It's A Knockout 1971
British Domestic Series

Presenters:
David Vine
Eddie Waring

Referee:
Arthur Ellis

Scoregirls:
Glynne Geldart
Susan Gresham
Jennifer Lowe

Production Credits:

Production Team: Keith Phillips, Malcolm Scrimgeour and Geoff Wilson (uncredited); Designer and Games Deviser: Stuart Furber; Engineering Manager: Geoff Lomas; Producer: Barney Colehan; Director: Ian Smith

A BBC Manchester Production

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

GB

It's A Knockout 1971

Heat 1

Event Staged: Saturday 17th April 1971
Venue: Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay / Bae Colwyn, Denbighshire, Wales

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Wednesday 21st April 1971, 7.10-8.00pm

Weather Conditions: Cold and Overcast

Teams: Blackpool v. Colwyn Bay / Bae Colwyn

Team Members included:
Blackpool - Bob Battersby (Team Manager), John Collins (Team Coach), L Baldwin, Roy Booth, Brian Bottomley, Rosemary Boyle, Karen Buckley, A Dawson, Sylvia Dewhurst, Willie Earnshaw, John Garland, Robin Hood, Phil Hooley, R Hyde, Arthur Joseph Lowe, A McMann, James Merridew, Alexis Morrison, Jacqueline Newman, E Randall, John Robinson, Christine Scott, Barry Shearman, Dave Shires, Anthony Smith, Mike Taylor, Hayzon Watson, Maria Yates;
Colwyn Bay / Bae Colwyn - Leslie Shepherd (Team Manager), Fred ‘Tiger’ Wilson (Team Coach), G Alsop, Jackie Anderson, Barbara Barker, A Davies, C Davies, G Dyson, Howard Ellis, Catherine Evans, K Evans, Jack Fuller, David Gathern, Dennis Griffiths, E Griffiths, Bill Gulston, Don Hanson, John Hewitt, G Hodgeson, Eric Howells, Beverley Jackson, G Jones, Janet Kersey-Brown, Ted Kersey-Brown, Tony Locket, David Mitchell, Stuart Owen, K Rice, A Roberts, J Roberts, Richard Roberts, Dai Rowlands, Pat Rushton, Vanessa Saunders, Susan Webb, J Whitehouse.

Games: The Rope Bridge, Target Bounce, Seesaw Dip, Water Trampoline, One Man in a Tub, The Death Wire, The Champagne Waitresses;
Marathon: Log Bridge Building.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 C • Colwyn Bay / Bae Colwyn ● ●
 B • Blackpool ●

12
9

Colwyn Bay / Bae Colwyn qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Riccione, Italy:
staged on Wednesday 9th June 1971

Blackpool qualified as the highest scoring losing team to become the hosts of
Jeux Sans Frontières at Blackpool, Great Britain:
staged on Wednesday 18th August 1971

The Host Town

Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire

Colwyn Bay (Bae Colwyn in Welsh) is a town and seaside resort with a population of around 30,000 inhabitants in the county of Denbighshire. It overlooks the Irish Sea and is located 25 miles (40km) east of Caernarfon, 30 miles (48km) west of Birkenhead and 116 miles (187km) north of Swansea.

The town is predominantly dependant on the tourist trade, due mainly in fact to its famous beaches, and parks and gardens such as Eirias Park. The Welsh Mountain Zoo, opened in 1963 by wildlife enthusiast and nauralist Robert Jackson and covering an area of 37 acres (15ha), is located nearby.

The town once had a thriving pier which was first opened in 1900, but since 2009, the 227m (750ft) long structure has been closed to the public due to its owner, Steve Hunt, being declared bankrupt. In its heyday, the Dixieland Showbar sited on the pier hosted many live concerts and featured acts asdiverse as Motorhead, The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Elvis Costello, Slade, Madness, The Specials and the Cockney Rejects. In 2011, Conwy County Borough Council attempted to buy the pier from the official receivers, but this was denied. A National Lottery grant to save the pier was also denied in March 2012.

Today, the structure still lies in a bad state, with fencing blocking people from being able to pass under the pier for Health and Safety reasons.

At the time of transmission, Colwyn Bay was located in the county of Denbighshire. However, following the Local Government Act 1972, the town became part of the newly-formed county of Gwynedd on 1st April 1974. Following the Local Government (Wales) Act of 1994 when most of the original historic counties of Wales were re-established, the town returned to the reinstated enlarged county of Denbighshire on 1st April 1996!

The Visiting Town

Blackpool is a town with a population of around 144,000 inhabitants in the county of Lancashire and is located 46 miles (74km) north-east of Colwyn Bay.

The Venue

Eirias Park

The games were played in and around the boating lake in Eirias Park (Parc Eirias in Welsh), a 50-acre (20 hectares) public park in Colwyn Bay. Whilst the park never had any fairground rides, during the 1960s it was home to a Guinness Clock. These timepieces were originally created for the Festival of Britain (1951) by the well-known Irish brewery and were larger-than-life clocks. Every fifteen minutes, a whole host of figures and cartoon animals would appear on parade from behind the clock’s doors. In the 1970s, the park made the most of the latest craze by installing a Space Hopper arena. Visitors could choose from the standard orange hopper or the larger blue ones and bounce around to their hearts’ content.

During the summer months, tourists were encouraged to ride the Miniature Steam Railway along from Colwyn Bay Pier to the Eirias Park Arches, where they could take the Welsh Ffargo (a pun on Wells Fargo) Land Train (registration number YCA 977) up into the park itself. This train would travel around the boating lake and then stop outside the Pavilion, amusements and exhibitions. Sadly, the Welsh Ffargo disappeared from service in 1988 as did the Miniature Steam Railway towards the end of the 1990s.

The Pavilion along with the bandstand and boathouse with 40 boats inside were all destroyed by a fire set by arsonists in August 1984, with only the latter building being replaced. Today, the boating lake is an overgrown mess and used as a dumping ground for plastic bottles, wooden planks, etc... A very sad end all around.

Situated within the park today is the Colwyn Leisure Centre, whose facilities include a six-lane 82ft (25m) swimming / leisure pool with various water features and a separate water slide. There is also a fitness suite, health suite, sauna, steam room and warm spa pool. Outdoor facilities include a sports stadium with grandstand and floodlit synthetic hockey / football playing area. Additional facilities include indoor and outdoor tennis courts, bowling greens, boating lake, children's playground and picnic area. Local football team, Colwyn Bay F.C. have played on three different grounds at Eirias Park during their history. The Arena was a temporary home during the early 1980s prior to the club's move to their present Llanelian Road home ground.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Rope Bridge

The first game - ‘The Rope Bridge’ - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured ten competitors (seven males and three females) from each team. Whilst three of the males were standing on floating podia in the lake, two were standing on the pathway surrounding the lake and the two were on a static podium in the middle of the lake at the other end of the 75ft (22.8m) course. On the whistle, the first of the female competitors had to put a noose, attached to the rope itself, over her body and then raise her hands and feet over the rope. The male competitors on the static podium then had to pull on the rope to bring her to the far end of the course. The other male competitors had to keep the rope high enough to prevent her from going into the water and getting wet. Once she had reached the end, the rope then had to be pulled back to the start and the game repeated until all three females had been transported across the finish line. There would be no penalty if the team failed to keep the rope high enough and the female found herself in the water but this was on the proviso that she remained on the rope and that her feet did not touch the bottom of the lake (which incidentally was only knee-high in depth). The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Despite its design, the game was closely fought throughout, with Colwyn Bay having the slight edge over Blackpool from the outset. Despite the females finding themselves being pulled along the surface of the water for most of the game, none were penalised as they had kept their feet on the rope throughout. Colwyn Bay was the first to reach the end of the course and release their female from the noose after 36 seconds of elapsed time with Blackpool doing likewise after 39 seconds. The second of the Colwyn Bay trio was released after 1 minute 42 seconds with Blackpool in 1 minute 44 seconds. But Colwyn Bay crossed the line with their third competitor after 2 minutes 43 seconds, three seconds ahead of Blackpool in 2 minutes 46 seconds.

Marathon, Round 1 - Log Bridge Building

The next game - ‘Log Bridge Building’ - was the Marathon which was played in unison over six rounds of 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a partially finished floating bridge comprised of 60 logs. On the whistle, each of the competitors had to carry a log across the bridge to the end and then the first had to get into the water and start to connect the carried logs to the bridge by ropes, ensuring that they were secure. The other competitor then had to return to the start to bring further logs. Once the bridge was completed with all 10 additional logs, the competitors then had to transport female team-mates on their backs across from the static podium in the middle of the lake to the starting line. Once across, the females then ran back round the lake over a bridge to the static podium to await a second crossing. The team transporting the greater number of team-mates over the six rounds would be declared the winners.

