillon

Teams: Bouillon (B) v. Ilanz (CH) v. Rosenheim (D) v. Briey (F) v.
Southport (GB) v. Cerveteri (I) v. Wierden (NL)

Team Members included:
Bouillon (B) - Nicholas Chapeauray, Robert Deschitt;

Ilanz (CH) - Elsy Capeder (Co-Team Coach), Hubert Walder (Co-Team Coach), Alex Pfister (Team Captain), Päuly Guido (Assistant Team Captain), Bruno Arpagaus, Peter Feller, Renata Fontana, Esther Jermann, Eddy Joos, Marianne Leuthold, Erica Meier, Alois Peng, René Projer, Ludwig Spescha, Gieri Vinzens, Philipp Wieland;
Rosenheim (D) - Richard Horner (Team Coach), Elvira Ankenar, Klaus Bonner, Hans Büchner, Reinhard Gellart, Reinhard Graub, Gunther Gutmeyer, Kristof Kopf, Resi Mayr, Fritz Ohlwärter, Peter Rochof, Helmut Schneider, Ingrid Schöner, Hans Wagner, Peter Wiesnach;
Southport (GB) - Harry Boyle (Team Manager / Co-Team Coach), Bill Doherty (Co-Team Coach), Verdi Godwin (Co-Team Coach), Charles Buxton (Team Captain), Sheila Brookfield, Mike Dolman, Gina Forrigno, Helen Jenkins, Ian Jenkins, Shirley Rodwell, Kevin Stringfellow, Chris Whittle;
Cerveteri (I) - Roberto Caladorio;
Wierden (NL) - Bram van der Weide (Team Manager), Thea Veldhuis (Team Coach), Ben de Graaf (Team Physio), Wim Mol (Team Captain), Jo Asbroek, Niek Barten, Johan Gierveld, Teun Heuver, Nel Hofstede, Alfons Marsman, Harrie Meenhuis, Herman Oljans, Jan van Pijkeren, Jan Reinderink, José de Rooy, Hermien Woolderink.

Games: Depart for the Crusades, The Knights' Training, The Knights' Heads, Crossing the Ford, The Theft of the Relics, The Battering Ram, Releasing the Drawbridge, and Return from the Crusades;
Fil Rouge: A Kiss from the Maiden;
Jokers: Animated Mounted Knights.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 D • Rosenheim ● ●
 I • Cerveteri
 CH • Ilanz
 B • Bouillon
 NL • Wierden
 GB • Southport
 F • Briey

47
43
38
35
29
24
23

Running International Final Qualifiers

Belgium (B) - Bouillon (4th, 35pts)
Switzerland (CH) - Ilanz (3rd, 38pts)
West Germany (D) - Rosenheim (1st, 47pts)
France (F) - Briey (7th, 23pts)

Great Britain (GB) - Southport (6th, 24pts)
Italy (I) - Cerveteri (2nd, 43pts)
Netherlands (NL) - Wierden (5th, 29pts)

The Host Town

Bouillon, Belgium

Bouillon is a town with a population of around 5,500 inhabitants in the francophonic (French-speaking) province of Luxembourg. It sits on an accentuated bend in the 230km (130 miles) long River Semois and is located 100km (62 miles) south-west of Liège, 127km (79 miles) south-east of Brussel / Bruxelles, 221km (137 miles) south-east of Oostende and 48km (30 miles) west of Rombach-Martelange and the border with neighbouring Luxembourg.

In the Middle Ages (10th and 11th centuries), Bouillon was a lordship within the Duchy of Lower Lorraine and the principal seat of the Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty. In the 11th century, they dominated the area, and held the ducal title along with many other titles in the region. Bouillon was the location of the ducal mint and the dominant urban concentration in the dukes' possession.

The fortification of Bouillon Castle was, along with the County of Verdun, the core of the possessions of the Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty, and their combined territory was a complex mixture of fiefs, allodial land (owned free of any encumbrances) and other hereditary rights throughout the area.

The most famous of the Lords of Bouillon was Godfrey of Bouillon (1060-1100), a leader of the First Crusade and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He sold the Bouillon estate to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The prince-bishops started to call themselves dukes of Bouillon, and the town emerged as the capital of a sovereign duchy by 1678, when it was captured from the prince-bishopric by the French army and given to the La Tour d'Auvergne family. The duchy was prized for its strategic location as "the key to the Ardennes" (as Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), a French military engineer to Louis XIV (1638-1715), called it) and hence to France itself. It remained a quasi-independent protectorate, like Orange and Monaco, until 1795, when the Republican Army annexed it to France.

In 1814, Bouillon remained French in the department of Ardennes. In 1815, following the defeat of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) at Waterloo, and with the second treaty of Paris, it was attached to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg created under the Congress of Vienna. The Grand Duchy, which had been attributed in full ownership to William I of the Netherlands (1772-1843), therefore lived in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Following the Belgian revolution (1830-1839), it has been part of Belgium.

Apart from the castle, another site worth a visit is the Belvédère d’Auclin, a steel structure resting on a 150m³ (5,297.2ft³) concrete base and climbing to eight floors. It is supported by four pillars covered in glued laminated wood, and rises to a total height of 31.6m (103ft 8in). It is situated just north of Bouillon in a pine forest, 385m (1,263ft) above sea level and 180m (590ft 6in) above the River Semois. The highest viewing platform, with an area of 36m2 (387ft 6in²) can be reached by climbing the structure’s 161 steps. From there visitors can discover an exceptional circular panorama of Bouillon, its surroundings and on a clear day even into north-east France.

Due to its essential defensive position between France and Germany, the fortified castle of Bouillon needed visual relays, both day and night, to ensure its security. The steeples of the churches on the plateau, such as those of Bertrix or Paliseul played this role of watchtower. At the top of the old road to France, the Moulin à Vent could receive messages from beyond the Sedan Meuse. The current location of the belvedere made it possible to pick up the signals coming from the north and west of the ducal city.

The Visiting Towns

Ilanz is a town with a population of around 2,500 inhabitants in the trilingual (German / Italian / Romansh speaking) Swiss canton of Graubünden and is located 454km (282 miles) south-east of Bouillon.

Roseheim is a town with a population of around 64,000 inhabitants in the German state of Bayern and is located 560km (348 miles) south-east of Bouillon.

Briey is a town with a population of around 6,000 inhabitants in the French region of Grand-Est and is located 87km (54 miles) south-east of Bouillon.

Southport is a town with a population of around 95,000 inhabitants in the English county of Merseyside and is located 702 km (436 miles) north-west of Bouillon.

Cerveteri is a town with a population of around 38,000 inhabitants in the Italian region of Lazio and is located 1,022km (635 miles) south-east of Bouillon.

Wierden is a town with a population of around 24,500 inhabitants in the Dutch province of Overijssel and is located 304km (189 miles) north of Bouillon.

The Venue

Château de Bouillon (Bouillon Castle)

The games were played in the grounds of the medieval castle in Bouillon. Although it was only first mentioned in AD 988, there had been a castle on the same site for a much longer time. The castle is situated on a rocky spur on a sharp bend of the River Semois.

In 1082, Bouillon Castle was inherited by Godfrey of Bouillon (1060-1100), who later sold it to Otbert, Bishop of Liège (with the option of a buy-back within three years) in 1096, in order that he could finance the First Crusade. After Godfrey died in Jerusalem in 1100, the castle became the full property of the Prince-Bishop. During the next four centuries, the castle was besieged and taken several times.

In 1415, the Prince-Bishop John III (1374-1425) granted the position of castellan of Bouillon Castle to the House of La Marck. This family delivered several Prince-Bishops in the next centuries and started to call themselves Dukes of Bouillon. During the Italian War of 1551-1559, the castle was occupied by the forces of Henry II of France (1519-1559) to keep them free from Habsburg influence, but Henry confirmed Robert IV de La Marck (1491-1556) as Duke of Bouillon. In 1574, the castle went from the House of La Marck to the La Tour d'Auvergne family through marriage.

France invaded the Duchy of Bouillon in 1676, during the Franco-Dutch War. In 1680, Louis XIV (1638-1715) sent Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), his military engineer to Bouillon to fit it out for heavy artillery. In the wake of the French Revolution, the French Revolutionary Army invaded the Duchy of Bouillon in 1794, creating the short-lived Republic of Bouillon. In 1815, Bouillon Castle was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. During that time the keep was destroyed. After the Battle of Sedan, in 1870, it was used as a military hospital by the Prussian army. Today, the castle stands as a free tourist destination.

Although the playing arena was within the grounds of the castle, due to its construction, size and design, the games were played within different sections of the castle walls in very cramped conditions, as opposed to the normal single arena.

Associated Events

From 2.30pm on the afternoon of Sunday 26th May 1974, the teams participating in this heat of Jeux Sans Frontières marched through the Bouillon town centre to celebrate and publicise the event to be held two days later on the evening of Tuesday 28th May. The procession, which also involved majorettes, a brass band, mounted horsemen and local children, was watched by crowds that lined the streets.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Depart for the Crusades

The first game - ‘Depart for the Crusades’ - was played in unison 1 minute 45 seconds duration and witnessed Great Britain and Italy presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured a 30m (98ft 5¼in) course comprising a wooden board, with raised hand and footholds at measured increments along its length, and two competitors (one male and one female) from each team. At the start, the male competitor was covered in a football netting which had been secured by one end of a rope, whilst the other end was held by a female opposition member. On the whistle, the male competitor had to make his way forward up the course using the footholds provided whilst the female hindered his passage by keeping a tight hold of the rope. Once he had reached the end of the course, either by pure strength or by chance that the female’s hold of the rope had been lost, he had to release himself from the netting by means of a knife provided and then dress himself in a knight’s uniform (comprised of tunic, shoulder yoke and helmet). Once attired, he then had to stand on a small podium to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which ended with Italy finishing in 23 seconds followed by Great Britain in 2nd place in 34 seconds. France finished in 3rd place in 41 seconds, West Germany finished in 4th place in 48 seconds and Belgium were in 5th place in 1 minute 39 seconds. Although played out to a finish, Netherlands were deemed not to have completed the game within the permitted time.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Cerveteri (I) (12pts awarded / Joker / 12pts total) 2nd Southport (GB) (10pts / Joker / 10pts) 3rd Briey (F) (4pts / 4pts) 4th Rosenheim (D) (3pts / 3pts) 5th Bouillon (B) (2pts / 2pts) 6th Wierden (NL) (1pt / 1pt) 7th Ilanz (CH) (--- / 0pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 1 - A Kiss from the Maiden

The next game - ‘A Kiss from the Maiden’ - was the Fil Rouge and was played over one minute duration. It featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team. The male competitor was dressed as a knight and standing at one end of the course whilst the female was dressed as a maiden and standing at the other. Between the two of them was a large 10m (32ft 9¾in) long moat filled with small polystyrene balls and above their heads was a large conveyer belt with handholds. Also standing at the far end of the course, beyond the female, were two opposing male team members. Above their heads was a large crank attached to the conveyor belt. On the whistle, the male competitor had to jump up and grab one of the handholds and then make his way across the moat to rescue the maiden and receive a kiss on the cheek. Contemporaneously, the opposition had to turn the crank in order to move the conveyor belt in the reverse direction to his passage of travel. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first round of this very straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland and their competitor was only able to stay aloft for 11 seconds before dropping into the moat.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Ilanz (CH) (11 seconds)

Comments: This game was intended to run until either the competitor reached the other side of the moat to get his ‘kiss’ or until he fell into the moat itself. However, if the opposition was able to reverse the conveyor faster than the competitor could move forward, the game would also be stopped if the competitor found himself back at his original starting position.

Game 2 - The Knights' Training

The second game - ‘The Knights’ Training’ - was played individually and witnessed France presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team armed with a lance and sitting astride a dragon at the top of a ramp. Along the descent of the ramp were five opposition knights holding shields and standing on individual podia. At the base of the ramp was a large rotating totem pole structure (representing another knight) from which was hanging a weighted balloon encased in a small net. On the whistle, the knight had to descend the ramp and, using the lance, displace each of the knights cleanly (i.e. the lance directly hitting the shield head-on) as he passed by. On reaching the base of the ramp, he had to hit a protruding arm of the totem pole with the tip of the lance. Each knight that was displaced would score 2pts with an additional 2pt bonus awarded if all five knights had been struck cleanly. If the totem pole was hit by the knight an additional 3pts would be awarded. The maximum score that could be awarded on the game was therefore 15pts (5 x 2pts + 2pt bonus + 3pts). The team scoring the greater total would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Netherlands and they knocked down all five knights (two of which were not displaced cleanly) and hit the totem pole to score a total of 13pts (5 x 2pts + 0pts + 3pts).

The second heat saw the participation of France and their competitor cleanly displaced opposition knights 1, 2 and 5. Although the other two knights were hit they were not displaced. At the end of the course, the competitor hit the totem pole and scored a total of 9pts (3 x 2pts + 0pts + 3pts).

The third of the six teams to participate was Switzerland and they knocked down all five knights cleanly and hit the totem pole to score the maximum 15pts.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of Great Britain and they also knocked down all five knights cleanly and hit the totem pole to score the maximum 15pts.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Italy and, as was the case with the previous two teams, they scored a maximum of 15pts for knocking down all five knights cleanly and hitting the totem pole.

The sixth and final team to participate was Belgium and their competitor cleanly displaced opposition knights 1, 2, 3 and 5 and hit the totem pole to score 11pts (4 x 2pts + 0pts + 3pts).

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Cerveteri (I) (6pts awarded / 18pts total) 2nd Southport (GB) (6pts / 16pts) =3rd Ilanz (CH) (6pts / 6pts) ▲ =3rd Briey (F) (2pts / Joker / 6pts) =5th Bouillon (B) (2pts / 4pts) =5th Wierden (NL) (3pts / 4pts) ▲ 7th Rosenheim (D) (--- / 3pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 2 - A Kiss from the Maiden

The second round of the Fil Rouge featured West Germany and although their competitor remained hanging from the conveyor belt throughout and almost achieving his goal, the game was stopped after 49 seconds of elapsed time after the opposition had ‘returned’ the competitor back to his original starting position.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Rosenheim (D) (49 seconds) 2nd Ilanz (CH) (11 seconds) ▼

Game 3 - The Sultan's Treasure

The third game - ‘The Knight’s Heads’ - was played over two heats of 1 minute 30 seconds duration and witnessed Belgium, Switzerland and Netherlands presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured two female competitors from each team sitting at opposite ends of a giant seesaw which had had its length caged-in by elasticated ropes. At one end of the seesaw were a number of large foam-rubber balls caricatured with the faces of knights and at the other end there were five high spikes. On the whistle, the first competitor had to collect a ball and then roll it down to her team-mate at the other end. The second competitor then had to push the seesaw upwards whilst her team-mate pushed downwards. The ball then had to be inserted onto the spike by means of a small hole at the base of the head. The game then had to be repeated until five heads had been placed onto the spikes. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple and straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland, West Germany and Great Britain. From the outset, West Germany stormed the game and had already placed two heads on their spikes before either Switzerland or Great Britain had placed their first. With both of the other teams already finished, Great Britain had still only placed three of the heads on spikes. The fourth ball was not caught cleanly and rolled straight past the competitor and dropped to the ground. Fortunately, the next two bolls rolled were caught and placed on their respective spikes without mishap. At the end of the game, West Germany were declared as finishing in 36 seconds followed by Switzerland in 46 seconds and Great Britain in 1 minute 19 seconds.

The second heat featured Belgium, Italy and Netherlands and it was a very-close run race, despite Belgium suffering a mishap after their second ball tumbled to the ground before being placed on its spike. However, at the end of the game, Belgium were declared as having finished in 40 seconds followed by Netherlands in 41 seconds and Italy in 46 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Cerveteri (I) (3pts awarded / 21pts total) 2nd Southport (GB) (1pt / 17pts) 3rd Bouillon (B) (10pts / Joker / 14pts) ▲ =4th Ilanz (CH) (6pts / Joker / 12pts) ▼ =4th Wierden (NL) (8pts / Joker / 12pts) ▲ 6th Rosenheim (D) (6pts / 9pts) ▲ 7th Briey (F) (--- / 6pts) ▼

Comments: As with a similar occurrence in 1967, this game was witness to a timing error which robbed Netherlands of 2pts, and gave Belgium an additional 2pts. Both teams had played their Joker on this game and on the transmission it is clear that Netherlands had completed a flawless game and finished in 41 seconds, two seconds ahead of Belgium. However when the results were announced, Belgium were given a time that was three seconds faster than their ‘actual’ finishing time of 43 seconds and one that would see them ‘finishing’ one second faster than Netherlands. Although this error would not have affected the final result or any qualification criteria for the International Final, if it had been noticed, the scores on the master scoreboard at the end of the programme would have read: 4th 5th   B • Bouillon (B)  NL • Wierden (NL) 33 31 ...rather than the stated final tally given, which was: 4th 5th   B • Bouillon (B)  NL • Wierden (NL) 35 29 Surprisingly, although the victory by Netherlands could clearly be observed on-screen, with the competitor and her team captain celebrating their win over Belgium, no protest of the erroneous result appeared to be lodged with the referees!

Fil Rouge, Round 3 - A Kiss from the Maiden

The third round of the Fil Rouge featured France and their competitor was only able to hang onto the handholds for just 9 seconds before dropping into the moat.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Rosenheim (D) (49 seconds) 2nd Ilanz (CH) (11 seconds) 3rd Briey (F) (9 seconds)

Game 4 - Crossing the Ford

The fourth game - ‘Crossing the Ford’ - was played over two heats of 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two 3m (9ft 10¼in) greased ramps, one which descended and one which ascended, and two competitors (one male and one female) from each team standing on a starting podium. Along the length of each of the ramps were five pairs of holes. On the whistle, the male had to descend the first ramp and then ascend the other to reach a second podium in order to collect a small wooden box with prongs protruding from its base. He then had to return to the start and place the prongs of the box into the first pair of holes in the ramp to create a stepping-stone. He then had to repeat the game throughout. After the first stepping-stone had been placed, the female could step onto it and wait for her team-mate to return with the second. After all ten stepping stones had been placed and both competitors were on the apex of the ascending ramp, the time would be taken. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple and straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland, France and Italy and was played without mishap by either team. At the end of the game, Switzerland had finished in 1 minute 35 seconds followed by France in 1 minute 54 seconds. Although Italy had failed to complete the game within the time permitted, they were given an intermediary score for completing 6 stepping stones.

The second heat featured Belgium, West Germany and Netherlands and ended with West Germany finishing in 1 minute 22 seconds followed by Belgium in 1 minute 42 seconds and Netherlands in 1 minute 47 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Cerveteri (I) (1pt awarded / 22pts total) 2nd Bouillon (B) (4pts / 18pts) ▲ =3rd Ilanz (CH) (5pts / 17pts) ▲ =3rd Southport (GB) (--- / 17pts) ▼ =5th Rosenheim (D) (6pts / 15pts) ▲ =5th Wierden (NL) (3pts / 15pts) ▼ 7th Briey (F) (2pts / 8pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 4 - A Kiss from the Maiden

The fourth round of the Fil Rouge featured Great Britain and after their competitor failed to grab his second handhold correctly, he did not have enough time to recompose himself before the opposition had reversed the conveyor belt back to its original starting point to end the game after just 5 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Rosenheim (D) (49 seconds) 2nd Ilanz (CH) (11 seconds) 3rd Briey (F) (9 seconds) 4th Southport (GB) (5 seconds)

Game 5 - The Theft of the Relics

The fifth game - ‘The Theft of the Relics’ - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds and featured two male competitors from each team armed with a litter on which lay a gold wooden sarcophagus. On the whistle, the competitors had to keep the litter resting on their shoulders whilst moving down a 20m (65ft 7½in) course comprising a series of eight obstacles, each of which was separated by a lattice-work of elasticated ropes. Above the course along the battlements of the castle, there were five opposition females, each armed with a wooden box. As the competitors passed by and underneath them, the females had to hurl their boxes at the gold sarcophagus in an attempt to dislodge it from the litter. If successful, the competitors had to stop and reposition the sarcophagus before continuing. At the end of the course, they then had to place the sarcophagus in an upright position on a podium to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward and simple game saw the participation of Great Britain and they were hindered on one occasion but successfully completed the course in 53 seconds.

The second heat saw the participation of Switzerland and they completed the course unimpeded and finished the game in 41 seconds.

The third of the six teams to participate was Belgium and they almost made a clear run but were hindered by the final box to be hurled but, after recomposing themselves, they completed the course in 47 seconds.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of France and despite being hindered on two occasions, they also completed the course in 47 seconds.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was West Germany and despite being hindered on one occasion, they completed the course in 39 seconds.

The sixth and final team to participate was Netherlands and they were hindered on two occasions, but completed the course in 45 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Ilanz (CH) (5pts awarded / 22pts total) ▲ =1st Cerveteri (I) (--- / 22pts) =3rd Bouillon (B) (3pts / 21pts) ▼ =3rd Rosenheim (D) (6pts / 21pts) ▲ 5th Wierden (NL) (4pts / 19pts) 6th Southport (GB) (1pt / 18pts) ▼ 7th Briey (F) (3pts / 11pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 5 - A Kiss from the Maiden

The fifth round of the Fil Rouge featured Italy and despite making a brave effort, their competitor almost made it across the moat before losing his grip of the handholds after 10 seconds of elapsed time.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Rosenheim (D) (49 seconds) 2nd Ilanz (CH) (11 seconds) 3rd Cerveteri (I) (10 seconds) 4th Briey (F) (9 seconds) ▼ 5th Southport (GB) (5 seconds) ▼

Game 6 - The Battering Ram

The sixth game - ‘The Battering Ram’ - was played in unison over two heats of 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and two female opposition team members standing in the middle of a greased 10m (32ft 9¾in) long podium. Standing in between the competitors and opposition was a mocked-up drawbridge set on wheels. The two competitors were each armed with a large cylindrical block which had a hole through its middle. On the whistle, the competitors had to ascend the ramped end of their side of the podium with the blocks and thread them onto a pole which had a battering ramp at its end. Once both blocks had been threaded, they had to attach an elasticated rope to the free end of the pole. They then had to descend the ramp and use the battering ram to move the drawbridge towards the other end of the course. The two females contemporaneously had to prevent them from doing so by pushing against the other side of the drawbridge. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple game saw the participation of Switzerland, West Germany and France with Belgium, Italy and Great Britain in opposition respectively, and saw France reach the top of the podium before their rivals. However, the team were slow in their execution of building the ram and this permitted West Germany to descend the ramp before them. Despite descending the ramp in last place, Switzerland were the strongest of the three teams and overtook their rivals during the pushback and completed the game in exactly one minute followed by France in 1 minute 10 seconds and West Germany in 1 minute 41 seconds.

The second heat featured Belgium, Great Britain and Italy with Switzerland, France and West Germany in opposition respectively. Despite, the director’s need to pan across the assembled crowd at the start of the heat, a long camera shot was able to reveal that Italy reached the top of the ramp ahead of their rivals and were also the first to descend. Although, Great Britain appeared to be making heavy weather of the initial stages of the game, they made up ground and overtook Belgium. Italy maintained their lead throughout and finished the game in 1 minute 4 seconds followed by Great Britain in 1 minute 11 seconds with Belgium being deemed out of time and given 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Ilanz (CH) (6pts awarded / 28pts total) 2nd Cerveteri (I) (5pts / 27pts) ▼ 3rd Rosenheim (D) (2pts / 23pts) 4th Bouillon (B) (1pt / 22pts) ▼ 5th Southport (GB) (3pts / 21pts) ▲ 6th Wierden (NL) (--- / 19pts) ▼ 7th Briey (F) (4pts / 15pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 6 - A Kiss from the Maiden

The sixth and penultimate round of the Fil Rouge featured Netherlands and their competitor was only able to survive for 8 seconds before being returned to the start by the opposition.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Rosenheim (D) (49 seconds) 2nd Ilanz (CH) (11 seconds) 3rd Cerveteri (I) (10 seconds) 4th Briey (F) (9 seconds) 5th Wierden (NL) (8 seconds) 6th Southport (GB) (5 seconds) ▼

Comments: The ‘official’ end to this round of the Fil Rouge was missed by the viewing audience at home. In his wisdom, the Belgian director decided to pan along the game and focus on the ‘maiden’ holding out her hand to grab her knight rather than concentrating on a long-shot as a whole!

Game 7 - Releasing the Drawbridge

The seventh and penultimate game - ‘Releasing the Drawbridge’ - was played in unison over two heats of 1 minute 15 seconds duration and witnessed West Germany presenting their Joker for play. The game featured an open drawbridge which was being held in place by three heavy concrete weights and a male competitor from each team armed with a knife. On the whistle, the competitor had to enter an open space below the drawbridge via a latticed elasticated-rope opening in order to collect the weights and remove them. Once executed, the drawbridge would then descend down and cover the open space. In order to escape, the competitor then had to use the knife, his fists or his feet to break through a large polystyrene block in the drawbridge. After escaping, the competing then had to climb the castle wall at the rear of the game and raise his national flag to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very straightforward game saw the participation of France, Great Britain and Italy. Despite being the last of the three to complete the first part of the game, Italy escaped from the enclosed space ahead of their rivals and completed the game in 41 seconds. France, who had been completed the first part of the game ahead of their opposition finished in 51 seconds. Referee Gennaro Olivieri then explained that Great Britain had been disqualified because instead of breaking through the polystyrene block, their competitor had used so much force with his feet that he had broken the mounting on which held the block in place. Therefore, having ‘escaped’ in the incorrect manner, the team were deemed out of time and given 0:00.

