It's A Knockout 1975
British Domestic Series

Presenters:
Stuart Hall
Eddie Waring

Referee:
Arthur Ellis

Scoregirls:
Karen Apted
Rena Edwards
Frances Sinclair
Marilyn Ward

Production Credits:

Production Team: Paul Loosley, Alan Wright; Engineering Manager: Geoff Lomas; Sound: John Drake; Designer and Games Deviser: Stuart Furber; Producer: Barney Colehan; Director: Geoff Wilson

A BBC Manchester Production

Key: ● = Qualified for International Series / ● = Heat Winner ● = Radio Times Trophy Winner  ▲ = Promoted to Position / ▼ = Demoted to Position

GB

It's A Knockout 1975

Heat 1

Event Staged: Sunday 6th April 1975
Venue: St. Ives Rugby Union Ground (Recreation Ground), St. Ives, Cornwall, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Friday 23rd May 1975, 8.00-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Overcast and Raining

Teams: Falmouth v. Redruth v. St. Ives

Team Members included:

Falmouth - Ann Barnecote, Claire Davis, Kevin Hill;
Redruth - Geoff Burley, Patricia Dobbs, Ashley Hawleith, Amanda Pearce, Tony Potts, Janet Tomasin;
St. Ives - Jack Aitkin, Monroe Broad, Billy Chappel, Charles Eddy, Joanna Eddy, Malcolm Furneaux, Brian Hannigal, Maureen Hopley, Sarah Kinwell, Tommy Meredith, Keith Naylor, Margaret Paynter, Ivor Phillips, Dudley Richards, Jane Schwab, Jeanette Trevorrow, Derek White, Hilary Wilson Reserves: Leslie Angove, Sandra Burgess.

Games: Ramped Basketball, Ballista Balls, Balloons Down the Wire, Trampoline Quoits, Untwining the Maypole, Penalty Shoot-Out and To the Rescue;
Marathon: Pool Netball.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 I • St. Ives ● ●
 F • Falmouth
 R • Redruth

24
20
15

St. Ives qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Knokke, Belgium:
staged on Tuesday 20th May 1975

The Host Town

St. Ives, Cornwall

Image © Alys Hayes, 2012

St. Ives is a seaside town and fishing port with a population of around 12,000 inhabitants in the county of Cornwall and is located 60 miles (96km) west of Plymouth, 116 miles (187km) south of St. David’s in Wales, 250 miles (403km) south-west of London and 122 miles (196km) north of the French coastal village of Argenton in Brittany.

The town lies on the coast of the Celtic Sea, an area of the Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Ireland bounded to the east by Saint George's Channel and the Bristol Channel. Its origin is attributed in legend to the arrival of the Irish Saint Ia of Cornwall in the 5th century. The parish church bears her name, and St Ives derives from it.

From medieval times fishing was important at St. Ives and the most important fishing port on the north coast. In the years between 1747 and 1756, the total number of pilchards dispatched from each of the four principal Cornish ports of Falmouth, Fowey, Penzance and St. Ives averaged 30,000 hogsheads (a hogshead being a large cask with a volume of 63 gallons or 238 litres) per year, making a total of around 900 million fish. Much greater catches were achieved in 1790 and 1796. In 1847, the exports of pilchards from Cornwall amounted to 40,883 hogsheads or 122 million fish whilst the greatest number ever taken in one seine (dragnet) was 5,600 hogsheads (16.7 million fish) at St. Ives in 1868.

St. Ives is situated on the shore of St. Ives Bay, its harbour sheltered by Smeaton's pier which was originally built by John Smeaton (1724-1792) between 1767 and 1770 but which has since been lengthened. The octagonal lookout with a cupola belongs to Smeaton's design. Smeaton was also responsible for the design of the third Eddystone Lighthouse which now stands on the Hoe in Plymouth in Devon.

Close to the harbour, the streets are narrow and uneven while its wider streets are in the newer parts of the town on rising ground. The town has four beaches - Porthmeor which is used for surfing, Porthgwidden which is a small sandy cove, Harbour by the working port and Porthminster which has almost half a mile of sand. St Ives has an Oceanic climate and has some of the mildest winters and warmest summers in Britain and Northern Europe. It is therefore a popular tourist resort in the summer, and also benefits from an average of between 1700-2000 hours of sunshine a year.

Since the decline in fishing, it has caused a shift in commercial emphasis, and the town is now primarily a popular holiday resort, notably achieving the title of Best UK Seaside Town from the British Travel Awards in both 2010 and 2011.

The modern seaside resort developed as a result of the arrival of the branch line from St Erth, part of the Great Western Railway in 1877. With it came a new generation of Victorian seaside holidaymakers. Much of the town was built during the latter part of the 19th century. The railway, which winds along the cliffs and bays, survived the axe of Dr. Richard Beeching (1913-1985) and has become a tourist attraction itself.

With its coastal location, St. Ives has been witness to many tragedies at sea with the worst occurring in 1939 when seven crewmen died in the St. Ives lifeboat tragedy. In the early hours of 23rd January there was a Force 10 storm blowing with gusts up to 100mph (160km/h). The lifeboat John and Sara Eliza Stych was launched at 3 o'clock to search for a ship reported in trouble off Cape Cornwall. It rounded The Island where it met the full force of the storm as it headed westwards. It capsized three times and drifted across St. Ives Bay when its propeller was fouled. The first time it turned over four men were lost; the second time one more and on the third occasion left only one man alive. He scrambled ashore when the boat was wrecked on rocks near Godrevy Point.

On 11th August 1999, the town was the focus of a solar eclipse (the first in the UK since 1927), as it being the location of the shadow’s first landfall on mainland Britain. However, a live BBC programme with amateur astronomer Patrick Moore (1923-2012) was clouded out and the eclipse was missed!

The Visiting Towns

Falmouth is a town with a population of around 23,000 inhabitants in the county of Cornwall and is located 19 miles (30km) south-east of St. Ives.

Redruth is a town with a population of around 16,000 inhabitants in the county of Cornwall and is located 12 miles (19km) east of St. Ives.

The Venue

St. Ives Rugby Union Ground

The games were played at the Recreation Ground, home to St. Ives Rugby Football Club, which consists of a main pitch with a club-house and grandstand, along with grass-banks on three sides. The grandstand has seating capacity for just 275, while there is standing space for around 2,750 supporters, bringing the overall capacity to approximately 3,000.

Records show that Rugby Football was introduced into the town by a number of ‘pick-up’ teams including the St. Ives Midgets around 1880. However, it was not until 12th October 1889 that St. Ives Rugby Football Club was formed under its present name with home games being played at Lower Carnstabba. A change of ground to Hellesvean in October 1897 was followed by a move to its first ‘settled’ ground at Higher Treganna in 1899. In April 1925, the club leased the Recreation Ground in Alexandra Road from the local Borough Council and this would become the permanent home of St. Ives RFC. However, due to building regulations on council-leased ground, the first clubhouse was opened at Trenwith (almost 1 mile south-east of the Recreation Ground) on 16th April 1928.

In 1949, the club bought the lease to the Recreation Ground from the Council. This was seen somewhat as an omen for the club as during the following season, it headed the Cornwall Merit Table after 36 consecutive matches without defeat and saw player Jimmy Fleming score a record 46 tries in a season, one try short of the United Kingdom record at the time by Cardiff centre, Bleddyn Williams (1923-2009).

In 1951, the Recreation Ground was levelled in order that a new drainage system could be installed resulting in home games being moved to a temporary ground for the duration of the works. The ground was re-opened on 27th December that year. A new clubhouse was erected at the Recreation Ground on 1st March 1968 which received a £27,000 extension, four years later. The new building was officially opened on 3rd November 1972 by John Nott MP who would become more famous in 1982, when after being described as ‘a here today, gone tomorrow politician’ during an interview with Sir Robin Day (1923-2000), he stood up, called the interview "ridiculous", threw down his microphone and walked off the set.

The re-introduction of the Cornwall Cup in the late 1960s saw St. Ives continue to be one of the most dominant clubs in the county, appearing in six successive finals between 1969 and 1974, winning three of them (including one shared). At the end of the 1971/72 season, the club once more finished as Cornwall Merit Table champions. A year later, the club became the first Cornish side to score more than 1,000 points over a single year, while in the same season Jimmy Cocking set a club record of 368 points, including another record of 30 points in a single game.

The 1974/75 season witnessed the first matches to be played on a Sunday and Good Friday whilst 1976 saw the club purchasing adjoining land to provide a second pitch as well as a mini/junior playing area. On 25th August of the same year, the wooden spectator stand and pavilion were completely destroyed by fire whilst the first match to be played under floodlights - St. Ives v. RNAS (Royal Navy Air Station) Culdrose - occurred on 12th November.

The years 1979 through to 1986 saw the club enter another period of dominance, winning four more Cornwall Cup titles in this time. They also did well in national competition, first reaching the 3rd round in 1981-82 (losing to Bristol at home, in what was the first televised game at the club), before going on to become the first Cornish side to reach the quarter-finals of the John Player Cup during the 1982-83 season, eventually being knocked out by Nottingham. The club also saw the emergence of players such as Martin Haag who was capped by England under-19s while at St. Ives, before going on to play for Bath and England.

In 2004, St. Ives RFC was featured on BBC TV after having a record of five sets of brothers included in the same team. Ian and Paul Sanders, Graham and Neil Corin, Jason and Scot Perkin, Mark and Jonathan Rowe and Tony and Louis Stevens all played in the away game at Crediton. At the same time, the club also had brothers Andrew and Paul Kevern and Marcus and Daniel Bassett representing the club in the second team. An incredible record!

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Ramped Basketball

The first game -‘Ramped Basketball’ - was played in unison over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and an ascending 45° angle ramp which had a large basketball hoop above its apex. On the whistle, the female standing at the rear of the ramp had to collect a ball and then run forward and toss it in the air and through the hoop. At the same time, the first male had to run up the ramp and catch the ball as it passed through the hoop. He then had to return to his starting point whilst the female and second male had to repeat the game. The game then had to be played in the same manner throughout the permitted time. Only balls caught cleanly and which had passed through the hoop would be valid. The team collecting the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward and simple game and finished with Falmouth collecting 5 balls, Redruth collecting 4 balls and St. Ives collecting 9 balls.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st St. Ives (3pts awarded / 3pts total) 2nd Falmouth (2pts / 2pts) 3rd Redruth (1pt / 1pt)

Marathon, Round 1 - Pool Netball

The next game - ‘Pool Netball’ - was the Marathon and was played individually over one minute duration. It featured a male competitor from each team and a floating podium in the centre of a large pool. Above the podium was a large net. On the whistle, the competitor had to make his way to the podium whilst two opposition females hurled balls into the net from the perimeter of the pool. Once the competitor had climbed onto the podium, he then had to remove any balls in the net by jumping up and knocking them out with his hands. If he was unfortunate and fell off the podium into the pool, he then had to remount it in order to continue the game. The opposition would continue hurling balls throughout. Only the balls remaining in the net at the final whistle would be counted. The team with the least aggregate number of balls in the net over their four essays would be declared the winners.

The first round of this straightforward game witnessed all the teams competing consecutively. The first heat saw the participation of Falmouth, with Redruth and St. Ives in opposition. At the end of permitted time, their competitor had fallen of the podium on five occasions and had failed to remove 11 balls from the net.

The second and penultimate heat featured Redruth, with Falmouth and St. Ives in opposition. On the final whistle, and having fallen into the pool on four occasions, their competitor had failed to remove 12 balls from the net.

The third and final heat saw the participation of St. Ives, with Falmouth and Redruth in opposition. Despite falling off the podium on three occasions, he only failed to remove 2 balls from the net before the final whistle was blown.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st St. Ives (2) 2nd Falmouth (11) 3rd Redruth (12)

Comments: In previous years the Marathon was competed by each team on three occasions in between the playing of the first six games. With the advent of the three-team Domestic heats, the Marathon this year was competed by each team on two occasions. However, in this heat, the game was played three times by all teams consecutively (after games 1, 5 and 6) and also on one occasion separately (after games 2, 3 and 4)! St. Ives competitor Brian Hannigal was over six-feet (1.83m) tall and was chosen to participate in the Marathon for this reason. He made the game look easy compared to the other two teams as he was able to just ‘flip’ the balls from the net above his head as opposed to jumping up to knock them out. This advantage would lead to somewhat of a whitewash result in the Marathon.

Game 2 - Ballista Balls

The second game - ‘Ballista Balls’ - was played individually over one minute duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a high striker contraption. The male competitor was blindfolded and armed with a large net whilst the female was standing behind him and equipped with a large megaphone. On the whistle, a male team-mate, standing in front of the game and armed with a large mallet, had to hit down on the high striker contraption (similar to that found at a fairground which tests one’s strength) to hurl a ball high into the air. The female then had to shout directional instructions to the male in order for him to catch the ball in the net. Balls that bounced on the ground and were then caught in the net would be permitted. The team catching the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Falmouth and from a total of seventeen hurled, they caught 5 balls on their 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 16th essays.

The second heat featured Redruth and from a total of twenty hurled, they caught 2 balls on their 9th and 15th essays.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Falmouth (3pts awarded / 5pts total) ▲ =2nd Redruth (2pts / 3pts) ▲ =2nd St. Ives (--- / 3pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 2 - Pool Netball

The second round of the Marathon featured Falmouth, with Redruth and St. Ives in opposition. Their competitor fell into the pool on four occasions and failed to remove 12 balls from the net which increased their total score to 23.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st St. Ives (2) 2nd Redruth (12) ▲ 3rd Falmouth (23) ▼

Game 3 - Balloons Down the Wire

The third game - ‘Balloons Down the Wire’ - was played in unison over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team standing at the top of a high scaffold. Attached to the platform of the scaffold was a 50ft (15.24m) long wire descending to the ground and along its length were twenty balloons. On the whistle, the first competitor had to hold on to the wire and burst the balloons with his feet. If he dropped to the ground, the second competitor then had to repeat the game from the point of his descent to the ground. The team bursting all the balloons in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This archetypal strength-sapping game saw St. Ives take the lead from the outset and, whilst the other two teams found the going tough, they appeared to burst all 20 balloons utilising only one competitor in 38 seconds. The game was played out to a finish and, at the end of permitted time, it appeared that both Falmouth and Redruth had burst 15 balloons each. However, when the results were announced, St. Ives were deemed to have only burst 17 balloons, Falmouth had burst 13 balloons and Redruth had burst 11 balloons.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Falmouth (2pts awarded / 7pts total) 2nd St. Ives (3pts / 6pts) 3rd Redruth (1pt / 4pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 3 - Pool Netball

The third round of the Marathon featured Redruth, with Falmouth and St. Ives in opposition. Despite their competitor only falling into the pool on three occasions, he failed to remove 13 balls from the net and this increased their total score to 25.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st St. Ives (2) 2nd Falmouth (23) ▲ 3rd Redruth (25) ▼

Game 4 - Trampoline Quoits

The fourth game - ‘Trampoline Quoits’ - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and witnessed St. Ives presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team standing on a trampoline and a ground-based target board marked with circular sections valued at 1pt, 5pts and 10pts. Between the trampoline and the target board was a 20ft (6.1m) high wooden screen and a set of goalposts. On the whistle, the competitor had to bounce on the trampoline and, once in motion, a female team-mate had to start throwing individual rubber quoits at him to catch. If successful, he then had to bounce high enough to see the target on the other side of the screen and then throw the quoit downwards so that it went through the goalposts and land on the target. If the quoit fell across two areas of the target, the highest value would be counted. The team scoring the greater total would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this somewhat exciting game saw the participation of Falmouth and they were successful with nineteen of the thirty quoits throw and scored a total of 63pts (11 x 5pts + 8 x 1pts).

The second heat featured St. Ives and they were successful with fourteen of the twenty-nine quoits thrown and scored a total of 57pts (3 x 10pts + 4 x 5pts + 7 x 1pt).

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Falmouth (3pts awarded / 10pts total) =1st St. Ives (4pts / Joker / 10pts) ▲ 3rd Redruth (--- / 4pts)

Marathon, Round 4 - Pool Netball

The fourth round of the Marathon featured St. Ives, with Falmouth and Redruth in opposition. Their competitor only fell into the pool on one occasion and was able to remove all but 2 balls from the net and this increased their total score to 4.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st St. Ives (4) 2nd Falmouth (23) 3rd Redruth (25)

Game 5 - Untwining the Maypole

The fifth game - ‘Untwining the Maypole’ - was played individually over one minute duration and featured seven male competitors from each team and a 20ft (6.1m) high maypole with a firecracker attached to the top. On the whistle, the competitors had to work together to untwine the seven ropes wrapped around the maypole by all running together in a circle. Once completed, they then had to form a human pyramid with six of the competitors and then the seventh had to climb up to the top of the maypole and set off the firecracker. If the competitor fell to the ground before setting off the firecracker, the team could retry the climb again. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this intriguing but straightforward game saw the participation of Falmouth and they completed the game in 38 seconds.

The second and penultimate heat featured Redruth and they appeared to be too confident (after declaring that they could finish in 11 seconds) and in their haste failed to untwine the ropes correctly. After recomposing themselves and correcting their error, they then failed on two occasions to climb set off the firecracker at the top of the maypole. With permitted time elapsing fast, they were unable to make a third attempt and were deemed as not completing the game and given 0:00.

The third and final heat saw the participation of St. Ives (who stated that 37 seconds was their target time) played a flawless game and finished in just 31 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st St. Ives (3pts awarded / 13pts total) 2nd Falmouth (2pts / 12pts) ▼ 3rd Redruth (1pt / 5pts)

Marathon, Round 5 - Pool Netball

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon witnessed all the teams competing consecutively. The first heat saw the participation of Falmouth, with Redruth and St. Ives in opposition. At the end of permitted time, their competitor had fallen off the podium on five occasions and failed to remove 7 balls from the net, which increased their total score to 30.

The second and penultimate heat featured Redruth, with Falmouth and St. Ives in opposition. On the final whistle, and having fallen in the pool on four occasions, their competitor had failed to remove 14 balls from the net, which increased their total score to 39.