As this game was played over six rounds, very little progress was made during the opening three, with the time being used to carry and secure the logs and lengthening the bridge.

At the end of the first round, Blackpool had transported a total of four logs to the end of the bridge whilst Colwyn Bay had only transported three. Markers were placed at the points at which the competitors were standing when the whistle was sounded, and it would be from here that the competitors would restart the game when the cameras returned.

Game 2 - Target Bounce

The second game - ‘Target Bounce’ - was the first of three consecutive games to be played on terra firma and witnessed Blackpool presenting their Joker for play. The game was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a large target board. On the whistle, the competitors had to throw a maximum of 100 small balls and try to hit the large board, whilst two opposition members stood underneath the board in a maze of elasticated ropes holding a net. There were three ways of scoring, but the method of scoring was unusual in the fact that the score achieved would be declared as the opposition’s. Firstly, any ball that hit the board would not count towards the final score but, if it was caught in the net on the rebound by the opposition, it would. Secondly, any ball that missed the target completely and went into the crowd would be deemed as scoring. Thirdly, all balls that were not used would also count towards the final score. This meant that the teams had to be accurate and fast with their execution of the game in order to keep their rival’s score to a minimum. The team with the greater overall score would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Blackpool and they depleted their 100 balls five seconds before the end of permitted time. Having missed the target with 26 of the balls and with 16 being caught in the net by the opposition, the total score awarded to Colwyn Bay was 42.

The second heat featured Colwyn Bay and at the end of the game they still had 4 balls remaining in the container. Added to the 16 balls that missed the target and the 23 balls caught in the net, the score awarded to Blackpool was 43.

Marathon, Round 2 - Log Bridge Building

The cameras returned to the Marathon for the second round and witnessed the two teams continue to build the bridge by extending its length. At the end of the permitted time, Blackpool had transported a total of nine logs to the end of the bridge whilst Colwyn Bay had transported eight logs. Markers were once again placed at the points where the competitors were located when the whistle sounded.

Game 3 - Seesaw Dip

The third game - ‘Seesaw Dip’ - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two female competitors from each team and a large seesaw overhanging the edge of the lake. One end of the seesaw was of normal width whilst the other end was just 2¼ inches (5.7cm) wide. On the whistle, one of the females stood on the wide end of the seesaw whilst her team-mate had to walk along to the narrower end. Once she had reached the end, her team-mate had to counterbalance her weight so that she could retrieve a football which was floating in the lake below. Once she had collected a ball, she then had to return to the wider end, still counterbalancing each other, and then place the ball in a wooden holding pen. The competitors then swapped roles and this would continue until the end of the game. The team collecting the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Colwyn Bay and on their first run, the competitor collecting the ball made an error, which fortunately did not affect the overall outcome of the competition, but one which would cost the team 1pt on the game. After collecting the ball successfully and returning to the start, she threw the ball back into the lake instead of placing it in the wooden pen. Referee Arthur Ellis explained that the competitors had been informed that they had to use the pen and therefore did not count the run. With a successful second run and permitted time expiring during the third, the score for Colwyn Bay was declared as just 1 ball.

The second heat featured Blackpool and, despite the second of their competitors falling into the water on her first run, the team made two successful runs in total before running out of time on the third.

Marathon, Round 3 - Log Bridge Building

The third round of the Marathon witnessed the final logs being transported to the end of the bridge by both teams and the ends of the ropes secured before the permitted time elapsed.

Game 4 - Water Trampoline

The fourth game - ‘Water Trampoline’ - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a trampoline above which there was a large hook hanging from a wire. On the whistle, a female team-mate handed a bucket of water to the competitor on the trampoline and he had to bounce up and place the handle of the bucket over the hook. Once he had accomplished this, the other competitor had to pull on a rope to counteract a weight which was holding the hook in place, and this resulted in the hook descending towards him. Once the bucket was in grabbing distance, he had to remove it and then release the rope which would send the hook back above the trampoline. Whilst he emptied the contents of the bucket into a large container on a set of industrial weighing scales, the game had to be repeated by the first competitor. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Colwyn Bay and it at first appeared that the team would be slightly handicapped as their competitor on the trampoline had one of his arms in plaster, the result of an accident whereby he had fallen through a kitchen window after a drinking bout. Despite this incapacity, the team transported 7 buckets and collected a total of 46lbs (20.9kg) of water.

The second heat featured Blackpool and their competitor could be seen spilling copious amounts of water during the early stages of the game as he placed the buckets over the hook. At the end of the game, the team had also transported 7 buckets but they had only collected a total of 37lbs (16.8kg) of water.

Marathon, Round 4 - Log Bridge Building

The cameras returned to the Marathon to witness the fourth round and would capture the action as the real battle commenced. Both teams struggled to transport their female team-mates across the pool as the additional weight on their backs saw the floating bridge sink to the bottom of the lake. Nevertheless, at the end of this round, Blackpool had transported three team-mates and Colwyn Bay had transported two team-mates.

Game 5 - One Man in a Tub

The fifth game - ‘One Man in a Tub’ - was the first of three consecutive games to be played on the lake and witnessed Colwyn Bay presenting their Joker for play. The game was played in unison and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a large tub. On the whistle, the male competitor, who was inside the tub at the start of the game, had to paddle his way out to the female who was standing on a floating podium, 85ft (25.9m) out from the lake’s edge. Once he had reached the podium, the female had to climb inside the tub and they both had to paddle back to the start. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was a close race with Blackpool being the first to reach their podium after 32 seconds of elapsed time. Although Colwyn Bay were only five seconds behind at this point, the Blackpool duo were less adept at paddling together than their rivals. The Colwyn Bay team began to pick up rhythm and speed and overtook Blackpool and finished the game in 1 minute 10 seconds with the Blackpool team finally finishing in 1 minute 28 seconds.

Marathon, Round 5 - Log Bridge Building

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon saw the competitors begin at the exact point they had reached at the end of the previous one. At the end of this round, Colwyn Bay had closed the deficit and both teams had now transported 6 team-mates in total. However, Blackpool appeared to have the slight advantage, as they had almost completed their seventh trip before the whistle was sounded and this held them in good stead for the final round.

Game 6 - The Death Wire

The sixth and penultimate game - ‘The Death Wire’ - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured five male competitors from each team standing on a 30ft (9.15m) high scaffold tower. Descending to the ground from the tower at a 60° angle, there was a zip wire which had a handle grip on a pulley wheel attached and halfway across the pool there was a floating podium. On the whistle, the first competitor had to descend the wire by hanging from the handle grip and drop onto the podium. The handle grip was then retrieved by an attached rope and pulled back to the top of the scaffold. This process was then repeated by the second competitor until all five of the team were on the podium. Any competitor that failed to drop onto the podium would have to return to the scaffold and repeat the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Blackpool with the first two competitors descended the wire successfully, However on the third descent, the team had failed to ensure that the rope attached to the handle grip had been kept taut and this resulted in the pulley wheel jamming halfway between the top and the podium. So as not to delay the game, the competitor dropped into the water and returned to the scaffold. Despite his actions, the team were delayed whilst they untangled the rope and pulled the wheel back to the top. After this, the next competitor made a successful descent and was followed by the final two competitors who also completed their descents without mishap, with the team finishing the game in 2 minutes 28 seconds, Although the team had completed the game within the permitted time, the earlier delay would prove to be their downfall.

The second heat featured Colwyn Bay and the team, having observed the problems encountered by Blackpool, ensured that the rope was kept taut and clear of the wire. This was to prove advantageous and they completed the game without mishap in 2 minutes 2 seconds.

Marathon, Round 6 - Log Bridge Building

The cameras returned to the Marathon for the sixth and final round and Blackpool took full advantage of their starting position and increased their score within seconds of the starting whistle. At the end of the game, Blackpool had transported a total of 10 team-mates across the bridge whilst Colwyn Bay had only transported 8 team-mates.