The second heat featured Switzerland, West Germany and Netherlands and it was a straight race between the latter two of the three. West Germany finished the game in 41 seconds followed by Netherlands in 44 seconds. Switzerland, who were unable to escape from underneath the drawbridge before the final whistle, were given a time of 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Rosenheim (D) (12pts awarded / Joker / 35pts total) ▲ 2nd Cerveteri (I) (6pts / 33pts) 3rd Ilanz (CH) (1pt / 29pts) ▼ 4th Wierden (NL) (4pts / 23pts) ▲ =5th Bouillon (B) (--- / 22pts) ▼ =5th Southport (GB) (1pt / 22pts) 7th Briey (F) (3pts / 18pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 7 - A Kiss from the Maiden

The seventh and final round of the Fil Rouge featured Belgium and their competitor was able to hang on for 11 seconds before being returned to the start of the game by the opposition.

Final Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Rosenheim (D) (49 seconds) =2nd Bouillon (B) (11 seconds) =2nd Ilanz (CH) (11 seconds) 4th Cerveteri (I) (10 seconds) ▼ 5th Briey (F) (9 seconds) ▼ 6th Wierden (NL) (8 seconds) ▼ 7th Southport (GB) (5 seconds) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Rosenheim (D) (7pts awarded / 42pts total) 2nd Cerveteri (I) (4pts / 37pts) 3rd Ilanz (CH) (6pts / 35pts) 4th Bouillon (B) (6pts / 28pts) ▲ 5th Wierden (NL) (2pts / 25pts) ▼ 6th Southport (GB) (1pt / 23pts) ▼ 7th Briey (F) (3pts / 21pts)

Comments: Although the Fil Rouge was entitled ‘A Kiss from the Maiden’, none of the competitors completed the game in order for the maiden to be kissed!

Game 8 - Return from the Crusades

The eighth and final game - ‘Return from the Crusades’ - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team located on either side of a castle moat. Stretching across the moat were two elasticated ropes and each competitor was armed with 21 small planks of wood. On the whistle, the competitors had to begin laying the planks of wood across the ropes and then pushing them out towards each other until a bridge had been constructed. Once completed, the two competitors then had to walk out and meet each other on the middle of the bridge and kiss. They then had to transport six items - two sacks, two wooden chests and two polystyrene obelisks - from one side of the bridge to the other and place them inside the castle. Once all six items were inside, the door of the castle had to be closed to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game and witnessed Belgium constructing their bridge in a much faster time than any of their rivals. In doing so, they were able to complete the game in 2 minutes 3 seconds and were followed by Italy in 2nd place in 2 minutes 28 seconds. West Germany finished in 3rd place in 2 minutes 37 seconds, Netherlands finished in 4th place in 2 minutes 44 seconds followed by Switzerland in 5th place in 3 minutes 8 seconds. France finished in 6th place in 3 minutes 12 seconds whilst Great Britain failed to complete the game within the permitted time after their bridge had collapsed and they were unable to transport any further items across.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Rosenheim (D) (5pts awarded / 47pts total) 2nd Cerveteri (I) (6pts / 43pts) 3rd Ilanz (CH) (3pts / 38pts) 4th Bouillon (B) (7pts / 35pts) 5th Wierden (NL) (4pts / 29pts) 6th Southport (GB) (1pt / 24pts) 7th Briey (F) (2pts / 23pts)

Comments: Although the game was scheduled to run for four minutes, it was stopped after 3 minutes 40 seconds when it was obvious that Great Britain would not be able to make any further progress following the collapse of their bridge. The scoreboard malfunctioned at this heat and the scores for Belgium and France did not update correctly when the points were awarded after the final game. After winning the final game the score for Bouillon should have been 35pts but the '3' of the '35' blipped out of existence and showed Belgium score as being just 5pts. Contemporaneously, the score for France should have been 23pts but again the ‘3’ failed to show. However, unlike the score for Belgium, the ‘3’ eventually appeared to show the correct score. The corrected scoreboard is shown above.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

At the start of this programme Belgian presenter Michel Lemaire introduced referees Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi to the series in their new attire. Ardent viewers may have thought that their attire was the same each year, but only the eagle-eyed would have noticed that it had changed slightly over the years especially since the inception of colour in 1970. That year the pair of them was attired in brown jackets, beige trousers and light-blue polo-neck vests. In 1971 they wore blue jackets, beige trousers and beige floral shirts. The 1972 and 1973 series saw them wearing blue suits with beige polo-neck vests, whereas this year they wore the reverse - beige suits with blue polo-neck vests!

Records and Statistics

This heat marked the 75th International Jeux Sans Frontières programme since 1965. This number comprised 62 Heats, 4 Semi-Finals and 9 Finals.

Additional Information

The British team of Southport had a disastrous night in Bouillon. Having already been crowned British champions and awarded the Radio Times Trophy as the highest-scoring British team in the Domestic series, the team started well by scoring 16pts on the first two games. However that was as good as it got, with them finishing last on five of the other six games they played and only managing a 4th place on the remaining game!

At the other end of the scale, West Germany had scored only 3 pts after two games but then won five out of the next six games they played, giving them a 5pt lead over their nearest rivals before the final game.

For some unknown reason, as with the Belgian International Heat from Spa in 1972, the music played over the end credits at this heat was that from the 1967 series of the programme!

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives, but short excerpts from this edition exist in the BBC compilation, Best of Knockout 1974. Details in Knockout TV.
Exists in European archives

NL

Jeux Sans Frontières 1974

Heat 2

Event Staged: Wednesday 12th June 1974
Venue: Circuit van Zandvoort (Zandvoort Circuit), Zandvoort, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
BRT (B): Wednesday 12th June 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
RTB (B): Wednesday 12th June 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
SSR (CH): Wednesday 12th June 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
SRG (CH): Wednesday 12th June 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
TSI (CH): Wednesday 12th June 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
WDR 1 (D): Wednesday 12th June 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)

Nederland 1 (NL): Wednesday 12th June 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)
RAI Due (I): Thursday 13th June 1974
ORTF 2 (F): Saturday 13th July 1974 (1st)
BBC1 (GB): Friday 9th August 1974, 7.45-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Dry

Winners' Trophy presented by: Dick Passchier

Theme: Trades and Occupations

Teams: Eeklo (B) v. Lugano (CH) v. Bentheim (D) v. Aurillac (F) v.
Warwick (GB) v. Mondello (Sicilia) (I) v. Zandvoort (NL)

Team Members included:
Eeklo (B) - George Debbaut (Team Coach), Ria Deveneyms, Raymond van den Driessche, Ronald Dyselinck, Albert Heirman, Paul van Hoye, Noël Neyt, Marianne de Pæpe, Jeannine van Poelvoorde, Martine de Smet, Maurits de Smet, Eddy Smitz, Ria Vanhoo-Marres, Áime de Walsche;
Bentheim (D) - Gerhard Hendricks (Team Coach), Heinrich Bertich, Reinhard Bonke, Jutta Hannig, Orta Hilner, Gert Meinhus, Gerhard Mückenheim, Siegbert Nord, Hans Stradmann, Inga Westerhof;
Warwick (GB) - Arthur Harrison (Team Coach), Steven Amos, Leslie Barnett, Michael Day, Bryan Fraser, Robert Gibbs, Linda Robinson, Linda Shaw, Pat Stevens, Bill Stone, Paul Tallis, Susan Whyford;
Zandvoort (NL) - Wim Buchel Sr. (Team Coach), Dirk van den Nulft (Team Captain), Fekke Boukes, Dries Zonneveld.

Games: The Brewers, The Bakers, The Astronauts, The Removal Men, The Nuclear Scientists, The Matchbox Sellers, The Waiters and the Waitress and The Train Drivers;
Fil Rouge: The Zoo Keepers;
Jokers: Giant Dutch Tulips.

Game Results and Standingss

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 NL • Zandvoort ● ●
 GB • Warwick
 D • Bentheim
 F • Aurillac
 I • Mondello (Sicilia)
 B • Eeklo
 CH • Lugano

40
37
36
34
33
28
23

Running International Final Qualifiers

Belgium (B) - Bouillon (4th, 35pts)
Switzerland (CH) - Ilanz (3rd, 38pts)
West Germany (D) - Rosenheim (1st, 47pts)
France (F) - Aurillac (4th, 34pts)

Great Britain (GB) - Warwick (2nd, 37pts)
Italy (I) - Cerveteri (2nd, 43pts)
Netherlands (NL) - Zandvoort (1st, 40pts)

The Host Town

Zandvoort, Netherlands

Zandvoort is a town and seaside resort with a population of around 18,000 inhabitants in the province of Noord-Holland. It is located on the North Sea coast, 24km (15 miles) west of Amsterdam, 50km (31 miles) north of Rotterdam, 166km (103 miles) south-west of Groningen and 187km (116 miles) north-west of Maastricht.

The town of Zandvoort dates back to 1100. It was then known as Sandevoerde (‘sand’ and ‘voerde’ [which means ford]). The town was controlled by the Lords of Brederode until 1722. Throughout much of Zandvoort’s history, fishing was a prominent part of the local economy. In the 19th century, the town began transforming into a seaside resort similar to the ones found in the United Kingdom at the time. The first resort was officially inaugurated in 1828. After the inauguration, tourists began flocking to Zandvoort. Elisabeth of Bavaria (1837-1898) was a famous visitor who spent time in Zandvoort in 1884 and 1885.

The railway station, appropriately named as Zandvoort-aan-Zee, located near to the beach, opened in 1881, and in 1899, a tram connection to Haarlem was introduced. This made Zandvoort more accessible to tourists. One of the first Dutch fictional films was filmed in the town in 1905.

Zandvoort was damaged heavily during World War II (1939-1945). Beach access was prohibited on 23rd May 1942 and the town was evacuated just a few months later. A few months later, almost all of Zandvoort had to be evacuated. All buildings near the coast, including bathhouses, hotels, the water tower and the boulevard were demolished for the construction of the German Atlantic Wall . There are still dozens of bunkers in the area.

Once the war ended, the town flourished. The Circuit Park Zandvoort was built in 1948, which hosted the Dutch Grand Prix for many years. Today, the town continues to be a major seaside resort in the Netherlands. More than half of the town’s population are employed in the tourism industry.

Zandvoort’s pristine beaches are what really attract tourists to the town each year. The beaches in the area are divided into different sections to allow tourists to truly enjoy their stay. There is also an extensive naturist (nudist) beach that extends 2.5km (1½ miles). There are also more than 38 different pavilions along the beach that serve drinks and food. On the sports beach, visitors can enjoy kite surfing, beach volleyball, hang gliding, wind surfing, paragliding and sailing. You also have the option of hiking or biking through the coastal dunes.

The Visiting Towns

Eeklo is a town with a population of around 21,000 inhabitants in the néerlandophonic (Dutch-speaking) Belgian province of Oost-Vlanderen and is located 148km (92 miles) south-west of Zandvoort.

Lugano is a town with a population of around 64,000 inhabitants in the italophonic (Italian-speaking) Swiss canton of Ticino and is located 777km (483 miles) south-east of Zandvoort.

Bad Bentheim is a town with a population of around 16,000 inhabitants in the German state of Niedersachsen and is located 179km (112 miles) east of Zandvoort. (At the time of transmission, Bentheim was a standalone town. However, with the increasing interest in its therapeutic spas during the latter part of the 1970s, the town’s name was officially changed to Bad Bentheim on 6th June 1979.)

Aurillac is a town with a population of around 26,000 inhabitants in the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and is located 842km (523 miles) south of Zandvoort.

Warwick is a town with a population of around 33,000 inhabitants in the English county of Warwickshire and is located 415km (218 miles) west of Zandvoort.

Mondello is a suburb of Palermo with a population of around 4,300 inhabitants in the Italian island region of Sicilia and is located 1,717km (1,067 miles) south-east of Zandvoort.

The Venue

Circuit van Zandvoort (Zandvoort Race Track)

The games were played at the Dutch Grand Prix racing track, built with rubble from houses demolished during the Second World War (1939-1945), and which was inaugurated on 7th August 1948.

In 1949, the first Dutch Grand Prix was held on the track, but the first Formula One race which counted towards World Championship points was not held there until 1955. The Dutch Grand Prix continued to be held on the track every year until 1971. The race was removed from the calendar in 1972) when the owners - Zandvoort City Council - no longer wanted to put up the money necessary to modernise the track and make it safe.

On 7th February 1973, a 15-year lease was signed between the city council and new operators CENAV B.V. Crash barriers were built around the entire race track, and at the back of the circuit a speed control section called the Panoramabocht was laid. New pits and VIP rooms were also created and the circuit played host to the Dutch Grand Prix for the period 1973-1985.

The total cost for this development was over 3 million guilders (approximately £375,000 at the time). The closure of the track in 1985 (three years earlier than the end of the lease) was caused in the main by the fact that a number of problems made it impossible to develop or upgrade. The most important being noise pollution to the locals who lived in Zandvoort closest to the track. In order to try and solve this, the management developed a plan to move the southern-most part of the track away from the residential area.

Comparative value in 2023: £375,000 = £2,732,488.

In January 1987, this plan got the green-light (excuse the pun). However by the April of the same year CENAV went into liquidation, following accusations of cost-cutting with safety measures, and the receivers were called in and this marked the end of Circuit van Zandvoort. The track was handed over to the local Zandvoort council and was in danger of being permanently lost for motor-sports. However within a few months, a new operating company Stichting Exploitatie Circuit Park (Circuit Park Operating Foundation) was formed and it started talks with the local councillors about the realisation of the track’s potential. In the summer of 1989 Circuit Park Zandvoort was born and was remodelled into a slightly smaller 2.6 km (1½ miles) long track, whilst the old southern park of the track was used to build a bungalow park and new local soccer and hockey clubs.

On 14th May 2019, the Dutch Grand Prix at the Zandvoort track was announced for the 2020 Formula One calendar. However, in March 2020 the return of event was postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; it was later cancelled altogether with the event's return slated for 5th September 2021, when home favourite Max Verstappen took a popular victory on his way to his first Formula 1 World Championship, clinched in Abu Dhabi in controversial circumstances on 12th December that year. As of 2023, Verstappen was unbeaten at the circuit, having won the first three events held there. The Dutch Grand Prix is contracted to be held at Zandvoort until at least 2025.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

At the start of the programme Dutch racing driver Rob Slotemaker (1929-1979) staged a spectacular entrance. He drove into the arena from the Grand Prix track at about 90kph (56mph), and just a few metres short of a marked area, he spun the car around 180° and brought it to a dead stop. The front doors opened and out stepped presenter Dick Passchier and Rob Slotemaker followed by referees Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi from the rear seats.

Passchier was not shaken by the experience. He just looked at the cameras and welcomed everyone to the programme and introduced Slotemaker to the audience at home. The stunt had obviously been well rehearsed as it could be seen that there were at least 10 sets of skid marks from the tyres on the tarmac.

Slotemaker would go on to found an anti-skid school display team, but in a tragic twist, it was on this same track that he lost his life, after breaking his neck in a car crash on 16th September 1979.

Game 1 - The Brewers

The first game - ‘The Brewers’ - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Switzerland presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team armed with four small right-angled sections of pipe. On the whistle, the competitor had to take one of the pieces and run up the 25m (82ft) course to reach a wooden beer barrel which was spurting water from its top. He then had to connect his piece of pipe to this by screwing the ends together. Once completed, he then had to return to the start and repeat the game on three occasions. As soon as he had connected the fourth piece, he then had to return to the start and collect a large jug and run up the course to fill it from the flowing water. He then had to race back to the start to fill a large glass which had had holes pre-cut out at a determined height. If enough water had been carried back to reach the holes and poured out from them, the time would be taken. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © Dik Bruynesteyn / NCRV, 1974

This was a very straightforward and simple game, which following a false start, was dominated by France throughout and they finished in 1 minute 11 seconds. West Germany completed the game in 1 minute 16 seconds, followed by Netherlands in 1 minute 29 seconds and Great Britain in 1 minute 33 seconds. A disappointing effort by Switzerland saw them finish in 1 minute 50 seconds, with Italy completing the game in two minutes exactly.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Aurillac (F) (6pts awarded / 6pts total) 2nd Bentheim (D) (5pts / 5pts) =3rd Lugano (CH) (4pts / Joker / 4pts) =3rd Zandvoort (NL) (4pts / 4pts) 5th Warwick (GB) (3pts / 3pts) 6th Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (1pt / 1pt) 7th Eeklo (B) (--- / 0pts)

Comments: A photograph from this game was featured on Page 59 of the It’s A Knockout Annual 1977 published by World Distributors (Manchester) Limited in the autumn of 1976.

Fil Rouge, Round 1 - The Zoo Keepers

The next game - ‘The Zoo Keepers’ - was the Fil Rouge and was played over 1 minute 30 seconds duration. It featured a large pool and three male competitors each equipped with different coloured hoops (pink and blue). Spanning the centre of the pool was a large diagonally-striped rotating wooden pole and located in front of this were three effigies of seals with balls attached to their noses. Each ball had a different point value - 1pt, 3pts and 5pts. On the whistle, the first competitor had the cross the pole by gripping with his arms and legs. As he reached the first seal, he had to toss the hoop over the ball (valued at 1pt). Successful or not, he then had to move along the pole to the second seal in order to score 3pts and finally to the third seal to score 5pts. Once completed, he then had to continue along the pole to the end (or drop into the pool) and the game would be repeated by the second and third competitors in the same manner. If a competitor fell from the pole at any time, his turn would end and the next competitor had to start his essay. Once each competitor had crossed the pole, additional crossings could be made until the end of permitted time. Competitors could cross the pole in any manner but had to start off in a forward-facing position and were given the option as to whether to wear footwear or not. The team with the greater score would be declared the winners.

Image © Dik Bruynesteyn / NCRV, 1974

The first round of this very simple and straightforward game saw the participation of Belgium and their first competitor scored 8pts (3pts + 5pts) and their third competitor scored 1pt, giving them a total of 9pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Eeklo (B) (9pts)

Comments: In common with most Dutch International Heats, many of the games at this heat were played out to the sounds of a genuine barrel organ. However, the Fil Rouge (or Rode Draad in Dutch) featured the musical accompaniment of one of Zandvoort’s local amateur bands, De Kwallentrappers (their name translating into English as The Jellyfish Catchers!). Despite their professional appearance, their musical style was somewhat of a mystery, with most of the players playing out of tune!

Game 2 - The Bakers

The second game - ‘The Bakers’ - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured a large pool spanned by two halves of a bridge and two male competitors from each team attired as bakers. Whilst one side of the bridge was static, the other would gradually move backwards as the game commenced. At the start of the game, the two competitors had two large polystyrene bricks shaped as slices of bread which they had to press against from either side. On the whistle, a female team-mate passed additional slices by means of a large 5m (16ft 5in) long peel (used to remove bread and pizzas from ovens). These slices had to be added to the two already in place in order to keep themselves connected as the gap between the two halves of the bridge widened. This gave the effect of them producing a large loaf. The game would continue until the end of permitted time or at the point when the gap became too wide and they tumbled into the water. The team building the loaf with the greater number of slices and remaining standing for the longer time before tumbling would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this somewhat straightforward but hilarious game saw the participation of Netherlands and they had constructed a loaf with a total of 6 slices before tumbling into the pool after 1 minute 26 seconds.

The second heat saw the participation of West Germany and they constructed a loaf totalling 5 slices before tumbling into the pool after 58 seconds.

The third of the six teams to participate was Italy and they collected a total of 6 bread slices before tumbling into the pool after 1 minute 3 seconds.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of France and they had constructed a loaf with a total of 5 slices before tumbling into the pool after 1 minute 1 second.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Great Britain and despite tumbling into the pool after 1 minute 2 seconds, they had also constructed a loaf with a total of 6 slices.

The sixth and final team to participate was Belgium and despite neither competitor tumbling into the pool, they were only able to build a loaf of 5 slices before it collapsed into the pool after just 42 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Zandvoort (NL) (6pts awarded / 10pts total) ▲ 2nd Aurillac (F) (3pts / 9pts) ▼ =3rd Bentheim (D) (2pts / 7pts) ▼ =3rd Warwick (GB) (4pts / 7pts) ▲ 5th Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (5pts / 6pts) ▲ 6th Lugano (CH) (--- / 4pts) ▼ 7th Eeklo (B) (1pt / 1pt)

Fil Rouge, Round 2 - The Zoo Keepers

The second round of the Fil Rouge featured Switzerland and whilst their first competitor scored 4pts (1pt + 3pts) on his first crossing and 5pts on his second, neither of other two were able to score anything, and this gave them a total of 9pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Eeklo (B) (9pts) =1st Lugano (CH) (9pts)

Comments: Despite one of the hoops hanging from the ball of the 1pt seal on the third attempt by the first competitor, it was not counted in their final total as it had not gone completely down and around the neck of the pinniped (flipper-footed mammal).

Game 3 - The Astronauts

The third game - ‘The Astronauts’ - was played over two heats of 1 minute 45 seconds duration and witnessed Belgium, Great Britain and Italy presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured a carousel shaped like a flying saucer, which had been set at an angle of about 30° to the ground, and two competitors (one male (armed with a small gong) and one female) from each team attired as astronauts. At the start of the game, the competitors were both lying on their backs, with feet facing each other, at opposite sides of the carousel. On the whistle, and in order to get the carousel moving, the male competitor at the top had to lean to his left and stretch backwards whilst the female competitor at the bottom had to sit up and lean as far forward as possible. On reaching the bottom of the carousel, the male competitor then had to adopt the forward position whilst the female competitor, now at the top, had to lean left and stretch backwards. This would inevitably produce enough gravitational energy to get the carousel moving and by repeating the procedure would increase the speed throughout. In order to achieve a score, the male astronaut had to hit a target behind him with the hammer as he passed the top of the carousel. The team achieving ten hits of the target in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland, Great Britain and Italy and ended with Italy completing 10 hits in 1 minute 4 seconds, followed by Switzerland in 1 minute 10 seconds and Great Britain in 1 minute 11 seconds.

The second heat featured Belgium, France and Netherlands and ended with France completing 10 hits in 1 minute 8 seconds followed by Belgium in 1 minute 11 seconds. Netherlands had only struck the target on seven occasions and therefore failed to complete the game within the permitted time and were given a score of 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (12pts awarded / Joker / 18pts total) ▲ 2nd Aurillac (F) (5pts / 14pts) 3rd Warwick (GB) (6pts / Joker / 13pts) 4th Zandvoort (NL) (1pt / 11pts) ▼ 5th Lugano (CH) (4pts / 8pts) ▲ =6th Eeklo (B) (6pts / 7pts) ▲ =6th Bentheim (D) (--- / 7pts) ▼

Comments: Netherlands protested that there was a fault with their spaceship because it did not rotate properly, although it had been used to great effect by Switzerland in the previous heat of the game. On watching the transmission, it is clear that the competitors got somewhat confused with the posture which they should have held on the upward and downward runs of the game, and this ultimately slowed them down and at one point stopped the carousel completely!

Fil Rouge, Round 3 - The Zoo Keepers

The third round of the Fil Rouge featured West Germany and whilst their first competitor scored 5pts on his first attempt and 1pt on his second essay, neither of other two were able to score anything, and this gave them a total of 6pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Eeklo (B) (9pts) =1st Lugano (CH) (9pts) 3rd Bentheim (D) (6pts)

Comments: Although their third competitor could clearly be seen scoring 3pts with his second hoop, the referees discounted the score due to the fact that he had not begun his crossing in the correct position. Instead of forward-facing, he had leaned forward over the pole on one side.

Game 4 - The Removal Men

The fourth game - ‘The Removal Men’ - was played over two heats of 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed West Germany presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team armed with a barge-shaped trolley loaded with five miscellaneous items - a piano, an armchair, a standard lamp, a bicycle and a national flag. On the whistle, the team had to travel down the 25m (82ft) course to reach a building from which a rope was hanging down from a pulley. One of the competitors then had to hold one end of the rope whilst his two team-mates pulled on the other to raise him 9m (29ft 6in) in the air in order to access an attic at the top of the building. Once completed, they had to raise the five items up to and into the attic by means of the rope. There were no restrictions as to the order or number that could be raised at any time, except for the flag which had to be the final item. Once all the other four items were inside, the flag had to be raised and flown from the top of the building to finish. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first round saw the participation of West Germany, Italy and Netherlands and it was clear that West Germany had chosen their Joker game well. Whilst Netherlands were struggling to lift their items one-by-one, West Germany and Italy raised the items in three lifts with the piano and armchair being raised separately. West Germany completed the game by flying their flag in 2 minutes 32 seconds followed by Italy in 3 minutes 8 seconds. Despite a warning from referee Gennaro Olivieri about limit time approaching, Netherlands failed to fly their flag and were given a score of 0:00 for a second successive game.

