Each block serves as a link. Clicking anywhere within a block takes you to the associated feature.

1st January 2017: A NOTE FROM THE WEBMASTER

 
A new year - a new start. Due to other commitments, this website has been inactive for a while. This has resulted in an enforced change in domain name from the previous ".com" address to a new address of www.wrestlingfurnace.site  Apologies for the inconvenience. Please let other "classic" British Professional Wrestling supporters know about the new address. Meanwhile, I will endeavour to keep the site running more efficiently from now on.

If you find anything not working properly, please email details to furnacehot@gmail.com so it can be corrected.

9th LEEDS REUNION, 7th SEPTEMBER 2013

 
The ninth Leeds Reunion was held on Sunday 7th September 2013 at the Oulton Institute, near Leeds. Photographs and a short report appear here.

The previous evening, wrestling legend Billy Robinson presented a question-and-answer session nearby. This site hopes to produce a report on that event sometime in the next few weeks.

NOTICEBOARD

A reader has written in to advertise his collection of British Wrestling Magazines, plus a couple of pairs of wrestling boots, for sale. The "Readers' Personal Requests" section is available to any private individual who wishes to advertise wrestling-related items which may be of interest to other readers.

8th LEEDS REUNION, 10th MARCH 2013

The eighth Leeds Reunion was held on Sunday 10th March 2013 at the Oulton Institute, near Leeds. This item has photographs of those attending, plus a short report on the afternoon's proceedings.
 

 

 



"New Wrestler" Magazine c1985

Packed with articles and photographs, this magazine, from around 1985 features many of the greatest stars of the day. From Mighty John Quinn to tiny Tom Thumb, Mark Rocco to Johnny Saint, Scotland's All Stars to Girls! Girls! Girls! there's something for everyone. Jim Breaks, Chic Cullen, Bobby Barnes, Mal Sanders, Wayne Bridges, Klondyke Kate, Mitzi Mueller, Nicky Monroe, Rusty Blair, Jackie Robinson, Count Bartelli, John England, Tony St.Clair, Kung Fu, plus many more are all there.

BBC4 TIMESHIFT

BBC 4 produced a television documentary that recorded the development of professional wrestling in Britain to the point that, through the sixties, it was the most popular indoor spectator sport in the country. Despite some errors the hour-long documentary was one of the most informative and comprehensive British Wrestling documentaries yet made. Check this page and the Wrestling Heritage website to find out more.

7th LEEDS REUNION 14th October 2012

The British Wrestlers' Northern Reunion was held on the 14th October 2012 at the Oulton Institute near Leeds. John White reports on how over seventy people, including wrestlers, families, and friends attended. Two awards were presented by ex champion Marty Jones. The first, for lifetime achievement, to the late Eric Taylor, accepted by his son, Steve Taylor. The second, for 'Services to Wrestling', to MC/ referee, Gordon Pryor.

ACE ALLCARD

Very sadly, Ronnie “Ace” Allcard passed away on Saturday 15th September 2012, just eight weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. His son Matt requested an article, reflecting Ace's fun-loving personality. This page was put together using photographs of him at the Wrestlers' Reunions, plus some posters from his career. There is also a selection of friends' memories of Ace from "Facebook". Please help, if you can, to build this page into a fitting tribute, by sending in any relevant stories or other material you may have.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Two British Wrestlers' Reunion regulars, Karl Heinz and Steve Lee Curtis wanted readers to see what they're getting up to these days - paragliding and working in A&E (no connection, we hope!). Adrian Street emailed a reminder about his new 4-part autobiography, now available on Amazon.

THE BRITISH WRESTLERS' REUNION 2012

On Sunday 12th August 2012 THE BRITISH WRESTLERS REUNION "came of age" and celebrated its 21st Anniversary. It is now officially the second largest Reunion of its type in the world. There was the usual awards ceremony, a ten bell count for the recently departed wrestlers into the 'Dressing Room in the sky', music from Lloyd Ryan and his band, a raffle, and a free buffet for all to share. Special guest Sean Regan flew in from South Africa (pictured, left, with "Dazzler" Joe Cornelius). The speeches were all recorded, and can now be heard exclusively here on this site.



SITE SEARCH

A new 'site search' facility has been added. If you're looking for specific information, then typing a keyword into the box will lead you to all the pages on the site where that word occurs. Look for the searchboxes on the Contents and Readers pages, or click on "Search this site" at the bottom right hand corner of the Homepage. (Readers' feedback on whether this new facility functions adequately would be appreciated).

RINGSPORT ISSUE 121

Issue 121 of Ringsport magazine is reproduced here, in its entirety. This collector's-item magazine features many old favourites, including McManus & Logan, Peter & Tibor Szakacs and the "Hells Angels" (Bobby Barnes and Adrian Street).

NEW WRESTLING PROMOTION

Sean Tofield (son of Roger Tofield, left, featured on this site) is running a new wrestling promotion in Milton Keynes, and is requesting support - see the Noticeboard for more details.