Game 7 - Stretchers Across the Pontoon

The seventh and final game - ‘The Champagne Waitresses’ - was played in unison and featured four competitors (two males and two females) from each team in two dinghies on the lake. Above the 150ft (45.7m) course, there were four large rings hanging from a wire which spanned the lake and one of the females was equipped with a tray with two champagne bottles and six glasses. On the whistle, the male competitors had to row the dinghies towards the centre of the course in order for the tray to be passed through the ring to the other female. Once accomplished, the dinghies were then rowed to the next ring and the game repeated. Once all four rings had been negotiated, the dinghies had to be rowed to the end of the course and the female had to disembark and place the tray and all its contents on a podium. All items had to be intact before a finishing time was achieved. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Within a few seconds of the starting whistle being sounded, Blackpool found themselves in trouble after the contents of their tray fell into the water as the females passed the tray to each other. However, although the items fell into the water, none of them had actually been passed through the ring. The team recomposed itself but only retrieved four glasses, instead of the six, before moving on to the second ring. Contemporaneously, Colwyn Bay had already reached and successfully passed their tray through the second ring and were to hold the lead throughout and finished the game in 1 minute 32 seconds. The game was permitted to be played out and Blackpool finished in 1 minute 51 seconds. Before announcing the result, referee Arthur Ellis delivered a blow to Blackpool and stated that they had been disqualified as they had failed to pass the tray through the first hoop once the team had recomposed itself and that they had also not delivered all the 8 items to the podium.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

In his opening introductions, presenter David Vine made a blooper by informing viewers that this was the first of the qualifying heats for Jeux Sans Frontières and that in Europe the other six countries were staging similar competitions to decide their representatives. This in fact was incorrect, as West Germany (Spiel Ohne Grenzen) and Netherlands (Zeskamp) were the only other two that actually did this. The representatives from the other four countries were chosen purely on a location and suitability basis by their respective TV broadcasters.

Eagle-eyed viewers would see future It’s a Knockout director and producer Geoff Wilson making an early appearance as a member of the production team. Geoff can be seen giving directions to and also assisting the teams throughout the programme.

Returning Teams and Competitors

Blackpool team member Barry Shearman (later to go into professional wrestling as Rex Strong) had previously participated for the Shrewsbury team in the 1969 International Final. He also played the Blackpool Joker - in the guise of Rex Strong - when Blackpool participated in the 1981 series.

Blackpool team manager Bob Battersby would return five years later as team captain when the town participated in the 1976 series.

Colwyn Bay team member Barbara Barker, who walked the seesaw in Game 3, had previously competed for Rhyl in the 1970 series.

Additional Information

The team colours at this heat were quite unique for two reasons. Firstly, Blackpool chose to adopt the colours of its local football team and played in tangerine and white, a colour scheme that was not to be repeated by a Domestic team again. Secondly, Colwyn Bay adopted two different colour schemes - the male competitors were attired in white tops and black shorts whilst the female competitors were attired in all-blue outfits!

Although all the other countries had decided the venue for their International Heats at this point, the final scoreboard erected on site showed that the venue for the fifth International Heat of 1971 (Offenburg, West Germany) had still not been confirmed to the BBC at the time when this heat was recorded on 17th April. The reason for this was that WDR were awaiting the result of their second Domestic Heat (to be staged on Saturday 1st May), the winners of which would then be announced as hosts of the event.

The staging of this heat was peculiar compared to all others previous to it (apart from the Northern Ireland heats which were not held on Sundays due to pressure from religious groups) in that it was the first in the history of It's A Knockout not to be held on a Sunday. This was in order to accommodate the recording of both this Domestic heat on Saturday 17th April 1971 and the 1971 It's A Cup Final Knockout (to be aired on Saturday 8th May) on the following day.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1971

Heat 2

Event Staged: Sunday 25th April 1971 from 2.00pm
Venue: Amphitheatre, Furness Abbey, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Wednesday 28th April 1971, 7.10-8.00pm

Teams: Barrow-in-Furness v. Kendal

Team Members included:
Kendal - David Moorhouse (Team Manager), Tony Gill (Team Coach), John Bell, James Blacow, Frazer Broomby, Joan Brown, Alan Campbell, Hilary Campbell, Brian Cox, Peter Greenbank, Malcolm Hendrie, Judith Houghton, Colin Hunter, George Inchmore, Jean Malkin, Terence O'Laughlin, Sheila Proctor, George Rigg, Beryl Smith, Clive Wilson, George Wilson, Marjorie Wilkinson and Bob Bethell (Reserve).

Games included: Skating Buckets, Tennis Hoops, Walk the Walk, Raising the Bar, Water Board, Bridge That Gap;
Marathon: Game Unknown.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

 K • Kendal ● ●
 B • Barrow-in-Furness

12
7

Kendal qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Solothurn, Switzerland:
staged on Wednesday 23rd June 1971

The Host Town

Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire

Barrow-in-Furness is a town with a population of around 58,000 inhabitants in the county of Cumbria. It overlooks the Irish Sea and is located 50 miles (80km) north of Liverpool, 52 miles (84km) east of Douglas on the Isle of Man, 56 miles (90km) south of Carlisle and 115 miles (185km) west of Scarborough. The town is sheltered from the Irish Sea by the crescentic Walney Island, a 14 mile (22km) long island, home to 11,000 of the population, which is connected to the mainland by the bascule-type Jubilee Bridge.

During the Middle Ages, the Furness peninsula was controlled by the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of St Mary of Furness, known as Furness Abbey. Soon after the abbey's foundation, the monks discovered iron ore deposits, later to prove the basis for the Furness economy. These thin strata, close to the surface, were extracted through open cut workings, which were then smelted by the monks.

In 1839, Henry Schneider (1817-1887) arrived as a young speculator and dealer in iron, and he discovered large deposits of haematite in 1850. He and other investors founded the Furness Railway, the first section of which opened in 1846, to transport the ore from the slate quarries at Kirkby-in-Furness and haematite mines at Lindal-in-Furness to a deep water harbour near Roa Island. The docks, built between 1863 and 1881 in the more sheltered channel between the mainland and Barrow Island, replaced the port at Roa Island. The first dock to open was Devonshire Dock in 1867 and Prime Minister William Gladstone (1809-1898) stated his belief that “Barrow would become another Liverpool”. The increasing quantities of iron ore mined in Furness were then brought into the centre of Barrow to be transported by sea.

The sheltered strait between Barrow and Walney Island was an ideal location for the shipyard. The first ship to be built, Jane Roper, was launched in 1852 and the first steamship, a 3,000-ton liner named Duke of Devonshire, in 1873. Shipbuilding activity increased, and on 18th February 1871, the Barrow Shipbuilding Company was incorporated. However, the company was taken over by the Sheffield steel firm of Vickers in 1897, by which time the shipyard had surpassed the railway and steelworks as the largest employer and landowner in Barrow. During these boom years, a planned town to accommodate the large workforce was proposed and in 1901, the company constructed Vickerstown, modelled on the one at Bournville in Birmingham by George Cadbury (1839-1922), on the adjacent Walney Island to house its employees.

Barrow's population reached a peak of 77,900 in 1951, by which time the long decline of mining and steel-making, as a result of overseas competition and dwindling resources, had already begun. The Barrow ironworks closed in 1963, three years after the last Furness mine shut. The small steelworks followed suit in 1983, leaving Barrow's shipyard as the town's principal industry. By the 1890s, the shipyard was heavily engaged in the construction of warships for the Royal Navy and also for export. The Royal Navy's first submarine, Holland 1, was built in 1901, and by 1914, the United Kingdom had the most advanced submarine fleet in the world, with 94% of it constructed by Vickers. The end of the Cold War in 1991, marked a reduction in the demand for military ships and submarines, and the town continued its decline. The shipyard's dependency on military contracts, at the expense of civilian and commercial engineering and shipbuilding, meant it was particularly hard hit as government defence spending was reduced dramatically.

There are two interesting points about Barrow-in-Furness. The first is that the town’s most famous son is Emlyn Hughes (1947-2004) who captained both the Liverpool and England football teams in the 1970s. Secondly, in 2014, the town was voted the 'least happy' area to live in Britain, after a survey was carried out by the Office of National Statistics!

At the time of transmission, Barrow-in Furness was located in the county of Lancashire. However, following the complete redistribution of county boundaries under the Local Government Act 1972 (which took effect on 1st April 1974), it became part of the newly-enlarged county of Cumbria.

The Visiting Town

Kendal is a town with a population of around 30,000 inhabitants in the county of Cumbria and is located 25 miles (40km) north-east of Barrow-in-Furness.

The Venue

Furness Abbey

The games were played on the high-sided grassed amphitheatre adjacent to the southern aspect of Furness Abbey. Founded in 1123 by Stephen, Count of Boulogne (1092-1154), it was built originally for the Order of Savigny out of local sandstone. In 1147, it passed to the Cistercians, who gradually enlarged and rebuilt the original ornate church. The majority of the current ruins date from the 12th and 13th centuries. By the 15th century, it had been completely remodelled and had become the second richest and most powerful - as well as one of the grandest - Cistercian abbeys in England, behind Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire.