The second heat featured Belgium, Switzerland and Great Britain and from the outset it appeared bad news for the British team after they were unable to steer a straight course with the trolley and encroached into the lane used by Switzerland. However, as Switzerland were well ahead at this point, no penalty was incurred. With both of the other teams now well ahead, it took some quick-thinking on the team's part to get the five items up to the top of the building, so they had to cut some corners and sent the armchair up with the bicycle and the standard lamp on the same lift and actually finished in second place in the heat. The results were declared and Belgium had completed the game in 2 minutes 46 seconds followed by Great Britain in 2 minutes 50 seconds and Switzerland in 2 minutes 56 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (2pts awarded / 20pts total) 2nd Bentheim (D) (12 pts / Joker / 19pts) ▲ 3rd Warwick (GB) (4pts / 17pts) 4th Aurillac (F) (--- / 14pts) ▼ =5th Eeklo (B) (5pts / 12pts) ▲ =5th Zandvoort (NL) (1pt / 12pts) ▼ 7th Lugano (CH) (3pts / 11pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 4 - The Zoo Keepers

The fourth round of the Fil Rouge featured France and they attempted to sidetrack the referees by just attempting the 1pt seal and throwing the hoops before even getting down on the pole itself. Although 13 hoops were placed over the 1pt seal, referee Gennaro explained that four of the hoops would not be counted for the reasons given above and gave them a total of 9pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Eeklo (B) (9pts) =1st Lugano (CH) (9pts) =1st Aurillac (F) (9pts) 4th Bentheim (D) (6pts) ▼

Game 5 - The Nuclear Scientists

The fifth game - ‘The Nuclear Scientists’ - was played over two heats of two minutes duration and witnessed France and Netherlands presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured four female competitors from each team and a large metal framework which had an ascending spiral of rails on its perimeter. On the whistle, the team captain placed a medicine ball at the base of the rails and the four competitors then had to lift the framework off the ground. They then had to work together by raising one side of the framework whilst lowering the other in order to guide the ball up the rails to the top of the spiral. As there were no supporting sides to the rails, the competitors had to ensure that the ball was not permitted to travel at a fast speed as the likelihood would be that the ball would drop from the framework. Once completed, the ball would fall into a hole in the centre of the framework and collect in a basket. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this somewhat intriguing, but simple game saw the participation of Belgium, West Germany and France but despite all of their efforts neither team was able to complete the game within the permitted time and were all given a score of 0:00.

The second heat featured Switzerland, Italy and Netherlands and it was a different story to that of the first. Despite two teams playing their Jokers on this game (one being in the first heat), it was Italy that were the first to complete the game in 1 minute 7 seconds. With permitted time elapsing fast, Netherlands (playing their Joker) were able to finish the game in the nick of time in 1 minute 59 seconds. Switzerland, as was the case with all the teams in the first heat, were unable complete the game in the permitted time and were given a score of 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (6pts awarded / 26pts total) 2nd Zandvoort (NL) (10pts / Joker / 22pts) ▲ 3rd Bentheim (D) (1pt / 20pts) ▼ 4th Warwick (GB) (--- / 17pts) ▼ 5th Aurillac (F) (2pts / Joker / 16pts) ▼ 6th Eeklo (B) (1pt / 13pts) ▼ 7th Lugano (CH) (1pt / 12pts)

Comments: This game would later reappear in a similar form in Heat 5 of Jeux Sans Frontières 1999 as the Fil Rouge, entitled 'La Spirale' (The Spiral).

Fil Rouge, Round 5 - The Zoo Keepers

The fifth round of the Fil Rouge featured Great Britain and it appeared they were playing the game in the same manner as France in the previous round whereby they attempted to get as many hoops over the 1pt seal rather than moving along the pole to the higher scoring targets. The first competitor scored 1pt on his fourth essay of five whilst the second competitor scored 1pt on all of his five essays (5pts). The third competitor was not able to score anything from his five essays. This gave the team a total of 6pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Eeklo (B) (9pts) =1st Lugano (CH) (9pts) =1st Aurillac (F) (9pts) =4th Bentheim (D) (6pts) =4th Warwick (GB) (6pts)

Game 6 - The Matchbox Sellers

The sixth game - ‘The Matchbox Sellers’ - was played over two heats of two minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team dressed in costumes comprised mainly of a giant head and a very long protruding nose. The three competitors stood in line behind each other along a 30m (98ft 5¼in) obstacle course comprising a small wooden hurdle and a ramp. On the whistle, the first competitor had to run forward to collect a large matchbox cover which had to be placed over the nose of the costume by a male team-mate. He then had to turn around and transport the matchbox back down the course to the second competitor by guiding it over his nose. They then had to separate, ensuring that the matchbox cover remained on the nose of the second competitor. Whilst the first competitor returned to the start to repeat the game, the second competitor had to move down the course in order to meet the third competitor and pass the cover over in the same manner. After separating, he then had to turn around and move to the end of the course to have the cover removed by a female team-mate. Contemporaneously, the game would be repeated by each competitor after completing their individual tasks and then repeated throughout. The team transporting three matchboxes in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of France, Great Britain and Netherlands. Whilst France suffered a setback on the first handover whereby the matchbox cover fell to the ground, it was Great Britain who transported their first matchbox cover after 31 seconds of elapsed time followed by Netherlands after 35 seconds. France continued to have difficulty in passing the first cover and this permitted Great Britain and Netherlands to complete their second essays after 51 seconds and 57 seconds respectively. With no sign of the woes of France abating, Great Britain completed the game in 1 minute 5 seconds followed by Netherlands in 1 minute 18 seconds. With France failing to collect any matchbox covers within the permitted time they were given a score of 0.

The second heat featured Belgium, Switzerland and West Germany with Belgium transporting their first cover after 31 seconds of elapsed time, followed by Switzerland after 36 seconds and West Germany after 37 seconds. With all three teams suitably matched, Switzerland and West Germany both completed their second essays after 1 minute 2 seconds followed by Belgium in 1 minute 4 seconds. Disaster struck Switzerland during their third essay after the matchbox cover fell to the ground. This error permitted Belgium to complete the game in 1 minute 19 seconds followed by West Germany in 1 minute 29 seconds. Despite not completing the game, Switzerland were given an intermediary score of 2 boxes.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Zandvoort (NL) (5pts awarded / 27pts total) ▲ 2nd Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (--- / 26pts) ▼ =3rd Bentheim (D) (3pts / 23pts) =3rd Warwick (GB) (6pts / 23pts) ▲ =5th Eeklo (B) (4pts / 17pts) ▲ =5th Aurillac (F) (1pt / 17pts) 7th Lugano (CH) (2pts / 14pts)

Comments: A photograph from this game was featured on Page 16 of the It’s A Knockout Annual 1977 published by World Distributors (Manchester) Limited in the autumn of 1976.

Fil Rouge, Round 6 - The Zoo Keepers

The sixth and penultimate round of the Fil Rouge featured Italy and they were to suffer the same fate as France earlier whereby some of the hoops were discounted. Although eight rings were placed over the 1pt seal and one hoop over the 3pts seal (which would have given a total of 11pts), referee Gennaro Olivieri stated that again the competitors had not being facing forward when starting some of the essays and declared a total of 6pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Eeklo (B) (9pts) =1st Lugano (CH) (9pts) =1st Aurillac (F) (9pts) =4th Bentheim (D) (6pts) =4th Warwick (GB) (6pts) =4th Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (6pts)

Game 7 - The Waiters and the Waitress

The seventh and penultimate game - ‘The Waiters and the Waitress’ - was played individually over 45 seconds duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team attired as waiting staff. On the whistle, the first competitor had to collect a tray with three glasses of water and hold it with one hand underneath and then proceed to walk onto a reverse direction conveyor belt. Halfway down the 10m (32ft 9¾in) course, the competitor then had to transfer onto a forward moving conveyor belt. At the end of the course, any glasses that were still standing upright on the tray had to be placed onto a podium. In opposition, and armed with a jet hose, was a female from each of the other five teams competing on this game. Competitors were not permitted to hold the glasses with their hands but could shield them with their body as they crossed. The team collecting the greater number of glasses would be declared the winners.

Image © Dik Bruynesteyn / NCRV, 1974

The first heat of this very simple game saw the participation of Belgium and they made a total of four successful crossings and were able to secure 5 glasses within the permitted time.

The second heat saw the participation of Italy and they collected a total of 7 glasses with their three successful crossings.

The third of the six teams to participate was Great Britain and they were able to make seven successful crossings and collect a total of 14 glasses before the final whistle was sounded.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of France and they were able to make six successful crossings and collected a total of 9 glasses.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Switzerland and, apart from their first crossing, all of their competitors then failed to hold the tray with one hand underneath, instead opting to hold it with one hand grasping the side. Although they made five successful crossings, they had only collected a total of 2 glasses in the correct manner.

The sixth and final team to participate was West Germany and their competitors made eight successful crossings and deemed to have collected a total of 14 glasses correctly.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Bentheim (D) (6pts awarded / 29pts total) ▲ =1st Warwick (GB) (6pts / 29pts) ▲ =1st Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (3pts / 29pts) ▲ 4th Zandvoort (NL) (--- / 27pts) ▼ 5th Aurillac (F) (4pts / 21pts) 6th Eeklo (B) (2pts / 19pts) ▼ 7th Lugano (CH) (1pt / 15pts)

Comments: Despite all the other teams being penalised for failing to hold the trays in the correct manner (i.e. with one hand underneath the tray), West Germany made all their essays with hands grasping the side of the tray and suffered no penalty for doing so. Ironically, and even more mysterious as to why this was permitted, was the fact that it was British referee Arthur Ellis who was judging this round and failed to spot the error!

Fil Rouge, Round 7 - The Zoo Keepers

The seventh and final round of the Fil Rouge featured Netherlands and their first competitor scored 4pts (1pt + 3pts) on his first essay, 1pt on his second and 3pts on his third. The second competitor scored 3pts on both of his two essays (6pts) and their third scored 1pt on his first essay. Their total score was declared as 15pts.

Final Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Zandvoort (NL) (15pts) =2nd Eeklo (B) (9pts) ▼ =2nd Lugano (CH) (9pts) ▼ =2nd Aurillac (F) (9pts) ▼ =5th Bentheim (D) (6pts) ▼ =5th Warwick (GB) (6pts) ▼ =5th Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (6pts) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Zandvoort (NL) (7pts awarded / 34pts total) ▲ =2nd Bentheim (D) (3pts / 32pts) ▼ =2nd Warwick (GB) (3pts / 32pts) ▼ =2nd Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (3pts / 32pts) ▼ 5th Aurillac (F) (6pts / 27pts) 6th Eeklo (B) (6pts / 25pts) ▼ 7th Lugano (CH) (6pts / 21pts)

Game 8 - The Train Drivers

The eighth and final game - ‘The Train Drivers’ - was an elimination game played over three heats and featured two male competitors from each team standing inside a heavily-weighted large foam rubber train engine set on rail tracks. The competitors were actually standing on the ground but it appeared to be standing on the footplate of the engine. On the whistle, the two competitors had to work together by using the brute force of their shoulders and full body weight, to push the engine down the 15m (49ft 2½in) course to a set of buffers. The last two teams to reach the end of the course would be eliminated and the game would be restarted with the remaining teams. The team winning the final heat would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple, straightforward and quickly executed game saw Netherlands finishing in 1st place in 18 seconds followed by Great Britain in 2nd place in 20 seconds, France in 3rd place in 22 seconds, Belgium in 4th place in 28 seconds and West Germany in 5th place in 30 seconds. The last two teams to arrive, and subsequently being eliminated, were Switzerland in 6th place in 38 seconds followed by Italy in 7th place in 41 seconds.

With the engines returned to the start and the game restarted, the second and penultimate heat saw Great Britain finishing in 1st place in 18 seconds followed by Netherlands in 2nd place in 20 seconds and France in 3rd place in 21 seconds. The last two teams to arrive, and subsequently being eliminated, were West Germany in 4th place in 24 seconds and Belgium in 5th place in 28 seconds.

The third and final heat saw France completing the game in 1st place in 18 seconds followed by Netherlands in 2nd place in 19 seconds and Great Britain in 3rd place in 21 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Zandvoort (NL) (6pts awarded / 40pts total) 2nd Warwick (GB) (5pts / 37pts) 3rd Bentheim (D) (4pts / 36pts) ▼ 4th Aurillac (F) (7pts / 34pts) ▲ 5th Mondello (Sicilia) (I) (1pt / 33pts) ▼ 6th Eeklo (B) (3pts / 28pts) 7th Lugano (CH) (2pts / 23pts)

Additional Information

While the Leiden location for the Netherlands-hosted International Final was selected relatively early on, the decision on holding the Dutch International Heat at Zandvoort was prevaricated over for quite a while. Other cities in the running for the honour of holding this Jeux Sans Frontières programme in their backyard included Assen, Deventer, Ede, Heerenveen, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Oldenzaal, Sneek, Vught, Zeist and Zwolle.

This programme was marking the 50th anniversary of Dutch Broadcaster NCRV (Nederlandse Christelijke Radio Vereniging) which had begun in 1924. Throughout the programme, signs around the set and arena could be observed displaying ‘ncrv50’.

Following the recording of this heat, Jeux Sans Frontières took a summer break of four weeks due to the FIFA Football World Cup being held in West Germany between 13th June and 7th July 1974. The break allowed broadcasters to carry live coverage of matches and free up technical, administrative and presentation staff and resources for the football tournament.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives, but short excerpts from this edition exist in the BBC compilation, Best of Knockout 1974. Details in Knockout TV.
Exists in European archives

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1974

Heat 3

Event Staged: Wednesday 10th July 1974
Venue: Stadio Comunale (Municipal Stadium), Barga, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
BRT (B): Wednesday 10th July 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
RTB (B): Wednesday 10th July 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
SSR (CH): Wednesday 10th July 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)
SRG (CH): Wednesday 10th July 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
TSI (CH): Wednesday 10th July 1974, 9.05-10.15pm (Live)
WDR 1 (D): Wednesday 10th July 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)

Nederland 1 (NL): Wednesday 10th July 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)
RAI Due (I): Thursday 11th July 1974
ORTF 2 (F): Saturday 27th July 1974 (3rd)
BBC1 (GB): Friday 16th August 1974, 7.45-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Dry

Winners' Trophy presented by: Giulio Marchetti

Theme: The Circus

Teams: Edegem (B) v. Gossau (CH) v. Singen (D) v. Nancy (F) v.
Rotherham (GB) v. Barga (I) v. Andijk (NL)

Team Members included:
Gossau (CH) - Eugen Krapf (Team Manager), Elsbet Aemisegger, Max Bont, Kurt Beck, Ruedi Beck, Claire Eckmann, Hugo Eugster, Markus Hitz, Maria Huber, Vreni Letzer, Gabi Messmer, Kurt Müggler, Paul Nobel, Walter Rombach, August Stolz;
Singen (D) - Dieter Möhrle (Team Coach), Alfred Klaiber (Team Captain), Hans-Dirk Böttcher, Dieter Britz, Regina Densel-Burmeister, Doris Caserotto, Waltraud Edel, Simon Feuerstein, Erhard Fischer, Frank Fischer, Thomas Fulmarr, Heinz Gerstner, Karl Gisy, Ewald Halder, Rainer Höttges, Peter Kierner, Brigitte Kupferer, Christa Maier, Horst Mengau, Peter Metzger, Peter Muehler, Gabriele Oehler, Martina Pertelwieser, Erved Ruiz, Max Städele, Eckhard Strehlke, Ursula Strelow, Peter Strümeyer, Sabine Sütterlin, Waltreise Wergens, Winfried Wintter;
Nancy (F) - Dominique Herbinet (Team Captain), Geneviève Serreau (Women's Team Captain), Thierry Dabrowski, Jean-Pierre Desquatre, Patrick Dubois, Marcel Desbuis, Philippe Genin, Marie-Lyse Jacquiert, Noëlle Jarry, François Lombard, Josette Lombard, Christian Ries, André Rotta and Catherine Spettel (13);
Rotherham (GB) - John Bideford (Men’s Team Captain), Susanne Jones (Women's Team Captain), Eileen Baker, Sandra Beasley, Keith Brown, Marion Brownett, Vivienne Burns, Peter Coulton, David Crutchley, Lynne Dalton, Malcolm Daltry, Pamela Elliott, H. Evans, Len Evans, Ian Ferguson, Anne Fitzgerald, Carole Fletcher, Bill Green, Christine Green, Brian Harney, Kathryn Harrison, Susan Hibbert, Peter Hunt, Susan Hunt, Lynne Hutton, John Jones, Karen Maplebeck, David O'Hara, Brian Pearson, Mary Pearson, Glen Pine, Lyn Sergeant, Richard Shaw, Alan Simpson, Gerard Tyler, Victor Tyler, Stephen Webb, Granville Wild, J. Winchcombe, Joy Wooller;
Barga (I) - Raffaello Bernardini, Remo Bertoncini, Piero del Checcolo, Leonardo Corradini, Enrico Cosimini, Gianluca Donnini, Oliviero Galeotti, Katia Gonnella, Silvia Lucchesi, Pietro Mucci, Donata Piacentini and Gianluca Tonarelli;
Andijk (NL) - Joacha van Guslicher.

Games: Horses and Scholars, The Tightrope Walker, In the Jaws of the Lion, Catapulting the Bears, Acrobatic Horse Riders, The Strongmen, The Human Cannonball and Clowns and Balls;
Fil Rouge: The Trapeze Artiste;
Jokers: Jack-in-the-Boxes

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 F • Nancy ● ●
 I • Barga
 D • Singen
 CH • Gossau
 GB • Rotherham
 B • Edegem
 NL • Andijk

44
38
36
34
28
27
16

Running International Final Qualifiers

Belgium (B) - Bouillon (4th, 35pts)
Switzerland (CH) - Ilanz (3rd, 38pts)
West Germany (D) - Rosenheim (1st, 47pts)
France (F) - Nancy (1st, 44pts)

Great Britain (GB) - Warwick (2nd, 37pts)
Italy (I) - Cerveteri (2nd, 43pts)
Netherlands (NL) - Zandvoort (1st, 40pts)

The Host Town

Barga, Italy

Barga is a town with a population of around 10,000 inhabitants in the Toscana region and is located 35km (22 miles) east of Marina di Carrara, 185km (115 miles) south-east of Milano, 292km (182 miles) north-west of Roma and 159km (99 miles) west of the landlocked Republic of San Marino. The local population are known as Barghigianis.

The town is the most populous of the Middle Serchio Valley and has been awarded the title of ‘city’ since 1933. (The honorary title of city in Italy can be given to those municipalities that have been awarded by decree of the king (until 1946) or of the provisional head of state (until 1948) or, subsequently, of the President of the Republic, by virtue of their historical, artistic, civic or demographic importance. It has been recognised as one of the ‘most beautiful villages in Italy’ in addition to being awarded the orange flag of Touring Club Italiano.

Archaeological finds document that the territory has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The first settlers were a small group of Ligurians, who were then subjugated by the Romans in the 2nd century BC during their expansion towards the north. During the 10th century, Barga was a fief of the Lombards and subsequently, through the Marquises of Tuscany, it was subject to the Empire, while retaining ample independence.

During the municipal period, the territory underwent continuous sieges by the Lucca and Pisans. However in 1341, Barga preferred to submit to Florence. This represented the period of greatest splendour with the Medici having great interest in this area from which they obtained important raw materials. In return, they granted privileges and tax exemptions that allowed the development of flourishing businesses. The wealth achieved during the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, allowed for the construction of Renaissance-style palaces, including Palazzo Pancrazi, the town hall, Palazzo Balduini and Palazzo Bertacchi, both of which host the Grand Dukes of Tuscany at different times.

In the administrative organisation of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Barga was part of the Florentine District which then passed to the Pisan province. In 1849, following the annexation of the Duchy of Lucca to Tuscany, the Compartment of Lucca was created.

With the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, the Lucchese Compartment was transformed into the province of Lucca, and Barga (until 1927 an exclave of the Province of Florence) became the northern-most municipality on the border with the province of Massa and Carrara. With the annexation to the newly established Kingdom, a slow economic decline began which led a considerable part of the population to emigrate to the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It was not a definitive emigration for many of them, as at the end of the 19th century, they began to return to Barga, investing their savings in land and in the construction of villas in the then immediate suburb of the city.

During the Second World War (1939-1945), Barga found itself on the Gothic Line (a mighty fortified German defensive work), and therefore directly experienced the front.

In recent years, the territory has industrialised downstream favouring a mixed economy, while the higher settlements which did not offer concrete possibilities for development have decreased. Tourist activities have recently developed, favoured by the particular position of Barga, which is located in the centre of an area of naturalistic and geological interest.

The collegiate church of San Cristoforo (also referred to as Barga cathedral), the most important religious building in the town, was built at different times. The primitive construction dates back to before the year 1000. In subsequent extensions, architectural and decorative elements of striking beauty are highlighted, ranging from Romanesque to Gothic. With the construction of the two side chapels and the choir, the construction of the church was completed. Inside there is a 13th-century marble pulpit from the Comacina school, a wooden statue of medieval origin, depicting San Cristoforo, valuable Della Robbia terracotta, and a 15th-century wooden crucifix from the Bolognese school.

Barghigiana cuisine is mainly based on Florentine, with adaptations that have become inevitable on the basis of the characteristics and typical products of the area. Among the specialties of Florentine origin that can be easily found in Barga (unlike the rest of the Province of Lucca) are liver croutons, ribollita (a bread and vegetable soup), Florentine cod, peposo alla fornacina (beef and black pepper stew), beans all'uccelletto (Tuscan baked beans with garlic, sage and tomato passata), farinata (unleavened pancake) and rags (thinly sliced beef sautéed in olive oil).

The Visiting Towns

Edegem is a suburb of Antwerpen with a population of around 22,000 inhabitants in the néerlandophonic (Dutch-speaking) Belgian province of Antwerpen and is located 908km (568 miles) north-west of Barga.

Gossau is a town with a population of around 18,500 inhabitants in the teutophonic (German-speaking) Swiss canton of Sankt-Gallen and is located 383km (238 miles) north-west of Barga.

Singen is a town with a population of around 48,000 inhabitants in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is located 430km (267 miles) north-west of Barga.

Nancy is a town with a population of around 105,000 inhabitants in the French region of Grand-Est and is located 610km (379 miles) north-west of Barga.

Rotherham is a town with a population of around 115,000 inhabitants in the English county of South Yorkshire and is located 1,352km (840 miles) north-west of Barga.

Andijk is a town with a population of around 7,000 inhabitants in the Dutch province of Noord-Holland and is located 1,038km (645 miles) north-west of Barga.

The Venue

Stadio Communale (Municipal Stadium)

The games were played at the Stadio Comunale located on Via Giacomo Puccini in the south-west of the town. In 1979, the stadium was renamed as Stadio Comunale di Giovanni Moscardini in honour of the only Scottish-born footballer ever to play for Italy.

Giovanni ‘Johnny’ Moscardini was born in Falkirk in 1897 to Italian parents who had moved to Scotland to set up fish and chip shops and ice-cream parlours. During World War I (1914-1918), Giovanni's loyalties were tested when he went to fight for Italy. An elbow injury sustained while acting as a machine gunner at the battle of Caporetto on the Austrian front in 1917 saw him sent to Sicily to regain his health, and while there he put a team together.

After the war, he returned to his family home in Barga where he played football for the local team AS Barga (Associazione Sportiva Barga). He was subsequently spotted by a talent scout from Luchesse, located in Tuscany, winning a bottle of olive oil for every win. He eventually went on to play for Pisa and Genoa as well as the national team.

Moscardini wore the shirt of the Italian national team nine times, scoring seven goals. In the blue jersey, he made his debut on 6th November 1921 against Switzerland, scoring the Italian goal in the 1-1 draw. His last presence in the blue dates back to 1925, in a match in which he scored a brace in a 7-0 win against France.

In 1925, he married and decided to return to Scotland, to Campbeltown where he worked in a business owned by his uncle and played for the local football team (1926-1928). He then moved to Prestwick where he opened his own club, the Lake Café, and where he lived until his death in 1985.

Today, the stadium is past its glory days and the athletics track that once surrounded the football pitch, and which could clearly be seen in the broadcast, is long gone. Despite its deteriorated appearance today, it remains the home of the local club and still bears the name of the town’s greatest ever football competitor and, as final tribute, genuine vans selling fish and chips still set up pitch outside the stadium at every home match.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Horses and Scholars

The first game - ‘Horses and Scholars’ - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed France presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a set of 98 metallic discs, a blackboard on which they had to be displayed and three competitors (two males and one female) from each team. On the whistle, the female standing on a set of steps behind the blackboard, had to direct the two males, who were dressed in a carousel-style pantomime horse costume, to a revolving podium in the centre of the arena on which the discs (numbered 1, 2 and 3 or designated with a plus, minus or equals (+, -, =) mathematical symbol) were located. The two males then had to raise the head of the horse costume to be able to see through a hole in the ‘throat’ of the costume, and pick up one of the discs with a magnet which was attached to the underside of the mouth. They then had to return to the female who had to place the symbol in its rightful place on the blackboard to make a mathematical equation. With the limited numbers and signs, only six possible correct solutions were possible (1 + 1 = 2, 1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 1 = 3, 3 - 2 = 1, 3 - 1 = 2, 2 - 1 = 1) and it was the responsibility of the female to instruct the males which numbers and symbols to collect. If any of the discs were dropped in transit, the competitor had to pick them up in the same manner as described above. The team completing the game with a correct mathematical equation in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which saw France completing the game in 1 minute 37 seconds (2 - 1 = 1) followed by Belgium in 2nd place in 1 minute 52 seconds (3 - 2 = 1) and West Germany in 3rd place in 1 minute 59 seconds (2 - 1 = 1). Italy finished in 4th place in 2 minutes 3 seconds (3 - 1 = 2) and Switzerland finished in 5th place in 2 minutes 22 seconds (3 - 2 = 1). Great Britain failed to complete the game with only two of the mathematical symbols being placed on the blackboard (2 and -) and were declared as 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Nancy (F) (12pts awarded / Joker / 12pts total) 2nd Edegem (B) (5pts / 5pts) 3rd Singen (D) (4pts / 4pts) 4th Barga (I) (3pts / 3pts) 5th Gossau (CH) (2pts / 2pts) 6th Rotherham (GB) (1pt / 1pt) 7th Andijk (NL) (--- / 0pts)

Comments: At the start of the game, there was a total of 98 metallic discs on the revolving podium in the centre of the arena. However there was not an equal number of each disc, with there being 16 x 3, 18 x 2, 17 x 1, 12 x +, 17 x – and 18 x =. The reason for this anomaly is unclear. British touch-judge Mike Swann, sporting a newly grown moustache, could clearly been seen in the middle of the arena rotating the carousel.