The third and final heat saw the participation of St. Ives, with Falmouth and Redruth in opposition. Having fallen off the podium just once, their competitor was able to remove all but 1 ball from the net, which increased their score to 5.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st St. Ives (5) 2nd Falmouth (30) 3rd Redruth (39)

Game 6 - Penalty Shoot-Out

The sixth and penultimate game - ‘Penalty Shoot-Out’ - was played individually over two minutes duration and witnessed Redruth presenting their Joker for play. The game featured five male competitors from each team and a set of goalposts. In opposition, and standing on a carpet in front of the goal, was a male team member standing on a carpet. On the whistle, one of the competitors had to kick balls towards the goal to score whilst the other four had to pull the carpet from side to side in order to hinder the opposition. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple and straightforward game saw the participation of St. Ives, with Redruth in opposition. From the twenty-eight kicks attempted, they were only able to score 5 goals on the 6th, 7th, 10th, 12th and 13th essays.

The second heat featured Redruth, with St. Ives in opposition. At the end of permitted time, they had scored from the 27 kicks attempted, a total of 7 goals on their 1st, 9th, 13th, 15th, 20th, 22nd, 24th and 26th essays.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st St. Ives (2pts awarded / 15pts total) 2nd Falmouth (--- / 12pts) 3rd Redruth (6pts / Joker / 11pts)

Marathon, Round 6 - Pool Netball

The sixth and final round of the Marathon again witnessed all the teams competing consecutively. The first heat saw the participation of Falmouth, with Redruth and St. Ives in opposition. At the end of permitted time, their competitor had fallen off the podium on three occasions and failed to remove 8 balls from the net, which gave them an overall total score of 38.

The second and penultimate heat featured Redruth, with Falmouth and St. Ives in opposition. On the final whistle, and having fallen in the pool on five occasions, their competitor had failed to remove 9 balls from the net, which gave them an overall total score of 48.

The third and final heat saw the participation of St. Ives, with Falmouth and Redruth in opposition. Having fallen off the podium on three occasions, their competitor was again able to remove all but 1 ball from the net, which gave them an overall total score of 6 and they finished in 1st place on the game.

Final Marathon Standings: 1st St. Ives (6) 2nd Falmouth (38) 3rd Redruth (48)

Running Scores and Positions: 1st St. Ives (6pts awarded / 21pts total) 2nd Falmouth (4pts / 16pts) 3rd Redruth (2pts / 13pts)

Game 7 - To the Rescue

The seventh and final game - ‘To the Rescue’ - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed Falmouth presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a 20ft (6.1m) high net and three competitors (two males and one female) from each team armed with nine inflatable rings. On the whistle, the first male competitor had to climb up and over the net whilst carrying a ring. Once completed, he then had to hoop-la the ring over a 15ft (4.57m) high pole and return to the start whilst the second competitor (male or female) repeated the game followed likewise by the third competitor (male or female). All competitors had to complete the game on two occasions. Only one competitor could be on the net at a time. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This straightforward game had somewhat of an exciting edge to it and saw Falmouth take an early lead which they maintained until after the fourth ring had been secured, St. Ives then began to fight back and overtook them and stayed in control for the remainder of the game and finished in 2 minutes 40 seconds. Neither Falmouth nor Redruth could complete the game but both had secured 8 rings each when the final whistle was blown.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st St. Ives (3pts awarded / 24pts total) 2nd Falmouth (4pts / Joker / 20pts) 3rd Redruth (2pts / 15pts)

Comments: For the first time in the British Domestic series, the final game would be somewhat of the same design at each of the staged heats. However, as two of the teams were unable to complete the game in the permitted time at this heat, the set-up of the game for the remainder of this series was changed so that only seven rings had to be transported over the net and pole. Whilst Stuart Hall was explaining where the winning team would be travelling to in Europe following their victory, he inadvertently referred to Knokke-Heist as Knokke-le Zoute before correcting his error. Although this would not appear to be important, it does show that he had done his homework prior and simply got the names mixed up, as the resort of Knokke-Heist is made up of eight small hamlets, three of them being Knokke, Het Zoute and Heist-aan-Zee.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1975

Heat 2

Event Staged: Sunday 13th April 1975
Venue: St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground, Brynmill,
Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Friday 30th May 1975, 8.00-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Torrential Rain

Teams: Caerleon v. Caerphilly v. Swansea

Team Members included:
Caerleon - Fred Beare (Co-Team Trainer), John Macey (Co-Team Trainer), Keith Plow (Co-Team Trainer), Tony Smith (Co-Team Trainer), Paul Stevens (Co-Team Trainer), Mike Rogers (Men’s Team Captain), Lynnette Harries (Ladies’ Team Captain), Monica Bain, Trevor Barnard, Robert Blyth, Alison Bryce, Simon Cullen, Alec Evans, Neil Foster, Richard Frame, Leonard Francis, Kevin Golds, Mike Harber, Marion Hughes, Ian Jones, Margaret Lowe, Sharon Madge, Jonathon Marshall, Julie Marshall, Gareth McCarthy, Edward Norfolk, Brian Stone, Beverley Thorne, Sandra Welton;
Caerphilly - Andrew Mitchell (Team Captain), Margaret Bird, Gerald Black, Eurig Bowen, Verona Brown, Christine Colwill, Neil Cooper, Marilyn Daniel, Terry Douglas, Robert Lacey, Cheryl Llewelyn, David Llewelyn, Allan Morris, Glender Morris, Coreen Mote, Janette Parsons, Alan Pike, Owen Rosewell, Colin Sibthorpe, Anne Thomas, Russ Thomas, Roger Williams;
Swansea - Alan Major (Team Trainer), Robert Sullivan (Team Captain), J Alksanas, Jeff Buller, D Davies, Christine Griffiths, J Griffiths, S Hayler, Susan Isaac, J Jones, Lee Jones, R Luke, A Mages, Chris Moore, Paul Preedy, P Ronan, Robert Shaddick, Steve Seaman, William Sterio, G Sullivan, Peter Thomas, Wendy Watson, Rose Williams, Mandy Wood, S Yeandle.

Games: Balloon Stretch, Water Balance, Ski Race, Swing and Catch, Box Balance, Carpet Race and To the Rescue;
Marathon: Punch Bag Balance.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 S • Swansea ● ●
 CN • Caerleon
 CY • Caerphilly

22
19
16

Swansea qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Maastricht, Netherlands:
staged on Tuesday 3rd June 1975

The Host Town

Swansea, West Glamorgan

Swansea (Abertawe in Welsh) is a city of around 250,000 inhabitants and is the second largest city in Wales and the 26th largest in the United Kingdom. It is located on the Gower peninsula, 29 miles (47km) north of Ilfracombe on the opposite side of the Bristol Channel, 34 miles (55km) west of Cardiff (Caerdydd), 106 miles (170km) south-west of Wrexham (Wrecsam) and 157 miles (252km) west of London. Its Welsh name is taken from the 30-mile (48km) long River Tawe which empties into the Bristol channel at Swansea and literally means ‘mouth of the Tawe’.

Swansea is thought to have developed as a Viking trading post with its name deriving from the Norse ‘sveinsey’ (Sveinn's island), the reference to an island at the mouth of the river Tawe, or an area of raised ground in marshes. An alternative explanation is that the name derives from the name 'Sweyn' and 'ey', which can mean inlet. The correct pronunciation is therefore Swans-y and not Swan-sea.

In the wake of the Norman Conquest and Norman invasion of Wales, Gower became a marcher lordship which included not only the peninsula itself but also the land to the east as far north as the Aman river and east to the river Tawe. This included the site of Swansea town, which was designated the capital of the area. A turf and timber motte and bailey castle was erected in Swansea in 1106 and was assailed by the local Welsh ten years later (and several more times in the following century). The original castle was subsequently rebuilt in stone.

As the Industrial Revolution took off, a series of works were built along the Tawe river from 1720 onwards and a series of mines were opened. Initially, the smelting works concentrated on copper. Coal was brought down to them by waggon-ways and tramways whilst the copper ore was brought on ships which could sail right up to the works and the resulting copper was exported out again. Swansea had become known as ‘Copperopolis’, and the lower Tawe valley became a mass of industry.

In order to allow boats to dock without running aground at low tide, ‘The Float’ was constructed. To enable this work to be carried out, the Tawe was diverted and a new dock with locks created. Work began in 1852, and the ensuing result was New Dock in 1859. Further changes to the docks were proposed but the town authorities realised the potential grave effect on public health, particular in the riverside St. Thomas area. Drinking water came from springs locally but clean water sources were increasingly rare. Cholera broke out in 1832 and again in 1849. There was no sewerage system in Swansea until 1857 and the water supply in areas above the reservoir level was "in many cases of a questionable character". The Lliw reservoir of 1863 helped provide clean water, but drainage of dirty water was still a problem. In 1865, Swansea suffered an epidemic of yellow fever, the only outbreak of that disease on the British mainland. A cargo of copper ore from Cuba was landed in exceptionally hot weather in September and with it a number of infected mosquitoes. In just one month, 27 inhabitants were infected and 15 died. Sewage and pollution were also part of the cause of the decline of the oyster trade centred on Mumbles, also known as Oystermouth. Described as having a thriving and ancient industry in 1872, within five years, it had almost completely collapsed.

Whilst the city itself has a long history, many of the city centre buildings are post-war as much of the original centre was destroyed during the World War II (1939-1945). Swansea had been a target for Nazi German bombing raids due to its industries, the port, and railways. By the end of the so-called 'Three Nights' Blitz' on the 19th, 20th and 21st February 1941, the town centre was flattened, along with many residential streets. Rebuilding post-war was in typical British 1950s style and much of the result is regarded with high favour by neither residents nor visitors. Within the city centre are the ruins of the castle, the Marina, the Dylan Thomas Centre, St David's Centre, the Quadrant Shopping Centre and the Market, which is the largest covered market in Wales.

Swansea was granted city status in 1969, to mark Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales. The announcement was made by the Prince on 3rd July 1969, during a tour of Wales. It obtained the further right to have a Lord Mayor in 1982.

At the time of transmission, Swansea was located in the county of West Glamorgan. However, following the Local Government (Wales) Act of 1994 when most of the original historic counties of Wales were re-established, it became the new City and County of Swansea on 1st April 1996.

The Visiting Towns

Caerleon (Caerllion) is a town with a population of around 9,000 inhabitants in the county borough of Newport and is located 43 miles (69km) east of Swansea.

Caerphilly (Caerffili) is a town with a population of around 43,000 inhabitants in the county borough of the same name and is located 33 miles (53km) east of Swansea.

The Venue

St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground

The games were played at the famous St. Helen’s Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. Since the ground opened in 1873, it has been the home to both the Swansea Rugby Football and Cricket clubs. The ground, which overlooks Swansea Bay, is laid out on a reclaimed sandbank, and with its sandy subsoil, is considered to be one of the fastest drying grounds in the country. However, the downside of this maritime location is that the wicket can have a fickle character, especially when the tide is in, with the underground moisture aiding swing bowlers. In fact, a number of Glamorgan captains have hastily checked the local tide tables before going out to toss up!

In addition to local and national rugby matches, the ground has bore witness to several international battles. The first home international in the history of Welsh rugby was played at St. Helen's on 16th December 1882, against England and it was the scene of New Zealand's first victory over Wales in 1924. On 10th April 1954, St. Helen's staged its last international until a Test match between Wales and Tonga was also played at the ground in 1997.

The decision to abandon Swansea as an international rugby union venue in the 1950s was prompted by the limitation of it being a 50,000 standing capacity ground and the delays for players and spectators travelling west along the busy A48 road between Gloucester and Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin), especially at Port Talbot. In addition to this, the higher revenues that could be gleaned from games at Cardiff Arms Park in Cardiff where higher desirable. Swansea Corporation had discussed raising the capacity to 70,000 or even 82,000, but wartime bomb damage inflicted on the city forced a revision of building priorities. However, the ground has still retained its ‘international’ status following its use in hosting three Welsh women's internationals. The first of these was in April 1999 against England, and the most recent was in November 2009 when Wales defeated Sweden 56-7.

The St. Helen's ground in Swansea has staged first-class cricket ever since Glamorgan joined the County Championship in 1921. Over the years, some of Glamorgan's most famous victories have taken place at Swansea, including their back-to-back victories over Australia in 1964 and 1968. On 31st August 1968, the ground was to witness Garfield Sobers of Nottinghamshire and the West Indies, become the first player in cricket history to score six sixes in an over. The unfortunate bowler on the day was Malcolm Nash (1945-2019) with Sobers’s feat comprising five clean hits for six and one six where the ball was caught but carried over the boundary by Roger Davis. The ground was also the venue where Clive Lloyd scored the fastest double-century on record when batting for the West Indians against Glamorgan in 1976.

In August 1985, Matthew Maynard, at the age of just 19, launched his county career at Swansea with a remarkable debut 100 runs as he reached his maiden first-class century with three successive straight sixes off Yorkshire’s Phil Carrick (1952-2000). Maynard then returned up the 70-plus steps of the pavilion to a standing ovation - somewhat different to the unfortunate fate that befell Mick Norman of Northamptonshire who bagged a king pair (double ‘golden duck’) in a day at St. Helen's in June 1964 and twice within a few hours had to make the long walk back up to the Swansea pavilion after being dismissed first ball of both innings!

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Balloon Stretch

The first game - ‘Balloon Stretch' - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Caerphilly presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a 75ft (22.86m) long course. The male was strapped around the waist to a 50ft (15.24m) long elasticated rope. On the whistle, the competitor had to collect a balloon from a female team-mate and then run down the course towards the female competitor, who was standing behind a white line. He then had to stretch the rope in order to hand the balloon to her. She then had to hold the balloon in her grasp. Once completed, the male had to return to the start and repeat the game throughout. In opposition and positioned behind the female competitor, was a female team member armed with a bucket. As the male competitor was at full stretch, she had to throw water at him to hinder his essay. The female competitor had to remain behind the white line at all times and only balloons securely in her grasp and collected in the correct manner at the end of the game would be counted. The team collecting the greater number of balloons would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game that saw Swansea opposed by Caerleon, Caerphilly opposed by Swansea and Caerleon opposed by Caerphilly. Despite all three teams being neck and neck on the first half of the game, the male competitors from the other two teams began to tire and this permitted Swansea to take control of the game. When the results were announced, Caerleon had collected 9 balloons, Caerphilly had collected 8 balloons and Swansea had collected 11 balloons.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Swansea (3pts awarded / 3pts total) =2nd Caerleon (2pts / 2pts) =2nd Caerphilly (2pts / 2pts)

Comments: Members of the Caerleon team could be seen with the word ‘ISCA’ printed on the backs of their T-shirts. The reason for this is that the remains of a Roman legionary vicus (fortress and settlement) called Isca Augusta, lie beneath parts of the present-day town of Caerleon.

Marathon, Round 1 - Punch Bag Balance

The next game - 'Punch Bag Balance' - was the Marathon which was played alternately over two minutes duration by each team on two occasions. It featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and eight opposing team members (two males and two females from each team) standing, with their hands behind their backs, on small podia positioned in a large circle. Hanging by a rope in the middle of the circle was a large punch bag. On the whistle, the male competitor, who was blindfolded, had to be given directional instructions by the female via a megaphone, in order for him to swing the punch bag and ultimately knock the opposition off the podia. Opposition members could not handle the punch bag and had to remain on their podia until scores were confirmed. The team with the greater aggregate number of opposition being displaced over their two essays would be declared the winners.

The first round saw the participation of Caerleon and, from a total of 10 swings of the punch bag, they knocked three male opposition members (2 x Caerphilly and 1 x Swansea) off their podia on their 4th, 7th and 8th essays. However, one of the opposition females stepped off her podium after the final whistle, but before the score was confirmed, and under the rules of the game was deemed to have been knocked off by the competing team. The score for Caerleon was therefore declared as 4.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Caerleon (4)

Comments: Members of the Caerphilly team could be seen with the letters RV printed on the backs of their tracksuit tops. The reason for this was that at the time of transmission, the town was in the borough of Rhymney Valley, which was formed on 1st April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. However, the borough was later abolished on 1st April 1996 (under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994) when it became part of the new and still current, Caerphilly County Borough.

Game 2 - Water Balance

The second game - 'Water Balance' - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Caerleon presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a large pool and two male competitors from each team armed with two rubber plungers. Spanning the pool was a taut tightrope wire and above the pool were seven discs. On the whistle, the first competitor had to make his way across the pool using the plungers and discs above to assist him. Once across, the second competitor then had to repeat the game. This process then had to continue until the end of permitted time. The team making the greater number of crossings would be declared the winners. However, the total number of discs touched by the competitors would be used as a determining factor in the event of a tie.

The first heat of this straightforward and simple game saw the participation of Caerleon and, although they made thirteen attempts to cross the pool, they only succeeded on their 1st and 7th essays. When their score was announced, they were deemed to have made 2 crossings and touched a total of 31 discs on the other unsuccessful eleven crossings.