The monks of the abbey were large landowners, and the most powerful body in, what was then, a remote border territory. In particular, they were heavily influential on the Isle of Man. One of the kings of Mann and the Isles is buried at the abbey, as are many of the Bishops of Sodor and Man. Being about 70 miles (113km) down the coast from Scotland, the monks occasionally found themselves in between the frequently warring Scots and English. When Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) invaded England, during The Great Raid of 1322, the abbot paid to lodge and support him, rather than risk losing the wealth and power of the abbey.

The Abbey was disestablished and destroyed in 1537 during the English Reformation under the orders of Henry VIII (1491-1547).

The abbey now lies in ruins and is on the Cistercian Way - a walk which used to link the abbey with the nearby town of Dalton-in-Furness. Romantic poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850) visited several times and referred to it in his 1805 autobiographical poem The Prelude, whilst artist Joseph Turner (1775-1851) made numerous etchings of the abbey.

There are many stories and sightings claiming that Furness Abbey is haunted. There are supposedly at least three ghosts which have been seen numerous times at the Abbey. First, it is said that the spirit of a monk has been seen climbing a staircase and also possibly walking towards the gatehouse before vanishing into a wall. Another sighting is that of a squire's daughter. She was known to meet her lover at the ruined abbey after the Reformation, although one day her partner took a journey out to sea from which he never returned. It is thought that the girl went back to the Abbey every day until her death to the site she and her partner once loved; the track she walked is today still known as "My Lady's Walk." There have also been many sightings of a white lady, although due to possible conflicting stories, it is unclear whether the White Lady and the ghost of the squire's daughter are the same person or not. Possibly the most famous ghost of Furness Abbey is a headless monk on horseback, who rides underneath the sandstone arch near the Abbey Tavern. The death of this individual is linked to an invasion by the Scots in 1316.

The Rehearsals

As was the case in the final recording, the rehearsal was won by the Kendal team. However, in this instance, the teams were divided by just a single point with Kendal winning 10-9. This set up the actual competition very nicely, with both teams having acquitted themselves well.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Skating Buckets

The first game - ‘Skating Buckets’ - was played in unison and featured five competitors (four males and one female) from each team and a small two-hillocked course above which 12 buckets were hanging down from scaffolding. Each of the four males were wearing roller-skates and carrying a large wooden litter. On the whistle, the female had to stand on the litter and then it had to be raised up onto the shoulders of the males. The males then had to skate down the course and whilst doing so, the female had to collect six of the buckets, placing them on the litter one by one. The males then had to skate to the end of the course and lower the litter to the ground. The female then had to empty the contents of the buckets into a large container. The game then had to be repeated. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

Although the volumes of water collected are unknown, the result went in favour of Kendal and they were awarded the 2pts.

Marathon, Round 1 - Game Unknown

The next game was the Marathon, the details of which are unknown, and was played alternately by each team on three occasions or played in unison on six occasions throughout the programme.

Game 2, 3, 4 or 5 - Tennis Hoops

One of the games was ‘Tennis Hoops’ - played second, third, fourth or fifth - which was played individually and featured a male competitor from each team armed with a tennis racket and standing on a floating podium in the middle of a pool. Located outside the pool was an automatic tennis ball serving machine as well a large hoop at the top of a pole. On the whistle, the machine was set in motion and as the each of the balls was released, the competitor had to hit it with the racket and through the hoop. The team with the greater aggregate score would be declared the winners.

Marathon, Round 2 - Game Unknown

The second round of the Marathon either saw the team that had not participated in the first round trying to emulate the target set by their rivals or saw both teams trying to improve on their scores or adding to their totals achieved in the previous round.

Game 2, 3, 4 or 5 - Walk the Walk

One of the games was ‘Walk the Walk’ - played second, third, fourth or fifth - which was played in unison and featured five male competitors from each team and an obstacle course comprised of orange and white traffic cones. The team had to work together to transport each other down the course with one of them not touching the ground whilst doing so. On the whistle, the first male competitor had to crouch down in order for the second male to climb onto his knees. The first male then had to walk down the course, zigzagging in and out of the cones whilst his team-mate held tight. At the end of the course, the third male was transported down the course whilst the first two remained on the ground. This was then repeated with the fourth team member being transported by the first three. On the final run, the team had to transport the fifth male down the course, whist the other four males took up the classic pantomime-horse posture. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Marathon, Round 3 - Game Unknown

The third round of the Marathon either saw the team that had participated in the first round trying to improve on their score or adding to their total achieved earlier or saw both teams continuing to try and improve on their scores or adding to their totals achieved over the previous two rounds.

Game 2, 3, 4 or 5 - Raising the Bar

One of the games was ‘Raising the Bar’ - played second, third, fourth or fifth - which was played individually and featured two male competitors from each team armed with a long iron bar with a large circular ring at its centre. In front of the competitors were two rope ladders attached to a trapeze wire. On the whistle, the competitors had to place a ball in the ring of the bar and then they had to climb the rope ladders ensuring that they kept the bar level. When they reached the top of the ladder they had to climb over the wire and then return to the ground by using the other sides of the ladders. The game then had to be repeated throughout. If the ball fell to the ground, the competitors had to return to the start and begin the essay again. The team completing the greater number of return runs would be declared the winners.

Marathon, Round 4 - Game Unknown

The fourth round of the Marathon either saw the team that had participated in the second round trying to improve on their score or adding to their total achieved earlier or saw both teams continuing to try and improve on their scores or adding to their totals achieved over the previous three rounds.

Game 2, 3, 4 or 5 - Game Unknown

The title of the last of the games played second, third, fourth or fifth is unknown and no details of it are available.

Marathon, Round 5 - Game Unknown

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon either saw the team that had participated in the first and third rounds making one last effort to improve on their score or adding to their total or saw both teams continuing to try and improve on their scores or adding to their totals achieved over the previous four rounds.

Game 6 - Water Board

The sixth and penultimate game - ‘Water Board’ - was played in unison and featured five male competitors from each team lying on their backs in front of a large podium. On the whistle, the competitors had to raise their legs in the air in order to support a large wooden board on which six buckets of water would be placed. They then had to work together to move the board along the course using only their feet. As the plank moved away from the last competitor in the line, he then had to get up and run to the front of the other four competitors and lie down in the same posture as previously. This then had to be repeated by each subsequent competitor until the board had been transported to the finish line. The water in the buckets then had to be poured into a container and measured. The game then had to be repeated throughout. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

Although the volumes of water collected are unknown, the result went in favour of Barrow-in-Furness and they were awarded the 2pts.

Marathon, Round 6 - Game Unknown

The sixth and final round of the Marathon either saw the team that had participated in the second and fourth rounds making one last effort to improve on their score or adding to their total or saw both teams making one last effort to improve on their scores or adding to their totals achieved over the previous five rounds.

At the end of this round, Kendal had achieved a greater score or total than their rivals and were awarded the 3pts.

Game 7 - Bridge That Gap

The seventh and final game - ‘Bridge That Gap’ - was played in unison and featured four male competitors from each team armed with a metal ladder and a course comprised of five hurdles and two high scaffolds. On the whistle, whilst three of the competitors stood on the first hurdle in front of one of the high scaffolds, the fourth competitor had to place the second scaffold behind the second hurdle. The team on the hurdles then had to place the ladder across the two scaffolds to bridge the gap. They then they had to swing across to the second hurdle. Once completed, the fourth competitor then had to move the original first scaffold and place it behind the third hurdle and then the team then had to repeat the game. This would continue until the three competitors were standing on the fifth hurdle. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the existing 8mm footage, it can be seen that although Barrow-in-Furness were leading before they attempted to bridge the gap for the final time, they failed to secure the ladder correctly across the scaffolds and this resulted in it falling to the ground whilst they did so. This permitted Kendal to overtake them and secure victory on the game.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

Referee Arthur Ellis, who in the final programme wore a white jacket and black trousers, could be witnessed in his civilian clothes during the footage that survives of the rehearsals.

Team Personnel

George Inchmore was a boutique owner at the time of his appearance as a member of the Kendal team. However, he had made a name for himself in an entirely stranger manner as he was a world champion cheese eater! George won his title by eating 1lb (0.45kg) of Cheshire cheese in four minutes and his cheese-eating prowess led to his name being included in the Guinness Book of Records 1972.