Fil Rouge, Round 1 - The Trapeze Artist

The next game - ‘The Trapeze Artist’ - was the Fil Rouge which was played over two essays. It featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and a very large trapeze on scaffolding. In front of the game there were seven numbered scoring sections 1pt, 3pts, 5pts, 7pts, 5pts, 3pts and 1pt. Located in the centre of the 7pt section was a large container which was valued at 10pts. On the whistle the two males had to pull on a rope which was attached to the top of the trapeze to set it in motion. Hanging from the trapeze was a large polystyrene-filled doll of the animated character seen during the opening titles of Jeux Sans Frontières. Once the trapeze was up to speed, the female then had to decide when to release the doll, in order for it to drop into the highest possible-scoring section below, by pressing a button on an electronic device in her hand. The team achieving the greater total from the two essays would be declared the winners.

The first round saw the participation of Netherlands and on their first attempt they scored 5pts. Whilst attempting their second essay, the female pressed the button too early and the doll fell to the floor of the scaffold and scored 0pts. Their combined total was officially declared as 5pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Andijk (NL) (5pts)

Game 2 - The Tightrope Walker

The second game - ‘The Tightrope Walker’ - was played over six heats of 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and a tightrope wire stretched out along a 22m (72ft 2¼in) course. The wire was marked out in 46 numbered sections and below it was a large pit of balloons. Laid along either side of the pit were a number of obstacles comprised of a set of steps, a seesaw, an arched podium and a circular barrel. On the whistle, the female had to commence walking the tightrope wire carrying a large cane to assist in her balance. Each of the males, dressed as a clown and standing on either side of the pit, was armed with a shaped pole with a upturned crescent-shaped moon at its end. As the female progressed along the wire, the males had to traverse the obstacles and use the poles to support the overhanging ends of the balancing cane. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Great Britain and their competitor, wearing ballet shoes, remained aloft for 1 minute 17 seconds and covered a distance of 41 sections.

The second heat saw the participation of West Germany and their competitor, wearing trainers, completed the course in 1 minute 17 seconds.

The third of the six teams to participate was Netherlands and their competitor, wearing ballet shoes, could only traverse 23 section of the wire before the final whistle was sounded.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of Switzerland and their competitor, wearing trainers, completed the course in 1 minute 28 seconds.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Italy and their competitor, wearing ballet shoes, completed the course in 52 seconds.

The sixth and final team to participate was France and their competitor, wearing plimsolls, remained aloft for 1 minute 11 seconds and covered a distance of 41 sections.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Nancy (F) (3pts awarded / 15pts total) =2nd Singen (D) (5pts / 9pts) ▲ =2nd Barga (I) (6pts / 9pts) ▲ 4th Gossau (CH) (4pts / 6pts) ▲ 5th Edegem (B) (--- / 5pts) ▼ 6th Rotherham (GB) (3pts / 4pts) 7th Andijk (NL) (1pt / 1pt)

Comments: After traversing the static obstacles of steps, seesaw and arched podium, each of the male competitors had to get aloft the circular barrel and move along the course whilst rotating the barrels with their feet.

Fil Rouge, Round 2 - The Trapeze Artist

The second round of the Fil Rouge featured Belgium and on their first attempt they scored 5pts and then repeated the feat on their second essay. Their combined total was officially declared as 10pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Edegem (B) (10pts) 2nd Andijk (NL) (5pts) ▼

Game 3 - In the Jaws of the Lion

The third game - ‘In the Jaws of a Lion’ - was played over three heats of 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Netherlands presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and a large effigy of a lion. At the start of the game, one of the male competitors was standing aloft a pyramid comprised of 14 large metallic canisters with his head inside the open mouth of the opposing team’s lion. On the whistle, the other male competitor had to kick a maximum of twenty footballs in the direction of the canisters in order to displace them and result in the opposition to drop and subsequently the mouth of the lion to close. The female competitor would position each subsequent ball in front of the male. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple game saw the participation of France and Italy with the former completing the game in 7 seconds with their second ball kicked. The competitor from France was not as accurate with his kicks as his rival and failed to complete the game in the permitted time and was declared as 0:00.

The second and penultimate heat featured Belgium and Great Britain and despite all their efforts and accurate shooting, neither team could dislodge their opposition within the sixteen kicks permitted and were both given 0:00.

The third and final heat saw the participation of West Germany and Netherlands and, as was the case with the previous heat, neither could dislodge their opposition and were both given 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Nancy (F) (1pt awarded / 16pts total) 2nd Barga (I) (6pts / 15pts) 3rd Singen (D) (1pts / 10pts) ▼ =4th Edegem (B) (1pt / 6pts) ▲ =4th Gossau (CH) (--- / 6pts) 6th Rotherham (GB) (1pt / 5pts) 7th Andijk (NL) (2pts / Joker / 3pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 3 - The Trapeze Artist

The third round of the Fil Rouge featured Switzerland and on their first attempt they scored 3pts. On their second essay, although the doll fell into the 3pt compartment, it then bounced out due to it rebounding off the doll already there. Their combined total was officially declared as 3pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Edegem (B) (10pts) 2nd Andijk (NL) (5pts) 3rd Gossau (CH) (3pts)

Comments: Although the score of Switzerland was declared as 3pts, the Swiss contingent lodged a protest that the score of the second doll be counted. The protest was eventually upheld and their score was amended before the commencement of Round 6.

Game 4 - Catapulting the Bears

The fourth game - ‘Catapulting the Bears’ - was played in unison and featured two male competitors from each team dressed in full clown attire and a semi-circular trebuchet set on a pivot. On the whistle, the two competitors had to stand on a small circular podium and hold hands in order to balance themselves. They then had to move down the 6m (19ft 8¼in) course by rolling the podium with their feet to where the trebuchet was located. A female team-mate then had to place a weighted inflatable brown bear onto one end of the trebuchet. The two competitors then had to push down on the handles of the other end in order to hurl the bear over their heads and as far behind themselves as possible. The point at which the bear stopped bouncing would be taken as the measurement. The two teams hurling their bear the least distance backwards would be eliminated. The game would then be repeated on two occasions. The team remaining in play the longest would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple game saw Netherlands eliminated in 6th place and Belgium eliminated in 5th place.

The second and penultimate heat proved somewhat controversial for the team of Great Britain. Their bear was hurled so far back that it hit a member of the seated audience and then bounced forward, back towards the competitors. As the actual distance could not be measured or estimated where the bear would have landed had it not collided with the public, the team were informed they would have to have a rerun. However, the competitors made an error on the rerun with the downward thrust of the trebuchet and had the effect of hurling the bear no distance at all. Great Britain were therefore eliminated in 4th place and Switzerland were eliminated in 3rd place.

The third and final heat saw the participation of France and Italy and was a closely-run finish with the referees having to use measuring sticks to confirm accuracy. After their deliberations, France were deemed as having travelled the furthest and finished in 1st place with Italy finishing in 2nd place.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Nancy (F) (6pts awarded / 22pts total) 2nd Barga (I) (5pts / 20pts) =3rd Gossau (CH) (4pts / 10pts) ▲ =3rd Singen (D) (--- / 10pts) =5th Edegem (B) (2pts / 8pts) ▼ =5th Rotherham (GB) (3pts / 8pts) ▲ 7th Andijk (NL) (1pt / 4pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 4 - The Trapeze Artist

The fourth round of the Fil Rouge featured West Germany and they scored 5pts with their first essay and 3pts with their second attempt. Their combined total was officially declared as 8pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Edegem (B) (10pts) 2nd Singen (D) (8pts) 3rd Andijk (NL) (5pts) ▼ 4th Gossau (CH) (3pts) ▼

Game 5 - Acrobatic Horse Riders

The fifth game - ‘Acrobatic Horse Riders’ - was played over three heats of over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and witnessed West Germany and Great Britain presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured four competitors (three males and one female) from each team and the carousel horse costumes utilised in the first game. On the whistle, the female competitor had to climb and stand on top of the horse’s back whilst holding onto a set of reins. The remaining male (the other two being inside the horse) dressed as a ringmaster, then had to lead the horse down a 15m (49ft 2½in) obstacle course comprised of an ascending and descending ramp and a seesaw. Once the ramps had been negotiated, the male then had to climb a set of steps to reach a high podium and present a giant hula-hoop for the female to climb through. Once the team had reached the end of the course, they then had to circumnavigate a podium to return to the start negotiating the seesaw and ringing a bell at the finish line to end the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple and straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland and Netherlands with Switzerland leading throughout and completing the course without mishap in 34 seconds. Netherlands also completed the game without mishap in 43 seconds.

The second and penultimate heat featured Belgium and West Germany with the latter storming the game and finishing without mishap in 32 seconds. Although Belgium also completed the game without mishap, they did so in 41 seconds.

The third and final heat saw the participation of Great Britain and Italy and proved to be the closest-run of the three heats. Both teams were neck and neck throughout with Great Britain having the narrowest of leads. Both teams completed the course without mishap with Great Britain finishing the game in 35 seconds and Italy finishing in 37 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Barga (I) (3pts awarded / 23pts total) ▲ =2nd Singen (D) (12pts / Joker / 22pts) ▲ =2nd Nancy (F) (--- / 22pts) ▼ 4th Rotherham (GB) (8pts / Joker / 16pts) ▲ 5th Gossau (CH) (5pts / 15pts) ▼ 6th Edegem (B) (2pts / 10pts) ▼ 7th Andijk (NL) (1pt / 5pts)

Comments: With four games already played, one with their Joker, the Dutch team of Andijk were lying at the foot of the scoreboard with just 5pts. With Switzerland’s protest on the Fil Rouge being upheld later in the programme, the team would also find itself in bottom place of that game. Only a miracle or a stern team talk from their manager and coach would stop them going on record as the lowest-scoring team in the history of Jeux Sans Frontières.

Fil Rouge, Round 5 - The Trapeze Artist

The fifth round of the Fil Rouge featured France and they scored 5pts on their first essay and repeated the feat on their second attempt. Their combined total was officially declared as 10pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Edegem (B) (10pts) =1st Nancy (F) (10pts) 3rd Singen (D) (8pts) ▼ 4th Andijk (NL) (5pts) ▼ 5th Gossau (CH) (3pts) ▼

Comments: There appeared to be a problem with one of the dolls in this round. After scoring 5pts with the first doll, a stagehand retrieved it and took it back to the scaffolding for it to be utilised on the second essay. This appeared to be somewhat biased against the other teams which had already competed (especially Switzerland), as it now meant that all compartments would again be empty and there would be no fear of any interference from the first doll on the second. However, this anomaly would occur again in the next round of the Fil Rouge and therefore push the referees to re-evaluate the score of Switzerland and uphold the team’s protest raised after Round 2.

Game 6 - The Strongmen

The sixth game - ‘The Strongmen’ - was played over two heats of two minutes duration and witnessed Belgium, Switzerland and Italy presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured four competitors (two males and two females) from each team and a number of polystyrene weights and barbells. On the whistle, the two males had to stand on a podium whilst the two females collected the different marked weights (2 x 200kg, 2 x 500kg and 2 x 1000kg) and 10 x 100kg barbells from the end of the short 6m (19ft 8¼in) course. They then had to hand them to the males who in turn had to hold them in position off the ground whilst further weights were collected. Once all the weights and barbells were off the ground, the females then had to climb up onto the podium and up onto the males. The team with all the weights off the ground and the two females holding hands aloft at the top of the pile in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple and straightforward game saw the participation of West Germany, France and Netherlands. All teams completed the game without mishap with West Germany finishing in 1 minute 3 seconds, France in 1 minute 4 seconds and Netherlands in 1 minute 15 seconds.

The second heat featured Belgium, Switzerland and Italy with Switzerland storming the game and finishing without mishap in 49 seconds. After somewhat of a struggle for their female in climbing the pile, Italy finished without mishap in 1 minute 18 seconds. Belgium almost completed the game in 1 minute 44 seconds but, as the female reached the top of the pile, one of the male competitors failed to secure one of the 1000kg weights and it dropped to the ground just as she was holding her hands aloft. With not enough remaining to retrieve it, the team were declared out of time and given 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Gossau (CH) (12pts awarded / Joker / 27pts total) ▲ =1st Singen (D) (5pts / 27pts) ▲ =1st Barga (I) (4pts / Joker / 27pts) 4th Nancy (F) (4pts / 26pts) ▼ 5th Rotherham (GB) (--- / 16pts) ▼ 6th Edegem (B) (2pts / Joker / 10pts) 7th Andijk (NL) (3pts / 8pts)

Comments: The official timings in the first heat of this game was somewhat awry with what was actually happening on the arena. This could have simply been a case as to when the touch-judges perceived that the females had reached the top of the pile and raised their arms aloft. In reality, West Germany actually raised their arms aloft after 59 seconds (official time given was 1 minute 3 seconds), France after 1 minute 5 seconds (1 minute 4 seconds) and Netherlands after 1 minute 14 seconds (1 minute 15 seconds)! Fortunately events in the second heat prevented these errors from affecting the overall outcome of the game.

Fil Rouge, Round 6 - The Trapeze Artist

The sixth and penultimate round of the Fil Rouge featured Great Britain and they scored 3pts on their first essay and repeated the feat on their second attempt. Their combined total was officially declared as 6pts.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Edegem (B) (10pts) =1st Nancy (F) (10pts) 3rd Singen (D) (8pts) =4th Gossau (CH) (6pts) ▲ =4th Rotherham (GB) (6pts) 6th Andijk (NL) (5pts) ▼

Comments: Before the commencement of second essay in this round, referee Gennaro Olivieri explained that following a protest by the Swiss contingent after Round 2, their score of 3pts would be increased to 6pts. The reason for this was that, although the second doll had fallen into the 3pt compartment, it had rebounded off of the original doll already in there and therefore would not normally have counted. However, due to the failure of the game equipment in the previous and current rounds, it gave those teams an advantage of such an event not recurring. The rearranged standings after this round are displayed in the table above.

Game 7 - The Human Cannonball

The seventh and penultimate game - ‘The Human Cannonball’ - was played individually over two rounds and featured a male competitor from each team and a 70m (229ft 7½in) water slide. On the whistle, the competitor, armed with a large ball, had to descend the slide towards the pit of balloons utilised in the second game. After reaching the upended base of the slide, he then had to hurl the ball as far forward as possible into the pit to score. The pit was marked out in four distinct sections - 1pt (for the closest), 3pts and 5pts (for the middle two) and 10pts (for the furthest). A ball not landing in any of the above sections or landing outside the pit would be scored as 0pts. The team accumulating the greatest total would be declared the winners.

The teams took part in the same order in both rounds of this very simple and straightforward game with Switzerland participating first and they scored 0pts. They were followed by West Germany who also failed to score.

The third team to feature were France and they scored 1pt and were followed by Netherlands who also scored 1pt.

The penultimate team to participate were Belgium and their competitor hurled the ball past the last scoring section but he was deemed to have scored 10pts. The final team to feature in this round was Great Britain and they scored 3pts.

With Belgium leading on the game, it now moved onto the second round. Although the competitor from Switzerland hurled the ball as far as the second section, it only landed on the wooden edge and then bounced off onto the ground. However, the referees deemed that the ball had travelled close enough to the section and awarded them the 3pts (giving them a total of 3pts from the two rounds). The second run for West Germany proved as unsuccessful as their first and they scored 0pts (0pts).

Netherlands also failed to improve on their first round total and scored 0pts (1pt) whilst France improved on their total and scored 5pts (6pts).

Belgium failed to improve on their first round lead after their competitor hurled the ball so far forward that it landed outside the area of the equipment and were deemed to have scored 0pts (10pts) whilst Great Britain improved on their total after scoring 5pts (8pts).

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Gossau (CH) (3pts awarded / 30pts total) =1st Nancy (F) (4pts / 30pts) ▲ 3rd Singen (D) (1pts / 28pts) ▼ 4th Barga (I) (--- / 27pts) ▼ 5th Rotherham (GB) (5pts / 21pts) 6th Edegem (B) (6pts / 18pts) 7th Andijk (NL) (2pts / 10pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 7 - The Trapeze Artist

The seventh and final round of the Fil Rouge featured Italy and they scored 3pts on their first essay but improved on their second attempt and scored 5pts. Their combined total was officially declared as 8pts and finished in joint 3rd place on the game.

Final Fil Rouge Standings: =1st Edegem (B) (10pts) =1st Nancy (F) (10pts) =3rd Singen (D) (8pts) =3rd Barga (I) (8pts) =5th Gossau (CH) (6pts) ▼ =5th Rotherham (GB) (6pts) ▼ 7th Andijk (NL) (5pts) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Nancy (F) (7pts awarded / 37pts total) =2nd Gossau (CH) (3pts / 33pts) ▼ =2nd Singen (D) (5pts / 33pts) ▲ 4th Barga (I) (5pts / 32pts) 5th Edegem (B) (7pts / 25pts) ▲ 6th Rotherham (GB) (3pts / 24pts) ▼ 7th Andijk (NL) (1pt / 11pts)

Game 8 - Clowns and Balls

The eighth and final game - ‘Clowns and Balls’ - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured a 10m (32ft 9¾in) high funnel-shaped hollow tower and two male competitors from each team armed with a small net. On the whistle, a female team-mate had to place a large inflatable ball onto the net and then the competitors had to hurl the high into the sky and in to the open end of the funnel. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game which saw France complete on their first essay after just 5 seconds of elapsed time. They were followed by Italy in 37 seconds, Netherlands in 56 seconds and Great Britain in 1 minute 2 seconds. West Germany finished the game in 1 minute 48 seconds and then there was a long wait of 1 minute 40 seconds until Belgium secured the penultimate place in 3 minutes 28 seconds. With all the positions now decided, the referees blew the final whistle after 3 minutes and 33 seconds with Switzerland deemed as finishing in 7th place on the game.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Nancy (F) (7pts awarded / 44pts total) 2nd Barga (I) (6pts / 38pts) ▲ 3rd Singen (D) (3pts / 36pts) ▼ 4th Gossau (CH) (1pt / 34pts) ▼ 5th Rotherham (GB) (4pts / 28pts) ▲ 5th Edegem (B) (2pts / 27pts) ▼ 7th Andijk (NL) (5pts / 16pts)

Records and Statistics

This broadcast marked the 100th programme staged under the Jeux Sans Frontières banner. This number comprised 19 Winter programmes (16 Heats and 3 Finals), 77 Summer programmes (64 Heats, 4 Semi-Finals and 9 Finals) and 4 Christmas specials.

Additional Information

This heat of Jeux Sans Frontières was staged and recorded four weeks after the previous one. This was due to the FIFA Football World Cup being staged in West Germany between 13th June and 7th July 1974. The break allowed broadcasters to carry live coverage of matches and free up technical, administrative and presentation staff and resources for the football tournament.

The venue for this International Heat was originally intended to be the city of Viareggio on Italy’s west coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It's A Knockout programmes in Great Britain displayed Viareggio as the Italian destination throughout the Domestic Series - and the Belgian team of Edegem even had stickers printed up containing the original venue (see Collectables 1974). It was not until 1st June 1974 - four days after the first International Heat had been held in Bouillon, Belgium - that the national broadcasters were informed by RAI Television of the change of venue.

The Swiss team of Gossau were originally scheduled to travel to the British heat at Northampton, due to be held on Wednesday 21st August 1974. However, the town's mayor, Jacques Bossart, was of the opinion that the team should not go there as he could not speak English. After negotiations with the Swiss TV producers, the team's destination was rearranged, so that they instead went to the Italian heat - which at that time was planned to be staged in Viareggio rather than Barga.

The Gossau team brought along with them 78 small Treichels (cowbells) to give to each of the other competitors. Mayor Bossart had originally wanted the squad to take along small glass coat-of-arms as gifts but team manager Eugen Krapf refused, stating that he was sure that there would simply been a pile of glass remaining if they had done so.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives, but short excerpts from this edition exist in the BBC compilation, Best of Knockout 1974. Details in Knockout TV.
Exists in European archives

CH

Jeux Sans Frontières 1974

Heat 4

Event Staged: Wednesday 24th July 1974
Venue: Amphithéâtre Romain (Roman Amphitheatre), Avenches, Switzerland

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
BRT (B): Wednesday 24th July 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
RTB (B): Wednesday 24th July 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
SSR (CH): Wednesday 24th July 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
SRG (CH): Wednesday 24th July 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
TSI (CH): Wednesday 24th July 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
WDR 1 (D): Wednesday 24th July 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)

Nederland 1 (NL): Wednesday 24th July 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
RAI Due (I): Thursday 25th July 1974
ORTF 2 (F): Saturday 3rd August 1974 (4th)
BBC1 (GB): Friday 23rd August 1974, 7.45-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Torrential Rain

Winners' Trophy presented by: The Descending Lion (see Game 8 Comment)

Theme: The Romans

Teams: Vilvoorde (B) v. Avenches (CH) v. Urach (D) v. Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) v.
Farnham (GB) v. Acqui Terme (I) v. Mill (NL)

Team Members included:
Urach (D) - Annalise Buch, Hubert Kangis, Hermann Kurtz, Klaus Stoll;
Farnham (GB) - James Wilson (Team Manager), Robert Bradley (Team Coach), William Allen, Yvonne Andrews, Gareth Angel, Christopher Bonner, Judy Comber, Ian Carter, Andrew Christmas, Geoffrey Clark, David ‘Scotty’ Colston, Helen Cooper, Valerie Cooper, Richard Curtis, Barrie Dinsdale, John Dinsdale, Janice Farry, Nicholas De Meric, Barbara Freeman, Pamela Gale, Jefferson Green, Peter Grenham, Lynne Hammett, Sara Hatcher, Felicity Hayes, Ian Hiscock, Glynis Hughes, Jean McLeod, Andrew McSherry, Keith Maisey, Keith Morris, Keith Mortimer, Hugh Osborne, Robert Osbourne, Gillian Parry, Sandra Parsons, Ian Powell, Jeanette Quay, Brian Roberts, Jill Simpson, Kenneth Smith, Margaret Smith, Dino Timms, Susan Tunnicliffe, Andrew Tutt, Michael Vernon, Ronald Wallis, Barry Welch, Susan Wheeler, Sarah Wickins, Martin Wilkes, Ray Woodstock and Robert Young;
Mill (NL) - T. van Katwijk, M. van der Vorle.

Games: The Manacled Gladiators, Bacchus and the Maenads, Hannibal and his Elephants, The Catapults and Shields, A Throw of the Die, The Strongman’s Table, The Unicorns and The Busts of Caesar;
Fil Rouge: The Descending Lion;
Jokers: Flaming Torches.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

=1st
=1st
=3rd
=3rd
=3rd
6th
7th

 GB • Farnham ● ●
 I • Acqui Terme ●
 B • Vilvoorde ●
 CH • Avenches
 F • Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
 D • Urach
 NL • Mill

40
40
34
34
34
32
30

Running International Final Qualifiers

Belgium (B) - Vilvoorde (=3rd, 34pts)
Switzerland (CH) - Ilanz (3rd, 38pts)
West Germany (D) - Rosenheim (1st, 47pts)
France (F) - Nancy (1st, 44pts)

Great Britain (GB) - Farnham (=1st, 40pts)
Italy (I) - Acqui Terme (=1st, 40pts)
Netherlands (NL) - Zandvoort (1st, 40pts)

The Host Town

Avenches, Switzerland

Avenches is a town with a population of around 4,500 inhabitants (a third of which are resident foreign nationals) in the francophonic (French-speaking) canton of Vaud. It is located on a secluded hill on the south side of the Broye plain, 32km (20 miles) south-west of Bern, 101km (63 miles) north-east of Genève, 176km (109 miles) north-west of Lugano and 212km (132 miles) west of Davos.

The roots of Avenches date to the Celts. A tribe of Helvetians had built a settlement on the hills of Bois de Châtel, south of the later lRoman settlement. Nearby the Helvetii seem to have had their capital on Mont Vully as shown in recent archaeological excavation. The canal-La Broye-which joins Lac Morat to Lac Neuchâtel is thought to be Roman in origin.

The establishment of the Roman settlement of Aventicum, which became the capital of the province, took place around 15-13 BC. The name comes from the Helvetian spring goddess Aventia. After patronage by the emperor Vespasian, Aventicum soon developed into a blooming commercial centre with over 20,000 inhabitants. The town was granted colonia status - a retirement location for legionaries - although the built-up area of the town occupied only a fraction of the walled area - the walls are some 5.6 km (3½ miles) in length. The walls were clearly a statement of status rather than being a practical defensive system. It was not until 1518 that the town is mentioned as Avenche.

Excavations have revealed the detail of the theatre and major temple complex. One column of the temple stands as the ‘cigognier’ - formerly a nesting site for storks. Other parts of the town still visible are the amphitheatre which includes a later tower now housing the Professor Hans Bogli museum, the baths, the walls, two of the entrances gates, a smaller temple and part of a place building.

This part of Switzerland was invaded by the Alamanni tribe in AD 280-290 who settled in the German speaking parts of Switzerland giving the area its characteristic dialect of German. Rome never really held the area again and after the fall of Rome in the 5th century, a much smaller settlement was built on the former acropolis of the, by now abandoned, Roman town. The theatre had a short life as a separate defended area.