The second heat featured Caerphilly and they made a total of four attempts to cross the pool but only succeeded on their 1st, 2nd and 3rd essays. When their score was declared, they were deemed to have made 3 crossings and touched a total of 5 discs on the other unsuccessful crossing.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Caerleon (4pts awarded / Joker / 6pts total) ▲ 2nd Caerphilly (3pts / 5pts) 3rd Swansea (--- / 3pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 2 - Punch Bag Balance

The second round of the Marathon featured Caerphilly and, from a total of 11 swings of the punch bag, they knocked just one male opposition member (Caerleon) off his podium on their 10th essay. The score for Caerphilly was confirmed as 1.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Caerleon (4) 2nd Caerphilly (1)

Game 3 - Ski Race

The third game - 'Ski Race' - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Swansea presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team standing on a pair of giant skis. On the whistle, the competitors had to start to walk up the 40ft (12.19m) course and burst five balloons with the base of the skis. They then had to negotiate an obstacle comprising four slalom poles and then walk forward and burst a further seven balloons. Once completed, they then had to turn around and return to the start unimpeded by obstacles. The team bursting all twelve balloons and completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game and turned into a two-horse race after Caerphilly took a surprising lead from the outset and reached the turnaround point after 51 seconds of elapsed time and followed by Swansea in 59 seconds. However, on the return trip, whilst Caerphilly were struggling in the muddy conditions, Swansea were able to overtake them and finish the game in 1 minute 28 seconds. Having regained their rhythm, Caerphilly completed the game in 1 minute 32 seconds. At the far end of the course and still to turn around, Caerleon were deemed as not finishing the game and given 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Swansea (6pts awarded / Joker / 9pts total) ▲ =2nd Caerleon (1pt / 7pts) ▼ =2nd Caerphilly (2pts / 7pts)

Marathon, Round 3 - Punch Bag Balance

The third round of the Marathon featured Swansea and, from a total of 16 swings of the punch bag, they knocked two opposition members (Caerleon, one male and one female) off their podia on their 4th and 6th essays. The score for Swansea was confirmed as 2.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Caerleon (4) 2nd Swansea (2) 3rd Caerphilly (1) ▼

Game 4 - Swing and Catch

The fourth game - 'Swing and Catch' - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a circus trapeze. On the whistle, the male competitor, hanging from the trapeze, was put in motion by a male team-mate. On his forward swing, he had to open his legs and as he passed a weighted inflatable ball on the ground, he had to close them in order to pick it up. At the furthest-most point of his swing, he then had to release the ball towards the female, who was standing on a podium and armed with a large net. She then had to catch the ball in the net without stepping off the podium. The game would then be repeated throughout, with a new ball being placed on the spot by a female team-mate. The team catching the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this strength-sapping game saw the participation of Swansea and their female caught 10 balls from the twenty-one hurled by the male on his 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 16th and 17th swings.

The second heat featured Caerleon and their female caught 12 balls from the nineteen hurled by the male on his 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th and 18th swings.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Swansea (2pts awarded / 11pts total) 2nd Caerleon (3pts / 10pts) 3rd Caerphilly (--- / 7pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 4 - Punch Bag Balance

The fourth round of the Marathon featured Caerleon participating for the second and final time. They were able to swing the punch bag on twelve occasions and in doing so knocked down a further three opposition members (2 x Caerphilly [1 male and 1 female] and 1 x Swansea male) on their 6th, 7th and 12th essays. This gave them an overall final total score of 7.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Caerleon (7) 2nd Swansea (2) 3rd Caerphilly (1)

Game 5 - Box Balance

The fifth game - ‘Box Balance’ - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and a total of 29 milk crates. The two males were standing adjacent to a single stack of five milk crates located at the far end of the 30ft (9.14m) course. On the whistle, the female had to carry one of the other twenty-four crates from the start of the course and hand it to the males. They then had to lift and hold the five-crate stack and place the newly-delivered crate underneath. The game then had to be repeated throughout. If the ever-growing tower collapsed, it had to be rebuilt before any further crates could be delivered by the female. The team with the highest tower at the point of the final whistle would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward game, it proved to have somewhat of an exciting and breath-taking closing stage. With the Caerphilly stack of 17 crates being the tallest at the time, and with just 20 seconds remaining of permitted time, it began to wobble and appeared that disaster was about to strike. However, to counteract the wobble and lean of the stack, the two males walked forward to counteract it and keep control. Although their female arrived with another crate, the team decided to hold steady and stay with the total they had achieved until the final whistle. At the end of the game, the confirmed totals were Caerleon with 15 crates, Caerphilly with 17 crates and Swansea with 14 crates.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Caerleon (2pts awarded / 12pts total) ▲ =1st Swansea (1pt / 12pts) 3rd Caerphilly (3pts / 10pts)

Marathon, Round 5 - Punch Bag Balance

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon featured Caerphilly participating for the second and final time. They were able to swing the punch bag on nine occasions and in doing so knocked down one further opposition female (Swansea) on their 1st essay. This gave them an overall finishing total score of 2.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Caerleon (7) =2nd Caerphilly (2) ▲ =2nd Swansea (2)

Game 6 - Carpet Race

The sixth and penultimate game - ‘Carpet Race’ - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured four competitors (two males and two females) from each team standing on a large carpet. On the whistle, whilst the two males held a large pole at the front of the carpet, they all had to work together by jumping up at the same time in order for it to be moved down the 40ft (12.19m) course. Between the two ends of the course, there were two sets of posts with a football placed on the top of each. As the team progressed down the course and between the posts, they had to ensure that the pole was raised high enough to pass over the top of the footballs. If a ball was knocked off the post, the team had to replace it and negotiate the obstacle again. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which saw Swansea take control of from the outset. After reaching the end of the course after 40 seconds of elapsed time, they were already eleven seconds ahead of their rivals. Another flawless journey on the return trip saw Swansea finish the game in 1 minute 35 seconds. Caerphilly failed to complete the game within the permitted time and were given 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Swansea (3pts awarded / 15pts total) =2nd Caerleon (--- / 12pts) ▼ =2nd Caerphilly (2pts / 12pts) ▲

Marathon, Round 6 - Punch Bag Balance

The sixth and final round of the Marathon featured Swansea participating for the second and final time. . They were able to swing the punch bag on fourteen occasions and in doing so knocked down a further two opposition members (Caerphilly, one male and one female) on their 8th and 11th essays. This gave them an overall final total score of 4 and they finished in 2nd place on the game.

Final Marathon Standings: 1st Caerleon (7) 2nd Swansea (4) 3rd Caerphilly (2) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Swansea (4pts awarded / 19pts total) 2nd Caerleon (6pts / 18pts) 3rd Caerphilly (2pts / 14pts) ▼

Game 7 - To the Rescue

The seventh and final game - ‘To the Rescue' - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a 20ft (6.1m) high net and two male competitors from each team armed with seven inflatable rings (six small and one large). On the whistle, the first competitor had to climb up and over the net whilst carrying a small ring. Once completed, he then had to hoop-la the ring over a 15ft (4.57m) high pole and return to the start whilst the second competitor repeated the game. Both competitors had to complete the game on three occasions until six small rings were over the pole. The first competitor then had to transport the large ring over the net and hoop-la it over the pole to finish the game. Only one competitor could be on the net at a time. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although trailing on the scoreboard, Caerphilly took an early lead on the game. However, Swansea soon overhauled them and took control of the game and finished in 2 minutes 52 seconds followed by Caerphilly in 3 minutes 1 second. Although the game was extended to try and assist Caerleon to finish with a positive time, the whistle was finally blown after 3 minutes 40 seconds with them still unable to complete the game and they were declared as 0:00.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Swansea (3pts awarded / 22pts total) 2nd Caerleon (1pt / 19pts) 3rd Caerphilly (2pts / 16pts)

Comments: Following on from the first heat, whereby two of the teams were unable to complete the game in the permitted time, the set-up of the game for the remainder of this series was changed so that only seven rings had to be transported over the net and pole. It appeared that if there had been a tie in the final score, the contest would have been decided by the throw of a dart. A long camera shot, 40 seconds into the final game, showed a dartboard being placed on the scoreboard that had been utilised on the Marathon.

Additional Information

On the day of competition it refused to stop raining. Throughout the previous night and all through the rehearsal in the morning, Mother Nature did not let up and drenched the arena into a quagmire of mud and pools of water. Despite some respite during the actual recording, the weather certainly caused problems and hindered all of the three teams.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1975

Heat 3

Event Staged: Sunday 20th April 1975
Venue: Boating Lake and Sports Stadium, Onchan Pleasure Park, Onchan, Isle of Man

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Friday 6th June 1975, 8.00-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Cold and Overcast

Teams: Onchan v. Peel v. Port St. Mary

Team Members included:
Onchan - Eddie Smith (Team Captain), William Christian, Linda Corkhill, Linda Court, Helen Foster, Clifford Hamilton, John Horshouse, Brian Kane, Philip Kermode, Karen Lees, Brian Mellor, Anne Moffatt, Helen Procter, Peter Quayle, Janice Stubbs, Brian Wasley;
Peel - Robert Brewe, Lynn Cannon, Steve Coyle, Rex Hartley, Hilary Joyce, Carolyn Nicholson, Alan O’Connor, Duncan Rennie, Michael William, Paul Young;
Port St. Mary - Gareth Jones, Pamela Jones, Gary McKenna, Eric Nelson, Maureen Oddie, Katherine Quirke, Josie Renner, Neil Shimming, Ewan Waterson.

Games: Boat Race, Seesaw Burst, Bobbin Rafts, Word Ramp, On the Stilts, Drum Roll Tower and To the Rescue;
Marathon: Water Board Run.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 O • Onchan ● ● ●
 P • Peel
 M • Port St. Mary

26
19
14

Onchan qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Riccione, Italy:
transmitted on Tuesday 17th June 1975.
This result secured Onchan the Radio Times Trophy for 1975
for the highest scoring team in the British heats.

The Host Town

Onchan, Isle of Man

Onchan is a town with around 10,000 inhabitants on the Isle of Man (which lies in the middle of the Irish Sea) and forms a conurbation with Douglas, the island’s capital town. The town is located at the northern end of Douglas Bay, 37 miles (60km) south of Isle of Whithorn in Scotland, 47 miles (75km) east of Ardglass in Northern Ireland, 50 miles (80km) west of Barrow-in-Furness in England, and 53 miles (85km) north of Amlwch on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales.

An early name for the village was Kiondroghad which literally translated means ‘bridgehead’. The earliest written record of Kiondroghad was in the 1643 Manorial Roll, when it was very small. The name Kiondroghad appeared on the 1841 census but not the subsequent one a decade later.

The village remained little changed for a couple of centuries apart from the old cottages being replaced by newer ones if they fell into disrepair. Gradually the village moved out of Church Road, known locally as The Butt, and spread a little. As Onchan approached the 20th century land was sold off for terraces of houses to be built. The area surrounding Church Road today is the village's heritage area and the location of Molly Carooin's Cottage, a pretty dwelling which is tucked away in Onchan’s Church Road and which provides a fascinating reminder of how Manx folk used to live. It is maintained by the Friends Of Onchan's Heritage, a local volunteer group, and features period lamp standards. The Jubilee Lamp was erected in this road in 1987 following relocation from White City, and this was the first electrically lit lamp standard on the island.

During the early part of the 20th century, development was taking place in the Port Jack area as part of the Douglas Bay Estate Company’s promotion of land sales on the Howstrake Farm. Coupled with this they built an electric urban railway which later became a coastal railway to Ramsey. However, it never achieved its goal of connecting with the heart of Douglas to act as a commuter run. There was then a mixture of private houses, terraced houses and guest houses to take the overflow of visitors to Douglas. During the Victorian and Edwardian tourism boom, Onchan made a bid to become the island's second resort, encouraging the building of hotels and guest houses. The Manx Electric Railway was constructed in 1893 and in the early 20th century, Lower Onchan, around the Port Jack area, was the first area on the island to have electric-powered street lighting, powered by the railway’s generators. After World War II (1939-1945), development gradually continued and in the 1960s the village commissioners built local authority housing.

The Isle of Man is a haven for tourism and Onchan is no exception. Two such attractions are Groudle Glen and Molly Quirk's Glen which meet at the Whitebridge, at the northern edge of the village on the road to Laxey. Groudle Glen is a deep, mile-long valley enclosed by slate cliffs which extends right down to the coast and has been described as one of the most spectacular of all the island's glens. It was developed in the 1890s as a pleasure glen, with trees planted and long winding paths added. A bandstand, swings and various other minor attractions were also added. On the rocky headland, a small inlet had been dammed off to form a deep pool, which became the centre of the small headland zoo which exhibited sea lions and polar bears. To get visitors out to the highland zoo, the glen owners built a miniature railway. Today, the attractions have all but disappeared apart from the Groudle Glen Railway, which still runs during the summer months operated by a group of local railway enthusiasts, who in the 1980s completely re-built the line after it was closed and ripped up in the early 1960s. Molly Quirk's Glen was reputedly named after a woman who was murdered in her cottage. The glen covers about 5 acres (20,000m²).

Other attractions include the Onchan Wetlands, a 1-acre (4,000m²) nature reserve in Onchan village that contains a variety of habitats. The site was donated to the Manx Wildlife Trust in 1988 and is open to the public for viewing and has a footpath which is suitable for wheelchair users.

One of the island’s notable residents was William Bligh (1754-1817), an officer of the British Royal Navy, and best known as Captain Bligh of HMS Bounty of Mutiny on the Bounty fame, who married Elizabeth Betham, the daughter of a Customs Collector, on 4th February 1781 in Onchan.

The Visiting Towns

Peel is a town on the Isle of Man with a population of around 5,500 inhabitants and is located 11 miles (17km) north-west of Onchan on the island’s west coast.

Port St. Mary is also a town on the Isle of Man with a population of around 2,500 inhabitants and is located 14 miles (22km) south-west of Onchan on the island’s south coast.

The Venue

Onchan Pleasure Park

The games were played at two locations in Onchan Pleasure Park, which at one time was the envy of the whole island. The site of the park, which includes a boating lake in the shape of the number 8 and a stock car racing stadium, was originally farmland until the Onchan Village Commissioners purchased the land after World War II (1939-1945) in 1948. It was completed in 1951, after three years of work, at a cost of £60,000 and the opening, performed by Chairman of the Commissioners, Mr John ‘Jack’ Nivison JP (1910-2003), was timed to coincide with the International Cycle Week on the afternoon of Tuesday 19th June 1951.

Comparative value in 2024: £60,000 = £1.3 million

The park’s main feature was the stadium which had the first ever banked cycle track in the United Kingdom and was opened by Reginald Harris (1920-1992), World Champion Sprint Cyclist and Britain's Sportsman of the Year. Many cycling events were held in the stadium and in 1961 it was chosen for a world cycling championship bringing competitors from all over the world to Onchan. The park also included a grandstand, cafe, changing rooms, bowling green, tennis courts, putting green, miniature golf and a children's play area.

The stadium became home to Onchan A.F.C. in 1952 and since 2004 it has been known as the Nivison Stadium in honour of the local JP who was at the forefront of its conception. Unfortunately, the cycling track has long gone and since June 1969 has been a stock-car racing venue.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

The opening shots of the programme were filmed along the promenade in the island’s capital, Douglas when the teams, scoregirls and presenters were shown travelling on the Isle of Man’s famous horse-drawn trams. Presenter Stuart Hall then alighted from the tram in which he was travelling in order to welcome everybody to the Isle of Man in the island’s unique Manx language This complete sequence was clearly filmed on the day before recording, as the weather could be seen as warm and very sunny. However, when the teams were introduced in the arena, the weather had changed to being dull, dank and overcast.

During this introduction, presenter Stuart Hall made a blooper by stating that this heat was the first to be held ‘over the water’ from the British mainland: the programme had already ‘crossed the water’ to Northern Ireland in 1969, before he began his involvement with It's A Knockout.

After presenting the teams, scoregirls and referee Arthur Ellis to the viewing audience at the side of the boating lake, he revealed that the previous night they had been at Douglas Casino and Ellis had had a good night, winning £65.

Comparative value in 2024: £65 = £381.

Game 1 - Boat Race

The first game - ‘Boat Race’ - was played in unison on the boating lake over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured five competitors (three males and two females) from each team armed with an inflatable dinghy. On the whistle, the two males already in the dinghy had to paddle to the far end of the boating lake to pick up the first female, who was stranded on one side of the small island. Once inside, they then had to paddle around to the other side of the island to pick up another male. With four competitors on board, they all had to work together and paddle back to the other end of the lake to the large island and pick up the second female. On completion, they then had to circumnavigate the island and then it was a straight race to the finishing line, located halfway between the two islands. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game which saw Onchan leading from the outset and being played without any mishaps being experienced by any of the teams. The game ended with Onchan finishing the game in 2 minutes 15 seconds followed by Peel in 2 minutes 24 seconds. Port St. Mary were unable to finish the game in the permitted time and were given 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (3pts awarded / 3pts total) 2nd Peel (2pts / 2pts) 3rd Port St. Mary (1pt / 1pt)

Marathon, Round 1 - Water Board Run

The next game - 'Water Board Run' - was the Marathon which was staged in the stadium and played alternately by each team on two occasions. It featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and a large pool spanned by a wooden slatted bridge. The centre span of the bridge was attached to a rope on either side and on the perimeter of the pool was a large hoop. On the whistle, the competitors, each carrying a football, had to cross the bridge and hurl the ball through the hoop to score a goal. In opposition, and standing outside the perimeter of the pool, was a male team member from each of the other teams who had to pull the bridge from side to side to hinder the competitors as they crossed. The team with the greater aggregate score over their two essays would be declared the winners.

The first round, which was played over two minutes duration, saw the participation of Onchan and they actually scored 5 goals, from the twenty-six balls thrown, on their 1st, 3rd, 10th, 11th and 13th essays. However, when the score was announced by scoregirl Karen Apted, she declared the score as just 4. The reason for this discrepancy was that whilst the team scored with the first ball thrown, she could be seen walking away from the game and completely missing the ball going through the hoop!

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Onchan (4)

Game 2 - Seesaw Burst

The second game - ‘Seesaw Burst’ - was staged in the stadium and played individually over 2 minutes 15 seconds duration. It featured two male competitors from each team and a seesaw pivoted on top of a high pyramid-shaped framework. On the ground, and circling the framework, were ten balloons. On the whistle, the competitors had to work together, by using their body weight to rock the seesaw up and down and to rotate it, in order to burst the balloons alternately with their feet. The ends of the seesaw had small ropes attached so that the equipment could be lowered down to assist the competitors get back on should either of them fall off. The team bursting all ten balloons in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this interesting and strength-sapping game saw the participation of Peel and they burst two balloons after 23 seconds and 2 minutes 25 seconds of elapsed time respectively. However, due to the second balloon being burst by the same competitor as the first, it was not counted. Their final score was declared as 1 balloon burst.

The second heat featured Onchan and wit was a completely different story to the first heat with the team bursting 8 balloons in the correct manner after 9, 12, 21, 24, 28, 31, 40 and 45 seconds of elapsed time respectively. However, the game was not played out for its full duration of 2 minutes 15 seconds. After one of the competitors fell off the seesaw, and knowing the difficulty experienced in the previous heat, referee Arthur Ellis blew his whistle and ended the game after 56 seconds. The team were declared as bursting 8 balloons.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (3pts awarded / 6pts total) 2nd Peel (2pts / 4pts) 3rd Port St. Mary (--- / 1pt)

Comments: Although the scheduled permitted time to play this game was 2 minutes 15 seconds, it was extended by 23 seconds in the first heat due to a delay getting the competitors back to the top of the seesaw after they both fell off. This involved stagehands bringing in wooden step ladders to assist them. This extension would also explain the anomaly in the time of the Peel team bursting their second balloon (albeit being discounted later).