Additional Information

Although this programme is missing from the BBC archives, approximately three minutes of 8mm home-movie footage of the event, showing some of the action from the day, exists and has been shared online. From the footage, and the shots of the scoreboard contained within it, it can be ascertained that neither team were successful on their Joker game, with both playing them on games that ended in draws.

As was the case at the end of the first Domestic Heat, the final scoreboard erected on site showed that the venue for the fifth International Heat of 1971 (Offenburg, West Germany) had still not been confirmed to the BBC at the time when this heat was recorded on 25th April. The reason for this was that WDR were awaiting the result of their second Domestic Heat (to be staged on Saturday 1st May), the winners of which would then be announced as hosts of the event.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1971

Heat 3

Event Staged: Sunday 2nd May 1971
Venue: Abbey Grounds, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Wednesday 5th May 1971, 7.10-8.00pm

Teams: Hereford v. Tewkesbury

Team Members included:
Tewkesbury - George Wilkinson (Team Manager), Ian Rodger.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

 T • Tewkesbury ● ●
 H • Hereford

11
8

Tewkesbury qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Rotterdam, Netherlands:
staged on Wednesday 7th July 1971

The Host Town

Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

Tewkesbury is a town with a population of around 11,000 inhabitants in the county of Gloucestershire. It is located on the River Avon near to its confluence with the larger River Severn, 24 miles (38km) east of Hereford, 41 miles (66km) south of Wolverhampton, 42 miles (68km) north-east of Bristol and 50 miles (80km) west of Buckingham.

The name Tewkesbury comes from Theoc, the name of a Saxon who founded a hermitage there in the 7th century. In the Old English tongue the town was called Theocsbury. The town has a character all of its own and features many notable Tudor buildings and is one of the few places in the Cotswold area where you will see black and white half-timbered buildings. In fact, there are almost 400 listed buildings in the town and this makes it very popular with visitors. The beautiful Norman abbey, built in the early 12th century, dominates the town and was originally part of a monastery. The Abbey Mill still remains, resting upon the Mill Avon, a channel built by the monks. The weir exists to this day, and the channel represents one of the biggest projects in Tewkesbury's history, though the present sluice gate dates only from the 1990s, replacing two installed in the 1930s.

The Abbey Cottages, over 500 years old, were rescued from dereliction in the 1970s - one houses a museum, the others are residential homes and commercial offices. The local branch of Store Twenty-One (formerly Marks & Spencer and before that Iceland) was once the location of the Swan Hotel, where a balcony still exists today and from which local election results were announced.

In the past, the locals have turned their hand to many industries. Brewing and malting, pin making, boat building and the framework knitting of stockings were at one time major industries. One of the specialities of the town is Tewkesbury mustard, a creamy blend of mustard and horseradish. It made the town famous in the 17th century and is once again being manufactured. The mustard was mentioned in some of the works of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) - in Henry IV Part 2, the character of Falstaff utters the line “Wit as thick as Tewkesbury Mustard”.

As well as being the birthplace of Anna Ford, ITV’s first female newsreader, in October 1943, Tewkesbury will always be remembered in the entertainment world for the last stage appearance of comedian Eric Morecambe (1926-1984). After six curtain calls at the Roses Theatre, Morecambe stepped into the wings and then collapsed after suffering his third heart attack. He was rushed to Cheltenham General Hospital, where he died just before 4.00am on Monday 28th May 1984.

The Visiting Town

Hereford is a cathedral city with a population of around 59,000 inhabitants in the county of Herefordshire and is located 24 miles (38km) west of Tewkesbury.

The Venue

Abbey Grounds, Tewkesbury

The games were played in the grounds of the town’s Norman Abbey which was originally part of a Benedictine monastery. It was saved from the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536-1541) ordered by King Henry VIII (1491-1547) by the people of Tewkesbury. Insisting that it was their parish church which they had the right to keep, they bought it from the Crown for the sum of £483 - being the value of its bells and lead roof which would have been salvaged and melted down. Most of the monastery buildings, as well as the vineyards, were destroyed during this time.

The present abbey was founded in 1092 by Robert Fitzhamon (1045-1107), cousin to William the Conqueror (1028-1087), with Giraldus, Abbot of Cranborne. However, building did not start until 1102, employing Caen stone imported from Normandy and floated up the River Severn. The central stone tower was originally topped with a wooden spire, which collapsed in 1559 and was never rebuilt. Some restoration undertaken in the 19th century, under Sir Gilbert Scott (1811-1878), included the rood screen that replaced the one removed when the Abbey became a parish church.

It is thought to be the third largest church in Britain that is not a cathedral (after Westminster Abbey and Beverley Minster). From end to end, it measures 331ft (101m), though prior to the destruction of the original Lady Chapel (also at the time of the dissolution), the total length was 375ft (114m). The abbey, known locally as the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, is still used for daily services, and is believed to be the second-largest parish church in England, again, after Beverley Minster.

On 4th May 1471, the fields to the south saw the penultimate and decisive battle in the Wars of the Roses (sporadically fought between 1455 and 1487). In July of each year, the town hosts the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, promoted as ‘Europe's largest battle re-enactment and fair’. Thousands travel to the town from around the world to re-enact the Battle of Tewkesbury near to the original battle site. The festival includes a ‘living history’ recreation of a medieval encampment, games, food and a large fair where re-enactment clothing, furniture and weaponry can be purchased. In 2019, the festival celebrated its 37th anniversary.

The Abbey hit the headlines in July 2007, when intense rainfall left the 900-year old building and its grounds completely surrounded by water, threatening to flood the Abbey itself. The town, which stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, suffered from some of the worst flooding in recorded British history when both rivers were overwhelmed by the volume of rain (up to 5 inches (130mm) in five days) that fell in the surrounding areas.

Returning Teams and Competitors

Tewkesbury team member Ian Rodger had previously participated in the programme as a member of the Cheltenham Spa team in 1968. He would go on to compete for the successful Ely team in 1973.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1971

Heat 4

Event Staged: Sunday 9th May 1971
Venue: St Ninian's Park, Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Wednesday 12th May 1971, 7.10-8.00pm

Teams: Falkirk v. Prestwick

Team Members included:
Prestwick - Jim Innes (Team Manager), Johnny Hubbard (Team Coach), Hugh Alexander, Ann Beaton, Bill Collin, John Colville, Jim Doolan, Jim Ferguson, Jim Fields, Laurence 'Laurie' Hood, Linda Hubbard, Donald McKechnie, Brian Morrison, Brian Picken, Pat Slessor, Morag Thow.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

 P • Prestwick ● ●
 F • Falkirk

14
5

Prestwick qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Vichy, France:
staged on Wednesday 21st July 1971

The Host Town

Prestwick, Ayrshire

Prestwick is a town with a population of around 16,000 inhabitants in the council area of South Ayrshire. It has a coastline on the Firth of Clyde (part of the Irish Sea) and is located 29 miles (47km) south-west of Glasgow, 39 miles (63km) east of Campbelltown, 44 miles (71km) north-east of Stranraer and 93 miles (150km) west of Coldstream. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is 2 miles (3km) south and the two are separated by the River Ayr which empties out into the Firth of Clyde at this point.

Prestwick is Scotland's oldest baronial burgh, dating back over a thousand years. It’s name derives from the Old English for ‘priest's farm’ - preost meaning ‘priest’ and wic meaning ‘farm’ - and was originally an outlying farm of a religious house. Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) is reputed to have drunk water from the well at St. Ninian’s church and been cured of leprosy. The well bearing his name - Bruce’s Well - still exists behind the church. Although a burgh, it remained a village until the railway arrived in the 1840s and the middle classes from Glasgow started to build large houses along the coast.

The remains of the old parish church are located near the town’s railway station. Thought to have originally been built in the 12th century, the small church building is now a ruin, and is surrounded by an ancient graveyard. Andrew Strath (1837-1868), a Scottish professional golfer and known as the ‘Keeper of the Green’ at Prestwick Golf Club in the 1860s, is buried in the cemetery. The Prestwick Old Course hosted the first Open Golf Championship in 1860. The first twelve Open Championships were played there, from 1860 to 1872. (except for 1871, when the Championship was not played).