WRESTLING ON TV

TV channel Men & Movies, which replays the old "World of Sport" Saturday afternoon wrestling shows, has been moved on Sky Television. The new location is given here.

"THE WRESTLER"

"The Wrestler" magazine was published in the UK from June 1961 to October 1972. The Wrestling Furnace Picture Gallery is pleased to reproduce here, in its entirety, the very first issue.

WRESTLING PROGRAMME

The latest in the series of scanned programmes from the Royal Albert Hall is from Wednesday 16th January 1974. The programme features, amongst many other star names, visiting Argentinian wrestler Jacobo.

STEVE TAYLOR

Yorkshireman Steve Taylor sent in some photos, to start off this gallery feature. Son of Eric Taylor, and brother of Dave, Steve was clearly destined to wrestle professionally, and became a stylish light heavyweight.

6th LEEDS REUNION
25th March 2012

The sixth Leeds Reunion was held on Sunday 25th March 2012 at the Oulton Institute, near Leeds. With a turnout of around 50 wrestlers, a good time was had by all.

WRESTLING PROGRAMMES

Programmes from the Royal Albert Hall, Wednesday 18th January 1967 and Wednesday 22nd January 1969, packed with photographs and articles on the top wrestlers of the day.
(Pictured here: Yuri Borienko)

GALLERIES INDEX PAGE

The Galleries Index page has been re-styled, and is now expandable to the width of your screen. Those of you with widescreens will now have less scrolling to do. A tiny picture of each person appears alongside their name.
(Pictured here: Gordon Nelson)

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS

Please note that, with immediate effect, this site now has a new email address of furnacehot@gmail.com.

Please ignore any remaining references to the old AOL address.

FRATERNITY

The Wrestling Fraternity pages have been re-styled.

The "Formalities" Section, particularly the page illustrating

WRESTLING HOLDS

has been re-styled.

BARRY DOUGLAS

Yorkshire mid-heavyweight upholding the fine traditions of the famous Relwyskow family.

RAY HUNTER

Australian holder of the British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship, widely known as "Rebel" Ray Hunter.

HOLDING AREA

New feature: When very few pictures of a wrestler are currently held, this is where they will be shown until more material is gathered to develop a dedicated gallery.

WRESTLING in the MEDIA

From the 1963 ATV annual, a piece about wrestling on television on Saturday afternoons, plus photographs of Big Ian Campbell tackling Stan Ogden (and Ena Sharples) of Coronation Street.

5th LEEDS REUNION, 2nd OCTOBER 2011

The fifth Leeds Reunion was held on Sunday 2nd October 2011 at the Oulton Institute, near Leeds.
With word of these reunions now spreading throughout the wrestling fraternity, the familiar faces are being joined by one or two more old comrades each year. Newcomers this time included Dale Storm, "Dirty" Dickie Swales and "Nipper" Eddie Riley.
Certificates were awarded, the recipients having been chosen by their fellow wrestlers.
If you know of a family member or friend who is a former professional wrestler, be sure to tell them that their old colleagues would love to see them at the next reunion.

THE BRITISH WRESTLERS' REUNION 20th ANNIVERSARY, 14th AUGUST 2011

This year's reunion, a double celebration of the 90th birthdays of Mick McManus and Joe D'Orazio, exceeded all expectations. Unfortunately, Mick had to leave early, but Joe was there to receive a heartfelt tribute from Frank Rimer on behalf of everyone in the "British wrestling fraternity". Tony St.Clair and "Mr Muscles" Johnny England were both attending a reunion for the first time, and visitors came from far and wide.


*** NEW TO THIS SITE - SOUND CLIPS - CLICK THE LINKS TO LISTEN TO ALL THE SPEECHES AND INTRODUCTIONS ***

MICK MCMANUS

To commemorate his landmark birthday, two articles have been added to the Mick McManus gallery. Many more photographs will be added over the coming weeks. (See also the Wrestling Programmes section, for more features on Mick).

REFEREES - The men in the middle

Russell Plummer's two articles on referees from The Wrestler magazine in 1970, and a page from a Royal Albert Hall programme, illustrate former wrestler Joe D'Orazio's continued contribution to the sport.

MANXMEN

Wrestling on the Isle of Man, the small island in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. Both local and visiting wrestlers provided entertainment for holidaymakers in the summer season, as illustrated in some articles reproduced from Ringsport c1971.

ARTWORK

Those of you interested in making your own wrestling pictures, posters, etc., may enjoy this new page of simple sketches used to illustrate articles and fill space in Ringsport magazine.

WRESTLING CARTOONS

Six more cartoons have been added to this feature - once again, plundered from the pages of Ringsport magazine

SABU

Born in India, Gurdial Singh came to Britain when he was 9 years old, and made Coventry his home. Read how he started wrestling in the fairground booths as 'Sabu', and progressed to wrestling the top stars at the Royal Albert Hall.