With the Bernese conquest of Vaud in 1536, Avenches came under Bernese domination. In 1798, it became part of the Helvetic canton of Fribourg. In 1801, the population pushed for incorporation into the canton of Léman in the Helvetic Republic. With the mediation of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) in 1803, Avenches became part of the canton of Vaud and capital of its district.

In 1826, a colony of Jews from Alsace settled in Avenches. They were primarily horse traders and built a synagogue in 1865. When economic circumstances worsened at the end of the 19th century, the Jews left the city and the synagogue, which was no longer in use, was torn down in 1954.

An airfield was built on the flat land north of the municipality in 1910 on which local Ernest Failloubaz (1892-1919) made history. Ernest’s father Jules, a rich wine merchant, died when Ernest was four years old. Six years later his mother Emilie died, too. His grandmother and aunt, who owned the local bakery, then took care of him. As a child, Ernest was already passionate about mechanics and speed and convinced his grandmother to buy him probably one of the first motorcycles in Switzerland.

In early 1909, at the age of 17, Failloubaz met René Grandjean (1884-1963), who planned to build his own aircraft, using only a picture of the one flown by Louis Blériot (1872-1936). They completed this first aircraft in October 1909. Ground tests started in February 1910 at the l’Estivage field in Avenches. On 10th May 1910, with Failloubaz at the controls, it took off, flew, and landed smoothly, on the first flight in Switzerland of an aircraft built and flown by a Swiss citizen. Grandjean succeeded a few days after his friend's first flight. Sadly, Failloubaz died in the cantonal hospital of Lausanne of tuberculosis at the young age of 26.

During World War I (1914-1918), the area served as a military airfield. When the military airport in Payerne was built in 1921, the field in Avenches was closed.

The Visiting Towns

Vilvoorde is a town with a population of around 45,000 inhabitants in the néerlandophonic (Dutch-speaking) Belgian province of Vlaams-Brabant and is located 489km (304 miles) north-west of Avenches.

Bad Urach is a town with a population of around 12,500 inhabitants in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is located 251km (156 miles) north-east of Avenches. (At the time of transmission, Bad Urach was known simply as Urach. With renown for its therapeutic spas increasing in the 1970s and early 1980s, the town’s name was officially changed to Bad Urach on 1st July 1983.)

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage is a town with a population of around 4,500 inhabitants in the French region of Hauts-de-France and is located 570km (354 miles) north-west of Avenches.

Farnham is a town with a population of around 40,000 inhabitants in the English county of Surrey and is located 747km (464 miles) north-west of Avenches.

Acqui Terme is a town with a population of around 20,000 inhabitants in the Italian region of Piemonte and is located 269km (167 miles) south-east of Avenches.

Mill is a town with a population of around 6,200 inhabitants in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant and is located 543km (337 miles) north of Avenches.

The Venue

Amphithéâtre Romain (Roman Amphitheatre)

The games were played in the Roman amphitheatre which is located more or less in the centre of the modern town of Avenches. Built in a small apparatus of yellow limestone rubble, around the year AD 120 or 130, the amphitheatre measures 99m (324ft 9½in) in its main axis and can accommodate up to 9,000 spectators on 24 stepped terraces.

It is a largely solid or massive amphitheatre, the wooden tiers resting on an earthen embankment, except for the two ends of the major axis which adopt a more usual hollow structure, with a system of radiating walls. and ring fingers on which the cavea (the part of the interior of containing the seats of the spectators) rests . To the east, a triple door gives access to the arena and the base of the stands while at the opposite end a ramp leads to the town. Above the monumental gate is the Tour de l’évêque or Bishop's tower.

The cavea of the amphitheatre was enlarged during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) and Lucius Verus (AD 130-169), around AD 165. It is coated with plaster adorned with false apparatus, its capacity reaches 16,000 seats thanks to 12 additional tiers, and its major axis then measures 105m (324ft 5¾in). The cavea, whose slope is more pronounced, is accessible by eighteen vomitories (vaulted passages to facilitate the circulation of the spectators) and stairs.

Today, the amphitheatre is used for many events including the Avenches Opera Festival taking place each year in July, as well as two annual summer festivals called Rock Oz'Arènes in August and Avenches Tattoo in September.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

The programme opened to a genuine trumpet fanfare with presenter Georges Kleinmann dressed in a suitably-attired Roman Emperor costume entering the arena by horse-drawn chariot. After he had made his opening remarks in a manner similar to that of a Roman proclamation, co-presenter Christian Defaye then explained that as well as the normal countries, this Jeux Sans Frontières heat was also being transmitted to viewers in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

Game 1 - The Manacled Gladiators

The first game - ‘The Manacled Gladiators’ - was played over two heats of 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Great Britain presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team dressed as a gladiator with a balloon attached to his helmet. He was standing at one end of the 15m (49ft 2½in) course with one of his feet manacled to a ball and chain whilst the costume was chained to one end of a rope. At the other end of the course were three female opposition team members holding onto the other end of the rope and standing behind a podium through which the rope passed. On top of the podium stood a fourth opposition female. On the whistle, the three ground-based females had to pull the rope and tug the gladiator towards the podium whilst he resisted them by sheer weight and angling his heels into the sand. The podium-based female was utilised to encourage her team-mates and also to burst the balloon once the gladiator had been pulled the length of the course. The team resisting for the greater time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland (with Italy in opposition), France (Netherlands) and Great Britain (Belgium) and ended with Great Britain resisting for 55 seconds, Switzerland for 47 seconds and France for 45 seconds.

The second heat featured Belgium (with Great Britain in opposition), Italy (France) and Netherlands (Switzerland) and ended with Netherlands resisting for 40 seconds, Belgium for 30 seconds and Italy for 28 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Farnham (GB) (12pts awarded / Joker / 12pts total) 2nd Avenches (CH) (5pts / 5pts) 3rd Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (4pts / 4pts) 4th Mill (NL) (3pts / 3pts) 5th Vilvoorde (B) (2pts / 2pts) 6th Acqui Terme (I) (1pt / 1pt) 7th Urach (D) (--- / 0pts)

Comments: Presenter Georges Kleinmann had already discarded his costume before the announcement of the first heat of this game, due to the inclement weather, and could be seen wearing a beige suit and protecting himself with a black raincoat over his shoulders!

Fil Rouge, Round 1 - The Descending Lion

The next game - ‘The Descending Lion’ - was the Fil Rouge and played over three rounds. It featured a male competitor equipped with two large arrows standing on a podium at the base of a 25m (82ft) steep incline and in front of a large pool. At the top of the incline was a large effigy of a lion set on wheels on a descending track. The lion’s tail was represented by a large wooden target attached vertically to the rear of the animal. Down the side of the incline was a measuring strip marked out in 30 sections. On the whistle, the competitor had to throw the arrows at the lion’s tail to engage a brake and stop its descent. If unsuccessful after the two essays (or even less if the competitor was slow in his execution), the lion would ultimately descend to the podium and knock the competitor into the pool. After the first descent, the lion was pulled back to the top of the incline and the tail was replaced with medium-sized target for the second round. Contemporaneously, the competitor would either wait on the podium or return to it from the pool if he had been unsuccessful. On the third round, the tail of the lion was replaced with a very small target to aim at. The team with the greater aggregate total would be declared the winners.

The first round saw the participation of West Germany and their competitor was able to stop the lion with the first arrow at the section numbered 6 on the scale. On his second and penultimate essay, he missed with both of the arrows and was knocked into the pool and deemed as scoring 0. On his third and final essay, he also missed the target with both arrows and was again deemed to have scored 0. His aggregate score was declared as 6.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Urach (D) (6)

Game 2 - Bacchus and the Maenads

The second game - ‘Bacchus and the Maenads’ - was played over two heats of two minutes duration and featured four competitors (one male and three females) from each team and a large cloth chute hanging from a high platform. In front of the game was a large wine goblet in which the male competitor, dressed as Bacchus and wearing boxing gloves, was sitting. On the whistle, the two females representing maenads (or nymphs) had to lift the end of the chute and stretch it as far towards the goblet as possible. The third female then had to release large ‘grapes’ individually down the chute from the platform and as they reached its base, the other two females had to toss the cloth upwards and try to propel the grape towards the goblet. If successfully caught by the male competitor, it had to be placed inside the goblet. The team collecting the greater number of grapes would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this game featured Belgium, Switzerland and Netherlands and was somewhat hampered by the weather conditions. The grapes failed to roll down the chutes as quick as during rehearsals due to the rain-soaked cloth and this made it difficult for the females to get the momentum to toss them as far as had been expected. Nevertheless, the breakthrough came after 1 minute 15 seconds of elapsed time when Switzerland successfully caught a grape. This was followed by Netherlands somewhat craftily catching a grape that bounced off the floor after 1 minute and 22 seconds and which went unnoticed by the touch-judges. Switzerland caught a second grape after 1 minute 28 seconds and a third after 1 minute 57 seconds. At he end of the game, Switzerland had caught 3 grapes, Netherlands were ‘deemed’ as having caught 1 grape and Belgium had failed to score.

The second heat featured West Germany, Great Britain and Italy with Great Britain breaking the deadlock after 1 minute 25 seconds followed by a second after exactly two minutes. The scores were declared as Great Britain having caught 2 grapes and West Germany and Italy both failing to score.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Farnham (GB) (5pts awarded / 17pts total) 2nd Avenches (CH) (6pts / 11pts) 3rd Mill (NL) (4pts / 7pts) ▲ 4th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (--- / 4pts) ▼ 5th Vilvoorde (B) (1pt / 3pts) 6th Acqui Terme (I) (1pt / 2pts) 7th Urach (D) (1pt / 1pt)

Fil Rouge, Round 2 - The Descending Lion

The second round of the Fil Rouge featured France and their competitor failed to stop the lion with either of the arrows during his first essay and was knocked into the pool. On his second and penultimate essay, he was able to stop the lion with his second arrow at the section numbered 3. On his third and final essay, he was unable to stop the lion and was knocked into the pool and declared as having an aggregate score of 3.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Urach (D) (6) 2nd Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3)

Game 3 - Hannibal and his Elephant

The third game - ‘Hannibal and his Elephant’ - was played individually over one minute duration and witnessed West Germany and Italy presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured six competitors (five males and one female) from each team and a large elephant costume. Whilst the five males were positioned underneath the costume, the female competitor was sitting astride the elephant’s back. In front of the start line was a semi-circular obstacle course comprised of three ski gates and five podia, atop each of which stood a team member of the other five teams. On the whistle, the female competitor had to give directions to the five males in order to negotiate the course knocking down the podia (and opposition) but passing through the ski gates without disturbing them. After passing through the final set of gates, the team had to turn round and knock the final two competitors down with the rear of the elephant. A penalty of 5 seconds would be incurred for each gate pole knocked down. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple and straightforward game saw the participation of Netherlands and they completed the course in 33 seconds but knocked down two gate poles and incurred a penalty of 10 seconds. Their overall time was declared as 43 seconds.

The second heat saw the participation of Belgium and they completed the course in 54 seconds but also incurred a 10-second penalty for knocking down two gate poles. Their overall time was therefore declared as 1 minute 4 seconds.

The third of the six teams to participate was West Germany and they completed the game without any penalties in 36 seconds.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of Switzerland and they completed the game in 34 seconds but on the way incurred a 10-second penalty for knocking down two gate poles. Their overall time was declared as 44 seconds.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was France and they completed the course in 41 seconds but had incurred a penalty of 5 seconds for knocking down one gate pole. Their overall finishing time was declared as 46 seconds.

The sixth and final team to participate was Italy and it they had completed the course without any penalties in a time of 34 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Farnham (GB) (--- / 17pts total) =2nd Avenches (CH) (3pts / 14pts) =2nd Acqui Terme (I) (12pts / Joker / 14pts) ▲ =4th Urach (D) (10pts / Joker / 11pts) ▲ =4th Mill (NL) (4pts / 11pts) ▼ 6th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (2pts / 6pts) ▼ 7th Vilvoorde (B) (1pt / 4pts) ▼

Comments: Whilst Belgium were competing, it appeared that one of the final two gate poles had been knocked over but before falling to the ground, it had been caught by the female competitor. However, referee Gennaro Olivieri explained that the gate had actually got caught on the material of the elephant costume and before the gate pole had a chance to fall to the ground, the team quickly reversed and repositioned the gate without physically touching it by hand. A rare refereeing error by Gennaro Olivieri was witnessed at the end of this game. The Italian team appeared to have completed a flawless game in 34 seconds, the fastest of the six times. However, when announcing the result, he declared the time as 43 seconds and this was displayed on the main scoreboard. The time declared appeared somewhat awry as it was slower than West Germany and equal to that of Netherlands (who had actually been penalised 10 seconds in their heat). Not realising his error, he allotted the points in accordance with the times displayed on the scoreboard, awarding 12pts to West Germany (instead of 10pts), 10pts to Italy (instead of 12pts) and 5pts to Netherlands (instead of 4pts), for equalling the incorrect time of Italy. This error was not immediately challenged and the contest continued on with the next Fil Rouge and also Game 4 after which an announcement was made and the scores corrected. Please note that JSFnetGB has opted to display the correct scores throughout.

Fil Rouge, Round 3 - The Descending Lion

The third round of the Fil Rouge featured Great Britain and their competitor was able to stop the lion with his second arrow at section 7 during his first essay. On his second and penultimate essay, he failed to stop the lion with either of the arrows and was knocked into the pool. On his third and final essay, he was again unable to stop the lion and declared as having an aggregate score of 7.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Farnham (GB) (7) 2nd Urach (D) (6) ▼ 3rd Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3) ▼

Comments: A photograph from this game was featured on Page 32 of the It’s A Knockout Annual 1977 published by World Distributors (Manchester) Limited in the autumn of 1976.

Game 4 - The Catapults and the Shields

The fourth game - ‘The Catapults and the Shields’ - was played individually over 55 seconds and witnessed Netherlands presenting their Joker for play. The game featured thirteen competitors (nine males and four females) from each team. On a 10m (32ft 9¾in) high platform above the arena, there were six opposition team members armed with two large catapults. Below the high platform was a clearly-defined rectangular playing area in which eight male competitors and four female competitors were standing, each holding a curved shield above their head. On the whistle, the ninth male competitor on the high platform had to place a large ball onto one of the catapults for it to be released by the opposition. The twelve competitors below had to prevent the ball from dropping into the playing area by guiding it away with the aid of the shields. Once completed, the ground-based competitors had to move to the other side of the rectangle in readiness for the second ball to be released five seconds later. A touch-judge on the high platform would ensure that this occurred at five second intervals. This was repeated until all twelve balls had been released. The team with the least balls in the playing area would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple and straightforward game saw the participation of West Germany and they were able to discard with nine of the twelve balls hurled and their score was declared as 3 balls.

The second heat saw the participation of Netherlands and they only discarded seven of the twelve balls hurled and were declared as having a score of 5 balls.

The third of the six teams to participate was Belgium and they were only able to discard half of the balls hurled and declared as having a score of 6 balls.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of Switzerland and they were also only able to discard with half the balls hurled and were given a score of 6 balls.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was France and, akin with the previous two heats, were only able to discard with six of the twelve balls thrown and given a score of 6 balls.

The sixth and final team to participate was Great Britain and they were able to discard with eight of the twelve balls hurled and were declared as having a score of 4 balls.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Farnham (GB) (5pts awarded / 22pts total) 2nd Mill (NL) (8pts / Joker / 19pts) ▲ =3rd Avenches (CH) (3pts / 17pts) ▼ =3rd Urach (D) (6pts / 17pts) ▲ 5th Acqui Terme (I) (--- / 14pts) ▼ 6th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3pts / 9pts) 7th Vilvoorde (B) (3pts / 7pts)

Comments: Before the start of the next round of the next Fil Rouge, referee Gennaro Olivieri announced that an error had been made with the scoring on the third game and the incorrect points had been awarded to the top three teams in the game. West Germany (playing their Joker) had inadvertently been awarded 12pts for 1st place (instead of 10pts for finishing in 2nd place), Italy (also playing their Joker) had been awarded 10pts for finishing in 2nd place (instead of 12pts for finishing in 1st place) and Netherlands had been awarded 5pts for finishing in equal 2nd place (instead of finishing in 3rd place). He therefore corrected the scores by awarding an additional 2pts to Italy and deducting 2pts from West Germany and 1pt from Netherlands.

Fil Rouge, Round 4 - The Descending Lion

The fourth round of the Fil Rouge featured Italy and their competitor was unable to stop the lion with any of the four arrows from his first two essays. However, incredibly he was able to hit the tail with the smallest target with his first arrow in the third essay and stop the lion at section 12 and this was declared as his overall score.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Acqui Terme (I) (12) 2nd Farnham (GB) (7) ▼ 3rd Urach (D) (6) ▼ 4th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3) ▼

Game 5 - A Throw of the Die

The fifth game - ‘A Throw of the Die’ - was played individually and witnessed Belgium and Switzerland presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured a large white polystyrene die and six male competitors from each team equipped with a large slingshot. On either side of the slingshot was a small walled ramp. On the whistle, two of the competitors had to place the die at the base of the slingshot and hold it in place with the middle of an elasticated rope, whilst the other four competitors stretched the rope by running in pairs up the two ramps. Once confident that they had the rope at is tautest, the two competitors at the slingshot had to release the die. The distance travelled would be measured and a marker placed at its distance from the slingshot. Any team scoring 6 on the die would be permitted another essay to try and improve on the distance. The team travelling the greater distance would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple game saw the participation of Great Britain and they scored 1 on the die and a marker placed at its distance from the slingshot.

The second heat saw the participation of Belgium and they scored 4 on the die but had travelled further than Great Britain.

The third of the six teams to participate was France and they also scored 4 on the die but had travelled a lesser distance than both Belgium and Great Britain.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of West Germany and they scored 6 on the die and travelled the least of all the teams so far. On their second essay, the distance travelled was less than that of their first so their original score stood.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Switzerland and they scored 1 on the die but had travelled the second furthest distance.

The sixth and final team to participate was Italy and they scored 4 on the die and travelled almost as far as Belgium but further than Switzerland.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Avenches (CH) (8pts awarded / Joker / 25pts total) ▲ =1st Farnham (GB) (3pts / 25pts) =3rd Vilvoorde (B) (12pts / Joker / 19pts) ▲ =3rd Acqui Terme (I) (5pts / 19pts) ▲ =3rd Mill (NL) (--- / 19pts) ▼ 6th Urach (D) (1pt / 18pts) ▼ 7th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (2pts / 11pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 5 - The Descending Lion

The fifth round of the Fil Rouge featured Netherlands and their competitor was unable to stop the lion with his first two arrows on his first essay. On his second and penultimate essay, he was able to stop the lion with the second arrow at section 5. On his third and final essay, he was unable to stop the lion and his aggregate score was declared as 5.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Acqui Terme (I) (12) 2nd Farnham (GB) (7) 3rd Urach (D) (6) 4th Mill (NL) (5) 5th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3) ▼

Game 6 - The Strongman's Table

The sixth game - ‘The Strongman’s Table’ - was played over three heats of two minutes duration and featured a large table made from three pieces of thick polystyrene and three competitors (one male and two females) from each team. The two females were located on a 10m (32ft 9¾in) high platform above the table and armed with 13 sacks of sand (4 x 5kg (11lb 1½oz), 4 x 7.5kg (16lb 8½oz), 4 x 10kg (22lb ¾oz) and 1 x 20kg (44lb 1½oz)). On the whistle, the male competitor had to stand on the table facing away from the platform with his legs astride in order for the weight of his body to be on the side supports. He then had to precariously turn himself around and the females then had to throw the bags of sand down individually in order for him to catch them. If successful, he then had to place them on the sides of the table. The team collecting all bags on the table in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland and France. It ended with Switzerland collecting 10 sacks, failing to catch one of the 5kg, one of the 7.5kg and the 20kg sack, and France collecting 12 sacks, after which the table collapsed whilst attempting to catch the 20kg sack.

The second and penultimate heat featured Great Britain and Italy. It ended with Great Britain collecting 11 sacks, after which the table collapsed whilst attempting to catch the final 10kg sack, and Italy collecting 12 sacks after failing to catch the 20kg sack.

The third and final heat saw the participation of West Germany and Netherlands and ended with West Germany collecting 12 sacks and playing safe and not attempting the 20kg sack. Netherlands collected 10 sacks, after which the table collapsed whilst attempting to catch the third of the 10kg sacks.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Farnham (GB) (3pts awarded / 28pts total) 2nd Avenches (CH) (2pts / 27pts) ▼ 3rd Acqui Terme (I) (6pts / 25pts) 4th Urach (D) (6pts / 24pts) ▲ 5th Mill (NL) (2pts / 21pts) ▼ 6th Vilvoorde (B) (--- / 19pts) ▼ 7th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (6pts / 17pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 6 - The Descending Lion

The sixth and penultimate round of the Fil Rouge featured Belgium and their competitor was unable to stop the lion with his two arrows on his first essay. On his second and penultimate essay, he stopped the lion with his first arrow at section 12 of the scale. On his third and final essay, he stopped the lion with his second arrow at section 4. His aggregate score was declared as 16.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Vilvoorde (B) (16) 2nd Acqui Terme (I) (12) ▼ 3rd Farnham (GB) (7) ▼ 4th Urach (D) (6) ▼ 5th Mill (NL) (5) ▼ 6th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3) ▼

Game 7 - The Unicorns

The seventh and penultimate game - ‘The Unicorns’ - was played in unison and witnessed France presenting their Joker for play. It was an elimination game and featured a male competitor from each team disguised as a unicorn with its back legs replaced by a bicycle wheel. Attached to the horn of the unicorn was a large pin and on the tail of the unicorn was a large balloon. On the whistle, the competitors, positioned equidistance from each other, had to run around a large circle and try to catch the competitor in front in order to burst the balloon with the horn of his unicorn. The team remaining in play at the end of the game would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game that saw Belgium eliminated first after West Germany had burst their balloon.

Netherlands were the second team to be eliminated after their competitor tripped and fell to the floor bursting his own balloon.

The third team to be eliminated was West Germany after falling to the floor and France bursting their balloon in passing.

Italy were the fourth team to be eliminated after Great Britain had burst their balloon.

It was now a two-horse race with Great Britain having a slight advantage over France but which of them would have the stamina to catch the other?

After two full circumnavigations of the circle, France closed in rapidly on Great Britain and, with a bit of cheating whereby they cut into the circle instead of staying outside, France eventually caught up to Great Britain and burst their balloon.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Farnham (GB) (5pts awarded / 33pts total) =2nd Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (12pts / Joker / 29pts) ▲ =2nd Acqui Terme (I) (4pts / 29pts) ▲ =4th Avenches (CH) (--- / 27pts) ▼ =4th Urach (D) (3pts / 27pts) 6th Mill (NL) (2pts / 23pts) ▼ 7th Vilvoorde (B) (1pt / 20pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 7 - The Descending Lion

The seventh and final round of the Fil Rouge featured Switzerland and their competitor made a complete hash of the game. With his failure to stop the lion on any of his three essays, he was considered as costing the team the overall competition. At the end of the game his score was declared as 0 and they finished in 7th place on the game.

Final Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Vilvoorde (B) (16) 2nd Acqui Terme (I) (12) 3rd Farnham (GB) (7) 4th Urach (D) (6) 5th Mill (NL) (5) 6th Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3) 7th Avenches (CH) (0)

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Farnham (GB) (5pts awarded / 38pts total) 2nd Acqui Terme (I) (6pts / 35pts) =3rd Urach (D) (4pts / 31pts) ▲ =3rd Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (2pts / 31pts) ▼ 5th Avenches (CH) (1pt / 28pts) ▼ 6th Vilvoorde (B) (7pts / 27pts) ▲ 7th Mill (NL) (3pts / 26pts) ▼

Comments: Having led the contest from the beginning, Great Britain were 3pts ahead of Italy before the final game. With it now being a two-horse race, Great Britain had to finish in the first four places to guarantee victory or had to beat the Italy team by three places on the game... but things were not going to be as simple as that!

Game 8 - The Busts of Caesar

The eighth and final game - ‘The Busts of Caesar’ - was played in unison and featured a male competitor from each team armed with a long pronged stick and a bust of Julius Caser set on wheels. On the whistle, the competitor had to push the bust down the 8m (26ft 4½in) course which was set on the 10m (32ft 9¾in) high platform utilised earlier on the fourth game. Whilst doing so, he had to ensure that he did not push the bust too far and send it crashing over the edge of the podium but he also had to ensure that he pushed it far enough so that it was not the one that was nearest to the start (should no one tumble over the end). As this was an elimination game, the team remaining in play at the end would be declared the winners.

The first team to be eliminated was West Germany after their competitor failed to push the bust far enough forward and was deemed has being closest to the start line. Their competitor was then invited to push his bust over the edge of the platform.

Great Britain were the second team to be eliminated after their competitor failed to push the bust far enough forward. With only 2pts guaranteed from the game, they now had a 5pt advantage over Italy and it was now just a matter of waiting and hoping for the team that Italy did not finish in the top two places.

The third team to be eliminated was France after their competitor pushed the bust too far and it went tumbling over the edge of the platform.

Netherlands were the fourth team to be eliminated after their competitor failed to push the bust far enough forward. With just three positions remaining to be filled, all eyes were now on Italy. Remain in the game and claim outright victory, get eliminated and tie the competition with Great Britain.

The fifth team to be eliminated was Italy after their competitor failed to push the bust far enough forward. All hearts in Great Britain started beating once more. Not only had Great Britain won the competition (albeit tied with Italy), they had led the contest from the first game.