Glasgow Prestwick International Airport, formerly Prestwick International Airport, opened in 1934 mainly as a training airfield. It expanded over the years as it was the only Scottish airport allowed to operate Transatlantic flights, due to it being on the coast and rarely suffering from any fog. The United States Air Force had a base there from 1952-1966, and British Airways used the long runway at Prestwick for training Concorde pilots. The supersonic aircraft would fly round all day, just touching the runway then taking off again. People in cars would line the roads watching this amazing sight, but nobody realised then, just how special it was, as there are no such aircraft in service today, and unlikely to be for some time. Though a period of sharp decline in the 1980s and 1990s saw it lose its status as Scotland's primary transatlantic airport, Prestwick continues to handle many US military flights and is the main Scottish hub for Irish budget airline Ryanair.

The airport’s main claim to fame is witnessing Elvis Presley’s only visit to the United Kingdom on 3rd March 1960, but he only used the airport to change flights. Elvis was finishing his American army national service and stopped over in Ayrshire for a precious two hours. Despite a massive security clampdown, the news leaked out that a mystery V.I.P. was flying in ... and when Sgt. Elvis Aaron Presley (1935-1977) stepped off the plane, local fans rushed to greet him. Without the restraining influence of aides and his personal manager, 'Colonel' Tom Parker (1909-1997), the star felt relaxed enough to mix with them.

At the time of transmission, Prestwick was located in the county of Ayrshire. However, following the complete redistribution of county boundaries under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the town became part of the newly-formed region of Strathclyde on 16th May 1975. Further changes followed and under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act of 1994, the regions were abolished and were replaced with 32 unitary authorities on 1st April 1995 and Prestwick became part of the newly-formed South Ayrshire council area!

The Visiting Town

Falkirk is a town with a population of around 36,000 inhabitants in the council area of the same name and is located 48 miles (77km) north-east of Prestwick.

The Venue

St. Ninian's Park

The games were played at St. Ninian's Park (more commonly known locally as The Oval), a public park located in the centre of the town.

The park was gifted to the town in 1954 on a site previously occupied by farmland. It comprises two full-sized football pitches with indoor changing rooms, a tennis centre with three indoor and eight outdoor courts, an 82ft (25m) indoor swimming pool and gym, indoor bowling green and cricket club.

Team Personnel

The Prestwick team coach Johnny Hubbard (1930-2018) was a retired South African footballer who had spent the majority of his playing career at Rangers Football Club, a team he had joined in 1949. During his tenure at Rangers, he made 238 appearances for the club and scored 106 goals. His speciality was penalty taking, scoring 65 penalties for Rangers and missing only three. At one point, he converted twenty-two consecutive penalties and came to be nicknamed 'Penalty King'. Released by Rangers in 1959, Johnny then ventured south of the border to play for the English League club Bury for three seasons, before returning to Scotland in 1962 to see out the last years of his playing days at Ayr United. After retiring in 1964, Johnny became a PE teacher, a position he held when coaching the Prestwick It's A Knockout team.

Returning Teams and Competitors

Prestwick team members Laurence 'Laurie' Hood and Brian Picken participated again in 1975 as members of the Ayr team.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1971

Heat 5

Event Staged: Sunday 16th May 1971
Venue: Arbourthorne Playing Fields, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Wednesday 19th May 1971, 7.10-8.00pm

Teams: Scunthorpe v. Sheffield

Team Members (Full Squads):
Scunthorpe - Peter Wigley (Team Manager), Malcolm Douthwaite (Team Coach), Albert Bettison, Kenneth Booth, Richard Booth, Anne Burdett, Jeffrey Burdett, Alistair Codona, Diane Creswick, Jane Elliott, Betty Ellis, Tony Evans, David Ford, Christopher Gillott, Peter Glover, Malcolm Grace, Brian Harney, Pat Jarvis, Andrew Kress, Geoffrey Mawson, Susan Naylor, David Oldfield, Nicholas Pearson, Nigel Pearson, Leon Pedryc, David Pilmore, Zenka Pryor, Bradley Richardson, Alan Rodgers, Alan Stevenson, Peter Swift, Margaret Toyne;
Sheffield - Alastair C. Lister (Team Manager), John Kitson (Team Coach), Lesley Barclay, Keith Barker, Gethyn Baynham, Tony Coney, Alan Cooper, Philip Dudson, Ken Fairey, Marion Gill, David Hardy, Harry Hardy, Tony Havercroft, Martin Hopley, Margaret Kelsey, Janet Leather, Luciano Lissiak, James Longley, Peter Newbury, Malcolm Nicklen, Catherine Pattison, Alan Pickwell, Robert Pogson, Robert Powell, Peter Seaman, Brian Sheppard, Stuart Shirley, Stella Walker, Michael Wall, Frank West, Alan Wilson, Bob York.

Games (Official Titles): Barrow and Brick Race, Mattress Race, Tipping Truck, Stretcher and Bucket Race, Football Game, Tin Stacking Race, Water Slide;
Marathon: Water Trapeze.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 SC • Scunthorpe ● ●
 SH • Sheffield

13
8

Scunthorpe qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Offenburg, West Germany:
staged on Wednesday 4th August 1971

The Host Town

Sheffield, Yorkshire

Sheffield is a city with a population of around 565,000 inhabitants in the county of South Yorkshire. It is located 29 miles (47km) west of Gainsborough, 29 miles south of Leeds, 46 miles (74km) east of Warrington and 71 miles (114km) north of Rugby. It dates back to around the 8th century and is renowned for its steel industry.

By 1296, a market had been established at what is now known as Castle Square, and Sheffield subsequently grew into a small market town. In the 14th century, Sheffield was already noted for the production of knives, as mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and by the early 1600s, it had become the main centre of cutlery manufacture in England outside London.

During the 1740s, a form of the crucible steel process was discovered that allowed the manufacture of a better quality of steel than had previously been possible. In about the same period, a technique was developed for fusing a thin sheet of silver onto a copper ingot to produce silver plating, which became widely known as Sheffield plate. These innovations spurred Sheffield's growth as an industrial town, but the loss of some important export markets led to a recession in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The resulting poor conditions culminated in a cholera epidemic that killed 402 people in 1832. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1842, and was granted a city charter in 1893. The influx of people led to demand for better water supplies, and a number of new reservoirs were constructed on the outskirts of the town. The collapse of the dam wall of one of these reservoirs in 1864, resulted in the Great Sheffield Flood, which killed 270 people and devastated large parts of the town.

In the 1950s and 1960s, many of the city's slums were demolished, and replaced with housing schemes such as the Park Hill Estate. Large parts of the city centre were also cleared to make way for a new system of roads. Increased automation and competition from abroad resulted in the closure of many steel mills. The 1980s saw the worst of this run-down of Sheffield's industries, along with those of many other areas of the United Kingdom. The building of the Meadowhall Centre on the site of a former steelworks in 1990 was a mixed blessing, creating much needed jobs but hastening the decline of the city centre.

One of the most prominent buildings in Sheffield is the Town Hall, which is an example of Victorian era Gothic revival architecture. It was constructed over a seven-year period from 1890 to 1897, opening on 21st May 1897. The current building is Sheffield's fourth town hall and was designed by the London-based architect Edward Mountford (1855-1908). The design of the exterior echoed the architecture of the adjacent St. Paul's Church of 1720 (now demolished). During construction, the building was criticised for its expensive embellishments. The exterior is built of Stoke stone from the Stoke Hall Quarry in Derbyshire and is decorated with carvings by sculptor Frederick Pomeroy (1856-1924). The friezes depict the industries of Sheffield, and the 210ft (64m) high clock-tower is surmounted by a statue of Vulcan.

Roughly a third of Sheffield lies in the Peak District National Park and is one of only two English cities which include parts of a National Park within its boundary. The other is Brighton and Hove with parts of its boundaries within the South Downs National Park - created in March 2010. Estimated to contain over two million trees, Sheffield has more trees per person than any other city in Europe, and according to Sheffield City Council it is England's greenest city, a claim that was reinforced when it won the 2005 Entente Florale competition.

The city has been home to several well-known bands and musicians which include The Human League, Heaven 17, ABC, Joe Cocker (1944-2014), Def Leppard, The Arctic Monkeys and Pulp. It even has its own Sheffield Walk of Fame in the city centre honouring famous Sheffield residents, past and present, in a similar way to the Hollywood version. Sheffield also has close ties with snooker, with the city's Crucible Theatre being the venue for the annual World Snooker Championships since 1977.