LEEDS REUNION 6th March 2011

The first British Professional Wrestlers' Reunion of the year was held at the Oulton Institute, near Leeds, on Sunday 6th March 2011. Photographs were quickly added to a pre-prepared page, and captions and a report on the day's proceedings followed shortly afterwards, together with more photographs submitted by readers

RINGSIDE

A collection of photographs, taken by a Dutchman from his front row seat, sent in by a Canadian, proving the international appeal of professional wrestling.

JACK TAYLOR SHOWS

The great wrestler Jack Taylor worked tirelessly at staging shows encouraging youngsters to carry on the great British wrestling tradition, despite the ubiquitous American influence. Posters and pictures from 2001 to 2004.

DROPKIXX GYM TOURNAMENTS

Pictures from one very special show, and posters from two others, when Dropkixx Gym and its legendary coaches encouraged youngsters to carry on the great British wrestling tradition in 2003/4

ROY St.CLAIR

Son of the legendary Francis St.Clair Gregory, Roy St.Clair started with the lighter weights, formed a formidable tag partnership with brother Tony and made a name for himself in the mid-heavyweight division.

TONY SKARLO (Scarlo)

Known now for his work on the British Wrestlers' Reunion committee, Tony had a great career in the ring amongst the lighter weights.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY

Guess who's celebrating his 76th birthday this month, and enjoying the sunshine lifestyle in Florida with another superstar of British Professional Wrestling. The "Where Are They Now?" page reveals all.

VIC & PETER STEWART

Peter Stewart's wrestling debut was made as the younger member of tag duo The Stewart Brothers - only they weren't brothers! The other member was Peter's father, Vic Stewart, whose youthful appearance meant that the 20 year age difference went unnoticed by the fans.

PETER PRESTON

Many readers will know that Peter Preston was the first man to defeat Mick McManus in a televised bout, but there is much more to him than that. See his new gallery for more details about his career.

WALK LIKE A PANTHER

A film company turned to The Wrestling Fraternity for help and advice on a Channel 4 sitcom / pilot. Read who showed up and what happened as shooting began in January 2011.

ROY WOOD

A product of Billy Riley's Gym in Wigan, Roy Wood went on to eventually save the gym, and re-instate it as a world-renowned establishment. Roy is now a highly respected official in British amateur wrestling, involved with the British team in Commonwealth and Olympic Games. An article from The Wrestler magazine tells how he was the "third member" of the White Eagles team back in October 1967.

LEEDS REUNION

The fourth Leeds Reunion will be held on Sunday 6th March 2011 at the Oulton Institute.
Note that the reunion is for wrestlers, their families and invited guests only. Full details here

LEEDS 2010 REUNION PHOTOGRAPHS

Your chance to see which of your favourite wrestlers there when the third Leeds Reunion took place on Sunday 19th September. Photos by John White added 23rd Jan 2011

CLASSIC BRITISH PRO WRESTLING RETURNS TO UK TELEVISION

After a gap of several years, re-runs of "World of Sport" wrestling are back on UK television on the 'Freesat' Men & Movies channel. See the Television section for more details, including full instructions on how to tune in if you have SKY TV.

BOBBY ENGLAND

Middleweight Bobby England tells the story of how he made the transition from spectator to participant in professional wrestling.

TOMMY MANN

A tough, aggressive wrestler, Tommy became British Middleweight Champion in the 1960s. Originally from London, he settled in Manchester where he opened a city-centre restaurant.

BOB SWEENEY

A rising star in the 1960s, Bob Sweeney followed other physical culturists like Ron Oakley and Spencer Churchill into wrestling. He became a favourite amongst fans for his looks and his action-packed style.

TONY "BANGER" WALSH

A familiar face on British television screens, Tony "Banger" Walsh was guaranteed to get the crowd shouting for his opponent. A series of screengrabs from his match against Jeff Kaye shows why.

NOTICEBOARD

The Noticeboard has been split into two sections, Notices and Requests of Interest to All and Readers' Personal Requests.

HARRY MONK

This heavyweight Yorkshire wrestler from the 1990s trained at Little Prince's gym, and took on the likes of Ian McGregor, Marty Jones and Scrubber Daly.

BUDDY WARD

Buddy's after dinner speaking career continues to flourish. See the Buddy Ward gallery page for details of his next speaking engagement on Saturday 4th December.

AL MARSHALL

Al Marshall continues to provide interesting material, with a new photo of him with his mystery friend "The New Masked Destroyer", and his pals Ian "Mad Dog" Wilson and Ian McGregor, plus his BAWA membership card.

RED BROCCO

Red Brocco has been added to the site in this new gallery, thanks again to pictures and information supplied by Al Marshall.