The final round was between Belgium and Switzerland with Belgium being declared winners after the competitor from Switzerland failed to push the bust far enough forward.

Final Scores and Positions: =1st Farnham (GB) (2pts awarded / 40pts total) =1st Acqui Terme (I) (5pts / 40pts) ▲ =3rd Vilvoorde (B) (7pts / 34pts) ▲ =3rd Avenches (CH) (6pts / 34pts) ▲ =3rd Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (F) (3pts / 34pts) 6th Urach (D) (1pt / 32pts) ▼ 7th Mill (NL) (4pts / 30pts)

Comments: The trophy for the winners was presented in a unique way and for the first time by a non-human. After the winners were announced, both teams were asked to stand on the podium above the pool which had been used by the competitors of the Fil Rouge. The lion then began its descent with the trophy in its mouth, but as it reached the end of its track it came to an abrupt halt and the trophy fell into the pool below. Presenter Christian Defaye quickly denounced the situation as a catastrophe and asked competitors to get in the pool to retrieve the trophy!

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

As was the norm the Fil Rouge, times and scores were displayed on a blackboard. However in keeping with the theme of this heat, the producers used a parchment-shaped blackboard. The torrential rain throughout the programme caused the scores to be obliterated from it and the referees had to re-write the scores on it on numerous occasions. By the end of the programme, the sandy base of the amphitheatre had become completely waterlogged and was awash with large puddles.

Records and Statistics

Excluding the first two series of Jeux Sans Frontières (1965 and 1966) when only two teams competed in each heat, British team Farnham became the fourth of only seven teams during the first incarnation of the programme (1967-1982) to lead the scoreboard from start to end. The other members of this exclusive club were Aix-les-Bains, France (1970); Offenburg, West Germany (1971); Marburg an der Lahn, West Germany (1973); Nieuwegein, Netherlands (1977); Willebroek, Belgium (1978) and Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy (1981).

If the second incarnation of the programme (1988-1999) is included, the list of teams increases by twelve: Madeira, Portugal (1988 on two occasions), Trogir, Yugoslavia (1990), Chaves, Portugal (1991), Llanberis, Wales (1991), Vigevano, Italy (1991), Lisboa, Portugal (1992), La Côte, Switzerland (1992), Firenze, Italy (1993), Keskemét, Hungary (1993), Százhalombatta, Hungary (1994) and Brno, Czech Republic (1995).

However, only one team achieved this feat at an International Final - Vigevano, Italy, in 1991.

Additional Information

This was the last Jeux Sans Frontières programme to be broadcast in France by ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française) due to the network being split into separate entities. As from the following heat, the programme was broadcast on the newly-created A2 (Antenne 2) channel, although the opening credits for the remainder of the series continued to show ORTF.

The Dutch team from Mill were the highest scoring team in their Domestic series Zeskamp, and the team were crowned Dutch Champions for 1974.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives, but short excerpts from this edition exist in the BBC compilation, Best of Knockout 1974. Details in Knockout TV.
Exists in European archives

F

Jeux Sans Frontières 1974

Heat 5

Event Staged: Wednesday 7th August 1974
Venue: Piscine et Parc de Daniel Rops (Swimming Pool and Daniel Rops Park),
Rive de Lac du Bourget (Shore of Lake Bourget), Aix-les-Bains, France

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
BRT (B): Wednesday 7th August 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
RTB (B): Wednesday 7th August 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
SSR (CH): Wednesday 7th August 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)
SRG (CH): Wednesday 7th August 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
TSI (CH): Wednesday 7th August 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
WDR 1 (D): Wednesday 7th August 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)

Nederland 1 (NL): Wednesday 7th August 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)
RAI Due (I): Thursday 8th August 1974
A2 (F): Saturday 10th August 1974 (5th)
BBC1 (GB): Friday 30th August 1974, 7.45-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Dry

Winners' Trophy presented by: Simone Garnier

Theme: Carnival of the Animals

Teams: Overpelt (B) v. Muralto (CH) v. Wasseralfingen (D) v. Aix-les-Bains (F) v.
Skegness (GB) v. Fabriano (I) v. Harlingen (NL)

Team Members included:
Wasseralfingen (D) - Hubert Nagel (Co-Team Coach), Georg Stegmaier (Co-Team Coach), Peter Borst, Thomas Deininger, Günter Dietrich, Klaus Eiberger, Paul Eiberger, Alfred Erhardt, Ernst Hegele, Siegfried Hoffmann, Marianne Höflacher, Mathias Huber, Dieter Imm, Elke Keicher, Franz Linsenmeier, Ursula Schaff, Martin Schäffauer, Evelin Schwarzer;
Skegness (GB) - Rick Swift (Team Manager), Brian Marshall (Team Coach), Betty Grave (Assistant Coach), Mick Devey, Angeline Evison, John Epton, Dorothy Epton, Kathleen Elliott, Bryn Foxon, Stanley Fountain, Barry Fletcher, Kenny Graham, Bryan Johnston, Kathryn Jenkins, Ian Jenkins, Doug Knowles, Steven Ladds, Peter Linton, Lynne Muggeson, Walter Maddison, Alan Mitch, Wendy Pilcher, Jean Marshall, Alison Pollock, Jean Paton, Philip Mason, Christopher Peacock, David Palethorpe, Lynette Sellers, Norman Stanley, David Smith, Evelyn Smith, Paul Strzelecki, Philip Vere and John Willoughby;
Fabriano (I) - Pina Stroppa;
Harlingen (NL) - Eger Bouma (Team Manager), Melle Postma (Team Captain), Jan Bergmans, Lies Bijlsma, Gerrit Bontes, A. Brink-Harde, Siepe Brouwer, Hilleke Dalmijn, Tsjalling Dijkstra, Domien Ettema, Eef Gerstel, Cobi van Grootveld, Ria Heeres, Joop van der Heide, Wietske Hoekstra, Jan de Jong, Rinnie Kasper, Sip Luxwolda, Els Post, Annie Roorda, Johan Roukema, Jacob Vlieger, Douwe de Vries, Hepko Wink, Siete Wouters.

Games: The Performing Bears, The Charging Rhinoceros, The Monkeys and the Coconuts, The Swimming Ostriches, Penguins on the Iceberg, The Boxing Kangaroo, The Thieving Squirrels and The Giant Snail Climbing Race;
Fil Rouge: The Tortoise and the Hare;
Jokers: National Animals.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 NL • Harlingen ●
 D • Wasseralfingen
 I • Fabriano
 F • Aix-les-Bains
 GB • Skegness
 B • Overpelt
 CH • Muralto

38
37
35
34
30
27
24

Running International Final Qualifiers

Belgium (B) - Vilvoorde (=3rd, 34pts)
Switzerland (CH) - Ilanz (3rd, 38pts)
West Germany (D) - Rosenheim (1st, 47pts)
France (F) - Nancy (1st, 44pts)

Great Britain (GB) - Farnham (=1st, 40pts)
Italy (I) - Acqui Terme (=1st, 40pts)
Netherlands (NL) - Zandvoort (1st, 40pts)

The Host Town

Aix-les-Bains, France

Aix-les-Bains is a town with a population of around 30,000 inhabitants in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and is located on the shores of Lac du Bourget, 85km (53 miles) east of Lyon, 79km (49 miles) south-west of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, 285km (177 miles) north of Toulon and 444km (276 miles) south-east of Paris.

Although historians cannot accurately ascertain the origins of the town, they do agree that Aix had a mainly Celtic habitat. The administrative situation of the place is known by epigraphy (the study of written matter recorded on hard or durable material (e.g. engravings on stonework)), which teaches us that Aix was, in the 1st century AD, a vicus, (a village within a rural area or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement).

During their excavations, archaeologists discovered a large thermal complex, in close proximity to its sources. On a lower terrace, to the west, was the Arch of Campanus, probably built in the 1st century, and further downstream, a second terrace carried the temple said to be dedicated to Diana. This terrace had been replaced by a more ancient circular edifice by the 2nd century, which was probably contemporary with the Arch of Campanus.

Aix-les-Bains (simply known locally as Aix) is again mentioned in sources from the 9th century and in 1011 through charters. In the latter, King Rudolph III of Burgundy (AD 970-1032) donated the villa of Aix, called a royal seat, with its settlers and its slaves to his wife Ermengarde who, in turn, passed them to the bishopric of Grenoble. This Charter tells us that Aix was a small town with a church and agricultural areas. The Bishop Hugues of Grenoble then donated it to the monastery of Saint-Martin de Miserere, at the beginning of the 12th century.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the ancient church suffered a devastating fire. The Aix people requested the help of Claude de Seyssel in order to rebuild. He was a seigneurial family member of the town, and was raised to the episcopal dignity. He was the Bishop of Albi, and a special advisor to King Louis XII of France (1462-1515).

On 9th April 1739, a huge fire broke out in the town centre and destroyed 80 homes, nearly half of the town. Reconstruction was made with an appeal for subsidies from the king, who imposed an alignment plan whose implementation was entrusted to the engineer Garella. This plan went further than a simple plan of reconstruction since it provided a true alignment of streets. It imposed some rules of urbanism which included the construction of houses of two floors in addition to a ground floor and it also prohibited thatched roofs. However, it was very limited in its scope, since it concerned only the burned area or the main street (Rue Albert I), the central square (Place Carnot) and Rue des Bains.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the Aix people and the medical world had begun to become aware of the value of the hot springs of Aix, through the writings of the dauphinois physician Jean Baptiste Cabias, who was followed in this area by other renowned doctors. King Henry IV of France (1553-1610) highly appreciated his Aix bath, according to Cabias.

Aix was a flagship town of the French Belle Époque era (1871-1914), and was a major holiday resort for princely families and wealthy people until the 1960s. This is evidenced by the many palaces which dominate the town and which have today been transformed into condominiums. Queen Victoria (1819-1901), under the title of Countess of Balmoral, King Albert of Belgium (1875-1934) and the then Aga Khan were regulars of the Café des Bains and Grand Circle. The city owes them for the creation of a golf course, a tennis club and a racecourse. Queen Victoria fell in love with the charms of this town, appreciating the benefits of its waters as well as its climate. So much so, she wanted to build a residence on the hill of Tresserve and establish a real estate there. Unfortunately, although plans had been decided in 1888, the project did not materialise.

Essentially a spa town until the mid-20th century, Aix-les-Bains has gradually transformed its local economy and is no longer dependent on the thermal baths which are less frequently used than before. Akin with the towns of Vichy, Évian and other spas, Aix-les-Bains has diversified the economy and invested a lot on tourism potential and health.

Today, the town is known as the Riviera of the Alps due to its location and has nearly 500 shops. Merchants benefit from the attractiveness of the geographical situation of the commune with the proximity of the lake and the Massif des Bauges, but also thanks to the Casino Grand-Cercle. The casino was opened in 1850 by the King Victor-Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy (1820-1878). The ceiling of his living room is covered with a mosaic of 3.5 million small cubes of glass mounted on a golden background.

The Visiting Towns

Overpelt is a town with a population of around 16,000 inhabitants in the néerlandophonic (Dutch-speaking) Belgian province of Limburg and is located 615km (382 miles) north of Aix-les-Bains.

Muralto is a suburb of Locarno with a population of around 3,000 inhabitants in the italophonic (Italian-speaking) Swiss canton of Ticino and is located 229km (142 miles) west of Aix-les-Bains.

Wasseralfingen is a suburb of the city of Aalen with a population of around 14,000 inhabitants in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is located 473km (294 miles) north-east of Aix-les-Bains.

Skegness is a town with a population of around 20,000 inhabitants in the English county of Lincolnshire and is located 921km (572 miles) north-west of Aix-les-Bains.

Fabriano is a town with a population of around 31,000 inhabitants in the Italian region of Marche and is located 612km (380 miles) south-east of Aix-les-Bains.

Harlingen is a town with a population of around 16,000 inhabitants in the Dutch province of Friesland and is located 832km (517 miles) north of Aix-les-Bains.

The Venue

Piscine et Parc de Daniel Rops
(Swimming Pool and Daniel Rops Park)

The games were played in the open-air swimming pool and a small park located on the shore of Lake Bourget, the deepest and largest natural lake of glacial origin in France. Situated alongside the road named after him, the park is dedicated to Daniel Rops (1901-1965), a French writer and historian whose real name was Henri Petiot, who died in Aix-les-Bains in 1965.

Since the original transmission, the venue has been somewhat redeveloped and is today known as La Plage d’Aix (the beach of Aix) and is home to L’Aqualac d'Aix-les-Bains, an aquatic centre located in a huge 12-hectare green space next to Lac du Bourget.

Visitors can indulge in the 50m Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool or from the 25m indoor pool (with water heated to 28°C).

Located in a privileged site, the nautical centre gives direct access to the lake with its beach. Many facilities allow visitors to indulge in other sports such as volleyball, badminton, trampolining and basketball along with other leisure activities such as water slides, family play areas and a restaurant and snack bar on the pool or beach side.

The Rehearsals

It would appear that the dress rehearsal the previous evening had also been as closely fought and low-scoring as the actual programme. The British team of Skegness had finished in second place with 35 pts whilst home team Aix-les-Bains won the rehearsal with just 37 pts.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

The teams were transported into the arena by a small train with four members from each of the competing countries. With the games being themed around animals, each of them carried a different creature representing their national animal in the carriage with them. Great Britain had a small cuddly bulldog toy, Italy (a black Labrador), Netherlands (a black calf), Belgium (a cuddly lion toy), Switzerland (a cuddly brown bear toy), West Germany (an eagle) and France (a chicken.

Game 1 - The Performing Bears

The first game - ‘The Performing Bears’ - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team in a polar bear costume standing on a platform above a 10m (32ft 9¾in) high incline, clearly marked out with seven vertical sections (although only six were required for this game), with water constantly flowing downwards. On the whistle, the competitor had to slide down to the bottom of the incline to pick up the end of a rope which was attached to the top of starting platform. He then had to wrap the end of the rope around his waist and climb the incline by turning his body and reeling himself upwards. Once he had reached the top, he then had to press a button to illuminate a light on his national insignia. He then had to return to the base of the incline in the same manner, but this time by uncoiling the rope as he descended. On completion, he then had to re-climb the incline on his own steam, by using his hands and feet. To finish the game, he then had to press the button again to re-illuminate the light. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This proved to be very tough for an opening game but was still quite straightforward and uneventful. West Germany, having led from the start, completed the game in 1 minute 30 seconds followed by Netherlands in 2nd place in 1 minute 53 seconds and Switzerland in 3rd place in 1 minute 55 seconds. Belgium finished in 4th place after completing the game in 2 minutes and 1 second and were followed by Italy in 5th place in 2 minutes 8 seconds and France in 6th place in 2 minutes 25 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Wasseralfingen (D) (6pts awarded / 6pts total) 2nd Harlingen (NL) (5pts / 5pts) 3rd Muralto (CH) (4pts / 4pts) 4th Overpelt (B) (3pts / 3pts) 5th Fabriano (I) (2pts / 2pts) 6th Aix-les-Bains (F) (1pt / 1pt) 7th Skegness (GB) (--- / 0pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 1 - The Tortoise and the Hare

The next game - ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ - was the Fil Rouge and was played over 1 minute 30 seconds duration. It featured four competitors (two males and two females) from each team. At the rear of the game was a 10m (32ft 9¾in) reverse conveyor belt whilst in the foreground there was a 12m (39ft 6½in) rack and pinion rail on which sat a tortoise costume with a pre-cut groove running along the middle of its base. Whilst one of the females had to sit astride the back of the tortoise, one of the male competitors, who was located underneath the costume, had to face downwards in the opposite direction of travel and with his feet off the ground. On the whistle, he had to push the tortoise costume up a small incline and then along the track using gloved hands. The other male, dressed as a hare, had to collect a large carrot and then transport it along the conveyor belt and hand it to the second female, who was standing on the podium at the other end. He had to complete this task on three occasions and then stand on the podium with her. The times for ‘tortoise’ and the ‘hare’ to complete their sections of the game would each be taken and then added together. The team with the faster aggregate time would be declared the winners.

The first round saw the participation of Great Britain and whilst their tortoise completed the game in 32 seconds, the hare was slightly slower finishing in 43 seconds. This gave the team an aggregate time of 1 minute 15 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Skegness (GB) (1 minute 15 seconds)

Inspiration for the Game: This game was based on the fable by the Greek slave Aesop (620 - 564BC). The story concerns a hare who ridicules a slow-moving tortoise. Tired of the hare's arrogant behaviour, the tortoise challenges him to a race. The hare soon leaves the tortoise behind and, confident of winning, takes a nap midway through the race. When the hare awakes, however, he finds that his competitor, crawling slowly but steadily, has arrived before him.

Game 2 - The Charging Rhinoceros

The second game - ‘The Charging Rhinoceros’ - was played individually over six heats and witnessed West Germany presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a 600kg (1,322 lb 12¼oz or 94st 6lb 12¼oz) rhinoceros effigy on wheels set on rail tracks at the bottom of a 50m (164ft) long measured incline and five male competitors from each team. On a podium at the top of the incline, the other male competitor was sitting on a chair and armed with a number of hula hoops. On the whistle, four of the competitors had to push the effigy up the course as far as possible, but in doing so, had to release it at a given point of 18m (59ft ¾in). As the effigy approached the competitor at the top, he had to hurl the hoops and try and get them on the horn of the rhinoceros. He could attempt as many essays as he wished, but he had to remain seated at all times. The game would then be repeated and the total distance travelled by the rhinoceros on both runs would be recorded. For each hoop successfully hooked over the horn, the team would be awarded an additional 1m distance. However, only hoops that remained intact at the end of the two runs would count towards any bonus measurement. The team with the greater aggregate distance would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward and entertaining game saw the participation of West Germany and on their first run, the rhinoceros traversed the complete 50m and they scored one hoop. On their second run, the effigy traversed 47m but no additional hoops were added. Their aggregate score was declared as 98m (50m + 47m + 1m).

The second heat featured Great Britain and on their first run, the rhinoceros traversed 47m but they failed to score with any of the hoops hurled. On their second run, they traversed 46m and scored with two of the hoops. Their aggregate score was declared as 95m (47m + 46m + 2m).

The third team to participate was France and their first run was an exact copy of that achieved by Great Britain, traversing 47m and failing to score with any of the hoops hurled. On their second run, the effigy traversed the complete 50m and they scored with two of the hoops. Their aggregate score was declared as 99m (47m + 50m + 2m).

The fourth heat saw the participation of Switzerland and on their first run, the rhinoceros only traversed 44m and they failed to score with any of the hoops. On their second run, they traversed 46m but again failed to score with any of the hoops. Their aggregate score was declared as 90m (44m + 46m).

The fifth and penultimate heat featured Netherlands and on their first run, the rhinoceros traversed the complete 50m and they also scored with two of the hoops hurled. On their second run, the effigy traversed 49m and they scored with another two hoops. Their aggregate score was declared as 103m (50m + 49m + 4m).

The sixth and final team to participate was Belgium and on their first run, the rhinoceros traversed 49m and they also scored with one of the hoops hurled. On their second run, they again traversed 49m and scored with another one of the hoops. Their aggregate score was declared as 100m (49m + 49m + 2m).

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Wasseralfingen (D) (6pts awarded / Joker / 12pts total) 2nd Harlingen (NL) (6pts / 11pts) 3rd Overpelt (B) (5pts / 8pts) ▲ 4th Muralto (CH) (1pt / 5pts) ▼ 5th Aix-les-Bains (F) (4pts / 5pts) =6th Skegness (GB) (2pts / 2pts) =6th Fabriano (I) (--- / 2pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 2 - The Tortoise and the Hare

The second round of the Fil Rouge featured Italy and whilst their tortoise completed the game in 44 seconds, the hare was slower and finished in 52 seconds. This gave the team an aggregate time of 1 minute 36 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Skegness (GB) (1 minute 15 seconds) 2nd Fabriano (I) (1 minute 36 seconds)

Game 3 - The Monkeys and the Coconuts

The third game - ‘The Monkeys and the Coconuts’ - was played over three heats of 1 minute 15 seconds duration and featured a pivoted balance with a basket located at each end and a male competitor from each team dressed in a monkey costume. The pivot arm itself comprised a hollowed-out tube with a large measuring cylinder sited on the ground at either end. On the whistle, the opposing competitors had to throw coconuts (small balls) into their respective basket to get the pivot arm to drop to their side of the game. Once completed, that competitor could then run up the course and beyond the pivot arm in order to reach a set of steps leading up onto a barrel which housed a stirrup pump. He then had to use the pump to raise water along a pipe, which protruded out and above the hollow tube of the pivot, to fill his measuring cylinder. Contemporaneously, the other competitor continued to throw the coconuts into his basket in order to counteract the pivot and get it to drop onto his side of the game. If successful, the monkey pumping had to cease and return to the start of the game, whilst the other team’s monkey climbed the barrel and then repeated the process. For parity, it should be noted that a touch-judge would release his hold on the level pivot after the whistle and then it was pot luck on which side it dropped and giving advantage to that team who could then commence their way to the pump without even throwing a ball! The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward and amusing game saw the participation of Belgium and Great Britain with Great Britain taking advantage of the original freefall drop on their side after 4 seconds of elapsed time. Belgium were able to gain control of the pump after 33 seconds but lost it to Great Britain after 55 seconds who held control until the end of permitted time. When the results were announced Belgium had collected 5cm (2in) of water whilst Great Britain had collected 8cm (3¼in) of water.

The second and penultimate heat featured West Germany and Italy with West Germany gaining the advantage of the original freefall drop after 4 seconds of elapsed time. However, Italy gained control of the game after 25 seconds and never looked back, with their monkey pumping water until the end of permitted time. The results revealed that West Germany had collected 2cm (¾in) of water whilst Italy had collected an impressive 16cm (6¼in) of water.

The third and final heat saw the participation of Switzerland and France with France gaining the early advantage of the original freefall drop on their side after just 2 seconds of elapsed time. Switzerland gained control after 34 seconds and remained on the pump until 1 minute 5 seconds when France regained control for the final ten seconds of play. The scores were announced and Switzerland had collected 11cm (4¼in) of water and France had collected 9cm (3½in) of water.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Wasseralfingen (D) (1pt awarded / 13pts total) 2nd Harlingen (NL) (--- / 11pts) =3rd Overpelt (B) (2pts / 10pts) =3rd Muralto (CH) (5pts / 10pts) ▲ 5th Aix-les-Bains (F) (4pts / 9pts) 6th Fabriano (I) (6pts / 8pts) ▼ 7th Skegness (GB) (3pts / 5pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 3 - The Tortoise and the Hare

The third round of the Fil Rouge featured Netherlands and whilst their hare completed the game in 1 minute 9 seconds, the tortoise was slower and finished in 1 minute 19 seconds. This gave the team an aggregate time of 2 minutes 28 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Skegness (GB) (1 minute 15 seconds) 2nd Fabriano (I) (1 minute 36 seconds) 3rd Harlingen (NL) (2 minutes 28 seconds)

Game 4 - The Swimming Ostriches

The fourth game - ‘The Swimming Ostriches’ - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed Switzerland, France, Italy and Netherlands presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team attired in a large ostrich costume standing on the side of a swimming pool. On the whistle, the competitors had to jump into the pool and swim across its 20m (65ft 7½in) width in designated lanes. On reaching the far side, a female team-mate had to place two hoops over the head and down the neck of the ostrich. The competitor then had to turn around and return to the start, where a second female team-mate had to remove one of the hoops. The ostrich then had to return to the far side for the second hoop to be removed by the female and then he had to turn around and swim back to the start in order to finish the game. The team transporting both hoops in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game which saw West Germany completing the first return journey in 40 seconds followed by Italy in 43 seconds and France in 48 seconds. Netherlands reached the start line after 51 seconds followed by Great Britain in 1 minute 1 second and Switzerland in 1 minute 10 seconds, after being somewhat delayed after having to return to the far side to have a hoop removed following the team-mate’s error of placing three hoops over the ostrich’s head.

The second half of the race saw West Germany complete the game in 1 minute 34 seconds followed by Italy in 2nd place in 1 minute 39 seconds and Netherlands, having improved on their first return journey position, finished in 3rd place in 1 minute 49 seconds. France, having dropped a position from their first return journey, finished in 4th place in 1 minute 52 seconds followed by Great Britain in 5th place in 2 minutes 17 second and Switzerland in 6th place in 2 minutes 32 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Wasseralfingen (D) (6pts awarded / 19pts total) =1st Harlingen (NL) (8pts / Joker / 19pts) ▲ 3rd Fabriano (I) (10pts / Joker / 18pts) ▲ 4th Aix-les-Bains (F) (6pts / Joker / 15pts) ▲ 5th Muralto (CH) (2pts / Joker / 12pts) ▼ 6th Overpelt (B) (--- / 10pts) 7th Skegness (GB) (2pts / 7pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 4 - The Tortoise and the Hare

The fourth round of the Fil Rouge featured Belgium and was witness to the competitor in the tortoise costume attempting to flaunt the rules of the game. His tactics may have gone unnoticed had he not been caught out purely by the speed at which he completed the course. Even presenter Simone Garnier drew attention to the fact, by exclaiming (loosely translated from French) "Look at the tortoise, how fast he moves".