Marathon, Round 2 - Water Board Run

The second round of the Marathon featured Peel and they actually scored 6 goals, from the twenty-one balls thrown, on their 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 12th and 20th essays. However like the previous round, when the score was announced by scoregirl Karen Apted, she declared a lesser score of 5. The reason for this discrepancy was again that whilst the team scored with the first ball thrown after the starting whistle, she failed to see the ball going through the hoop!

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Peel (5) 2nd Onchan (4) ▼

Game 3 - Bobbin Rafts

The third game - ‘Bobbin Rafts’ - was played on the boating lake in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a large wooden bobbin. The female was standing on one side of the pool holding one end of a rope, whilst the other end was attached to a floating podium on which the male competitor was standing. Hanging over his shoulders and around his waist was a large wooden bobbin which itself was anchored by rope to his side of the pool. On the whistle, the female had to pull the rope towards her in order to drag the podium across the water whilst the male had to rotate on the podium in order to unwind the bobbin. If the male competitor fell into the pool, he would be given assistance by a stagehand frogman to get back onto the podium. The team traversing the pool in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which saw all the teams suffering setbacks with their competitors tumbling in the pool on at least one occasion. Despite this, Onchan held the lead from the outset and finished the game in 1 minute 10 seconds. The other two teams were both unable to complete the game in the permitted time and their distance travelled across the pool was used as the deciding factor for the finishing positions. Port St. Mary were declared as having travelled the furthest and deemed to have finished in 2nd place and Port St. Mary were declared as finishing in 3rd place.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (3pts awarded / 9pts total) 2nd Peel (1pt / 5pts) 3rd Port St. Mary (2pts / 3pts)

Comments: Following this game, the remainder of the programme would be staged within the stadium.

Marathon, Round 3 - Water Board Run

The third round of the Marathon featured Port St. Mary and they could only score 1 goal, from the twenty balls thrown, on their 20th essay.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Peel (5) 2nd Onchan (4) 3rd Port St. Mary (1)

Game 4 - Word Ramp

The fourth game - ‘Word Ramp’ - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Onchan presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a greased ramp, at the top of which were twelve hooks hanging down from scaffolding, and two competitors (one male and one female) from each team wearing flippers. On the whistle, each of the competitors had to take a lettered card from a pile of eight and run up the ramp and place it on one of the hooks. At the end of the game, the word displayed by the letters should read ‘KNOCKOUT’. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and quickly-executed game despite the windy conditions being experienced on the island at the time of recording. Onchan led the game from the outset and finished in 1 minute 34 seconds followed by Port St. Mary in 1 minute 55 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (6pts awarded / Joker / 15pts total) =2nd Peel (--- / 5pts) =2nd Port St. Mary (2pts / 5pts) ▲

Comments: It should be noted that the original phrase to be displayed was to have been ‘ITS A KNOCKOUT’, thus the reason for there being twelve hooks. However, with the windy and wet conditions experienced during the morning rehearsals, which severely hampered the competitors, the game was amended so that only eight letters had to be displayed.

Marathon, Round 4 - Water Board Run

The fourth round of the Marathon featured Onchan participating for the second and final occasion with the time increased to 2 minutes 15 seconds duration. The team scored a further 10 goals, from the twenty-seven balls thrown, on their 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 23rd, 24th and 25th essays. This gave them an overall final total score of 14.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Onchan (14) ▲ 2nd Peel (5) ▼ 3rd Port St. Mary (1)

Game 5 - On the Stilts

The fifth game - ‘On the Stilts’ - was played in unison over 2 minutes 15 seconds duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team equipped with a pair of stilts with rounded bases. The two male competitors were located at the start line whilst the female was located at the other end of the course. On the whistle, the first male had to use the stilts to walk down the 50ft (15.24m) course to the finishing line. The female then had to attach a rope which was around her waist to a clip on the belt around his. They then had to walk back to the start line in tandem. Once both had crossed the start line, the third competitor was connected by rope to the second, and then all three had to walk back to the finish line behind one another. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset of this strength-sapping game, Port St. Mary took an early lead but following a mishap, they were overtaken by Peel who reached the end of the course after 30 seconds of elapsed time followed by Onchan in 32 seconds and Port St. Mary in 34 seconds. Peel appeared to lose time whilst turning around and this permitted Onchan to take the lead and reach the second turnaround point after 1 minute 11 seconds followed by Peel and Port St. Mary. Despite having a slender lead, Onchan began to falter and this permitted Peel to overtake them and complete the game in 2 minutes 1 second. Onchan regained their momentum and crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 12 seconds whilst Port St. Mary were still halfway down the course when the final whistle was blown.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (2pts awarded / 17pts total) 2nd Peel (3pts / 8pts) 3rd Port St. Mary (1pt / 6pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 5 - Water Board Run

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon featured Peel participating for the second and final time. The team scored a further 7 goals, from the twenty-four balls thrown, on their 6th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th and 23rd essays. This gave them an overall final total score of 12.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Onchan (14) 2nd Peel (12) 3rd Port St. Mary (1)

Comments: Despite Port St. Mary yet to play their Joker, following the confirmation of the score of Peel and with the current Marathon standings, Onchan had accumulated sufficient points to secure overall victory.

Game 6 - Drum Roll Tower

The sixth and penultimate game - ‘Drum Roll Tower’ - was played individually over two minutes 15 seconds duration and witnessed Peel presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team armed with eight large circular podia. On the whistle, the competitors had to roll the podia (two at a time) down the 50ft (15.24m) course and then place them on top of each other to build a tower. Once assembled, the two competitors then had to climb to the top of the tower and stand up to finish. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game which saw Peel finish in 1 minute 33 seconds and Port St. Mary do likewise in 2 minutes 7 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (--- awarded / 17pts total) 2nd Peel (6pts / Joker / 14pts) 3rd Port St. Mary (2pts / 8pts)

Marathon, Round 6 - Water Board Run

The sixth and final round of the Marathon saw Darlington participating for the second and final occasion and they caught, and placed in position, a further 12 discs from the 21 that were thrown. This gave the team an overall total score of 34 and they finished in 2nd place on the game.

Final Marathon Standings: 1st Onchan (14) 2nd Peel (12) 3rd Port St. Mary (8)

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (6pts awarded / 23pts total) 2nd Peel (4pts / 18pts) 3rd Port St. Mary (2pts / 10pts)

Game 7 - To the Rescue

The seventh and final game - ‘To the Rescue' - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a 20ft (6.1m) high net and two male competitors from each team armed with seven inflatable rings (six small and one large). On the whistle, the first competitor had to climb up and over the net whilst carrying a small ring. Once completed, he then had to hoop-la the ring over a 15ft (4.57m) high pole and return to the start whilst the second competitor repeated the game. Both competitors had to complete the game on three occasions until six small rings were over the pole. The first competitor then had to transport the large ring over the net and hoop-la it over the pole to finish the game. Only one competitor could be on the net at a time. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Despite Onchan having already secured victory, the other two teams did not sit on their laurels and put up a strong fight. But despite all of their efforts, Onchan took control of the game halfway through and finished in 2 minutes 47 seconds. Port St. Mary finished in 2nd place whilst Peel failed to complete the game within the permitted time.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Onchan (3pts awarded / 26pts total) 2nd Peel (1pt / 19pts) 3rd Port St. Mary (2pts / Joker / 14pts)

Comments: The finishing time of Port St. Mary could not be established due to the action being cut by an edit following Onchan securing their sixth game win of the heat. However, it could be seen in later shots that they had their large ring over the pole and Peel had only got six small rings over the pole.

Returning Teams and Competitors

Onchan team members William Christian, Brian Kane, Philip Kermode, Karen Lees and Peter Quayle all returned four years later to participate in It’s A Knockout for the successful Douglas team in 1979.

Records and Statistics

Winning every game apart from one, in which they came second, the Onchan team equalled Ely’s success of 1973 in the Domestic Heats by dropping just one point from a maximum score. This result also secured Onchan the Radio Times Trophy for 1975 for being the highest scoring team in the British Domestic heats.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1975

Heat 4

Event Staged: Sunday 4th May 1975, from 4.30pm
Venue: North of England Open-Air Museum, Beamish Park, Beamish, Stanley,
County Durham, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Friday 13th June 1975, 8.00-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Sunny

Teams: Berwick-upon-Tweed v. Consett (Derwentside) v. Darlington

Team Members (Full Squads):
Berwick-upon-Tweed - D. Bell, M. Black, Brian Boyd, Chris Budzynski, P. Close, Walter Currie, Liz Dixon, Jill Dudgeon, M. Graham, M. Longbone, K. Patterson, I. Punton, Sandra Reed, M. Robson, Fiona Scott, I. Smith Sr., I. Smith Jr., R. Tait, Fraser Thompson, Graham Thompson;
Consett (Derwentside) - David Eccles (Co-Team Coach), Colin White (Co-Team Coach), G. Alderton, Barry Chucsin, P. Cookson, G. Cox, D. Dixon, B. Dodds, J. Fenwick, Michael Fleck, Barry Fowler, Rachel Harrison, F. Holmes, W. Ledger, L. Middlemast, A. Newstead, S. Nicholson, J. Pogue, B. Richardson, D. Robbins, Christine Ross, J. Ross, Brian Slane, J. Thompson, C. Toner, Keith Walton, S. Whitton, William Wigham, J. Wilson, Malcolm Young;
Darlington - Malcolm Stringer (Team Captain), K. Robson (Team Coach), Douglas Bertelsen, James Blenkhorn, A. Blewitt, John Brockbanks, L. Coleby, S. Curnow, Margaret Davidson, I. Davies, B. Day, Helen Drew, M. Frazer (Team Captain during training), Stanley Garside, Jeffrey Graham, C. Graydon, E. Haigh, L. Hardy, G. Hartley, K. Jensen, Frank Johnson, A. Main, Janet McKee, Kay Metcalfe, Eddie Stock, David Stott, K. Taylor, J. Todd, Nancy Warnock, V. Weldon, C. Yeates.

Games (Official Titles): Drum Roll, Seesaw Numbers, Bobbin Race, Coal Truck, Porter's Truck Race, Skater's Balance and To the Rescue;
Marathon: Disc Throwing.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 D • Darlington ● ●
 B • Berwick-upon-Tweed
 C • Consett (Derwentside)

20 *
20
18

* Result decided by a throw of a dart. See ‘The Games in Detail’ section below

Darlington qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Engelberg, Switzerland:
staged on Tuesday 1st July 1975

The Host Town

Stanley, County Durham

Stanley is a former colliery town with a population of around 18,000 inhabitants in County Durham and is located 8 miles (13km) south-west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 13 miles (21km) west of Sunderland, 49 miles (79km) east of Carlisle and 74miles (119km) north of Leeds.

It is centred on a hilltop between Chester-le-Street and Consett and was first mentioned around 1211. However, some neolithic and Roman remains have been found in the area. The town's name is derived from the Old English for 'Stoney Field'.

Stanley was formerly divided into three distinct settlements - the main town of West Stanley and the mining villages of East and South Stanley. Through a process of gradual expansion, these have become amalgamated into one town, with East and South Stanley no longer officially used as town names.

The West Stanley Pit Disaster, one of the worst coal mining disasters in British history, took place at the Burns Pit mine at the West Stanley Colliery at 3.45pm on 16th February 1909 when over 160 people were killed. As flames shot more than 1,500ft into the air, thousands of men, women and children rushed to the colliery and immediately tried to get into the pit's workings. However, there was no trained rescue team available and no suitable equipment to remove wreckage - and no one knew where the trapped miners were located. It was only 14 hours later that the first survivors could be brought to safety. Meanwhile 168 miners lay dead underground, killed by the force of the explosion, from burns or carbon monoxide poisoning. In one street of 14 houses, 12 men had died.

The final toll included 59 under the age of 21, and as news of the disaster spread throughout the country, attempts to recover the bodies were being made day and night. The operation involved dozens of volunteers, including Frank Keegan and Joseph Snaith who were both hailed as heroes for the way they managed to keep calm among the other survivors and also for returning underground to help fellow pitmen and ponies escape. A tiny gold medal - the size of a 2p piece - was awarded to them both inscribed ‘for services with the relief parties at the West Stanley Colliery explosion, February 16, 1909’. Keegan was grandfather of ex-Liverpool and England footballer Kevin Keegan. In 1995, while Kevin Keegan was manager of Newcastle United F.C. (The Magpies), he unveiled a colliery wheel in Chester Road, Stanley, to commemorate the disaster.

Over recent decades, Stanley has suffered hard times economically, with the closure of the coal pits followed by the loss of major employers at Ever Ready, as well as the closure of both the British Steel plant and Shotley Bridge General Hospital in the neighbouring town of Consett. Local businesses in Stanley town centre were also significantly affected by the development of the giant MetroCentre shopping complex in nearby Gateshead, with local trade decreasing as a result.

In 2000, Stanley briefly garnered media attention in various British national tabloid newspapers as well as on BBC Radio when local curry house impresario Harresh Ramadan turned his Indian takeaway restaurant on Front Street into a fish-and-chip shop and renamed it Harry Ramadan's, a spoof on the more famous and well-known chain started by Harry Ramsden (1888-1963) in 1928, with signage in an identical font and colours. The Harry Ramsden's chain sued, citing breach of copyright, with Ramadan backing down shortly after the national publicity had subsided. Soon thereafter, the shop took on new ownership and adopted the new name Jump 4 Joy's before closing down entirely in 2001.

The Visiting Towns

Berwick-upon-Tweed is a town with a population of around 14,000 in the county of Northumberland and is located 63 miles (101km) north of Stanley.

Consett is a town with a population of around 26,000 inhabitants in County Durham and is located 6 miles (10km) west of Stanley.

Darlington is a town with a population of around 94,000 inhabitants in County Durham and is located 25 miles (40km) north of Stanley.

The Venue

North of England Open-Air Museum

Image © Alys Hayes, 2022

The games were played in the grounds of the open-air museum at Beamish Park located 1¾miles (3km) north-east of Stanley. The museum, which has been 96% self-funding for some years (mainly from admission charges), was first opened to the public in 1972 with the objective to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural North-East England at the climax of industrialisation in the early 20th century. Much of the restoration and interpretation is specific to the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, together with portions of countryside under the influence of industrial revolution in 1825. On its 300 acres (1.2 km²) estate, it utilises a mixture of translocated, original and replica buildings and a huge collection of artefacts, working vehicles and equipment as well as livestock and costumed interpreters.

Although the museum was first proposed in 1958, it was not fully established until 1970 under director Frank Atkinson (1924-2014). Atkinson, realising that the region's traditional industries of coal-mining, shipbuilding and iron and steel manufacture were disappearing along with the communities that served them, was anxious to preserve the customs, traditions and ways of speech of the region. He said, "It is essential that collecting be carried out quickly and on as big a scale as possible. It is now almost too late." Atkinson adopted a policy of ‘unselective collecting’ stating "you offer it to us and we will collect it." The people of the region responded with donations of all kinds ranging from small everyday objects to steam engines and shops, filling an entire army camp of 22 huts and hangars at Brancepeth located 10 miles (16km) south of the park.

The first exhibition was held in Beamish Hall in 1971, and the present site was opened to visitors for the first time in 1972 with the railway station and colliery winding engine being erected the following year. The current site, once belonging to the Eden and Shafto families, is a basin-shaped steep-sided valley with woodland areas, a river, some level ground and a south-facing aspect. Since 1986 visitors have entered through an entrance arch formed by a steam hammer, across a former opencast mining site and through a converted stable block. In 2012 the museum acquired a block of prefabricated houses from Kibblesworth which were originally designed by Sir Edwin Airey (1878-1955). It is intended that these will be part of a 1950s exhibition area.

The town area, officially opened in 1985, depicts chiefly Victorian buildings in an evolved urban setting of 1913. These include the Annfield Plain Co-Operative store, a dentist's surgery and solicitor’s office, a pub (The Sun Inn from Bishop Auckland), town stables and carriage shed, a branch office of the Sunderland Daily Echo, a sweet shop, a garage, a branch of Barclays Bank (using components from the old Southport and Gateshead branches) and a Masonic temple (from Sunderland). It also has its own bakery which opened in 2014, and future plans for the town include a shopping arcade, a dispensing chemist as well as fire and police stations and other municipal buildings.

Team Selection and Training

The Consett (Derwentside) team began their team selection process towards the end of January 1975, when the Council of the recently-formed District of Derwentside invited applications for squad membership. Those interested had to be over 16 years of age and resident in the Derwentside area and were asked to submit details of their sporting capabilities. A total of 126 applications were received and these were vetted by Colin White, the Physical Education Instructor at the Consett Technical College, and David Eccles, a Physical Education Instructor at Greencroft Secondary School. A total of 34 of the applicants were invited to form a training squad.

The responsibility for coaching the team was given to Colin White, who in addition to his profession, was also a member of the Gosforth Rugby Football Club and the England Rugby 15 Squad and listed his interests as discus throwing, volleyball and mountain rescue. Other well qualified members of the squad included Keith Walton, who won a medal in the swimming events in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, and Brian Slane, who had enjoyed several successful seasons playing football in the Northern League and was in 1975 playing for Blyth Spartans.

Training sessions were held twice-weekly at the Consett Technical College. Having assessed the capabilities of the training squad in relation to the type of games to be played in the It's A Knockout programme, the squad was reduced from 34 members to 20 for the final period of intensive training.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

During the opening introduction, the teams arrived in one of the brown and beige museum trams. Built in 1925 in Gateshead, the tram had last seen public service in 1961 until its restoration for the museum.