DWIGHT J INGLEBURGH

The biographies section now boasts a fascinating Dwight J Ingleburgh feature, which includes over 100 photographs. Read how Sam Betts from Barnsley was promoted as a visitor from New Jersey, and went on to wrestle all over the world. Sam tells his story of life on the road, and how the wrestlers had to fight more than just each other to earn a living.

ORIG WILLIAMS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Not long after his untimely death, the autobiography of the late, great Orig Williams has been published. The official launch was at Rhyl Town Hall, North Wales, on Saturday 25th September 2010, with several well-known figures from the world of wrestling in attendance.

MAX CRABTREE

Johnny Kidd recently visited Max Crabtree at his home in the Yorkshire Dales, and sent in a photograph of himself with the now 77-year-old Max.

STEVE LEE CURTIS

Read about Steve Lee Curtis's comeback, and his ideas for a new wrestling show on TV, from an article in the Harrow Times entitled "I'm doing it for the fans".

TONY "TITCH" WHITE

Tony "Titch" White, a regular visitor to the Dartford reunions now has his own gallery page on the site, with photographs and programmes kindly contributed by Tony himself.

19th ANNUAL REUNION, DARTFORD

The eagerly awaited 19th Annual British Wrestlers' Reunion page was held at Wayne Bridges' pub near Dartford on Sunday 8th August 2010. Wrestlers, their families, friends and fans all enjoyed a great day, illustrated here in captioned photographs, many of them sent in by readers.

RAY STEELE v PETE CURRY

All the main action from an enthralling Ray Steele vs Pete Curry heavyweight match has been captured in still photographs with captions, sent in by reader James Knight.

COMPLETE LISTING OF SITE UPDATES: (Sorry, no links - maintenance would be too cumbersome)