The three teams in the previous rounds had found it quite difficult to move the tortoise at first, but still completed the course in reasonable times. However, the tortoise of Belgium moved so fast that it seemed as if it was being propelled by a rocket and completed the course in 16 seconds. However, when referee Gennaro Olivieri announced the result, he stated that the competitor had not abided by the rules and had used his feet instead of his hands and therefore would be awarded the maximum time for the run. Whilst the hare completed the game in 40 seconds, the tortoise was deemed as finishing in 1 minute 30 seconds. This gave the team an aggregate time of 2 minutes 10 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Skegness (GB) (1 minute 15 seconds) 2nd Fabriano (I) (1 minute 36 seconds) 3rd Overpelt (B) (2 minutes 10 seconds) 4th Harlingen (NL) (2 minutes 28 seconds) ▼

Comments: Even with the maximum time for the tortoise awarded to Belgium, the team’s overall total still bettered the combined times of Netherlands who had played in the previous round!

Game 5 - Penguins on the Iceberg

The fifth game - ‘Penguins on the Iceberg’ - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured a large rotating carousel and a male competitor from each team dressed as a penguin armed with a small bucket. Standing next to large measuring cylinder around the outside of the carousel was a female team-mate. Before the start of the game, the competitors had to stand in the centre of the carousel looking outwards. On the sound of a first whistle, the carousel was put in motion and water would begin pouring from a glacial spout. On a second whistle, the competitor then had to begin collecting the water in his bucket whilst walking in a direction opposite to that of the carousel. Once he believed he had collected sufficient water, he then had to make his way to the edge of the carousel and hand his bucket to his team-mate. He then had to be handed another bucket by his team-mate and exit the carousel via a small ramp whilst she emptied any contents into the cylinder. He then had to make his way around the outside of the carousel to a children’s slide and climb to the top. He then had to descend back onto the carousel and repeat the game throughout. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

Although this was a very straightforward game, it would be remembered by viewers in the United Kingdom as one of the funniest and most enjoyable to watch. At the end of permitted time, the results were announced and Netherlands had collected 65cm (25½in) of water, France had collected 20cm (7¾in), Belgium had collected 15cm (6in) of water, Italy had collected 13cm (5¼in), Great Britain had collected 11cm (4¼in) and West Germany had collected 1cm (½in).

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Harlingen (NL) (6pts awarded / 25pts total) 2nd Fabriano (I) (3pts / 21pts) ▲ =3rd Wasseralfingen (D) (1pt / 20pts) ▼ =3rd Aix-les-Bains (F) (5pts / 20pts) ▲ 5th Overpelt (B) (4pts / 14pts) ▲ 6th Muralto (CH) (--- / 12pts) ▼ 7th Skegness (GB) (2pts / 9pts)

Comments: This game was featured in virtually every highlights programme broadcast thereafter and simply has to be viewed complete with Stuart Hall commentary, whereby the BBC presenter is barely able to speak for laughing and guffawing, with the back views of the competitors walking being particularly hilarious to him. British team member Doug Knowles, a 22-year old council refuse collector back in Skegness, quite literally spent more time running than he actually did collecting water. He was unfortunate at one time to have fallen over the penguin of France and lost all the water he had collected and then to have the competitor from West Germany fall on top of him and squashing his bucket! Although Knowles only collected 11cm (4¼in) of water, he did not finish in last place on the game, because West Germany could only manage to collect a meagre 1cm (½in) of water!

Fil Rouge, Round 5 - The Tortoise and the Hare

The fifth round of the Fil Rouge featured Switzerland and whilst their tortoise completed the game in 45 seconds, the hare was slightly slower and finished in 52 seconds. This gave the team an aggregate time of 1 minute 37 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Skegness (GB) (1 minute 15 seconds) 2nd Fabriano (I) (1 minute 36 seconds) 3rd Muralto (CH) (1 minute 37 seconds) 4th Overpelt (B) (2 minutes 10 seconds) ▼ 5th Harlingen (NL) (2 minutes 28 seconds) ▼

Game 6 - The Boxing Kangaroo

The sixth game - ‘The Boxing Kangaroo’ - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team wearing boxing gloves and dressed in a kangaroo costume. Spanning the width and overlapping the edges of the swimming pool was a 25m (82ft) long narrow beam marked out into twenty individual one-metre sections. Standing on a floating podium five metres (16ft 5in) in front of the beam, was a female opposition member from each of the six competing teams. Between the podium and the beam, there were five large punch-bags hanging down from above the pool and were attached to ropes at their bases. On the whistle, the competitor had to cross the beam and use the boxing gloves to divert the punch-bags away as they were being swung towards him by five opposition females. If successful, he had to ring a large bell on the other side to obtain a finishing time. At the end of each heat, the female who had not been in opposition had to be handed the rope by the team member who was next in play. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very straightforward game saw the participation of Switzerland and they were in play in for just 9 seconds before they tumbled into the pool after traversing just 3m (9ft 10¼in) of the beam.

The second heat featured France but despite all their efforts, the female opposition were unable to dislodge the competitor from the beam, and completed the game and rang the bell in 1 minute 5 seconds.

The third of the six teams to participate was Great Britain and they were in play in for 21 seconds before they tumbled into the pool after traversing 6m (19ft 8¼in) of the beam.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of Netherlands and they were in play for 35 seconds and had traversed 10m (32ft 9¾in) of the beam before tumbling into the pool.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Italy and they were in play for 20 seconds before they tumbled into the pool after traversing 8m (26ft 3in) of the beam.

The sixth and final heat featured Belgium and they had traversed 4m (13ft 1½in) of the beam before tumbling into the pool after 12 seconds of elapsed time.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Harlingen (NL) (5pts awarded / 30pts total) 2nd Aix-les-Bains (F) (6pts / 26pts) ▲ 3rd Fabriano (I) (4pts / 25pts) ▼ 4th Wasseralfingen (D) (--- / 20pts) ▼ 5th Overpelt (B) (2pts / 16pts) 6th Muralto (CH) (1pt / 13pts) 7th Skegness (GB) (3pts / 12pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 6 - The Tortoise and the Hare

The sixth and penultimate round of the Fil Rouge featured West Germany and whilst their tortoise completed the game in 22 seconds, the hare was slower and finished in 46 seconds. This gave the team an aggregate time of 1 minute 8 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Wasseralfingen (D) (1 minute 8 seconds) 2nd Skegness (GB) (1 minute 15 seconds) ▼ 3rd Fabriano (I) (1 minute 36 seconds) ▼ 4th Muralto (CH) (1 minute 37 seconds) ▼ 5th Overpelt (B) (2 minutes 10 seconds) ▼ 6th Harlingen (NL) (2 minutes 28 seconds) ▼

Game 7 - The Thieving Squirrels

The seventh and penultimate game - ‘The Thieving Squirrels’ - was played individually and witnessed Belgium and Great Britain presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured six competitors (five males and one female) from each team and a small house with an inclined roof and a trapeze bar hanging above its guttering. The female was located in the pool on a solid platform whilst one of the males attired in a squirrel costume was on a small floating podium below her. On the whistle, the other four male competitors had to take it in turn and decide for themselves how to descend the roof. If they opted to descend the roof sitting down, they had to carry a large hazelnut with them which they had to hurl towards the podium before tumbling into the pool. If the hazelnut was caught by the female, it had a value of 1pt but if it was caught by the squirrel, it would be valued at 3pts. However, if the male decided to descend the roof standing on his feet in order to grab the trapeze bar, he could do so without transporting a hazelnut. If successful, he could then drop down onto the roof, collect a hazelnut from the side of the game and throw it whilst standing stationery. If the hazelnut was caught by either of the pool-based competitors, it would be valued at 7pts.

The first heat of this game saw the participation of Netherlands with all their competitors opting to descend in a sitting position. They scored 3pts with their first hazelnut, 0pts from the second, 1pt with their third and 0pts from the fourth. This gave them an aggregate score of 4pts (3 + 0 + 1 + 0).

The second heat featured Belgium with two of their competitors opting to sit and two to stand up. Both of the essays by the upright competitors (first and fourth) failed to produce a score as did the third competitor who had opted to sit on his decent. The second hazelnut was caught by the female and it appeared that their total score would be that. However when the result was announced, they were deemed to have score 0pts, even after presenter Simone Garnier questioned their score with referee Gennaro Olivieri.

The third of the six teams to participate was West Germany and their first three competitors opted for the sitting position and scored 0pts from the first two hazelnuts and 3pts with the third. The final competitor opted to descend the roof standing up and successfully grabbed the trapeze bar. He dropped to the roof and collected his hazelnut which was caught by the squirrel and scored 7pts. This gave the team an aggregate score of 10pts (0 + 0 + 3 + 7).

Before the next heat, referee Gennaro Olivieri announced that there was a correction to the total of Belgium and stated that their aggregate score was actually 1pt (0 + 1 + 0 + 0) and not zero as previously declared.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of Switzerland with all their competitors opting to descend in a sitting position. They scored 1pt with their first hazelnut, 3pts with the second, 3pts with the third and narrowly missed out on another 3pts on with the fourth after the squirrel let the hazelnut slip his grasp. This gave them an aggregate score of 7pts (1 + 3 + 3 + 0).

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Great Britain with two of their competitors opting to sit and two to stand up. The first and third competitors both opted to stand and were both successful, scoring 7pts each. The second and fourth competitors opted to sit down and scored 1pt each. This gave them an aggregate score of 16pts (7 + 1 + 7 + 1).

The sixth and final heat featured Italy and their first three competitors opted for the sitting position and scored 1pt with their first hazelnut, 1pt with their second and 3pts with their third. The final competitor opted to descend the roof standing up but was unsuccessful in grabbing the trapeze bar and tumbled into the pool. This gave them an aggregate score of 5pts (1 + 1 + 3 + 0).

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Harlingen (NL) (2pts awarded / 32pts total) 2nd Fabriano (I) (3pts / 28pts) ▲ 3rd Aix-les-Bains (F) (--- / 26pts) ▼ 4th Wasseralfingen (D) (5pts / 25pts) 5th Skegness (GB) (12pts / Joker / 24pts) ▲ 6th Overpelt (B) (2pts / Joker / 18pts) ▼ 7th Muralto (CH) (4pts / 17pts) ▼

Comments: At the end of the first heat, one of the Netherlands competitors made a ‘fifth’ descent but was halted during his execution by presenter Simone Garnier and referee Gennaro Olivieri. However, despite his attempt, the hazelnut failed to be caught by either of his female team-mates!

Fil Rouge, Round 7 - The Tortoise and the Hare

The seventh and final round of the Fil Rouge featured France and whilst their tortoise completed the game in 29 seconds, the hare was slightly slower and finished in 34 seconds. This gave the team an aggregate time of 1 minute 3 seconds and they finished in 1st place on the game.

Final Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Aix-les-Bains (F) (1 minute 3 seconds) 2nd Wasseralfingen (D) (1 minute 8 seconds) ▼ 3rd Skegness (GB) (1 minute 15 seconds) ▼ 4th Fabriano (I) (1 minute 36 seconds) ▼ 5th Muralto (CH) (1 minute 37 seconds) ▼ 6th Overpelt (B) (2 minutes 10 seconds) ▼ 7th Harlingen (NL) (2 minutes 28 seconds) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Aix-les-Bains (F) (7pts awarded / 33pts total) ▲ =1st Harlingen (NL) (1pt / 33pts) 3rd Fabriano (I) (4pts / 32pts) ▼ 4th Wasseralfingen (D) (6pts / 31pts) 5th Skegness (GB) (5pts / 29pts) =6th Overpelt (B) (2pts / 20pts) =6th Muralto (CH) (3pts / 20pts) ▲

Comments: With the result of the Fil Rouge announced, the top five teams were still in contention to be crowned winners - West Germany (31pts), France (33pts), Great Britain (29pts), Italy (32pts) and Netherlands (33pts). Everything now depended on the final game but one thing was certain - the winning score was destined to be no more than 40pts (should France or Netherlands win it). With the possibility of either Belgium and Switzerland taking the top two places on the game, coupled with the low scores attained on Jokers played from four of the seven teams, there was a chance of a three-way tie (35pts) and the possibility of the lowest scoring win registered in the programme’s history!

Game 8 - The Giant Snail Climbing Race

The eighth and final game - ‘The Giant Snail Climbing Race’ - utilised the equipment from the first game and was played over three minutes duration. It featured a male competitor from each team located at the base of a 10 (32ft 9¾in) high incline attired in a giant snail costume and armed with a wooden pole. Along either side of each of the designated lanes there was a notched rail. On the whistle, the competitor had to ascend the incline by placing the wooden poles in the notched rails and therefore pulling himself up notch-by-notch. However, the competitor had to be careful whilst doing so because each pole was only 4cm (1½in) longer than the distance between the two notch rails on either side of the incline and if they tried to climb too fast they could miss their holdings. Once at the top of the incline, the competitor had to raise a pole with his national insignia on it. The team reaching the top of the incline in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward but exciting game which saw Belgium, Switzerland, West Germany and France all getting off to a cracking start and making a mockery of the game. Switzerland then began to slow down and it then became a three-snail race between the others. The competitor from Belgium summoned all his strength to pull himself up to the final notch and raise his insignia to win the game in 54 seconds and he was closely followed by West Germany in 1 minute 3 seconds. In the meantime, France had overtaken Switzerland and were almost at the top of the incline, only for their competitor to lose his grip of the pole and he went sliding down to the base of the game accompanied by a hail of sighs and groans by the home crowd. This mistake ultimately cost France overall victory on the night, as it permitted Netherlands to finish the game in 3rd place in 1 minute 24 seconds and ultimately win the Silver trophy. Switzerland had now recovered from their slow progress and finished the game in 4th place in 1 minute 39 seconds followed by Italy in 1 minute 53 seconds. With Great Britain failing to complete the game and France stuck at the base of the incline, both were deemed to have finished in 7th place.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Harlingen (NL) (5pts awarded / 38pts total) 2nd Wasseralfingen (D) (6pts / 37pts) ▲ 3rd Fabriano (I) (3pts / 35pts) 4th Aix-les-Bains (F) (1pt / 34pts) ▼ 5th Skegness (GB) (1pt / 30pts) 6th Overpelt (B) (7pts / 27pts) 7th Muralto (CH) (4pts / 24pts) ▼

Records and Statistics

The score of 38pts by Harlingen was the lowest recorded winning total of any of the heats previously in Jeux Sans Frontières (excluding the 1965 and 1966 series when only two teams featured in each programme) and it appeared that this would remain as such. However, it would only hold the record for a matter of twelve programmes (ten heats and two International Finals), spanning a period of 1 year and 314 days. After this time, the team of Roche from Switzerland was victorious with a total of just 37pts, a record which it still holds to this day. It should be noted that the winning score of 38pts was equalled by Steenwijk (also from Netherlands) in 1975 when they competed at the British International staged at Southport.

Additional Information

The Jokers in this heat were all based on the animals used as national representative of the countries, and was only the second time that all countries had displayed a different Joker (the first being at Spa in Belgium during the 1972 series). Six of the animals had already been used in the opening credits of the 1967 and 1968 series of the programme - a lion (Belgium), a bear (Switzerland), an eagle (West Germany), a chicken (France), a bulldog (Great Britain) and a wolf (Italy) - the only new addition was a cow (Netherlands).

Despite the teams from West Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands all being evenly matched in this heat, none of them won their Joker game. In fact, the only team to do so were the British team of Skegness!

This was the first Jeux Sans Frontières programme to be broadcast in France by the newly-created A2 (Antenne 2) channel, following the split of ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française) into separate entities. Although the programme was broadcast on the new channel, the opening credits for the remainer of the series continued to show ORTF, but were updated for the new series for 1975.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives, but short excerpts from this edition survive in the BBC compilation, Best of Knockout 1974. Details in Knockout TV.
Exists in European archives

GB

Jeux Sans Frontières 1974

Heat 6

Event Staged: Wednesday 21st August 1974
Venue: The Old King's Racecourse, Kingsley Park, Northampton, Great Britain

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
BRT (B): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
RTB (B): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
SSR (CH): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)
SRG (CH): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
TSI (CH): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 9.05-10.20pm (Live)
WDR 1 (D): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)
Nederland 2 (NL): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 9.05-10.30pm (Live)
RAI Due (I): Wednesday 21st August 1974, 10.05-11.30pm (Live - DST)

A2 (F): Thursday 5th September 1974 (6th)
BBC1 (GB): Friday 6th September 1974, 7.45-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Dry

Winners' Trophy presented by: Brian Cowgill, Controller of BBC1

Theme: The Wild West

Teams: Angleur (B) v. Muotathal (CH) v. Kempten im Allgäu (D) v.
Lunéville (F) v. Rugby (GB) v. Gaeta (I) v. Anloo (NL)

Games Demonstration Team: Ely (GB)

Team Members included:
Angleur (B) - Vincent Labrique, Madeleine Verschaur;
Muotathal (CH) - Peter Schelbert;
Kempten im Allgäu (D) - Robin Anschleißen, Marianna Fischer, Erke Geil, Bernd Hartman, Walter Hauaner, Jens Hergler, Peter Holsberger, Reuber Krepen, Reinhard Ganzer, Franz Neuert, Eberhard Safte, Angelica Spartel, Emgard Stauder, Helmut Vachter;
Lunéville (F) - Anita Mattiss, Alain Spotleirer, Eric Spotleirer;
Rugby (GB) - Derek Dolphin (Team Manager), Bob Trenholme (Team Coach), Chris Aldous, Kristine Ash, Margaret Baker, Ashley Bartlett, Jean Beards, Barry Booth, Dawn Branston, Dawn Brown, George Buss, Linda Carter, David Cooke, Mandy Davis, Simon Davis, Ann Denny, Rajenda Desai, Richard Ellis, Keith Foster, Mary Gibbon, Sharon Hobbs, Victoria Jones, Patricia Kidd, Carol Lake, Rosamund Lane, Naheed Malik, Geoff Marlow, Graham Paterson, Kathy Paterson, Roy Pebody, David Pope, Bill Robertson, Tony Russell, David Thompson, James Turner, Murray Walker, Jackie Watts, Maurice West;
Gaeta (I) - Giuseppe Porceddu (Co-Team Coach), Raffaele Porceddu (Co-Team Coach), Rita Alicandro, Pasqualino Aceto, Silvio Casaburi, Angelo Ciccione, Elvira Franzoni, Daniela Ottavini, Mauro Ottavini, Patrizia Panciera, Sebastiano Patti, Giuseppe Romano, Giovanni Tomai, Patrizia Traniello;

Anloo (NL) - Dick Hendricks (Team Manager), Henk Schokkenbroek (Team Coach), Jan Scholtmeijer (Team Captain), Rikus Buutkamp, Koosje Dijkema, Ede Hofsteenge, Sjon Hoving, Dina de Jonge, Jacob Klinkers, Albert Koopman, Bas Lesschen, Pieter Oostinger, Alie Pauwels, Tinus Scholtmeijer, Piet Schoonbeek, Anne Staats, Kundina Supèr.

Games: Attack of the Indians, The Twisting Duel, Lassoing the Cowgirls, The Corn Sack Swing, The Saloon Glasses, The Bucking Bronco, Recovering the Loot and The Cavalry to the Rescue;
Fil Rouge: Escaping from the Jailhouse;
Jokers: Joker Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
5th
6th
7th

 D • Kempten im Allgäu ●
 CH • Muotathal ●
 GB • Rugby
 NL • Anloo
 I • Gaeta
 F • Lunéville
 B • Angleur

44
39
39
39
34
29
22

Running International Final Qualifiers

Belgium (B) - Vilvoorde (=3rd, 34pts)
Switzerland (CH) - Muotathal (2nd, 39pts)
West Germany (D) - Rosenheim (1st, 47pts)
France (F) - Nancy (1st, 44pts)

Great Britain (GB) - Farnham (=1st, 40pts)
Italy (I) - Acqui Terme (=1st, 40pts)
Netherlands (NL) - Zandvoort (1st, 40pts)

The Host Town

Northampton, Great Britain

Northampton is a town with a population of around 226,000 inhabitants in the English county of Northamptonshire and is located 71km (44 miles) west of Cambridge, 82km (51 miles) south of Nottingham, 90km (56 miles) east of Worcester and 98km (61 miles) north-west of London.

The earliest reference to Northampton in writing occurred in AD 914 under the name Ham tune, literally meaning ‘home town’. The prefix ‘North’ was added later to distinguish it from other towns called Hampton, most prominently Southampton. The Domesday Book (1086) records the town as Northantone, which evolved into Norhamptone by the 13th century and later Northampton by the 17th century. Present-day Northampton is the latest in a series of settlements that began in the Bronze Age.

With the Norman conquest of England (1066), the town rose to national significance. Its geographical location in the centre of England made Northampton a valuable strategically positioned point for government and as a convenient meeting place for political, social, ecclesiastical and military events.

Northampton Castle is thought to have been built by Simon de Senlis, who became the first Earl of Northampton, circa 1084. It was originally an earth and timber stockade construction which was later rebuilt in stone. The castle became an occasional royal residence from the reign of King Henry I (1068-1135) in 1130 until that of King Richard II (1367-1400). King John (1166-1216) regularly stayed at the castle and moved the Treasury there in 1205. A total of thirty-two Parliaments were held there. The last Parliament at Northampton was held in 1380. Significant events in the castle's history include the trial of Thomas Becket (1119-1170) in 1164, the publication of the Assize of Northampton in 1176 and the imposition of poll tax in 1380. Royal tournaments and feasts were also held at the castle.

When the English Civil War (1642-1651) broke out, the town willingly became the main Parliamentarian garrison for the south-east Midlands area with the former royal castle as its headquarters. In 1643, Prince Rupert (1619-1682) attacked Northampton with approximately 2,000 men, but was beaten back at the North Gate of the town. Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) visited in 1645 and General Fairfax (1612-1671) marched from the town to Naseby, where the Royalist army of Charles I (1600-1649) was decisively defeated. Over 4,000 pairs of leather shoes and 600 pairs of cavalry jack-boots for the Parliamentary armies were manufactured in Northampton during the Civil War and a further 2,000 for Cromwell's New Model Army in 1648.

By the end of the 18th century, Northampton had become a major centre of footwear and leather manufacture. In 1801, the population was 7,020. This figure had more than doubled to 15,351 in 1831, attributed to the fact that there was great demand for footwear caused by the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A third of the adult males alone were shoemakers at the time.

It was in the middle of the 19th century that the first machines for mass shoe production first appeared in Northampton and, it is said, that the town’s shoemakers (there were 1,821 of them in the town according to the 1841 census) feared a wave of unemployment as a result, with those who managed to keep their job at all, forced to work in a factory.

Among the major warehouses established in the town in the 19th century was one owned by M P Manfield, which became a focal point of shoemakers fearful it was going to became a large shoemaking factory and take their jobs. But the fight didn't last long and within a year machinery was firmly established in the county's shoemaking trade, with another factory, Isaac, Campbell and Co, completed in 1859. Those factories still stand today as a reminder of the area's history, though sadly they are largely empty now or serving a different purpose.

Sadly, with the cheaper imported goods market, the industry in the town no longer survives and the old factories, still surrounded by terraced houses specifically built for the workers, have been converted into offices or luxury accommodation. Today the town’s industry still survives, but is now concentrated more on distribution and finance rather than manufacturing, and is home to some large companies such as Avon Products, Nationwide Building Society, Schweppes, Panasonic and Carlsberg. The headquarters of Barclaycard, the United Kingdom’s first credit card, has had its home in the town since its launch in 1966.

The county is still world renowned for the shoes it creates. Today over 25 manufacturers produce a huge range of quality footwear. Famous names such as Dr. Martens and Church & Co. continue to thrive while new businesses like Stamp Shoes make a name for themselves. With all the supporting industries such as tanneries, leather merchants and designers, Northamptonshire is a world leader and global brand in footwear.

The Visiting Towns

Angleur is a suburb of Liège with a population of around 11,000 inhabitants in the francophonic (French-speaking) Belgian province of Liège and is located 381 miles (484km) south-east of Northampton.

Muotathal is a town with a population of around 4,000 inhabitants in the teutophonic (German-speaking) Swiss canton of Schwyz and is located 565 miles (909km) south-east of Northampton.

Kempten im Allgäu is a town with a population of around 70,000 inhabitants in the German state of Bayern and is located 585 miles (946km) south-east of Northampton.

Lunéville is a town with a population of around 18,500 inhabitants in the French region of Grand Est and is located 411 miles (661km) south-east of Northampton.

Rugby is a town with a population of around 75,000 inhabitants in the English county of Warwickshire and is located 18 miles (29km) north-west of Northampton.

Gaeta is a town with a population of around 22,000 inhabitants in the Italian region of Lazio and is located 1,021 miles (1,643km) south-east of Northampton.

Anloo is a village with a population of around 500 inhabitants in the Dutch province of Drenthe and is located 322 miles (518km) north-east of Northampton.

The Venue

The Old King's Racecourse

The games were played on the site of the former racecourse in Northampton. At just over 118 acres, it is one of the largest landmarks of the town. Horse races had been held on the site unofficially since 1632, although the official course meetings were held out of town on Harlestone and Dallington Heath. However, due to the number of accidents at these races, they were stopped in 1681

Despite a nationwide waning of interest in the sport, Lord Spencer resumed race meetings on the Heath in 1727 and by 1937, he held the first official meeting on the new course. These races were very popular and were frequently visited by royalty, including the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII.

With the development of the Racecourse, the surrounding area was transformed with large houses being built for the ardent race goers including a public house.

To the far north-eastern side of the park is The White Elephant public house, which started life as the Kingsley Park Hotel. Having been refused a licence until 1887, it served as a residential club for the ardent racing fraternity when race meetings were held, It was sold by the Jockey Club to a brewery in 1888. Following the death of spectators, the Jockey Club closed the course for race meetings in 1904 and the hotel was left out on a limb and became a "white elephant". Jokingly, this became its usual name among locals and the brewery bowed to popular demand and officially renamed it The White Elephant.