Although Sheffield has two professional football clubs - Sheffield United, known as The Blades, and Sheffield Wednesday, known as The Owls - the city has two other clubs. Sheffield F.C. is the world’s oldest club and was formed in 1857 by a collective of cricketers. Hallam F.C., which is the world’s second oldest football club, plays its home matches on the world's oldest football ground in the suburb of Crosspool. On 15th April 1989, Hillsborough Stadium, home to Sheffield Wednesday, was witness to what has become known as The Hillsborough Disaster. A human crush, which ultimately caused the deaths of 97 people and injured 766 others, at a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest resulted in the elimination of standing terraces at all major football stadiums in England, Wales and Scotland. It remains the worst stadium-related disaster in English sports history, and one of the world's worst football disasters.

At the time of transmission, Sheffield was located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. However, following the complete redistribution of county boundaries under the Local Government Act 1972 (which took effect on 1st April 1974), it became part of the newly-formed county of South Yorkshire.

The Visiting Town

Scunthorpe is a town with a population of around 66,000 inhabitants in the county of Lincolnshire and is located 36 miles (58km) north-east of Sheffield.

The Venue

Arbourthorne Playing Fields

The games were played on playing fields located out of the main city centre in the suburb of Arbourthorne. Very little is known about the venue except that it was part of large open grassland on the Arbourthorne Estate.

The northern edge of the fields is open but it ends in a steep bank which drops down towards Park Grange Road and overlooks the Norfolk Park Estate. This gives a good panoramic view of the city centre beyond.

The land still lies undeveloped and the reason for this is probably due to an underlying stream which runs down to the Jervis Lum Woodlands, part of the city’s largest park, Norfolk Heritage Park.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Barrow and Brick Race

Image © BBC, 1971

The first game - ‘Barrow and Brick Race’ - was played in unison and featured two male competitors from each team equipped with a barrow. On the whistle, whilst one of the males sat on the barrow, the other had to wheel it up the course stopping at given points in order for his team-mate to prick up house bricks. The competitor on the barrow had to remain on board at all times. The team collecting the greater number of bricks would be declared the winners.

The Sheffield team got off to a flying start in the competition by winning this game.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Sheffield (2pts awarded / 2pts total) 2nd Scunthorpe (0pts / 0pts)

Marathon, Round 1 - Water Trapeze

Image © BBC, 1971

The Marathon game - 'Water Trapeze’ - was played individually over three rounds and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a trapeze wire hanging out above a large pool. On the whistle, the male had to pick up a bucket of water with his foot and work his way along the wire to the centre of the pool. Contemporaneously, the female had to work her way to the centre balancing on a pole which protruded over the pool. Once she was able, she then had to remove the bucket from her team-mate’s foot and return to the side of the pool, where she had to empty any remaining contents into a container. The team collecting the greater volume of water over the three rounds would be declared the winners.

The first round of the Marathon saw the participation of Sheffield and they set the target for their rivals to emulate.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Sheffield (---)

Game 2 - Mattress Race

Image © BBC, 1971

The second game - ‘Mattress Race’ - was played individually and witnessed Sheffield presenting their Joker for play. The game featured five competitors (four males and one female) from each team and a large foam rubber mattress. On the whistle, the four males had to carry the female, standing on the mattress and holding a bucket of water in each hand, along a hurdled obstacle course. At the end of the course, any water remaining in the buckets had to be emptied into a container. The game then had to be repeated throughout. The female had to remain upright at all times. The team transporting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

This game witnessed the Sheffield team presenting their Joker for play. The team members competing came up trumps and won the game for Sheffield, who streaked further into the lead.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Sheffield (4pts awarded / Joker / 6pts total) 2nd Scunthorpe (0pts / 0pts)

Marathon, Round 2 - Water Trapeze

The second round of the Marathon saw the participation of Scunthorpe trying to emulate the volume of water collected by their rivals.

Running Marathon Standings: --- Scunthorpe (---) --- Sheffield (---)

Game 3 - Tipping Truck

Image © BBC, 1971

The third game - 'Tipping Truck’ - featured six competitors (five males and one female) from each team. On the whistle, the female had to place a 0.5 hundredweight (25.4kg) sack on one end of a ballista. The first pair of males then had to jump on the other end in order to hurl it over a high hurdle. The sack then had to be caught in a net being held by the second pair of males. Once caught, the sack then had to be tossed over a small hurdle for the fifth male to catch. He then had to try and throw each sack caught into a trailer. The game would then be repeated throughout. Once the game had begun, the trailer would begin to elevate and continue to do so until the end of permitted time. The team collecting the greater number of sacks in the trailer would be declared the winners.

The Scunthorpe team made a better job of this game than they had done on the first two, taking the win and reducing the deficit to Sheffield's points total.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Sheffield (0pts awarded / 6pts total) 2nd Scunthorpe (2pts / 2pts)

Marathon, Round 3 - Water Trapeze

The third round of the Marathon featured Sheffield participating for the second and penultimate time and trying to add to the volume of water collected earlier.

Running Marathon Standings: --- Scunthorpe (---) --- Sheffield (---)

Game 4 - Stretcher and Bucket Race

Image © BBC, 1971

The fourth game - 'Stretcher and Bucket Race’ - was played individually and witnessed Scunthorpe presenting their Joker for play. The game featured six competitors (four males and two females) from each team equipped with a wooden stretcher (litter) on which a large container was located. On the whistle, the males had to carry the females on the stretcher down an obstacle course comprised of ramps, steps and hurdles. At given intervals along the course there were individual buckets of water. As the team proceeded up the course and passed over a bucket, one of the females, laying face down on the stretcher, had to pick it up and pass it to the other female who then had to empty it into the container. The team completing the course with the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

The Scunthorpe team played their Joker on this game and vindicated their decision by taking their second successive win. After being 6-0 down after the first two games, they had now drawn level with their opponents.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Scunthorpe (4pts awarded / Joker / 6pts total) ▲ =1st Sheffield (0pts / 6pts)

Marathon, Round 4 - Water Trapeze

The fourth round of the Marathon featured Scunthorpe participating for the second and penultimate time and trying to add to the volume of water collected earlier.

Running Marathon Standings: --- Scunthorpe (---) --- Sheffield (---)

Game 5 - Football Game

Image © BBC, 1971

The fifth game - 'Football Game’ - was played individually and featured two male competitors from each team and a dummy goalkeeper mounted on castors at one end of a wooden-boarded track. On the whistle, one of the competitors had to continually place footballs onto a flat podium and the other competitor had to kick them in order to hit the goalkeeper. Each direct hit would propel the goalkeeper down the track and ultimately into the goal at the other end. The team completing the game, or the one propelling the goalkeeper the greater distance, would be declared the winners.

The Sheffield team regained the lead by winning this game with a slender 2pts advantage now over Scunthorpe.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Sheffield (2pts awarded / 8pts total) 2nd Scunthorpe (4pts / 6pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 5 - Water Trapeze

The fifth and penultimate round of the Marathon saw Sheffield participating for the third and final time and making one last effort to improve on the volume of water collected in the previous two rounds.

Running Marathon Standings: --- Scunthorpe (---) --- Sheffield (---)

Game 6 - Tin Stacking Race

Image © BBC, 1971

The sixth and penultimate game - 'Tin Stacking Race’ - was played individually and featured four competitors (one male and three female) from each team. On the whistle, the male, equipped with a tray and a number of tins stacked on top of each other, had to move down the course. Standing along the course at regular intervals were the three females. As the male reached each one of them, the female had to add an additional tray and tins to his stack. Once all sets of additional tins had been picked up, he then had to proceed to the end of the course. The team crossing the finishing line with all their tins stacked and intact would be declared the winners.

For the second time in the competition, the Scunthorpe team drew themselves level on points with Sheffield by winning this game. They were beginning to stack points as well as tins!

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Scunthorpe (2pts awarded / 8pts total) ▲ =1st Sheffield (0pts / 8pts)

Marathon Delayed!

The staging of the sixth and final round of the Marathon was unexpectedly disrupted. The heat - in which Scunthorpe were to compete - was delayed by a disturbance emanating from supporters of the Sheffield team near to the location of the equipment.

It was therefore decided that the final game would be played prematurely as it was located some distance from the trouble. Meanwhile, police and stewards in attendance acted to calm the crowd.

Game 7 - Water Slide

Image © BBC, 1971

The seventh and final regular game - 'Water Slide’ - was played in unison and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a steep ramp, at the top of which was located a large water tank. On the whistle, the two competitors had to simultaneously scale the ramp as many times as possible, each time filling a bucket with water from the tank. They then had to slide back down the ramp and empty any remaining contents into another container set on weighing scales. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

The Scunthorpe team were triumphant on this game and went into the lead of the competition for the first time. They had finally dislodged the Sheffield team from the top spot!