26th January 2014: Leeds September 2013 Reunion page.
10th March 2013: Leeds March 2013 Reunion page.
9th February 2013: "New Wrestler" Magazine from around 1985 reproduced in "Articles" section.
9th December 2012: BBC4 Timeline TV programme added to Media section. Wrestlers Mosaic page added (but subsequently deleted, due to bandwidth problems).
4th November 2012: 7th Leeds Reunion page added.
20th September 2012: Ronnie "Ace" Allcard tribute page added.
9th September 2012: Readers' photos added to Kent reunion 2012 page. News of Karl Heinz, Steve Lee Curtis and Adrian Street on the "Where are they now" page.
27th August 2012: Kent reunion 2012 captions added. Problem with adding audiofiles reported.
13th August 2012: Kent reunion 2012 picture and report page started.
15th July 2012: "Site Search" facility added.
12th July 2012: Kent reunion 2012 details announced.
2nd July 2012: "Ringsport" magazine, issue 121, reproduced (in its entirety). New wrestling promotion on Noticeboard. Details of "Men & Movies" TV channel updated.
17th June 2012: Reproduced, in its entirety, the very first issue of "The Wrestler" magazine from June 1961.
1st May 2012: Royal Albert Hall programme from January 1974, and Steve Taylor gallery added.
26th March 2012: 6th Leeds Reunion photo page added.
19th March 2012: Jan '67 and Jan '69 Royal Albert Hall programmes added. Galleries index page re-styled.
27th February 2012: More photos added to Ray Hunter and Barry Douglas galleries.
26th February 2012: Dec '66 Royal Albert Hall programme added. "Fraternity" and "Formalities" sections reformatted. "Holds" page much better now.
18th January 2012: Nov '69 Royal Albert Hall programme added.
26th November 2011: Other people's photos added to Leeds Reunion page. Nov '66 Royal Albert Hall programme added. "Holding Area" started. ATV annual added to media section. Photo added to Johnny England gallery.
26th October 2011: Vic Coleman page re-styled and augmented, interview added. David Kidney page updated. New stage play added to media section.
9th October 2011: 5th Leeds Reunion page added.
7th September 2011: 20th British Wrestlers' Reunion page completed, after first pictures were added on 15th August (the day after the reunion).
6th August 2011: "Temporary" folder created, for "limited timescale" files. The first is to announce the 90th birthdays of Mick McManus and Joe D'Orazio, and direct readers to their 'permanent' files. McManus gallery updated, and May 1972 programme featuring him added. Referees article added, featuring Joe D'Orazio. Single pictures added to Alan Colbeck and Pat Roach galleries.
29th July 2011: "Programmes" section started, with Sept '70 Royal Albert Hall programme. Pics of Adrian Street and Tony Charles on Tony's 76th birthday in "Where are they now". Details of August and October reunions.
23rd April 2011: 3 additions to "Articles" section: 'Manxmen' and 'Artwork' pages, plus more additions to 'Cartoons'. News of "Men & Movies" channel now on standard Sky TV.
13th April 2011: Sabu gallery added.
6th March 2011: Photographs added to pre-prepared page about today's Leeds reunion. Captions and report to be added later.
18th February 2011: 'Ringside' photos added to 'Events' section. Dropkixx Gym and Jack Taylor shows from the defunct 'Today' section restored to the 'Events' section.
6th February 2011: Roy St.Clair and Tony Skarlo galleries added. Vic & Peter Stewart gallery started as tribute to Vic following his death at Christmas time. "Wrestlers in Celluloid" added to media section. Peter Preston and Derek Collins galleries updated.
30th January 2011: Roy Wood gallery added. Wrestlers involved in filming television pilot "Walk Like A Panther".
23rd January 2011: Peter Preston Gallery added. Full details of March 2011 Leeds reunion. More photos of September 2010 Leeds reunion from John White.
14th January 2011: Paul Lincoln (Doctor Death) gallery updated.
12th January 2011: Sad news announced of the death of Paul Lincoln. Bobby England Gallery added
9th January 2011: Tommy Mann and Bob Sweeney galleries added. Next Leeds Reunion date and venue.
24th December 2010: Tony "Banger" Walsh feature and Harry Monk gallery added. Al Marshall's BAWA Membership card added to his gallery. Noticeboard split into two sections - Notices and Requests of Interest to All and Readers' Personal Requests.
7th November 2010: "World of Sport" wrestling on the Men & Movies channel highlighted in the television section. Buddy Ward's next after dinner speaking event on Saturday 4th December. Steve Lee Curtis's comeback, and ideas for a new wrestling show on TV. Al Marshall's pals "The New Masked Destroyer", Ian "Mad Dog" Wilson and Ian McGregor added to his gallery. Red Brocco gallery added.
24th September 2010: Photo feature added of the second Leeds Reunion of 2010, on Sunday 19th September. Dwight J Ingleburgh feature added to biographies section, including over 100 photographs. Orig Williams autobiography added to Books section. Johnny Kidd and Max Crabtree photograph added to "Where are they now" page.
22nd August 2010: Vince Ellingham's photos added to the 2010 Reunion page. Tony "Titch" White gallery added. Ray Steele vs Pete Curry 'pictureboard' added to the "Events" section.
14th August 2010: Photos added to 2010 Reunion page.
6th August 2010: Buddy Ward gallery page started. 2010 Reunion Page set up, currently showing the open invitation.
11th July 2010: Adrian Street and Al Marshall galleries updated. Wrestling Fraternity section updated, particularly with reunions' venues and dates and Keith Martinelli in "Where are they now?".