Game 1 - Drum Roll

The first game - 'Drum Roll' - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Darlington presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team equipped with a narrow drum and a 50ft (15.24m) straight course which had 14 balloons placed along its length. On the whistle, the male competitor, whilst crouched down inside, had to roll the drum forward down the course and burst the balloons along the way. Once he had reached the end of the course, the male competitor had to get out of the drum and the female had to take his place. She then had to roll the drum back up the course to the start line to finish the game. The competitors had to remain inside the drum at all times. The team bursting all the balloons in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

This was a very simple and straightforward game which saw Darlington take the lead from the outset. However, by the midway mark of the course, they had lost their momentum and this had permitted Berwick-upon-Tweed to overtake them and reach the turnaround point after 1 minute 8 seconds of elapsed time. The female competitor then took full control of the game and finished in 1 minute 27 seconds. After some mishaps bursting their final balloons, Darlington completed the course in 1 minute 50 seconds followed by Consett in 1 minute 56 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Darlington (4pts awarded / Joker / 4pts total) 2nd Berwick-upon-Tweed (3pts / 3pts) 3rd Consett (Derwentside) (1pt / 1pt)

Comments: This game was originally scheduled to be third in the running order and was noted as such in the souvenir programme for the event. In this heat, and without any explanation, a plain yellow disc was placed next to the team’s name on the scoreboard once they had played their Joker.

Marathon, Round 1 - Disc Throwing

The next game - Disc Throwing' - was the Marathon which was played alternately by each team on two occasions. It featured three competitors (one male and two females) from each team and a large pool with a floating podium at its centre. Whilst the two females were located outside the pool and facing each other from opposite sides, the male competitor was standing on two small 6-inch (15.24cm) high wooden blocks on top of the podium. On the whistle, the first female had to throw a flat disc to the male to catch. He then had to place the disc underneath one of his feet and on top of the block. The game then had to be repeated by the second female and then throughout permitted time. Discs had to be thrown alternately by the females and only discs caught cleanly would be counted. The team with the greater aggregate score over their two essays would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

The first round, which was played over two minutes duration, saw the participation of Berwick-upon-Tweed and their competitor caught, and placed in position, 23 of the 25 discs thrown.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Berwick-upon-Tweed (23)

Comments: The competitor of Berwick-upon-Tweed caught and secured all the first twenty-three discs thrown at him. It was only when presenter Eddie Waring began the final seven seconds countdown of time that he faltered and failed to secure either of the final two discs thrown!

Game 2 - Seesaw Numbers

The second game - 'Seesaw Numbers' - was played individually over 1 minute 45 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a seesaw pivoted on top of a high pyramid-shaped framework. On the ground and on one side of the seesaw, there were seven discs randomly numbered from 1 to 7. Located at the other side of the game was an upright pole with seven hooks along its length. On the whistle, the competitors had to work together, and whilst the first acted as the ‘animator’ of the seesaw by moving it up and down and from left to right, the second had to collect the disc with the number one on it. The first competitor then had to swing the seesaw around and counterweight his team-mate in order for him to place the disc on the lowest of the seven hooks. The game then had to be repeated until all the seven discs had been placed on the pole in the correct order reading from top to bottom. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Berwick-upon-Tweed and secured the first six numbers correctly after 14, 32, 49, 61, 77 and 91 seconds of elapsed time respectively. The final disc (numbered seven), to complete the game, was secured in 1 minute 45 seconds.

The second heat featured Consett and they used a completely different method to execute the game. Whilst their rivals had the ‘animator’ moving the seesaw and the ‘static’ competitor collecting the discs, the competitors of Consett opted to reverse their actions. The competitor moving the seesaw was also the one that collected the discs whilst the other competitor was used purely as a counterweight throughout. This method had clearly been well thought out and worked to their advantage. After securing the first six discs after 10, 19, 34, 47, 62 and 74 seconds of elapsed time respectively, the team completed the game with the seventh disc being placed on its hook in 1 minute 27 seconds.

Marathon, Round 2 - Disc Throwing

The second round of the Marathon featured Consett and their competitor caught, and placed in position, 26 of the 32 discs thrown.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Consett (Derwentside) (26) 2nd Berwick-upon-Tweed (23) ▼

Game 3 - Bobbin Race

The third game - 'Bobbin Race' - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a large bobbin. In the middle of a large circle of 18 plastic barrels, there was a pole which had been inserted into the ground. Attached to the pole was one end of a rope, the other end of which had been wound onto a bobbin located over the shoulders and around the waist of the male competitor. Before the game was started, the male competitor was blindfolded. On the whistle, the female had to remain in the certain of the circle and shout instructions to her male team-mate to unwind the bobbin, in order for him to reach the perimeter of the circle and collect a barrel. Once collected, the game had to be played in reverse to bring the barrel back to the centre. The game then had to be repeated throughout. The team collecting the greater number of barrels would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

This was an amusing and straightforward game but difficult to judge the progress of each team from a television viewer’s perspective. However, at the end of permitted time, the results were announced and Berwick-upon-Tweed had collected 4 barrels, Consett had collected 3 barrels and Darlington had collected 5 barrels.

Marathon, Round 3 - Disc Throwing

The third round of the Marathon featured Darlington and their competitor caught, and placed in position, 22 of the 27 discs thrown.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Consett (Derwentside) (26) 2nd Berwick-upon-Tweed (23) 3rd Darlington (22)

Game 4 - Coal Truck

The fourth game - 'Coal Truck' - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team equipped with and sitting in a small coal truck on four wheels. On the whistle, the competitors had to pull on a rope which was attached to the end of the course in order to move the truck up a 50ft (15.24m) course comprised of two small hillocks. When they reached the base of the first hillock, both competitors had to get out of the truck and collect two sacks of coal (in reality sand). They then had to place the sacks in the truck, climb back in and pull themselves over the hillock. The same procedure had to be repeated at the second hillock and then the truck had to be pulled to the end of the course. The collected sacks then had to be removed from the truck and placed on the ground. The competitors then had to push the truck back to the start and repeat the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

This was a straightforward game, but was designed to be executed by strong competitors and it lived up to that reputation. Although both teams were neck and neck throughout, it was Berwick-upon-Tweed that had the edge over Darlington and they completed the first outward journey after 49 seconds of elapsed time followed by Darlington in 59 seconds. After both teams had raced back to the start, this strength-sapping game really came into its own. With Berwick-upon-Tweed having an eight-second lead, they began their second journey and filled their truck with the first set of sacks after 1 minute 21 seconds with Darlington doing likewise in 1 minute 32 seconds. With their lead now extended to eleven seconds, Berwick-upon-Tweed reached the second and final hillock and loaded their truck after 1 minute 48 seconds with Darlington, trailing further behind, doing likewise in 2 minutes 7 seconds. Now with a nineteen-second lead over their rivals, all Berwick-upon-Tweed needed to do was to pull the truck over the hillock and to the end of the course to secure the victory. However by this stage of the game, both sets of competitors had been drained of all their energy and neither could traverse the hillock. Although the teams had failed to complete the game, both of them had collected the same total number of sacks and were in the exact place on the course at the end of permitted time. In announcing the result, referee Arthur Ellis declared both the teams as winners.

Marathon, Round 4 - Disc Throwing

The fourth round of the Marathon saw the time increased to 2 minutes 15 seconds duration and the height of the blocks, on which the competitor stood, increased to 18 inches (45.72cm). It featured Berwick-upon-Tweed participating for the second and final occasion and, at the end of permitted time, they had caught and placed in position, a further 17 discs from the 19 thrown. This gave them an overall total score of 40.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Berwick-upon-Tweed (40) ▲ 2nd Consett (Derwentside) (26) ▼ 3rd Darlington (22)

Game 5 - Porter's Truck Race

The fifth game - 'Porter’s Truck Race' - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team equipped with a porter’s truck which had an off-centre axle. On the whistle, the two males had to push the truck down the 100ft (30.48m) course whilst the female, armed with two buckets, sat on board. At the end of the course, the female had to dismount and fill the buckets with water from a large tub. She then had to climb back on board the truck and stand up whilst it was pulled back to the start of the course. The female then had to dismount once more and empty any water remaining in the buckets into a large measuring container. The game then had to be repeated throughout. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

This was a straightforward game which ended with Consett finishing in 1st place, Berwick-upon-Tweed in 2nd place and Darlington in 3rd place.

Marathon, Round 5 - Disc Throwing

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon saw Consett participating for the second and final occasion and, after just three discs had been placed on the blocks, their competitor lost his balance and tumbled into the pool. Despite him recomposing himself and starting the game again, at the end of permitted time, he had only caught and placed in position, a further 6 discs from the 9 that were thrown. This gave the team an overall total score of 32.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Berwick-upon-Tweed (40) 2nd Consett (Derwentside) (32) 3rd Darlington (22)

Game 6 - Skater's Balance

The sixth and penultimate game - ‘Skater’s Balance’ - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Consett presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three competitors (one male and two females) from each team and a large net. Whilst the male competitor was wearing roller-skates and standing on a podium, the two females were attached by elasticated ropes around his waist. On the whistle, the two females had to run away from the podium and collect a ball from a large container on their side of the game, ensuring parity in the tension of their individual ropes. They then had to return to the podium, again keeping the tension of each rope equal, and then throw the ball into the net being held by the male competitor. The game then had to be repeated throughout. If the male fell from the podium, any balls in play on that essay would be discarded. Any balls that were caught in the net but later fell out would still be counted. The team collecting the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Consett and they collected a total of 29 balls.

The second heat featured Darlington and their male competitor was not as agile on roller-skates as his rival in the previous heat and they could only collect a total of 26 balls.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Consett (Derwentside) (6pts awarded / Joker / 14pts total) ▲ 2nd Darlington (2pts / 13pts) 3rd Berwick-upon-Tweed (--- / 12pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 6 - Disc Throwing

The sixth and final round of the Marathon saw Darlington participating for the second and final occasion and they caught, and placed in position, a further 12 discs from the 21 that were thrown. This gave the team an overall total score of 34 and they finished in 2nd place on the game.

Final Marathon Standings: 1st Berwick-upon-Tweed (40) 2nd Darlington (34) ▲ 3rd Consett (Derwentside) (32) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Berwick-upon-Tweed (6pts awarded / 18pts total) ▲ 2nd Darlington (4pts / 17pts) 3rd Consett (Derwentside) (2pts / 16pts) ▼

Game 7 - To the Rescue

The seventh and final game - ‘To the Rescue' - was played in unison over a scheduled three minutes duration and featured a 20ft (6.1m) high net and two male competitors from each team armed with seven inflatable rings (six small and one large). On the whistle, the first competitor had to climb up and over the net whilst carrying a small ring. Once completed, he then had to hoop-la the ring over a 15ft (4.57m) high pole and return to the start whilst the second competitor repeated the game. Both competitors had to complete the game on three occasions until six small rings were over the pole. The first competitor then had to transport the large ring over the net and hoop-la it over the pole to finish the game. Only one competitor could be on the net at a time. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC, 1975

It appeared that Berwick-upon-Tweed had this contest sewn up before the start of this game. Leading Darlington by 1pt on the master scoreboard and playing their Joker, nothing could surely get in their way of victory. However, the team’s nightmare was about to begin after their two competitors struggled to get the first two rings over the pole and this permitted Consett and Darlington to open up a sizeable lead. Having recovered from their mishap, Berwick-upon-Tweed now needed to overtake Consett as it could be seen that victory was going to be Darlington’s. This was confirmed after they completed the game in 2 minutes 15 seconds. It was now a straight race for second place between the remaining two teams and by this point Berwick-upon-Tweed had closed the deficit on Consett and both ascended the net with their final ring together. But it was not to be Berwick-upon-Tweed’s day as, again, their competitors struggled to hoop-la the ring over the pole and this delay permitted Consett to finish in 2nd place in 3 minutes 6 seconds with Berwick-upon-Tweed finally completing the game in 3 minutes 9 seconds (although referee Arthur Ellis had blown the final whistle following Consett’s finish).

Tie-Break - Dart Throw

The tie-break - Dart Throw' - would decide the contest winner with a single dart throw. Berwick-upon-Tweed were given the option as to go first or second and their team manager opted for the latter. The Darlington team manager stood up to the oche and scored with a single 16 = 16. The Berwick-upon-Tweed player then took his throw and missed the board completely!

After this contest had appeared to be a sure bet victory for Berwick-upon-Tweed before the final game, the final outcome turned into one of the greatest shocks and disasters ever witnessed in It’s A Knockout.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Darlington (0pts awarded / Dart Throw Won / 20pts total) 2nd Berwick-upon-Tweed (0pts / 20pts) ▼ 3rd Consett (Derwentside) (0pts / 18pts)

Additional Information

After three consecutive heats with wet and dull weather, the sun finally shone down on the programme and saw the games played without any hindrance.

The team of Consett was actually representing the local borough of Derwentside, which was included on the team’s name on the scoreboard. Created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, Derwentside comprised mainly of the towns of Consett and Stanley, but the borough was abolished in 2009 after which it was amalgamated into the newly-created Durham County Council. Incidentally, the name of Derwentside, and not Consett, was also clearly printed on the tops of the team members’ track suits.

At the time of recording, the Stockton and Darlington Railway was celebrating its sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary and to this end the closing credits were shown over a model of Locomotion No.1 on the tracks at the Beamish Museum. This was the first steam locomotive to haul a passenger-carrying train on a public railway, the aforementioned S & DR. The original engine built by George Stephenson (1781-1848) and his son George (1803-1859) in 1825 is now preserved at Darlington’s Railway Centre and Museum.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1975

Heat 5

Event Staged: Sunday 11th May 1975 at 4.45pm
Venue: Gourock Park, Gourock, Strathclyde, Scotland

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Friday 20th June 1975, 8.00-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Sunny with Strong Gusts of Wind

Teams: Ayr v. Gourock v. Kilmarnock

Team Members included:
Ayr - Jim Bicker, Lindsey Boyd, Jennifer Dudley, Laurence 'Laurie' Hood, Derek McMurray, Robin Murray, Brian Picken, Peter Smedley, Graham Stanley, Kay Stevenson, Ricky Taylor, Frank Taggart, Sandy Wilson;
Gourock - Rudi Stetz (Team Coach), John Canning, Jacqueline Duddey, Gordon Hepburn, Peter Jack, John McIlroy, John McIntyre, Christine Stetz, John Wilson;
Kilmarnock - Sean Anderson, Gordon Black, Philip Brown, Michael Crane, Derek Guthrie, James Harvey, Lesley Martin, Ann Mattison, Joanne Miller, Robert Old.

Games: High Baskets, Swinging Barrel Stack, Stepping Stones, Balloon Swat, Milk Crate Tower, Ball Tripod and To the Rescue;
Marathon: Punch-Bag Walk.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 K • Kilmarnock ● ●
 A • Ayr
 G • Gourock

24
23
16

Kilmarnock qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Mannheim, West Germany:
staged on Tuesday 15th July 1975

The Host Town

Gourock, Strathclyde

Gourock is a town and former seaside resort with a population of around 11,500 inhabitants in the council area of Inverclyde. It is located on the Firth of Clyde, 23 miles (37km) north-west of Glasgow, 61 miles (98km) south of Fort William, 74 miles 119km north of Stranraer and 143 miles (230km) north-west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Its principal function today is as a popular residential area, extending contiguously from Greenock. Its name derives from Scottish Gaelic meaning pimple-shaped or rounded hill.

In 1494, it is recorded that James IV (1473-1513) sailed from the shore at Gourock to quell the rebellious Highland clans. Two hundred years later, William III (1650-1702) and Mary II (1662-1694) granted a Charter which raised Gourock to a Burgh. In 1784, the lands of Gourock were purchased by Duncan Darroch, a former merchant in Jamaica.

From a small fishing village in the traditional county of Renfrewshire, Gourock grew into a community involved in herring curing, copper mining, rope making, quarrying and latterly yacht-building and repairing. When the competing railway companies extended their lines to provide fast connections to Clyde steamer services, the Pierhead was built as a railway terminus.

Like many Scottish seaside towns, Gourock's tourist heyday was in the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth. Evidence of this part of its past is gradually disappearing - The Bay Hotel and Cragburn Pavilion and The Ashton, three local landmarks, disappeared towards the end of the last century. At the same time, Gourock has continued to expand along the coastline, with new estates above the medieval Castle Levan which has been restored and is in use as a bed and breakfast.

Gourock's principal industry, apart from tourism and fishing, was small craft repair and chandlery. An eponymous ropework opened in the town but later moved to Port Glasgow. More recently Amazon.com opened a distribution centre at Faulds Park, an industrial estate to the south of the town. The Amazon building was originally occupied by Mimtec who manufactured PC products in high volumes for IBM.

The megalithic Kempock Stone, popularly known as ‘Granny Kempock Stone’, stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street, the main shopping street. The superstition was that for sailors going on a long voyage or a couple about to be married, walking seven times around the stone would ensure good fortune.

Gourock has one of the only three remaining public outdoor swimming pools in Scotland. Built in 1909, it measures 109ft x 49ft (33.2m x 14.9m) with a maximum depth of 11ft (3.3m). Originally it was tidal and had a sandy floor, but after reconstruction in 1969, when a new heating system was installed, water taken from the River Clyde has been used. Filtered and cleaned, the water is maintained at a minimum temperature of 29°C (84°F) allowing the lido to open from May until the first week in September.

The town witnessed tragedy in the early hours of 21st October 1825, when the steamer Ayr ran into the paddle-steamer PS Comet II, with 62 of the estimated 80 passengers on board, losing their lives. One of the fatalities was the son-in-law of John Anderson (1759-1832), a friend of Robert Burns (1759-1796).

At the time of transmission, Gourock was located in the newly-formed (1975) region of Strathclyde. However, following the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act of 1994, the region was abolished and Gourock became part of the new council area of Inverclyde on 1st April 1996.

The Visiting Towns

Ayr is a town with a population of around 47,000 inhabitants in the council area of South Ayrshire and is located 35 miles (56km) south of Gourock.

Kilmarnock is a town with a population of around 48,000 inhabitants in the council area of East Ayrshire and is located 27 miles (43km) south-east of Gourock.

The Venue

Gourock Park

The games were played in front of the clubhouse in Gourock Park, which was gifted to the town by the Darroch family in 1939. Duncan Darroch, a former merchant in Jamaica, built Gourock House near the site of Gourock Castle, the seat of the barony of Finnart-Stewart, which stood above the town of Gourock. The castle was pulled down about 1747.