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Scunthorpe (2pts awarded / 10pts total) 2nd Sheffield (0pts / 8pts) ▼

Marathon, Round 6 - Water Trapeze

With the crowd now more under control, the cameras returned to show the sixth and final round of the Marathon, which saw Scunthorpe participating for the third and final time and making one last effort to improve on the volume of water collected in the previous two rounds. The competitors had to hold their nerve and keep concentration despite the unwanted interruption that they had faced.

With 3pts available on this game, the competition could have gone either way, but after the final whistle, the Scunthorpe team had collected more water over their three heats than their Sheffield opponents had done. Scunthorpe took the points for the Marathon and looked forward to a trip to West Germany for their Jeux Sans Frontières International Heat.

Running Marathon Standings: 1st Scunthorpe (---) 2nd Sheffield (---)

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Scunthorpe (3pts awarded / 13pts total) 2nd Sheffield (0pts / 8pts)

Comments: While unfortunate and uncalled for, the crowd trouble that caused the final Marathon heat to be switched around with the final regular game meant that right down to the last moments of this Domestic Heat either team could have won. With 3pts available on the Marathon, the game was vital to the hopes of both teams - whichever of them won it would take the overall victory (with the teams tied at 8-8, a 3pts Marathon win would give them an unassailable lead and render the final game a dead rubber). Of course, the downside of finishing the contest with the Marathon was that this programme ended without a final head-to-head game at its conclusion, Scunthorpe competing on their own in the delayed Marathon round.

Media Attention

This edition was reported as being attended by 50,000 people by the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, the second highest attendance at that point for It's A Knockout. Part of the appeal was that Sheffield were out for revenge after Scunthorpe United had knocked Sheffield Wednesday out of the fourth round of the previous year's FA Cup competition by 2-1 on 24th January 1970.

Additional Information

On display at this event, and with Sheffield regarded as the centre of the stainless steel industry in the United Kingdom, was the Staybrite Ball. The display featured Staybrite steel bars, revolving on a flower decked dais, creating a fascinating effect of continuous spiral weaving.

In 1913, Harry Brearley of Sheffield developed what is widely regarded as the first ‘rustproof’ or stainless steel, a product that revolutionised the metallurgy industry and became a major component of the modern world.

The original Staybrite Ball was made in 1934 and used at the Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition. It was later sent to South Africa for display. After World War II (1939-1945), a new one was made. It had a 20ft (6.1m) circumference and weighed approximately one imperial ton (1,016kg). It was based at Castle Bromwich in Solihull in the West Midlands, where the annual British Industries Fair was held until 1957. Special trains were run to the Fair from London as well as air services to Castle Bromwich Aerodrome. Many important guests came, including King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953) in 1928, and many stayed at Castle Bromwich Hall with the then Lord and Lady Bradford.

From 1966 until 1970, the Staybrite Ball was used in Sheffield on the Firth-Vickers Stainless Steels Ltd. advertising floats during the annual Lord Mayor’s Parade. In 1971 and again in 1977, it was used by the City Council’s Recreation Department at the Sheffield Show. After 1977, it was stored at the firm's Weedon Street Works until 2005 after which the buildings were sold and then demolished for redevelopment. The fate of the ball since then remains a mystery!

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1971

Heat 6

Event Staged: Sunday 23rd May 1971
Venue: Mansel Park, Southampton, Hampshire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Wednesday 26th May 1971, 7.10-8.00pm

Teams: Bournemouth v. Southampton

Team Members included:
Bournemouth - John Robinson (Team Manager), Richard Molyneux (Team Captain), Jennifer Northey, Billy Noy, Mike Wheeler.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

 B • Bournemouth ● ●
 S • Southampton

12
8

Bournemouth qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Oostende, Belgium:
staged on Wednesday 1st September 1971

The Host Town

Southampton, Hampshire

Southampton is a city and port with a population of around 255,000 inhabitants in the county of Hampshire. It is located 11 miles (17km) north of Cowes on the Isle of Wight, 15 miles (24km) north-west of Portsmouth, 25 miles (40km) north-east of Bournemouth and 34 miles (55km) south of Newbury. It lies at the northern-most point of Southampton Water - a drowned river valley (ria) formed at the end of the last Ice Age - at the confluence of the River Test and River Itchen, with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area. The city's name is sometimes abbreviated in writing to ‘Soton’, and a resident of Southampton is called a Sotonian.

Archaeological finds suggest that the area around Southampton has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Following the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD and the conquering of the local Britons in 70 AD, the fortress settlement of Clausentum was established. The site is believed to be located in Bitterne, which is now a suburb of Southampton. The Anglo-Saxons formed a new larger settlement across the River Itchen and centred on what is now the St. Mary’s area of the city. The settlement was known as Hamwic, which evolved into Hamtun and then Hampton. It is from this town that the county of Hampshire gets its name. Viking raids from 840 AD onwards contributed to the decline of Hamwic in the 9th century, and by the 10th century, a fortified settlement which became medieval Southampton, had been established.

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, Southampton became the major port of transit between Winchester, the then capital of England, and Normandy. Southampton Castle was built in the 12th century and by the 13th century, Southampton had become a leading port, particularly involved in the import of French wine in exchange for English cloth and wool. In 1348, the Black Death reached England via merchant vessels calling at Southampton. The town was sacked in 1338 by French, Genoese and Monegasque ships under Charles Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality of Monaco.

On visiting Southampton in 1339, Edward III (1312-1377) ordered that walls be built to 'close the town'. The extensive rebuilding culminated in the completion of the western walls in 1380. Roughly half of the walls, 13 of the original towers, and six gates survive. In 1740, Southampton became a spa town and, despite the lack of a good quality beach, it had also become a popular site for sea bathing. Innovative buildings, specifically for this purpose, were built at West Quay, with baths that were filled and emptied by the flow of the tide.

Shipbuilding had been an important industry for the town since the Middle Ages and in 1835, the Southampton Docks company was formed. In October 1838, the foundation stone of the docks was laid and the first docks - Eastern Docks - opened in 1842. On 10th April 1912, the RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton on her maiden and final voyage. After colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, she sank on the morning of the 15th April. Four in five of the crew were Sotonians, with about a third of those who perished in the tragedy hailing from the city. The Western Docks date from the 1930s, when the Southern Railway Company commissioned a major land reclamation programme. Most of the material used came from the dredging of Southampton Water, ensuring that the port could continue to handle large ships and due to the benefit of a double high tide (two high tide peaks), the movement of the ships is made easier. However, this tidal anomaly is not caused as popularly supposed by the presence of the Isle of Wight, but is a function of the shape and depth of the English Channel.

Southampton subsequently became the home port for the transatlantic passenger services operated by Cunard with their Blue Riband liner RMS Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth. On 11th November 2008, the Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 departed the city for the final time amid a spectacular fireworks display after a full day of celebrations. Cunard ships are regularly launched in the city: H.R.H. The Duchess of Cornwall named Queen Victoria in December 2007, H.M. Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) named Queen Elizabeth in the city during October 2011, and The Duchess of Cambridge performed the naming ceremony of Royal Princess on 13th June 2013. At certain times of the year, The Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria may all visit Southampton at the same time, in an event commonly called 'Arrival of the Three Queens'.

A ferry port was built during the 1960s and beside luxury cruisers, Southampton was once the home to numerous ferry services to the continent, with destinations such as San Sebastian (Spain), Lisboa (Portugal) and Casablanca (Morocco). However, a number relocated to Portsmouth and by 1996, there were no longer any car ferries operating from Southampton with the exception of services to the Isle of Wight, which continues to this day.

The Visiting Town

Bournemouth is a town with a population of around 185,000 inhabitants in the county of Dorset and is located 25 miles (40km) south-west of Southampton.

The Venue

Mansel Park

The games were played at Mansel Park, the largest park on the west side of Southampton. It is situated in Millbrook housing estate, an area of high deprivation within the Redbridge Ward. Before 2005, Mansel Park was deemed an ‘uninspiring urban public open space’ and a ‘green desert’ offering only a few facilities in its 10.6 hectare area - three football pitches, a ‘kick wall’, a basketball court and a children’s play facility desperately in need of repair. The park’s facilities were of poor quality and were consequently under-utilised.

However, following major investment by Southampton City Council, the park has undergone extensive improvements in recent years and now comprises a children’s play area, football pitches, a multi-games area, a family garden area by Millbrook Towers, a natural and wildlife interest area, a community and sports pavilion known as the 'MP3' and an AdiZone, an outdoor community multi sports gym covering an area of 6,747ft² (625m²) in the shape of the 2012 Olympic logo.

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