27th June 2010: Eddie Rose's book "Send in the Clowns" added to books section. David Kaye gallery started. 2 pics added to Monty Swan gallery. Group photo added to 2010 Ellesmere Port Reunion page.
13th June 2010: Photographic report on the 2010 Ellesmere Port Reunion added.
31st May 2010: Additions to Al Marshall gallery. Alan Kidney gallery added. "Jumping" Jim Moser gallery added. Harry Palin and Derek Collins galleries started.
26th March 2010: Al Marshall gallery added.
19th March 2010: More Leeds reunion pictures added.
14th March 2010: Pictures added from the second Leeds Northern British Wrestlers' Reunion held on 7th March 2010.
31st January 2010: An appeal from Wendy Mellor, partner of Keith Martinelli, and former partner of the late Hans Streiger.
26th January 2010: Billy Joe Beck gallery started. Mexican Lucha Libre site "Luchawiki" showcased. Lucha Libre wrestling film "La Bestia Magnifica" added to "Sources" section.
3rd November 2009: The Who's Who of Wrestling feature completed. Ron Taylor's Boxing and Wrestling Booth booth article added.
13th September 2009: Pictures from Jimmy Sullivan's collection added to 'Articles' section.
23rd August 2009: Southern Wrestlers' Reunion page begun. Readers invited to submit their own photographs.
9th August 2009: Frank Rimer added to "Biographies" section. Sabu, Graham Sellars, Lee Sharron, 4 Singhs (Amarjit, Arjit, Joginda, Rajendra) and Andy Soutar added to "Who's Who"."Television" and "Video/DVD" links withdrawn from "Sources" page.
13th June 2009: Northern Wrestlers' Reunion (Ellesmere Port) report and pictures added.
24th & 26th April 2009: Notices added, about the "Northern Wrestlers' Reunion" and Ron Taylor's Excelsior Boxing & Wrestling Booth.
22nd March 2009: "Northern Wrestlers' Reunion" notice. Karl Heinz gallery added.
1st February 2009: "Who's Who of Wrestling" page augmented.
14th January 2009: Galleries started for Jimmy Sullivan and Dan Davey, with requests for more information and pictures.
16th November 2008: Links to "Action Clips" of Classic British Professional Wrestlers added. Eric Sands gallery updated.
28th September 2008: Steve Serene (a.k.a "Soiltaire") feature added. Bruno Elrington gallery increased. Royal Albert Hall March 1966 promotion added to "Events" section.
30th August 2008: Earl Black Gallery, including his wrestling anecdotes, added. Stephen St.John and John L Haggar galleries updated with more photographs.
26th August 2008: Anglia Wrestling Promotions feature added. Stephen St.John gallery revised. John L Haggar gallery added.
24th August 2008: Captions almost complete on The British Wrestlers' Reunion 2008 page, now including readers' photos. Jim Howard's photos added to Reunion 2007 page. Billy LaRue gallery updated. Baz "Romany" Riley gallery started.
11th August 2008: Photographs from the British Wrestlers' Reunion 2008 posted, with a request for assistance from readers in identifying the wrestlers.
1st August 2008: British Wrestlers' Reunion 2008 details posted. Stephen St.John gallery updated.
13th July 2008: Four photographs added to Tony Bates gallery (Dave Phillips, Ivan Penzecoff, Miguel Santos and Jimmy "Tiger" Ryan). "Who's Who" feature gallery increased substantially.
26th May 2008: Mick Whitfield Collection added to "Articles" section, and "Wrestling Cards" feature completed in same section.
20th April 2008: Tom Dowie gallery added.
10th February 2008: Jack Taylor gallery augmented. Bob Taylor gallery started. "1980 Matstars" added to "Articles" section. "A Seat at the Ringside" (1966) added to "Events" section.
13th January 2008: Orig Williams, Billy La Rue, Ray Steele, Doctor Death and Jack Taylor galleries added. Pictures added to Borg twins, Stefan Milla, Jack Dempsey and Mick McManus galleries. Three new features in "Articles" section: Holiday Camps 1974, Two 'Ringsport' Features and ATV Show Book 1962.
6th October 2007: Eric Sands gallery added. Roger Tofield gallery added. Steve Lee Curtis gallery augmented. Family photo added to Alan Kilby gallery. Photos added to each of Majid Ackra and Syed Saif Shah galleries. Photo of Max Crabtree with Johnny Kidd added to Where Are They Now? page.
16th September 2007: Captions added to Wrestlers' Reunion 2007 photographs, and more readers' contributions added. Harry Kendall gallery updated. Steve Lee Curtis gallery added.
16th August 2007: Wrestlers' Reunion 2007 report page added.
6th July 2007: "Wild Black" Angus gallery added. Royal Albert Hall 1963 wrestling extravaganza feature added.
1st Jun 2007: Majid Ackra gallery added. Who's Who of Wrestling page updated continually.
27th Mar 2007: "Who's Who of Wrestling" page added to galleries section.
17th Mar 2007: Jim Fitzmaurice and Monty Swann galleries added, Adrian Street gallery updated.
27th Feb 2007: Tony Bates gallery updated, including a copy of one of his Joint Promotions wrestling contracts. Colour 'stills' from a vintage match against Vic Faulkner added to Al Wood gallery.
27th Jan 2007: Alan Garfield gallery added. "Links" page overhauled. Readers now able to submit links. "Readers' Requests" page superseded by "Classifieds" page.
21st Dec 2006: Photo galleries index page redesigned. Galleries added: Ezzard Hart, Gordon Nelson, ‘Gentleman’ Jim Lewis, Brian Trevors, Harry Kendall, Max Crabtree, Tom ‘Ringo’ Rigby, Stephen St.John & Billy Stock. Bob Kirkwood gallery updated.
10th Dec 2006: Homepage, noticeboard, contents and FAQ pages reformatted.
4th Dec 2006: FAQ page added. Last of Wrestlers' Picture Galleries transferred from the old website.