In 1856, the site was pointed out by Major Darroch who stated that a few stones, visible near the edge of the Gourock Burn, formed part of the original foundations. The stones from the castle were used to build a home for Major Darroch and his family. The grounds of which were laid out as formal lawns, walled gardens and an exotic display of flora and fauna collected and gifted to the family. One of the jewels in the family gardens was the formal swan pond which was fed from the then crystal clear Gourock Burn, a once popular trout fishing river. The family enjoyed picnics and walks within the extensive grounds.

In 1939, the house fell into a state of disrepair and was eventually demolished and, like the castle before, nothing now remains. The Darroch family then gifted the grounds of the house to the then Burgh of Gourock to be used for the enjoyment of the people and was renamed Gourock Park by the council.

Nowadays, the park is still a source of great enjoyment to the young and elderly alike. The formal walled gardens contain a children’s pet area and seating for visitors to relax and enjoy the bright colours of the immaculate flowerbeds and neatly trimmed hedges which are maintained to a very high standard by the park staff. The park also boasts a bowling green, putting green and three tennis courts. In spring, the walk through the mature wooded area is carpeted with bluebells and as soon as they are dying back the daffodils are pushing through to provide another show of spring colour. The formal swan pond whilst not as grand as it once was still provides a small haven for ducks and in the summer, a family of yellow wagtails.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

This heat opened with Scottish strongman Douglas Morris Edmunds (1944-2020), standing at 6ft 4ins (1.93m) tall, having very little difficulty in tossing a 20ft (6.1m) long, 224lb / 2cwt (101.6kg) caber in the arena.

He was born in Rottenrow Maternity Hospital, Glasgow, one of four children, brother to John, Amy and Eva. His parents were John and Izabella. His father’s surname was Morris but he adopted his mother’s maiden name to avoid detection as a deserter and active Scottish Nationalist during wartime.

Edmunds, who wrote a cheekily titled autobiography in 1983 called The World's Greatest Tosser, was a seven-time Scottish shot and discus champion and twice the World Caber Tossing Champion in the 1970s. In 1977, he co-founded The World's Strongest Men competition (later The World's Strongest Man), an international strongman tournament which has become an annual event on the sports calendar and is televised across the globe.

Game 1 - High Baskets

The first game - ‘High Baskets' - was played in unison over 2 minute 30 seconds duration and featured five competitors (four males and one female) from each team armed with a small portable square trampoline. Above the competitors, at the start of the game, was a 20ft (6.1m) high scaffold from which ten footballs were hanging. On the whistle, the male competitors had to raise the trampoline, on which the female was crouching, above their heads. The female then had to stand up in order to grab one of the footballs. If successful, the males then had to run the length of the 50ft (15.24m) course, ensuring that the female stayed aloft the trampoline. On reaching the end of the course, the female then had to hurl the football upwards and into an elongated open-ended net, which was hanging from a high pole, in order for it to drop into a wooden framework on the ground. The game then had to be repeated throughout. If the ball hit any part of the framework but did not go into the net, the female had to dismount the trampoline and collect the ball before remounting and trying again. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward, but fast-paced game which saw Ayr taking the lead after getting their football into the net after 15 seconds of elapsed time. They were followed by Kilmarnock after 27 seconds and Gourock after 32 seconds. Contemporaneously, Ayr had already returned to the end of the course but their accuracy for throwing was not as good as with their first ball and this permitted Kilmarnock to take the lead after 56 seconds after scoring their second goal. Ayr eventually scored their second goal after 60 seconds followed by a third after 1 minute 22 seconds with Kilmarnock doing likewise seven seconds later. Gourock, who had been struggling to score, bagged their second goal after 1 minute 32 seconds with Ayr scoring their fourth after 1 minute 45 seconds. Another goal was scored by Gourock after 1 minute 57 seconds of elapsed time and Kilmarnock drew level with Ayr after scoring their fourth goal after 2 minutes 18 seconds. With permitted time quickly elapsing, Gourock scored their fourth goal after 2 minutes 21 seconds and Ayr scraped in and scored their fifth, and the winning goal, after 2 minutes 26 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Ayr (3pts awarded / 3pts total) =2nd Gourock (2pts / 2pts) =2nd Kilmarnock (2pts / 2pts)

Marathon, Round 1 - Across the Bridge

The next game - ‘Across the Bridge’ - was the Marathon which was played alternately over 2 minutes 15 seconds duration by each team on two occasions. It featured two male competitors from each team and a large pool which was spanned by a wooden slatted bridge. In front of the pool was a large hoop attached to the top of a pole and standing at the rear of the pool were two opposition male team members (one from the other two teams) each armed with a large swinging punch bag. On the whistle, the first competitor had to make his way to the middle of the bridge and stop. A male team-mate then had to throw a football towards him from outside the pool. The competitor then had to head the ball through the hoop to score a goal. At the same time, the opposition had to swing the punch bags at the competitor to try and knock him off the bridge and into the pool. The competitors could only score one goal at a time but could remain in play on the bridge until successful or until displaced by the opposition. Once a goal had been scored (or a dunking had occurred), the second competitor then had to participate in the same manner. The game then had to be repeated throughout. Competitors had to remain standing at all times and could not touch the bridge with their hands to steady themselves. The team scoring the greater aggregate number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first round saw the participation of Ayr and they scored 5 goals, from the twenty-two balls thrown, on their 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 13th and 16th essays.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Ayr (5)

Game 2 - Swinging Barrel Stack

The second game - 'Swinging Barrel Stack' - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Gourock presenting their Joker for play (see also ‘Team Personnel’ section below). The game featured a male competitor from each team and a concrete ball attached to a rope hanging down from a high scaffold. At the start of the game, each competitor was standing adjacent to a tower of three weighted plastic barrels. On the whistle, the competitor had to add further barrels to the tower until it was too high to continue. He then had to ascend the rope with the next barrel in order to place it on top of the tower. He then had to descend the rope to collect the next barrel and ascend the rope again. He then had to repeat this procedure throughout. However, the competitor had to ensure that whilst climbing and descending the rope, he did not permit it to swing too much as the concrete ball could knock the tower over. The team with the higher tower at the end of permitted time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward but exciting game of skill and nerve which saw the competitors somewhat hampered by the windy conditions. After building the tower to six barrels high, Gourock were ahead of Ayr and both competitors then had to use the ropes to build further. Gourock placed their seventh barrel on top of their tower after 46 seconds of elapsed time whilst Ayr were struggling to get high enough up the rope to do likewise. Although the Gourock competitor climbed the rope with his eighth barrel, Ayr had still not secured their seventh. He then had to make a decision to either stay safe with seven barrels, and hope that Ayr would not go higher, or try to build further to ensure outright victory. Unfortunately, he took the latter option and after placing the eighth barrel on top of the tower, the wind being experienced across the arena took its toll on the game and caused the tower to topple to the ground. With just 22 seconds of time remaining, Gourock frantically began to rebuild their tower, whilst Ayr had already decided that six barrels was high enough and waited with bated breath to see if Gourock could recover. Miraculously, the Gourock competitor was able to build the tower once more and placed the sixth barrel on the tower after 1 minute 59 seconds and the game was declared a draw.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Gourock (6pts awarded / Joker / 8pts total) ▲ 2nd Ayr (3pts / 6pts) ▼ 3rd Kilmarnock (--- / 2pts) ▼

Comments: Whilst the points were being awarded, presenter Stuart Hall explained that the plain yellow discs adjacent to the names of the teams on the scoreboard, which had mysteriously appeared in the previous heat and now embossed with the letter ‘J’, signified that the team had played the Joker.

Marathon, Round 2 - Across the Bridge

The second round of the Marathon featured Gourock and they scored 5 goals, from the twenty-one balls thrown, on their 1st, 5th, 6th, 11th and 21st essays.

Running Marathon Standings: =1st Ayr (5) =1st Gourock (5)

Game 3 - Stepping Stones

The third game - 'Stepping Stones' - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Ayr presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team standing on one of a pair of large circular podia. The two podia were attached at their centres by a rope. On the whistle, the competitors had to pull the trailing podium around so that it would now be in front. They then had to jump onto the second podium and pull the now-empty podium around and in front of them They then had to repeat the game throughout until they reached the end of the 100ft (30.48m) course. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which saw Ayr take the lead from the outset. Having reached the end of the course first, Ayr completed the game in 1 minute 12 seconds followed by Kilmarnock in 2nd place in 1 minute 30 seconds and Gourock finished in 3rd place in 1 minute 34 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Ayr (6pts awarded / Joker / 12pts total) ▲ 2nd Gourock (1pt / 9pts) ▼ 3rd Kilmarnock (2pts / 4pts)

Marathon, Round 3 - Across the Bridge

The third round of the Marathon featured Kilmarnock and they scored 7 goals, from the twenty balls thrown, on their 3rd, 5th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 19th essays.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Kilmarnock (7) =2nd Ayr (5) ▼ =2nd Gourock (5) ▼

Game 4 - Balloon Swat

The fourth game - 'Balloon Swat' - was played individually over 2 minutes 15 seconds duration and featured a 30ft (9.14m) long greased board and two male competitors from each team tied around the waist by elasticated ropes. Located along the left-hand side of the board were two scaffold supports from which a trapeze wire had been stretched. Hanging down from the wire were 21 balloons (ten from short lengths of twine and eleven from longer lengths). At the top of the right-hand side of the game was a corrugated stepping board. On the whistle, the first competitor had to run up the right-hand side of the game, using the corrugated board to assist him in reaching the top edge of the greased course. He then had to step onto the greased board and release his foothold so that the elasticated rope pulled him back down to the start. In doing so, he had to swat the balloons with a carpet beater. The second competitor then had to repeat the procedure. They then played alternately until the end of permitted time. Balloons could only be burst using the beater and whilst the competitors were on the greased board. The team bursting the greater number of balloons would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward and simple game saw the participation of Kilmarnock and although they removed nineteen balloons from the wires, only 12 were deemed to have been removed in the correct manner.

The second heat featured Ayr and they also removed nineteen balloons from the wires, but only 12 were deemed to have been removed in the correct manner.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Ayr (3pts awarded / 15pts total) 2nd Gourock (--- / 9pts) 3rd Kilmarnock (3pts / 7pts)

Marathon, Round 4 - Across the Bridge

The fourth round of the Marathon featured Ayr participating for the second and final occasion and they scored a further 9 goals, from the twenty-five balls thrown, on their 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd and 25th essays. This gave them an overall total score of 14.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Ayr (14) ▲ 2nd Kilmarnock (7) ▼ 3rd Gourock (5) ▼

Game 5 - Milk Crate Tower

The fifth game - 'Milk Crate Tower' - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three competitors (one male and two females) from each team armed with a total of 28 milk crates. On the whistle, the first female had to throw a crate forward to her female team-mate, who then had to throw it to the male competitor who was standing between two large foam rubber mattresses. He then had to place the crate on the ground and stand on it. The team then had to repeat the game with the male placing the second crate next to the first on the ground. The same procedure then had to be adopted with each additional crate, in order for a twin tower of fourteen crates to be constructed. The male competitor had to remain on top of the crates at all times. If the tower collapsed at any time, the team had to reconstruct it to the height it was at the point of disaster before continuing further. The team with the higher tower at the end of permitted time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which ended with an unexpected result. From the outset, Ayr took command of the game and built a twin tower comprised of 24 crates (12 equal levels) whilst the other two teams were slightly behind with 22 crates (11 levels) each. However, on catching the 25th crate after 2 minutes 8 seconds of elapsed time, the male competitor from Ayr began to wobble and lose his balance which saw the two towers parting and then toppling to the ground. Although the team rushed in to try to reconstruct the towers, permitted time was running out. The other two teams, now both on 24 crates each, and having witnessed the disaster occurring next to them, slowed down and then opted to stay safe after reaching 26 crates (13 levels). Despite this, Kilmarnock opted for one more crate and their competitor stood atop it on the last second of the game. The result was announced and Kilmarnock had secured 27 crates whilst Gourock had secured 26 crates. Ayr were deemed out of time and given 0:0.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Ayr (1pt awarded / 16pts total) 2nd Gourock (2pts / 11pts) 3rd Kilmarnock (3pts / 10pts)

Comments: The male competitor for Kilmarnock on this game was a 16-year old, and he was the youngest competitor in the programme. His name though did not match this fact as it was Robert Old! This programme was staged during 1975, long before Health and Safety laws clamped down on activities that could result in injuries being sustained to participants. If played in more recent times, the safety set-up of the game equipment would no doubt be more rigorous or the game banned altogether!

Marathon, Round 5 - Across the Bridge

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon featured Gourock participating for the second and final occasion and they scored a further 7 goals, from the sixteen balls thrown, on their 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th and 14th essays. This gave them an overall total score of 12.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Ayr (14) 2nd Gourock (12) ▲ 3rd Kilmarnock (7) ▼

Game 6 - Ball Tripod

The sixth and penultimate game - 'Ball Tripod' - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Kilmarnock presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three competitors (one male and two females) from each team armed with three 20ft (6.1m) long poles, each with a circular block attached to the top. Along the 60ft (18.28m) course were three ski gates and at the end was a very large open hoop attached to the top of a 20ft high pole. On the whistle, the three competitors had to work together to lift a giant beach ball off the ground by enclosing it between the three blocks at the ends of the poles and then raising it aloft. They then had to move down the course whilst zigzagging between the three ski gates and then raising it high enough to be able to drop the ball through the hoop to score a goal. The team then had to return to the start and repeat the game throughout. If the ball dropped to the ground, the team could recompose themselves from that point. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Gourock but despite four attempts to drop the ball through the hoop after 58 seconds, 1 minute 21 seconds, 1 minute 53 seconds and 2 minutes 14 seconds respectively, none was fruitful and they were declared out of time and given 0:00.

The second heat featured Kilmarnock and despite two failed attempts at dropping the ball through the hoop after 1 minute 11 seconds and 1 minutes 34 seconds respectively, they scored the important winning goal after two minutes exactly. Although the team rushed back to the start it was obvious that they would not be able to score further within the permitted time. After the final whistle their score was confirmed as 1 goal.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Ayr (--- awarded / 16pts total) =1st Kilmarnock (6pts / Joker / 16pts) ▲ 3rd Gourock (2pts / 13pts) ▼

Comments: During the transmission of this heat, it was revealed that Kilmarnock had also played their Joker on this game during the morning rehearsals. On that occasion however, they were able to score two goals to secure victory.

Marathon, Round 6 - Across the Bridge

The sixth and final round of the Marathon saw Darlington participating for the second and final occasion and they caught, and placed in position, a further 12 discs from the 21 that were thrown. This gave the team an overall total score of 34 and they finished in 2nd place on the game.

Final Marathon Standings: 1st Kilmarnock (20) ▲ 2nd Ayr (14) ▼ 3rd Gourock (12) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Kilmarnock (6pts awarded / 22pts) 2nd Ayr (4pts / 20pts total) ▼ 3rd Gourock (2pts / 15pts)

Game 7 - To the Rescue

The seventh and final game - ‘To the Rescue' - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured a 20ft (6.1m) high net and two male competitors from each team armed with seven inflatable rings (six small and one large). On the whistle, the first competitor had to climb up and over the net whilst carrying a small ring. Once completed, he then had to hoop-la the ring over a 15ft (4.57m) high pole and return to the start whilst the second competitor repeated the game. Both competitors had to complete the game on three occasions until six small rings were over the pole. The first competitor then had to transport the large ring over the net and hoop-la it over the pole to finish the game. Only one competitor could be on the net at a time. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this game would witness a two-horse race between Ayr and Kilmarnock, it was Gourock that could upset the applecart and force a tie-break if they were able to split the teams. From the outset, Ayr took the lead and secured their first ring over the pole after 18 seconds of elapsed time followed by Kilmarnock and Gourock one second later. From this point onwards, Ayr began to open up and maintain a gap over their rivals and completed the game in 2 minutes 3 seconds with Kilmarnock finishing in 2nd place in 2 minutes 8 seconds and Gourock finishing in 3rd place in 2 minutes 18 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Kilmarnock (2pts awarded / 24pts) 2nd Ayr (3pts / 23pts total) 3rd Gourock (1pt / 16pts)

Comments: This was the first time in the series that all three teams had completed this game within the permitted time of three minutes.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

Being in Scotland, presenter Stuart Hall introduced Eddie Waring and referee Arthur Ellis as Eddie McWaring and Arthur McEllis.

Team Personnel

The Gourock team coach was German-born Rudi Stetz (1926-2019). He had been living in Scotland for twenty years, and had developed a Scots accent. He was looking forward to taking his team to the West German heat of Jeux Sans Frontières in Mannheim, but sadly this was not to be. Rudi was born in a town called Geishewald in Germany in 1926, which was renamed and is now part of Poland. During World War II (1939-1945) at the age of 17, he was shot in France and found himself a prisoner of war in America. After the conflict, he made his way to Europe and settled in London. It was there that he met his future wife Barbara, a Gourock girl who was visiting her sister. They returned to her home town and lived together until Barbara passed away in 1994. During this time, they were blessed with seven children - Marrianne, Ingrid, Christine (who appeared as a competitor for Gourock), Barbara, Rudi, Rosalind and Hans (who, at the age of nine, presented the team’s Joker with his father on the day of recording).Away from his sporting connections, he had been running Gourock Waste Metal and Car Breakers since 1959 and was still working six days a week right up until January of 2019, four months before his death from pancreatic cancer in May at the age of 92.

Returning Teams and Competitors

Ayr team members Laurence 'Laurie' Hood and Brian Picken had previously participated in It’s A Knockout as members of the Prestwick team in 1971.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1975

Heat 6

Event Staged: Sunday 18th May 1975
Venue: Southsea Castle Park, Southsea, Hampshire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Friday 27th June 1975, 8.00-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Warm and Sunny

Teams: Guernsey (Channel Isles) v. Portsmouth and Southsea v. Swanage

Team Members included:

Guernsey (Channel Isles) - Val Bouwmeesler, Janet Roe;
Portsmouth and Southsea - Michael Horrocks (Team Captain), Bob Atkinson, Ian Chivers, Terri Hadey, Alan Hallam, Steve Knutt, Bill Leng, Anne Smart, Debbie Walters;
Swanage - Bob Beauchamp (Men’s Team Coach), Frances McCall (Women's Team Coach), Chris Tonge (Team Captain), Tony Bessant, Kate Fry, Ray Graves, Anthony Guarraci, Marguerita Hennessey, Elizabeth Higson, Karen Legg, Jonathan Olsen, Adrian Parker, Roger Pickering, David Sole, Margaret Wyatt.