During the First World War (1914-1918), the park was used as an army base for the Welsh Division and other army divisions and units. The Welsh Division included 16,000 men (of whom about half were billeted in houses in the town) and 7,000 horses. Waggons and field guns were parked on the Racecourse and the surface churned up. In 1917, the Racecourse was dug over and returned to allotments for the war effort, and in 1923 a new playground was built (on the side next to East Park Parade) as well as changing rooms and a restaurant converted from the old Racecourse stand and law houses which to this present day stands as the Jade Pavilion (circa 1930), a Grade II listed building.

On a more chilling note, races were not the only spectator event held on the site. From 1715 to 1818, the park was frequently used for public executions. The Racecourse has been the scene of hundreds of hangings. Condemned convicts were taken by cart to the gallows on the Racecourse. These marches were said to be intimidating and unruly, with huge crowds in attendance.

One of the most famous executions was that of four members of the Culworth Gang who operated for two decades until 1787. Two of the gang, William Pettifer (alias ‘Peckover’) and Richard Law were caught by police at an inn in Towcester. It is reported the two had arrived with bags, which they said contained birds as they had been cockfighting, however the landlord discovered that the bags contained the notorious masks and smocks which the gang used to hide their identity. Eventually, following a robbery in Blakesley, the pair was served with search warrants and police constables found stolen property. The gang admitted forty-seven offences and were hanged at midday on 4th August 1787 on Northampton Racecourse. Five thousand people turned up to witness the hanging as the Culworth Gang were said to have terrorised as far as Oxford.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

Dressed as a cowboy, British presenter Stuart Hall opened the show by firing shots into the air from his pistol. However, he forgot to raise his hand-held microphone to his mouth and his voice was barely picked up by it. After five seconds, he had realised his mistake and proceeded to repeat everything he had already said! After introducing his co-presenter as ‘Wild Bill Waring’, Eddie stepped out of the stagecoach, but as he went to throw his Stetson off his head he had forgotten about the strap under his chin and almost choked himself!

Following a few words with his co-presenter, Waring could be seen trying to ‘steal’ Hall’s microphone and telling him to go to the far side of the arena. This was clearly an error on Waring’s part as Hall needed the microphone himself and therefore would not release it under any circumstance. The camera then zoomed into Waring and as Hall departed, a member of the production team could just be seen handing him his own microphone!

Whilst Stuart Hall introduced the competing teams to the assembled crowd and viewers in Great Britain, West German presenter Erhard Keller did likewise to his audience back home. Despite addressing a mainly teutophonic (German-speaking) audience back in 1974, when it came to the British team, he inadvertently copied Stuart Hall comments in English and stated “and last but not least Großbritannien and Rugby”!

Game 1 - Attack of the Indians

The first game - ‘Attack of the Indians’ - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Switzerland and West Germany presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured six male competitors from each team and a 150ft (45.72m) long obstacle course comprised of small and large hurdles. On the whistle, the six competitors had to depart a wigwam, in which they were located, and run down the course to a set of five small hurdles under which they had to pull themselves through. Once completed, they then had to make their way further down the course to two rope-stepped hurdles - one with four rope steps and the other with five - over which they had to climb. The third obstacle was a repeat of the first and after passing through, the competitors had to make their way to end of the course to a large flagpole. They then had to build a human pyramid around the pole in order to reach a rope which had to be pulled to release a flag. The team then had to race back to the start and get into the wigwam, with the final competitor raising a totem pole with their national insignia, to end the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward and uneventful game which saw West Germany finishing in 1 minute 16 seconds followed by Great Britain in 2nd place in 1 minute 18 seconds and Switzerland in 1 minute 20 seconds. Netherlands finished in 4th place in 1 minute 21 seconds followed by France in 5th place in 1 minute 23 seconds and Belgium were last to complete the course in 1 minute 41 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (12pts awarded / Joker / 12pts total) 2nd Muotathal (CH) (8pts / Joker / 8pts) 3rd Rugby (GB) (5pts / 5pts) 4th Anloo (NL) (3pts / 3pts) 5th Lunéville (F) (2pts / 2pts) 6th Angleur (B) (1pt / 1pt) 7th Gaeta (I) (--- / 0pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 1 - Escaping from the Jailhouse

The next game - ‘Escaping from the Jailhouse’ - was the Fil Rouge played over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured five competitors (three males and two females) and a jailhouse located in front of a large pool. Leading into and out of the pool were two seesaws, in between which was a floating podium. On the whistle, one of the males had to climb a 25ft (7.62m) high pole to reach two telegraph wires which had to be unhooked from their mountings. Once accomplished, he then had to descend the pole and push down on a TNT explosive plunger to blast open the door of the jailhouse in which the other four competitors were located. Once they had made their escape, the first competitor joined them in front of the jailhouse. They then had to make their way across the pool using the seesaws and podium to get to the other side. After two of the males had crossed, one had to stay on the far side of the pool, whilst the second had to descend a set of steps and stand beside a small waggon. The first female then had to cross but had to stop on the podium in the middle of the pool and balance herself. She then had to catch a small sack of stolen money which would be thrown to her by the other male waiting to cross. She then had to throw the sack to the male on the far side, who then had to pass it to his team-mate on the ground to place inside the waggon. This had to be done on five occasions. Once all the bags had been caught and stored, she then had to complete her journey across the pool followed by the remaining male and female. After all the team were across the pool, the time would be taken. If any of the competitors tumbled into the pool, they had to restart from the obstacle from which they had fallen from. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first round of this straightforward game saw the participation of Italy and, despite the second female tumbling into the pool whilst crossing, she recomposed herself and the team completed their task in 1 minute 20 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Gaeta (I) (1 minute 20 seconds)

Comments: A photograph from this game was featured on Page 29 of the It’s A Knockout Annual 1977 published by World Distributors (Manchester) Limited in the autumn of 1976.

Game 2 - The Twisting Duel

The second game - ‘The Twisting Duel’ - was played over three heats and witnessed France presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team entwined with rope and armed with a large baton. On the whistle, the competitor had to uncoil himself from the rope in order to make his way down the 40ft (12.19m) long course, Once the rope had being fully uncoiled he then had to stretch out with the baton and hit down on a wooden bar to set off a firecracker. Although all teams would need to complete the game to obtain a finishing time, one would be positive (winner) and the other would be negative (loser). The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple, straightforward and quickly-executed game saw the participation of Switzerland and Great Britain and it was Great Britain who ended as winners in 11 seconds with Switzerland finishing as losers in 17 seconds.

The second and penultimate heat featured France and Italy and ended with Italy as winners in 10 seconds and France as losers in 11 seconds.

The third and final heat saw the participation Belgium and West Germany and ended with West Germany as winners in 8 seconds with Belgium finishing as losers in 12 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (6pts awarded / 18pts total) =2nd Muotathal (CH) (1pt / 9pts) =2nd Rugby (GB) (4pts / 9pts) ▲ 4th Lunéville (F) (6pts / Joker / 8pts) ▲ 5th Gaeta (I) (5pts / 5pts) ▲ =6th Angleur (B) (2pts / 3pts) =6th Anloo (NL) (--- / 3pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 2 - Escaping from the Jailhouse

The second round of the Fil Rouge featured Netherlands and their starting competitor failed to hear the whistle which delayed him almost three seconds before realising his error. Fortunately for the team, one of the telegraph wires came loose during his ascent of the pole and this resulted in them recovering the ‘lost’ time. At the end of the game, they had completed a faultless performance in 50 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Anloo (NL) (50 seconds) 2nd Gaeta (I) (1 minute 20 seconds) ▼

Game 3 - Lassoing the Cowgirls

The third game - ‘Lassoing the Cowgirls’ - was played individually over one minute duration and featured a circular fenced corral and a male competitor from each team dressed as a cowboy. The competitor was armed with twelve lassoes and sitting astride a horse attached to one end of a long pole set on an axle. Located on the inside of the corral’s perimeter were three female team-mates standing on hay bales. On the whistle, two opposition males had to push the far end of the pole in order to rotate the horse and competitor. As the competitor approached the females, he had to try and hook a lasso over their heads on each rotation. The team-mates could assist him by lowering and angling their heads towards him as he approached and the competitor could lasso more than one of them on each rotation. The team scoring the greater number of lassoes would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of West Germany, with Netherlands in opposition, and they scored a total of 10 lassoes from 13 rotations of the corral.

The second heat featured Switzerland, with Great Britain in opposition, and they scored a total of 11 lassoes from 12 rotations of the corral.

The third of the six teams to participate was France, with West Germany in opposition, and they scored a total of 12 lassoes from 11 rotations of the corral.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of Italy, with Switzerland in opposition, and they scored a total of 12 lassoes from 12 rotations of the corral.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Great Britain, with Italy in opposition, and they scored a total of 11 lassoes from 11 rotations of the corral.

The sixth and final heat featured Netherlands, with France in opposition, and they scored a total of 10 lassoes from 12 rotations of the corral.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (2pts awarded / 20pts total) 2nd Lunéville (F) (6pts / 14pts) ▲ =3rd Muotathal (CH) (4pts / 13pts) ▼ =3rd Rugby (GB) (4pts / 13pts) ▼ 5th Gaeta (I) (6pts / 11pts) 6th Anloo (NL) (2pts / 5pts) 7th Angleur (B) (--- / 3pts) ▼

Fil Rouge, Round 3 - Escaping from the Jailhouse

The third round of the Fil Rouge featured Belgium and they provided the assembled crowd with some hilarity when their female competitor in the middle of the pool had no idea how to throw the sacks, sending them in all directions other than that towards her team-mate. The team eventually recovered from this disaster and completed the game in 1 minute 21 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Anloo (NL) (50 seconds) 2nd Gaeta (I) (1 minute 20 seconds) 3rd Angleur (B) (1 minute 21 seconds)

Game 4 - The Corn Sack Swing

The fourth game - ‘The Corn Sack Swing’ - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a large corn sack hanging above the playing area. Around the perimeter of the game, there were six caricatured wooden effigies of Western townsfolk of varying size. On the whistle, one of the touch-judges had to rotate the blindfolded male competitor three times and then release him. The female then had to give instructions to him, via a megaphone, to retrieve the corn sack. Once accomplished, she then had to continue in the same manner to line him up in the right direction to throw the sack towards the effigies to knock them down. The team knocking down the greater number of effigies would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Italy and they knocked down 2 effigies from four throws, scoring on their 3rd and 4th essays.

The second heat featured West Germany and they knocked down 3 effigies from six throws, scoring on their 2nd, 4th and 6th essays.

The third of the six teams to participate was Great Britain and they knocked down 1 effigy from five throws, scoring on their 2nd essay.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of France and they knocked down 3 effigies from six throws, scoring on their 1st, 2nd and 3rd essays.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Belgium and they failed to knock down any effigies from four throws.

The sixth and final heat featured Netherlands and they knocked down 1 effigy from four throws, scoring on their 2nd essay.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (6pts awarded / 26pts total) 2nd Lunéville (F) (6pts / 20pts) 3rd Rugby (GB) (3pts / 16pts) 4th Gaeta (I) (4pts / 15pts) ▲ 5th Muotathal (CH) (--- / 13pts) ▼ 6th Anloo (NL) (3pts / 8pts) 7th Angleur (B) (1pt / 4pts)

Comments: Before the start of the fifth heat of this game, British touch-judge Mike Swann rotated the competitor from Belgium three times (as had been done to the previous four participants), but he inadvertently faced him in the incorrect direction to the game of play, and this resulted in him losing time whilst he got his bearings. After 21 seconds of play, referee Gennaro Olivieri blew the whistle and stopped the game. He stated that Belgium would be given another start, as it had been unfair that he had commenced the game facing the wrong way. At this point, one of the horses in the arena whinnied loudly in agreement with Gennaro’s decision and this was met with a roar of laughter not only from the crowd, but also from presenters, commentators and Gennaro himself.

Fil Rouge, Round 4 - Escaping from the Jailhouse

The fourth round of the Fil Rouge featured Switzerland and they completed a flawless game in just 38 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Muotathal (CH) (38 seconds) 2nd Anloo (NL) (50 seconds) ▼ 3rd Gaeta (I) (1 minute 20 seconds) ▼ 4th Angleur (B) (1 minute 21 seconds) ▼

Game 5 - The Saloon Glasses

The fifth game - ‘The Saloon Glasses’ - was played over three heats of four rounds and witnessed Belgium and Italy presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured four competitors (one male and three females) from each team and a Western saloon bar with two children’s slides descending from the first floor. Whilst the male was on the ground standing behind a saloon bar and armed with twelve glasses of ale, the three females were located on the first floor. On the whistle, the first female had to descend the slide and the male, whilst timing his aim, had to hurl a glass of ale along the length of the bar for her to catch. This then had to be repeated by the other two females. Whilst all three females returned to the top of the saloon, the second team in the heat would repeat the game with their four competitors. The game would then continue in the same manner, until each female from both teams had descended the slide on four occasions and twelve glasses had been hurled. The team collecting the greater number of glasses thrown would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this game saw the participation of Netherlands and France and on their first run Netherlands caught two glasses whilst France failed to catch any. On the second round, Netherlands again caught two glasses (running total of 4) whilst France caught all three glasses (3). The third and penultimate round saw Netherlands catch all three glasses (7) with France doing likewise (6). The fourth and final round saw Netherlands catch two glasses (9 in total) and France catch two glasses (8 in total).

The second and penultimate heat featured Belgium and Great Britain and on their first run Great Britain caught two glasses whilst Belgium caught one glass. On the second round, Great Britain again caught two glasses (running total of 4) whilst Belgium caught all three glasses (4). The third and penultimate round saw Great Britain catch one glass (5) and Belgium catch two glasses (6). The fourth and final round saw Great Britain catching one glass (6 in total) and Belgium catching three glasses (9 in total).

The third and final heat featured Switzerland and Italy and on their first run Italy caught all three glasses whilst Switzerland caught two glasses. On the second round, Italy caught one glass (running total of 4) whilst Switzerland did likewise (3). The third and penultimate round saw Italy catch three glasses (7) and Switzerland catch two glasses (5). The fourth and final round saw Italy again catching three glasses (10 in total) and Switzerland catching two glasses (7 in total). However, when the official scores were announced Italy were declared as having caught all 12 of the glasses hurled!

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Gaeta (I) (12pts awarded / Joker / 27pts total) ▲ 2nd Kempten im Allgäu (D) (--- / 26pts) ▼ 3rd Lunéville (F) (3pts / 23pts) ▼ 4th Rugby (GB) (1pt / 17pts) ▼ 5th Muotathal (CH) (2pts / 15pts) 6th Angleur (B) (10pts / Joker / 14pts) ▲ 7th Anloo (NL) (5pts / 13pts) ▼

Comments: There was a clear judging error on this game, but fortunately it did not affect the scoring on the game or the overall heat itself. When the result of Italy was announced, referee Gennaro Olivieri stated that they had scored 12 glasses, but it was clear from the broadcast, and later reviews of the game, that they had missed two of the three glasses during the second round. If the correct score of 10 had been announced, it would still have seen Italy victorious on the game, but this error could have resulted in wider implications with the scoring, as had been seen in the past.

Fil Rouge, Round 5 - Escaping from the Jailhouse

The fifth round of the Fil Rouge featured West Germany and they completed a flawless game in 50 seconds.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Muotathal (CH) (38 seconds) =2nd Kempten im Allgäu (D) (50 seconds) =2nd Anloo (NL) (50 seconds) 4th Gaeta (I) (1 minute 20 seconds) ▼ 5th Angleur (B) (1 minute 21 seconds) ▼

Game 6 - The Bucking Bronco

The sixth game - ‘The Bucking Bronco’ - was played individually over one minute duration and witnessed Great Britain presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team sitting astride a wooden bucking bronco set on a multi-pivoted platform. On the whistle, whilst four opposition males had to rock the platform back and forth, up and down and to and fro, the competitor had to hold on to a small rope around the neck of the bronco, a small piece of rope at the top of the tail and try to keep a grip of the animal by clenching his knees against its body. The team remaining on the bronco for the greater time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward but entertaining game saw the participation of Italy, with Switzerland in opposition, and they could only last for 2 seconds before being unseated.

The second heat featured Netherlands, with Italy in opposition, and they lasted 23 seconds despite hanging from the left hand of the bronco for the majority of that time.

The third of the six teams to participate was Belgium, with West Germany in opposition, and they only stayed ‘in the saddle’ for just 4 seconds.

This was followed by the fourth heat which saw the participation of West Germany, with Netherlands in opposition, and they could only last for 13 seconds before being unseated.

The fifth and penultimate team to participate was Great Britain, with Belgium in opposition, and no matter what their rivals tried, they could not dislodge the competitor from the horse and Great Britain were given a time of one minute.

The sixth and final heat featured Switzerland, with Great Britain in opposition, and although for the majority of the time, the competitor hung on for dear life underneath the bronco, they were deemed to have stayed ‘in the saddle’ for 55 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (3pts awarded / 29pts total) ▲ =1st Rugby (GB) (12pts / Joker / 29pts) ▲ 3rd Gaeta (I) (1pt / 28pts) ▼ 4th Lunéville (F) (--- / 23pts) ▼ 5th Muotathal (CH) (5pts / 20pts) 6th Anloo (NL) (4pts / 17pts) ▲ 7th Angleur (B) (2pts / 16pts) ▼

Comments: This game, a far superior version to the one played in the programme staged at Arnhem, Netherlands in 1973 - witnessed one of the loudest cheers ever-recorded in any Jeux Sans Frontières broadcast. The team of Rugby, representing Great Britain, played their Joker on the game, and as none of the previous four competitors had stayed on for more than 23 seconds, all competitor George Bust had to do was stay on for longer to secure a minimum of 10pts. Referee Gennaro Olivieri blew the whistle to start the game, but no matter how hard the opposition tried, they could not unseat him. As time passed, the noise of the cheers from the home crowd was so loud that it quite literally drowned out presenter Stuart Hall’s voice even with his microphone. For all his efforts, George stayed on for the full one minute and secured the maximum 12pts for the team. Switzerland’s competitor Peter Schelbert followed Great Britain onto the ‘bronco’ and despite being thrown from the top of the horse within seconds of the start, with some amazing contortions and strength in his legs, he managed to hold on and dangled below for 55 seconds, before he submitted to his fate.

Fil Rouge, Round 6 - Escaping from the Jailhouse

The sixth and penultimate round of the Fil Rouge featured France and although they managed to throw the five sacks across the pool, the second female tumbled into the pool whilst crossing the podium. After being informed that she would need to climb back onto the podium before crossing onto the second seesaw, she lost a considerable amount of time doing so. She was also unfortunate in that she slipped on the seesaw and had to pull herself up. By the time she had recovered, limit time was approaching and the team were deemed as not finishing the game and given 0:00.

Running Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Muotathal (CH) (38 seconds) =2nd Kempten im Allgäu (D) (50 seconds) =2nd Anloo (NL) (50 seconds) 4th Gaeta (I) (1 minute 20 seconds) 5th Angleur (B) (1 minute 21 seconds) 6th Lunéville (0:00)

Game 7 - Recovering the Loot

The seventh and penultimate game - ‘Recovering the Loot’ - was played over three heats of one minute duration and witnessed Netherlands presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a giant effigy of a bandit set on a movable podium and a male competitor from each team armed with a small sack. Along the length of the course was a measured track marked with 20 equal sections and on the ground were 16 large gold coins. On the whistle, the competitor had to push the effigy forward along a set of tracks and after passing each section, he had to collect the gold coins from the ground and place them into the sack. At the end of the course, the sack would be checked to ensure that all the coins had been collected correctly. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple, straightforward and non-eventful game saw the participation of Belgium and Italy and ended with Belgium completing the game in 39 seconds and Italy finishing in 49 seconds.

The second and penultimate heat featured France and Netherlands and ended with Netherlands completing the game in 32 seconds and France finishing in 41 seconds.

The third and final heat saw the participation of Switzerland and West Germany and ended with Switzerland completing the game in 33 seconds and West Germany finishing in 37 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (4pts awarded / 33pts total) =2nd Rugby (GB) (--- / 29pts) ▼ =2nd Gaeta (I) (1pt / 29pts) ▲ =2nd Anloo (NL) (12pts / Joker / 29pts) ▲ =5th Muotathal (CH) (5pts / 25pts) =5th Lunéville (F) (2pts / 25pts) ▼ 7th Angleur (B) (3pts / 19pts)

Fil Rouge, Round 7 - Escaping from the Jailhouse

The seventh and final round of the Fil Rouge featured Great Britain and they almost completed a flawless game until the second female slipped off the second seesaw and tumbled into the pool. After being sent back to repeat the obstacle again, the team completed the game in 1 minute 3 seconds and finished in 4th place on the game.

Final Fil Rouge Standings: 1st Muotathal (CH) (38 seconds) =2nd Kempten im Allgäu (D) (50 seconds) =2nd Anloo (NL) (50 seconds) 4th Rugby (GB) (1 minute 3 seconds) 5th Gaeta (I) (1 minute 20 seconds) ▼ 6th Angleur (B) (1 minute 21 seconds) ▼ 7th Lunéville (0:00) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (6pts awarded / 39pts total) 2nd Anloo (NL) (6pts / 35pts) 3rd Rugby (GB) (4pts / 33pts) ▼ =4th Muotathal (CH) (7pts / 32pts) ▲ =4th Gaeta (I) (3pts / 32pts) ▼ 6th Lunéville (F) (1pt / 26pts) ▼ 7th Angleur (B) (2pts / 21pts)

Game 8 - The Cavalry to the Rescue

The eighth and final game - ‘The Cavalry to the Rescue’ - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured six competitors (five males and one female) from each team and the 150ft (45.72m) long course utilised on the first game earlier. At the start line, three males dressed as Red Indians were standing next to a wigwam whilst at the far end of the course, the other two males dressed as cowboys were standing behind a covered waggon on four wheels. On the course, 30ft (9.14m) from the start line, there was a three-pronged turnstile gate which was attached to a rope at the bottom. The other end of the rope was attached to a holding bracket inside the wigwam. Above the centre of the turnstile there was a totem pole with the female, dressed as a cowgirl, tied to it by a rope around her waist. On the whistle, the three Indians had to run down the course to the turnstile and then had to rotate it in order to wind the rope up and thus move the totem pole backwards towards the start line. Once the turnstile had reached a given point, the two cowboys had to race up the course pushing the waggon. After the waggon had reached the turnstile, the three Indians had to climb into the back whilst one of the cowboys went to release the female from the totem pole. Following her release, she then had to climb into the back of the waggon and then the two cowboys had to pull the vehicle back to the end of the course. The female then had to jump from the front of the waggon and collect her national ident and raise it aloft. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward and enjoyable game to watch and saw Great Britain getting the better start with their turnstile reaching the start line after 37 seconds of elapsed time. They were followed by Switzerland after 38 seconds, West Germany after 40 seconds and Netherlands after 41 seconds. At the other end of the course, the waggons of these four teams were now in motion with Switzerland overtaking Great Britain on the run back, with West Germany and Netherlands in pursuit. Whilst Switzerland and Great Britain began loading their team members into the waggons, disaster struck West Germany, 10ft (3.04m) from the totem pole, after the rear right wheel broke away from the equipment and they were stopped in their tracks. This permitted Netherlands to overtake them and start loading their waggon. In the meantime, Great Britain had released their female, and had started heading down the course ahead of Switzerland and Netherlands. However, Switzerland picked up speed and overtook Great Britain for a second time and completed the game in 1 minute 17 seconds. They were followed by Great Britain in 2nd place in 1 minute 19 seconds and Netherlands in 3rd place in 1 minute 23 seconds. France finished in 4th place in 1 minute 29 seconds, followed by Italy in 5th place in 1 minute 32 seconds and Belgium in 6th place in 1 minute 40 seconds.

However, before the finishing positions and points were awarded, referee Gennaro Olivieri stated that, due to no fault of their own, West Germany would be permitted a re-run using the waggon of another team provided that the production team could return the totem pole and turnstile to its original starting position. After a delay of 2 minutes 41 seconds, the game equipment had been reset and West Germany began their re-run using the totem pole and turnstile of Switzerland and the waggon of Great Britain. The team appeared not to have been affected by the re-run and completed the game in 1 minute 20 seconds which gave them 3rd place on the game and demoted Netherlands to 4th place, France to 5th place, Italy to 6th place and Belgium to 7th place.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Kempten im Allgäu (D) (5pts awarded / 44pts total) =2nd Muotathal (CH) (7pts / 39pts) ▲ =2nd Rugby (GB) (6pts / 39pts) ▲ =2nd Anloo (NL) (4pts / 39pts) =5th Gaeta (I) (2pts / 34pts) ▼ 6th Lunéville (F) (3pts / 29pts) 7th Angleur (B) (1pt / 22pts)

Comments: Whilst the game was being reset for the re-run, West German commentator Karl-Heinz Wocker stated that England had always been known for its fair play and was confident that a re-run would take place. The scoreboard operators made an error after the points were awarded and inadvertently showed Italy finishing position as 2nd place instead of 5th place. At the time of the programme, Northampton was a centre of United Kingdom’s shoemaking and leather trade. After making the presentation of the winner’s trophy to the winning West German team, Brian Cowgill handed the Kempten im Allgäu team captain a pair of leather cowboy boots and stated that they were a gift from the people of the town.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

British national referee Arthur Ellis stood in for Guido Pancaldi as co-referee with Gennaro Olivieri for this heat, as Guido Pancaldi had to return suddenly to Switzerland to deal with some family matters.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives, and short excerpts from this edition also exist in the BBC compilation, Best of Knockout 1974. Details in Knockout TV.
Exists in European archives