26th Nov 2006: Eddie Capelli gallery extended. Frank Rimer and Mark L'Estrange pictures added to 2006 British Wrestlers' Reunion page.
12th Oct 2006: DVD promotion: "A Visit to Rocco's Lair". Rollerball Rocco's career "in his own words".
2nd Oct 2006: Bob Kirkwood gallery added. Ten more Wrestling posters, added. Another Wrestling Cartoon added.
13th Sep 2006: Change of venue for biographer Shirley Thompson's "Auf Wiedersehen Pat" celebrity book launch.
9th Sept 2006: Steve Mitchell's wrestling posters, added. Johnny Kidd with Max & Brian Crabtree photo added. Text added to British Wrestlers' Reunion page.
17th Aug 2006: British Wrestlers' Reunion draft photographic report added.
1st Aug 2006: Jack Pye gallery added. Eddie Capelli gallery augmented.
21st Jul 2006: Biographer Shirley Thompson publicising Seamus Dunleavy book and forthcoming "Auf Wiedersehen" to Pat Roach. Links page updated: ITV Wrestling Listings and The Wrestling Channel's official website.
13th Jul 2006: Details of this year's British Wrestlers' Reunion added. Feature on "Mad Eli", West Country wrestling enthusiast, promoter and fundraiser.
9th May 2006: Invitation to wrestlers to attend The (Northern) Wrestlers' Reunion added. "1962 Veteran Wrestler" David Armstrong gallery started. Floral Hall, Southport, June 1966 programme added.
13th Mar 2006: "The Mike Waller Collection", added. Photographs and narrative from a bout between Vic Faulkner and Leon Fortuna added.
21st Feb 2006: Jackie Pallo obituary added. Spencer Churchill's bodybuilding gallery augmented. Picture added to Vic Coleman biography (third picture at top of page)
11th Feb 2006: Jackie Turpin gallery added.
24th Jan 2006: "Bodybuilder/Wrestlers" page added to the "Articles" section. The page is linked to several wrestlers' individual gallery pages, which have been transferred from the old site location.
23rd Dec 2005: Johnny "Muscles" England gallery added.
3rd Dec 2005: Tony Bates gallery added.
16th Nov 2005: Gwyn Davies gallery updated Mick McManus visit pictures added to Dropkixx Wrestling Academy page.
2nd Nov 2005: Not a 'proper' site update, but a notice about Kendo's book signing in two days' time has been added.
19th Oct 2005: More photos added to Sunday August 14th's British Wrestlers' Reunion page. Gwyn Davies gallery added Alf & Ken Cadman gallery added Syed Saif Shah gallery augmented.
5th Oct 2005: A moving tribute to his former colleagues back in Britain, written by British Wrestling legend Adrian Street, now residing in Florida.
2nd Sept 2005: Photographic account of Sunday August 14th 2005, the British Wrestlers' Reunion added to the "Fraternity" section.
23rd Jun 2005: Photographic account of Sunday June 5th 2005, the Northern Wrestlers' Reunion added to the "Fraternity" section. Ray Robinson gallery added. Photo added to Syed Saif Shah gallery. Photo added to Stefan Milla gallery. "Televison" page of "Sources" section revised.
26th Apr 2005: The Reverend Michael Brooks gallery added.
22nd Mar 2005: Ted Hannon gallery updated. News items added about media coverage of wrestling.
12th Mar 2005: Ted Hannon gallery added. An article about the Welterweight Scene in 1966 added.
21st Feb 2005: Photo of 23 years old Jim Breaks from 1965 bodybuilding magazine added to his gallery. New gallery of "Goldbelt" Brian Maxine added. Doncaster welterweight Dave Shade gallery added. Johnny Kincaid gallery augmented.
6th Feb 2005: MAILING LIST added to "Readers" section. Jack Taylor's next live wrestling promotion in Leicester on Monday 28th February. "The Amazing Kung Fu" Eddie Hamill's tribute site added to the links page. A recent photograph of Lindy Caulder added to "Where are they now?" page, plus an article from "The Wrestler" magazine added to his gallery page. Article "Do musclemen make good wrestlers?" added from "The Wrestler" magazine of May 1962. Material transferred from the old site location into the 'Events' section: The Royal Albert Hall Spectacular 1970 The Royal Albert Hall Extravaganza 1971 Ron Taylor's Boxing & Wrestling Booth at the Nottingham Goose Fair
23rd Jan 2005: The British Wrestling Collection of video tapes transferred from the old website, and re-styled. "Readership Survey" added to the 'Readers' section.
8th Jan 2005: Two magazine articles added: British wrestling 1960s looks back over the previous decade from a 1970 viewpoint. European Ratings 1972 shows the impact of British wrestlers on the European scene.
23rd Dec 2004: Articles on tag-team wrestling and lightweight wrestlers from "The Wrestler" magazine of September 1963 added.
12th Nov 2004: Barry Cannon gallery added. Al Wood gallery added. 1985 TV Times article, on 7 wrestlers to watch added
2nd Nov 2004: Two Falls, Two Submissions, or a Knockout added to the recommended reading list. Jack Taylor's Monday 15th November 2004 poster added.
24th Oct 2004: Report and photographs from the Pat Roach tribute show in aid of Macmillan Cancer Nurses. Photographs from Jack Taylor's 27th September show.
19th Sept 2004: A couple of requests added to the "Readers" section. Wrestling Cartoons page transferred from old site.
18th Sept 2004: Poster added to Dropkixx Promotion advertisement (in aid of Macmillan Cancer Nurses on Saturday 25th September in East Sussex). Johnny Kincaid gallery added
4th Sept 2004: Fraternity section unveiled. Photographs of The British Wrestlers' Reunion 2004 added. Wrestling show in aid of Macmillan Cancer Nurses by Dropkixx Promotions on Saturday 25th September in East Sussex. Live wrestling promotion by Jack Taylor on 27th September in Leicester.