Games included: Twinned Tug-o-War and To the Rescue;
Marathon: Beam Stretch.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd
3rd

 P+S • Portsmouth and Southsea ● ●
 G • Guernsey (Channel Isles)
 S • Swanage

24
23
18

Portsmouth and Southsea qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Nancy, France:
staged on Tuesday 29th July 1975

The Host Town

Southsea, Hampshire

Southsea's Clarence Pier sports architecture right out of Stingray... Image © Alys Hayes, 2024

Southsea is a seaside resort with a population of around 20,000 inhabitants in the county of Hampshire. It is located at the southern end of Portsea Island, 33 miles (53km) south of Basingstoke, 35 miles (57km) east of Bournemouth, 40 miles (64km) west of Brighton and Hove and 77 miles (124km) north of the French town of Barfleur on the opposite side of the English Channel.

The first references to the development of the suburb are recorded in 1790 and describe small areas of building and farming plots. Most of the land was undeveloped and composed of small farms, open grassland and undrained marshland (morass). In the early 19th century, development continued on land owned by American Thomas Croxton (1822-1903), and the community became known initially as Croxton Town. The first houses were built by 1809 for skilled workers in what were called the ‘mineral’ streets (such as Silver Street and Nickel Street).

The development of Southsea continued during the Napoleonic era and as the dockyard continued to grow, new homes were required for the increasing personnel, and many houses, villas and apartments were built. The architect and builder Thomas Ellis Owen (1805-1862) created many of these, and the surviving buildings retain a coherent late Georgian and early Victorian style, forming a conservation area today with many of the buildings having listed status. During the same period, Southsea grew as a leisure and bathing destination.

The remaining marshland was drained, leading to the creation of Southsea Common, some 480 acres (about 2km²) of open grassland. Due to military requirements for clear lines of fire adjacent to Southsea Castle, the area was developed and remains today as a park and garden. Apartments and hotels were constructed towards the common and waterfront, along Southsea Terrace, Western Parade and Clarence Parade. The first large hotel was the Portland Hotel (destroyed during the Second World War (1939-1945)) near Kent Road. Others soon followed, including the purpose-built Queens Hotel (1861), Pier Hotel (1865) and Beach Mansions Hotel (1866).

The Southsea Railway came in 1885 and brought further development to the area, although it was to be financially unsuccessful and eventually closed in 1914. By the mid-to-late Victorian era, the town had become recognised as a largely middle-class neighbourhood, with many naval officers and other professionals taking up residence. During this time, writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) lived in Portsmouth, moving to Southsea in June 1882 with less than £10 (equivalent to £841 in 2019) to his name. He set up a medical practice at 1 Bush Villas in Elm Grove.

The onset of the First World War (1914-1918) saw an increase in fortifications on the seafront. Southsea continued to thrive as a resort destination and a suburb of Portsmouth in the inter-war years, with many visitors in summer. At that time, parts of the Common were converted into ornamental gardens and the Ladies' Mile was set out in 1925. However, the Second World War (1939-1945) had an immense impact on the urban and social fabric of the area. Huge areas of Southsea were destroyed by bombing during The Blitz. Although some of Victorian Southsea escaped the bombing, the Palmerston Road shopping areas were completely destroyed. The beachfront, piers and promenades were closed for the duration of the war. Following the end of the war, Southsea and the rest of Portsmouth embarked on a massive clearance and rebuilding scheme. Although visitor numbers to the resort area never recovered, Southsea continued to develop throughout the 20th century and today remains a mixed residential area and leisure destination.

Born in the town, and its most famous son, was film actor and comedian Peter Sellers (1925-1980) who starred in many films including Ealing comedy I'm All Right Jack in 1959, Dr. Strangelove (1964), What's New, Pussycat? (1965) and Casino Royale (1967). However, it was his association with Spike Milligan (1918-2002), Harry Secombe (1921-2001) and Michael Bentine (1922-1996), collectively known as The Goons, and his five appearances portraying bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the Pink Panther film franchise (1963-1978), that he became known to a worldwide audience.

The Visiting Towns

Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands which lie to the west of the Contentin peninsula of France. It has a population of around 63,000 inhabitants and is located 112 miles (180km) south-west of Southsea.

Portsmouth is a port city with a population of around 240,000 inhabitants in the county of Hampshire and is located 1 mile (1.61km) north of Southsea.

Swanage is a coastal town with a population of around 9,600 inhabitants in the county of Dorset and is located 40 miles (64km) south-west of Southsea.

The Venue

Southsea Castle Park

Image © Alys Hayes, 2024

The games were played at Southsea Castle Park, the site of the town’s castle which was built as part of the vast coastal defence programme by Henry VIII (1491-1547). It was substantially rebuilt in the early nineteenth century and continued to play an important role in coastal defence until World War II (1939-1945).

In 1536, Henry VIII declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England thus breaking the link with Rome. His motivation was to secure a divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), which had been refused by the Pope. He subsequently granted himself the divorce and also commenced a wholesale confiscation of the vast wealth amassed by the Church prompting international condemnation. Despite this, England was safe from any intervention as Europe’s strongest powers - France and Spain - were locked in conflict with each other. However, in 1538, the two nations signed a ten-year truce prompting fears one or both could invade England. To mitigate the threat, a Device (Act) for the protection of the realm initiated a vast coastal defence programme on a scale unseen since the Romans. Government officials surveyed poorly defended areas along the coast with the Solent being regarded as particularly vulnerable due to the access it afforded to the town of Southampton as well as control of the Isle of Wight.

The invasion fears passed quickly as France and Spain resumed their hostilities. By 1544, Henry himself had joined with Charles V of Spain (1500-1558) and invaded France in a campaign that ended in the capture of Boulogne in September 1544. But shortly after, France and Spain once again made peace and the former looked to invade England. Further fortifications were commissioned to protect the Solent at Sandown, Yarmouth and Southsea. Henry’s forts of the 1539 programme had been predominantly concentric in design with rounded bastions. By contrast the new forts were influenced by the King’s exposure to the latest military concepts during his Boulogne campaign and were constructed with angular bastions and artillery that could cover all approaches. Southsea took the design one step further with both the north and south walls being angular allowing covering fire along their length.

The expected attack by France occurred in July 1545 when their fleet arrived in the Solent. They landed soldiers on the Isle of Wight with fighting around the unfinished structure of Sandown Castle. The French did not get in range of the guns of Southsea Castle but the King watched from the top of the keep as the English Fleet sailed to intercept and he witnessed the capsize of the Mary Rose.

The French attack was not repeated but the castle remained garrisoned throughout the rest of the Tudor era and thereafter the castle went into a period of decline. When James I (1566-1625) came to the throne in 1603, he sought peace with Spain resulting in the coastal defences being starved of funding. The situation was compounded in 1627 when the keep was gutted by fire and was not repaired until 1635.

Southsea Castle was upgraded in 1665 under the direction of Sir Bernard de Gomme (1620-1685). At this time Britain was engaged in a protracted struggle for maritime supremacy with the Netherlands. Wars had been fought between 1651 and 1654 over the Navigation Acts - legislation that imposed limits on third party carriers - which impacted upon the Dutch. War broke out again in 1665 and this prompted the upgrades to Southsea consisting of a new 30-gun platform external to the Tudor fortification and an earth bank (a glacis) surrounding the curtain wall to protect it from artillery fire.

After the Dutch Wars, the castle was neglected although it remained garrisoned. In 1759, the castle was devastated by a gunpowder explosion which killed 17 people. No funding was allocated to enable repairs and accordingly it became dilapidated. By 1785, the castle was considered to be beyond economical repair when a report by the Master-General of Ordnance - Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond (1764-1819) - recommended it should be demolished and replaced with a new square redoubt. Ironically Lennox had been the commander of the 72nd Regiment of Foot whose gunpowder had caused the explosion in the first place. Regardless, financial difficulties frustrated the demolition plan and, when war broke out with France in 1793, urgent work was undertaken on the castle to restore it in readiness.

In 1844, the modified barracks added during the earlier upgrades were converted into a military prison. This role was short-lived though, as in 1850, the prisoners were relocated to a dedicated facility in Gosport. This was timely as Napoléon III became Emperor of France (1808-1873) in 1852 and commenced an arms race with Britain which prompted a review of its coastal defence. The armament of the castle itself was upgraded first and, in 1856, auxiliary batteries were added either side of the former Tudor fort. As the situation with France deteriorated further, a Royal Commission was initiated to report on further new fortifications which led to an entire network of new forts protecting Portsmouth.

Southsea Castle continued to perform a coastal defence role during both World Wars. In the First World War (1914-1918), searchlights were installed and a continuous watch made but it saw no action. By contrast during the Second World War (1939-1945), the castle was bombed with incendiaries on several occasions. It also came close to having a fire-fight with French Naval forces in June 1940 when, with the fall of France, the British Government issued a directive that they should surrender to the Royal Navy or be sunk. This crisis was only averted when the French ships were seized by boarding parties on 2nd July 1940.

With the advent of air power, coastal defence sites across the country were decommissioned in 1956. Southsea Castle was then sold to Portsmouth Council who restored the castle and opened it as a museum.

The Castle Park itself was partly relandscaped in 1984 to incorporate the D-Day Museum. This visitor attraction and the park space were further reworked for the 2018 relaunch of the museum as The D-Day Story. Castle Park has been renamed Castle Field since the It's A Knockout recording.

Returning Teams and Competitors

This was the competition that two of these three teams had waited almost two years to participate in. As compensation for their 1974 It's A Knockout heat being postponed, the teams from Portsmouth & Southsea and Swanage were invited to compete as part of the 1975 season.

From the original line-up of team members that were scheduled to participate in the cancelled 1974 programme, several took up the challenge to participate a year later. These included six members of the Portsmouth and Southsea team - Bob Atkinson, Ian Chivers, Terri Hadey, Alan Hallam, Steve Knutt and Debbie Walters - and ten members of the Swanage team - Bob Beauchamp, Tony Bessant, Kate Fry, Ray Graves, Marguerita Hennessey, Karen Legg, Jonathan Olsen, Roger Pickering, David Sole, Chris Tonge and Margaret Wyatt.

Additional Information

The Marathon in this heat finished in a three-way tie and each team received 6pts each. This was the first time that a Marathon had finished in deadlock and all the teams given the maximum score.

Guernsey is the only team from the Channel Islands ever to participate in the programme.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1975

Heat 7

Event Staged: Sunday 25th May 1975
Venue: Cambridge City F.C. Football Ground (City Ground / Milton Road),
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Friday 4th July 1975, 8.00-9.00pm

Weather Conditions: Cold and Dry

Teams: Cambridge v. Oxford v. Peterborough

Team Members (Full Squads):
Cambridge - Mike Boardman (Team Manager), Eddie Sharp (Co-Team Coach), Terry Welham (Co-Team Coach), Derek Allinson, Robert Baldwin, Jane Barber, Anthea Beauchamp, Tony Bevan, Chandrasekhar Bodapati, Phillip Bramford, Patricia Buck, Caroline Cannon, Julie Dias, Hallam Doyle, Ann Ekin, Helen Ford, Jane Freeman, Claire Goodwin, Christopher Heron, Glenn Horridgee, Shelagh James, Lesley Kemp, Michael Lamb, Maria Mastella, Colin Mathieson, Angela Maxted, Maureen Parnell, Michael Rayson, Linda Roberts, Susan Sanford, Roger Sanford, John Saxton, Derek Smiley, Roger Steedman, Alison Stevens, David Stevens, Diane Stevens, Nicola Stevens, Melvyn Stewart, Paul Stewart, Steven Tennant, Ian Thompson, Stuart Weston;
Oxford - Roger Herbert (Team Captain), Nicola Sparkes (Women's Team Captain), Carol Baber, Roger Bishop, David Brown, Michael Brown, Stephen Bush, Ann Cartwright, Michael Clatworthy, Ian Coates, Eileen Cook, Iain Cox, Valerie Cross, Andrew Cuthbert, Danny Daglish, Marcia Daniels, Marnee Denny, David Dodwell, Brian Dooley, Graham Drummond, John Elliot, Tonia Fettner, Amanda Giles, Richard Giles, John Grapes, Richard Green, Brian Hamilton, Jeff Hammond, Steven Handscombe, Alan Holman, Julie Horton, Heather Horwood, Angela Hudson, Sonia Jenkins, Michael Keirs, Ian Marriott, David Mason, Stephen McKechnie, David Nicholls, Linda Phillips, Roger Pudwell, Roberta Quick. Serena Quick, Alison Read, Timothy Selwood, Jacqueline Shayler, Christine Sussums, Susan Topham, Michael Watts, Jonathan Whyte, Stephen Woodward;
Peterborough - Patricia Davis (Team Manager), David Owen (Team Coach / Team Captain), Christine Goodall (Women's Team Captain), John Poole (Assistant Coach), Alison Amps, Rosanna Antonucci, Pete Barnett, Corinne Beresford, John Blackwell, Rosemary Bell, Graham K. Burton, Robert Cave,  Geoffrey Clarke, Dave Cobb, Antony Cooper, Elizabeth Cooper, Jayne Davis, Jo Doxey, John Goldsmith, Helen Graham, John T. Hibbert, Keith Hibbert, Stephanie Hulme, Christopher Jackson, Margaret Keenan, Heather Kelly, Geral Krawczyk, David Lamb, Janet Lee, Judith Lee, Ian F. Lewis, Jeff Lissaman, Ann May, Liz McVey, Anne Migliaccio, Christine Popple, Jane Presgrave, Judy Robinson, Keith Sansby, David Shipman, Robin Turner, Raymond White, Sally Ann White, Dennis Wildman.

Games (Official Titles): Motor Bike Waiters, Stretch and Throw, Shield Race, Balloon Catch, Ball Balance, Swinging Letters, To the Rescue;
Marathon (Unofficial Title): Balls Across the Pool... and Through the Hoops.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 C • Cambridge ● ●
 P • Peterborough
 O • Oxford

22
20
18

Cambridge qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Southport, Great Britain:
staged on Tuesday 12th August 1975

The Host Town

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Cambridge is a university city and the county town of Cambridgeshire with a resident population of around 100,000 inhabitants. However, this number can be swelled by another 25,000 students during the academic year. It is located on the River Cam, 25 miles west of Bury St. Edmunds, 50 miles (80km) north of London, 66 miles (106km) south of Skegness and 87 miles (140km) east of Birmingham.

Settlements have existed around the Cambridge area since prehistoric times. The earliest clear evidence of occupation is the remains of a 3,500-year-old farmstead discovered at the site of Fitzwilliam College. The principal Roman site at Cambridge is a small fort (castrum) named Duroliponte located on Castle Hill, just north-west of the city centre and around the location of the earlier British village. There is evidence that the invading Saxons had begun occupying the area by the end of the 5th century. Their settlement which was also on and around Castle Hill, became known as Grantebrychge (Granta-bridge). During this period, Cambridge benefited from good trade links across the hard-to-travel fenlands. By the 7th century, the town was less significant and was described by Bede (AD 675-735) as a ‘little ruined city’ containing the burial site of Etheldreda (AD 636-679). Cambridge formed part of the border between the East and Middle Anglian kingdoms and settlement slowly expanded on both sides of the river.

In 1068, two years after his conquest of England, William of Normandy (1028-1087) built a castle on Castle Hill. Like the rest of the newly conquered kingdom, Cambridge fell under the control of the King and his deputies. The distinctive Round Church dates from this period. The first town charter was granted by Henry I (1068-1135) to Cambridge between 1120 and 1131. It gave Cambridge the monopoly of waterborne traffic and hithe (landing) tolls as well as recognising the Borough court. In 1209, Cambridge University was founded by students escaping from hostile townspeople in Oxford. The oldest college that still exists, Peterhouse, was founded in 1284.

In 1349, Cambridge was affected by the Black Death (1346-1353) which swept throughout Europe. Few records survive it is known that 16 of 40 scholars at Kings Hall died. The town north of the river was severely affected being almost wiped out. Following further depopulation after a second national epidemic in 1361, a letter from the Bishop of Ely suggested that two parishes in Cambridge be merged as there weren't enough people to fill even one church. With over a third of English clergy dying in the Black Death, four new colleges were established at the University over the following years to train new clergymen, namely Gonville Hall, Trinity Hall, Corpus Christi and Clare. One of the most well-known buildings in Cambridge, King's College Chapel, was begun in 1446 by King Henry VI (1421-1471). The project was completed in 1515 during the reign of King Henry VIII (1491-1547).

In the 19th century, in common with many other English towns, Cambridge expanded rapidly. The railway came to Cambridge in 1845 after initially being resisted, with the opening of the Great Eastern London to Norwich line. The station was placed outside the town centre following pressure from the University, who restricted travel by undergraduates. During the Second World War, Cambridge was an important centre for defence of the east coast. The town became a military centre, with an R.A.F. training centre and the regional headquarters for Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire established during the conflict. The town itself escaped relatively lightly from German bombing raids, which were mainly targeted at the railway. 29 people were killed and no historic buildings were damaged. In 1944, a secret meeting of military leaders held in Trinity College laid the foundation for the allied invasion of Europe.

Cambridge was granted its city charter in 1951 in recognition of its history, administrative importance and economic success. Although Cambridge does not have a cathedral, traditionally a prerequisite for city status, it was granted its status as falling within the Church of England Diocese of Ely.

Today, Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen - a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the city. Its economic strengths lie in industries such as software and bioscience, many start-up companies having been spun out of the university. Over 40% of the workforce has a higher education qualification, more than twice the national average. Since 2011, the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway has carried bus services into the centre of Cambridge from St. Ives, Huntingdon, Peterborough and other towns and villages along the routes. It is the longest guided busway in the world, overtaking the O-Bahn Busway in Adelaide, South Australia. The busway is designed for buses travelling at 55mph (90 km/h), slowing to 30mph (50 km/h) where it crosses public highways.