4th Aug 2004: Reunion host, Wayne Bridges gallery updated.
17th July 2004: The "Today" section of the site has been substantially updated, with: An open invitation to the 12th annual British Wrestlers' Reunion on Sunday 8th August. News from 'Dropkixx' on the current state of British Professional Wrestling. And an offshoot of the previous item: information on a new organisation 'RAMWA' - a fusion of rock music and professional wrestling.
30th June 2004: "Mad Eli's" Mega Charity Wrestling Fan Club details are restored to the Wrestling Furnace website - another source of British wrestling videos.
26th June 2004: "Tiger" annual article on the "feud" between Mick McManus and Jackie Pallo added.
19th May 2004: Stefan Milla gallery added. Videos section updated. "British Wrestling Legends" have sent a poster for inclusion on this site. Contact them for details of their extensive range of very reasonably priced wrestling videos.
5th May 2004: Al Nicol gallery added. Wrestler galleries section "D to F", plus the Georges Gordienko gallery now fully transferred from the old website. Magazine feature added to the Jimmy "Tiger" Ryan gallery.
27th Apr 2004: Jack Dempsey gallery added. Jack Dempsey was British Welterweight Champion for many years. Alan Dennison gallery transferred from the old website.
21st Apr 2004: Syed Saif Shah gallery added - pictures and articles on this outstanding Pakistani Champion heavyweight wrestler who settled here in the UK.
10th Apr 2004: See the poster for the next Jack Taylor Promotions show on 19th April 2004 in the "Today/Seconds out/Jack Taylor" section. Galleries section "C" (i.e. wrestlers with surnames beginning with the letter "C") now transferred here from the old site. The "Sources/Television" section has updated news of the new Wrestling Channel on Sky Digital.
30th Mar 2004: Photographs from the Jack Taylor Promotions show on 8th March 2004 now included to the "Today/Seconds out/Jack Taylor" section. Joe D'Orazio's biography has now been transferred from the old site, and some of the text corrected and augmented. The "Sources/Television" section has an initial impression of the new Wrestling Channel on Sky Digital.
23rd Mar 2004: "Sources" section now almost complete, giving details of where you can find out more about Professional Wrestling - on television, in books and magazines and on other websites. For videos, you will still have to look to the old website location, while work continues on transferring it all here.
17th Mar 2004: "Tiger" Jimmy Ryan gallery transferred from old site, and several new pictures added, kindly supplied by Tiger's widow, and his son, Jim, from their family album.
15th Mar 2004: "Television" page of "Sources" section added - Details of new Wrestling Channel in the UK on digital TV, with great news for fans of the classic style of British Professional Wrestling.
14th Mar 2004: George Kidd gallery transferred from old site, and a new article, with colour photographs, added. "Readers' Requests" section updated - can you help with information about Johnny Morgan or Zoltan Boscik, or photos of Danny Collins or Johnny Kidd? Colour photos added to the Wrestling feature from Independent Television's 1965 "World of Sport" book in the "Articles" section. The "Formalities" section is now complete, with information on the rules, holds and weight categories in Professional Wrestling.
26th Feb 2004: Jack Taylor Promotions' next show on 8th March in Leicester added to "Today/Seconds Out..." section. A set of "cigarette" cards featuring "Famous T.V Wrestlers" has been scanned and added to the "Articles" section.
4th Feb 2004: Wrestling feature from Independent Television's 1965 "World of Sport" book added to the "Articles" section.
26th Jan 2004: Galleries section 'A to B' now available. Wrestlers with surnames beginning with A or B have had their galleries transferred here from the old site.
14th Jan 2004: "Articles" section now up-and-running, starting with a look at wrestling in Britain in 1961.
5th Jan 2004: Jack Taylor Promotions' next show on 2nd February added to "Today/Seconds Out..." section. Previous shows by Jack Taylor and Dropkixx transferred to "Today/Previous" section. Vic Coleman biography transferred from old site. Readers' requests section updated again.
23rd Dec 2003: Readers' requests updated.
21st Dec 2003: First galleries transferred from old site: Johnny Saint, Mike 'Flash' Jordan, Steve Logan, Peter Rann. Readers' requests section transferred and updated.

21st Dec 2003 THE WRESTLING FURNACE PICTURE GALLERY re-launched at www.wrestlingfurnace.com
  For the sake of continuity, the last few additions/changes to the old site before this date are given below.

30th Nov 2003: Joe D'Orazio biography added. Joe has been one of the major figures in British Professional Wrestling for many years, and his inclusion on this site is long overdue. Many thanks to Joe for his help in providing information and photographs.
21st Nov 2003: Steve Wright gallery added. Want to meet other wrestling enthusiasts? The Contacts section has been updated.
5th Nov 2003: Peter Rann gallery added.
30th Oct 2003: Kent Walton tribute page augmented.
15th Oct 2003: Mike 'Flash' Jordan gallery added. Seven more pictures added to Julien Morice gallery. Another reader's query added to the Readers' Requests section.
24th Sept 2003: Steve Logan gallery added. Please note that a different programming technique was used on this page. If there are any problems, please email.
3rd Sep 2003: Kent Walton tribute page added, following the recent death of "The Voice of Wrestling".