The Visiting Towns

Oxford is a city with a population of around 154,000 inhabitants in the county of Oxfordshire and is located 67 miles (108km) south-west of Cambridge.

Peterborough is a cathedral city with a population of around 204,000 inhabitants in the county of Cambridgeshire and is located 30 miles (48km) north-west of Cambridge.

The Venue

Cambridge City F.C. Football Ground (City Ground / Milton Road)

The games were played at the former home ground of Cambridge City Football Club. Known as the City Ground (or Milton Road by some supporters), it was the club’s home from 29th April 1922 until 27th April 2013 and was located in the Chesterton area of the city, approximately 5⁄8 mile (1km) north of the city centre. The ground was one of the largest outside the Football League and was estimated to have a capacity in excess of 20,000, although the highest recorded attendance was 12,058 against Leytonstone in 1961. From the late 1960s the ground was used for greyhound racing, where attendances were often higher than for football matches.

However, continued dwindling attendance figures and crippling debts led to part of the site being sold for development in 1985. The ground was demolished and a much smaller but functional ground was built in its place, at 90° to the former ground, with the remainder of the site being developed for offices. The club had a bar and lounge which is open on match days, and was available for hire to the general public.

The ‘new’ ground only had a capacity of 2,300. The Main Stand, together with its extension (built to house the Cambridgeshire Football Association) seated approximately 500 people. Opposite the Main Stand, a narrow terrace provided covering for approximately 220 supporters, the middle section of which was popularly known as ‘The Shed’ and attracted City's more vocal supporters. The School End and the Westbrook End, which were located at each end of the ground, were narrow and had no cover or formal terracing.

After several years in the 1990s avoiding relegation, the club joined the Football Conference's newly formed South Division in 2004-05, embarking on a successful F.A. Cup run in the same season. Following United's relegation from the League in 2005, the two Cambridge clubs were only one division apart. However, the club was encountering financial difficulties and the club's City Ground was sold to an Isle of Man company called Ross River for £2.2 million, despite professional estimates of the site's value being around £12 million.

The Board of Directors announced that it was to scrap the first team and make the reserve team into a feeder for Cambridge United. The landlord, Ross River, which was linked to former City Director and property developer Brian York, then gave City a lease to stay at Milton Road until 31st May 2007, but the club fought this and took Ross River to court. After several months, a High Court ruling stated that "the club was entitled to rescind the [sale of the land] - having been induced to make it by a fraudulent misrepresentation for which Ross River are responsible". It transpired that the former chief executive Arthur Eastham had taken a £10,000 payment from Brian York. However, the original sale deal was never overturned. The consequence of this was that the club was able to stay at the City ground until 2013, and could share in 50% of future profits from development of the site.

In April 2008, the City Ground failed an F.A. ground inspection and as a consequence Cambridge City was automatically demoted from the Conference South to the Southern League Premier Division, despite the club appealing the decision. The club was then involved in negotiations to move to a new Community Stadium on the edge of the city, which they could potentially share with local football rivals Cambridge United and/or Cambridge Rugby Union club. However, in late 2012, it was announced that club president Len Satchell had purchased 35 acres of land in Sawston, 6¼ miles (10km) south of the present ground, with a view to building a 3,000 capacity stadium, along with community facilities for Sawston and the surrounding villages. This project is still subject to ongoing public consultation to this day.

A three-year ground share with Newmarket Town F.C. was arranged so that Cambridge City would play their home games at Jockeys Cricket Field Road ground in Newmarket, 12½ miles (20km) east of the city, for the 2010-2011 season, but an extension to the lease at Milton Road meant that the move was never made. No further extension was granted after this time and City would need to vacate Milton Road at the end of the 2012/13 season.

In their final season, Cambridge City reached the First Round proper of the 2012/13 F.A. Cup, and the City Ground hosted its first televised match - ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) screened a 0-0 draw against Football League One side MK Dons. On 27th April 2013, with City having missed the play-offs of the Southern League Premier Division, they played their last match at Milton Road, playing host to Redditch United. The day was marked with various events, including over 30 former players being in attendance at the game. A crowd of just 814 saw City legend Adrian Cambridge score the only goal of the game to ensure City ended their stay at Milton Road with a win.

The fate of the club’s ‘old’ ground was finally sealed on 15th November 2013, when bulldozers moved in to begin demolishing the terraces and changing rooms and digging up the turf. By this time, the club had agreed a two-year ground share from the start of the 2013-14 season with Histon F.C., located in the village of Impington, 4 miles (6km) north of Cambridge. Between 2015 and 2018, the club ground-shared with St. Ives Town, at their Westwood Road stadium, before reviving their share with Histon for the start of the 2018-19 season.

In 2012, it was announced that the club's President, Len Satchell, had purchased 35 acres of land in Sawston, a village 6 miles (9km) south of Cambridge, with a view to building the club a new 3,000 seat stadium, alongside community facilities for the surrounding area. Following public consultation and an appeal over the decision to grant Planning Permission, construction was scheduled to begin in January 2021 and be completed in 2022. However, the permission was delayed and the new ground is now scheduled to open at the beginning of the 2024/25 season.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

During his opening introductions, Stuart Hall presented ‘Snowy’ Farr (1919-2007) to the assembled audience. Farr was somewhat of a local celebrity in Cambridge due to his work raising thousands of pounds for charity especially the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Farr was usually seen in eccentric clothing, often incorporating antique military wear, and accompanied by tame animals, including mice, cats, dogs and even a goat. 'Snowy’ was born Walter Reginald Farr in 1919, and got his nickname because even as a child he had white hair. He worked as a local authority road sweeper for many years, and dustmen often gave him old clothes they had found, so he started dressing up, including donning an Army uniform and top hat and tails. This led to him creating his busking act and during his lifetime he raised nearly £70,000. He lived in one of the terraced cottages on the main road through the village of Westwick, and later (after he had retired) moved to the adjacent village of Oakington to a bungalow outside of which a board recorded a 'running total' of the donations he had collected. He was awarded an MBE in 1995 for his charity work and when he went to Buckingham Palace to receive it, even Prince Charles (now King Charles III) knew him by name. His eccentricity included mounting an astonishing display outside his bungalow home - dozens of dolls, teddy bears and other stuffed toys, as well as flags - which eventually brought him into conflict with the powers-that-be, who felt it was an eyesore.

'Snowy' passed away in 2007 aged 88, and his funeral took place at St Andrew’s Church at Oakington. He was buried along with his bright red tunic, black boots and shiny medals, which were the talismans of his appealing magic, in the churchyard he had spent 35 years of his life lovingly tending. Following his death, suggestions were made that a statue to Farr ought to be erected at the end of Petty Cury where he had habitually collected. On 3rd March 2009, Cambridge City Council gave the go-ahead to the memorial and in August 2012, the Snowy Farr memorial artwork, designed by Gary Webb, was unveiled outside the Guildhall in Cambridge's Market Square. The statue resembles a combination of Farr's cat and mice. His cat was trained to sit on his top hat, and the mice trained to run circuits of the rim.

Game 1 - Motor Bike Waiters

The first game - ‘Motor Bike Waiters' - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors equipped with a motorbike and a flat podium on rollers. On the whistle, whilst one of the competitors had to ride the motorbike down the 150ft (45.72m) course, the other competitor had to stand on the podium holding a rope attached to the motorbike in one hand and balancing a tray and four glasses of beer with the other. Along the course, the rider had to zigzag through three ski gates. At the end of the course, the glasses of beer had to be handed to a female team-mate who then had to place them on a table. The competitors then had to race back to the start and repeat the game throughout. Only glasses collected cleanly would be counted. The team collecting the greater number of glasses would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

This was a very straightforward game which saw Cambridge take control of from the outset. At the end of permitted time, Cambridge had collected 12 glasses, Oxford had collected 8 glasses and Peterborough had also collected 8 glasses.

Marathon, Round 1 - Balls Across the Pool... and Through the Hoops

The next game - 'Balls Across the Pool...and Through the Hoops' - was the Marathon which was played alternately over two minutes duration by each team on two occasions. It featured two male competitors from each team and a large pool which was spanned by a narrow wooden beam. Above the pool there were two large hoops and to the side of the game was a high net. On the whistle, the first competitor had to collect a ball and make his way out across the pool on the beam. Whilst doing so, he had to throw the ball through each of the two hoops and then catch it on both occasions. If successful, he then had to make his way to the end of the beam and place the ball in a holding pen. In opposition were two females (one from each of the other teams) armed with footballs which they had to hurl over the net to knock the competitors off their balance and into the pool. The team collecting the greater aggregate number of balls would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

The first round saw the participation of Cambridge and they collected 9 balls, from eleven crossings of the pool, on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th essays.

Game 2 - Stretch and Throw

The second game - ‘Stretch and Throw’ - was played individually over two minutes duration and witnessed Oxford presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team, all tethered to individual elasticated ropes, and a large round target board. On the whistle, the first male had to collect a ball and then run up the course towards the target. Contemporaneously, the female also had to run towards the target but from a 90° angle to the right. The male then had to throw the ball at the target and the female had to catch it in a large net as it rebounded off. The game then had to be repeated by the second male (and by the female) and then alternately throughout. The team catching the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Cambridge and they collected 17 balls from the total of twenty-five that were thrown at the target.

The second heat featured Oxford and that collected 16 balls from the total of twenty-six that were thrown at the target.

Marathon, Round 2 - Balls Across the Pool... and Through the Hoops

The second round of the Marathon featured Oxford and although they attempted twelve crossings of the pool, neither of the competitors made it across to the other side. Their score was confirmed as 0.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Cambridge (9) 2nd Oxford (0)

Game 3 - Shield Race

The third game - 'Shield Race’ - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured six competitors (three males and three females) from each team armed with three circular wooden shields. At one end of the 90ft (27.43m) course was a podium on which the three females were located. Standing adjacent to the podium was the first male competitor holding one of the shields over his shoulders. On the whistle, the first female had to climb onto the shield and the male had to transport her 30ft (9.14m) down the course where the second male, also holding a shield, was located. The female then had to climb from the first shield and onto the shield of the second male. He then had to transport her another 30ft down the course to the third male. She then had to repeat the process and then he would transport her to the end of the course and onto a podium. After the first female had climbed onto the second shield, the first male then had to return to the start to repeat the game with the second female. The whole process then had to be repeated with the third female. The team carrying all three females and completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

This was a very quickly-executed straightforward game which saw Oxford dominate from the outset. Having transported their first female in 15 seconds, they were followed by Cambridge after 17 seconds of elapsed time and Peterborough after 18 seconds. The second Oxford female was transported in 33 seconds followed by Cambridge and Peterborough after 35 and 37 seconds respectively. The third female was transported by Oxford in 49 seconds and they finished in 1st place. It appeared that Cambridge would finish in second place but disaster struck after the female being carried by the third male, fell from the shield and tumbled to the ground. This mishap permitted Peterborough to overtake them and finish in 2nd place in 54 seconds. Cambridge recomposed themselves and eventually completed the game in 3rd place in 1 minute 12 seconds.

Marathon, Round 3 - Balls Across the Pool... and Through the Hoops

The third round of the Marathon featured Peterborough and they collected 1 ball, from eleven crossings of the pool, on their 1st essay.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Cambridge (9) 2nd Peterborough (1) 3rd Oxford (0) ▼

Game 4 - Balloon Catch

The fourth game - ‘Balloon Catch' - was played individually over two minutes duration and witnessed Cambridge presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team equipped with two large poles, each with a large circular disc at one end. On the whistle, the female had to throw a weighted balloon towards her two male team-mates, who had to catch it with the ends of the poles. They then had to transport the balloon down a 50ft (15.24m) obstacle course comprised of two podia, two small sets of stairs and two descending ramps. At the end of the course, they then had to release the balloon into a small wooden holding pen and then return to the start and repeat the game throughout. The team transporting the greater number of balloons would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Peterborough and after two failed essays they secured their first balloon after 1 minute 6 seconds of elapsed time. Despite this success, the team were unable to score further from their next three essays.

The second heat featured Cambridge and they transported their first balloon after 18 seconds followed by an additional three balloons after 44 seconds, 1 minute 13 seconds and 1 minute 43 seconds respectively. Their score was declared and confirmed as 4.

Marathon, Round 4 - Balls Across the Pool... and Through the Hoops

The fourth round of the Marathon featured Cambridge participating for the second and final occasion and they collected a further 7 balls, from eleven crossings of the pool, on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th essays. This gave them an overall total score of 16.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Cambridge (16) 2nd Peterborough (1) 3rd Oxford (0)

Game 5 - Ball Balance

The fifth game - 'Ball Balance' - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured five competitors (three males and two females) from each team armed with a giant-sized inflated ball. On the whistle, the first female had to climb on top of the ball and then the three male competitors had to roll it and transport her to the end of the 90ft (27.43) course. The female had to remain on top of the ball at all times. Once transported, the males had to return to the start and repeat the game. If the female fell off the ball, the team had to stop in order for her to remount before continuing. The team transporting the two females in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

This was a very straightforward game which saw Oxford dominate from the outset and transporting the first female after 58 seconds of elapsed time. They were followed by Cambridge after 1 minute 14 seconds and Peterborough after 1 minute 17 seconds. Oxford completed the game in 2 minutes 14 seconds whilst the other two teams were only a third of the way up the course for the second time. With permitted time expiring, both Cambridge and Peterborough failed to complete the game but the distance travelled was the deciding factor as to their finishing positions. With Cambridge just 4ft (1.21m) from the finishing line, they were deemed to have finished in 2nd place whilst Peterborough, some 25ft (7.62m) from the end of the course, being deemed to have finished in 3rd place.

Marathon, Round 5 - Balls Across the Pool... and Through the Hoops

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon featured Oxford participating for the second and final occasion and they collected 1 ball, from twelve attempted crossings of the pool, on their 2nd essay. This gave them an overall total score of 1.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Cambridge (16) =2nd Oxford (1) ▲ =2nd Peterborough (1)

Game 6 - Swinging Letters

The sixth and penultimate game - 'Swinging Letters' - was played individually over two minutes duration and witnessed Peterborough presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and a 20ft (6.1m) high scaffold from which six hooks were hanging. Directly in front of the scaffold, was a rope with a loop knot at the bottom, hanging from above. On the whistle, the first male had to put one of his feet in the loop knot and the second male had to push him in order to set him in motion. Once up to speed and on his backward swing, the first male had to collect one of six letters from the female standing on a podium behind him. He then had to swing forward and place that letter in its rightful place on the hooks. The game then had to be repeated with the motion of the swing being controlled by the second male. If successful, the phrase at the top of the scaffold would read ‘IT’S A KO’. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Oxford and they made a great start by hooking the first four letters in their rightful places after 5, 12, 23 and 29 seconds respectively. However after this, the rope began to swing and start to twist and this resulted in the swinging competitor not facing the correct direction on his upward swing. Coupled with this, both of the males appeared to be tiring and the upward swings were not high enough for the competitor to reach the hooks. At the end of permitted time (cleverly edited to 1 minute 40 seconds by the production team), their score was confirmed as just 4 letters in place.

The second heat featured Peterborough and it appeared that they would suffer the same fate as their rivals before them. After hooking the first four letters in their rightful places after 10, 16, 22 and 27 seconds respectively, the rope began to twist and swing. The team took the option to stop and start the rope swing from the beginning. Although at first it appeared that it had made no difference, the male competitors finally got it back on track and hooked the fifth letter in its place after 1 minute 22 seconds and then hooked the sixth and final letter, to complete the phrase and the game, in 1 minute 45 seconds.

Marathon, Round 6 - Balls Across the Pool... and Through the Hoops

The sixth and final round of the Marathon featured Peterborough participating for the second and final occasion and they collected a further 2 balls, from seven attempted crossings of the pool, on their 2nd and 5th essays. This gave them an overall total score of 3 and they finished in 2nd place on the game.

Final Marathon Standings: 1st Cambridge (16) 2nd Peterborough (3) ▲ 3rd Oxford (1) ▼

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Cambridge (6pts awarded / 21pts total) 2nd Peterborough (4pts / 17pts) ▲ 3rd Oxford (2pts / 16pts) ▼

Comments: Following the result of the Marathon, Cambridge had accumulated enough points to secure overall victory.

Game 7 - To the Rescue

The seventh and final game - ‘To the Rescue' - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured a 20ft (6.1m) high net and two male competitors from each team armed with seven inflatable rings (six small and one large). On the whistle, the first competitor had to climb up and over the net whilst carrying a small ring. Once completed, he then had to hoop-la the ring over a 15ft (4.57m) high pole and return to the start whilst the second competitor repeated the game. Both competitors had to complete the game on three occasions until six small rings were over the pole. The first competitor then had to transport the large ring over the net and hoop-la it over the pole to finish the game. Only one competitor could be on the net at a time. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Image © BBC / John Holder, 1975

Although Cambridge had already secured overall victory, they did not sit on their laurels and this provided for an exciting final game which would completed by all the teams in the fastest time of all the seven programmes throughout the series. Peterborough completed the game in 1 minute 58 seconds (although referee Ellis stated two minutes), followed by Oxford in 2nd place in 2 minutes 10 seconds and Cambridge in 3rd place in 2 minutes 22 seconds.

Returning Teams and Competitors

Oxford team member David Mason would later compete for Henley-on-Thames in IAK 1979.

Additional Information

Following the run-down of the completed scoreboard by Stuart Hall, the presentation of the Radio Times Knockout Trophy to Onchan, as highest-scoring winners, took place. Eddie Waring presented the trophy to the team’s captain Eddie Smith. Asked about their participation later in the year in Jeux Sans Frontières, Smith stated “We are looking forward to that with lots of confidence” and smiled to the camera. History however, would prove the complete opposite!

During his closing comments, Stuart Hall asked co-presenter Eddie Waring about his thoughts for the International series. Waring turned to the camera and replied “Well, we go into Europe and we shall be opening in Belgium. We hope you’ll join with us then. Look forward to seeing you.” This was somewhat tongue-in-cheek bearing in mind that the first International Heat had actually been staged five days earlier on the 20th May (and having known of the result of the British team at such, this is maybe the reason the Onchan captain had been filled with such confidence in his team)!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

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