Also known as Wilson Shepherd
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No Nonsense
Bert Craddock was a rough, tough wrestler. A big man too, sixteen stones of muscle. We are sure he knew the rules; just that he didn’t always like to acknowledge them. Wrestler Sam Betts, known in the ring as Dwight J Ingleburgh, was an admirer, “Simply the best…he could hold his own with the best and always stuck out for fair wages for the lads.”
Bert was a Yorkshire lad. Born and bred on 30th April, 1927 in Barnsley, the son of Arthur and Hilda Craddock. Father Arthur was a colliery hewer working below ground. On leaving Barnsley Grammar School Bert followed in dad’s footsteps and went to work in the local coal mines. Like just about every Barnsley youngster interested in boxing or wrestling Bert was influenced by Charlie Glover who taught the sports at his gymnasium. Bert started out learning to box at Glover’s gym. He was good, very good, and sparred with Bruce Woodcock. For this he was paid the princely sum of £2.10/- (£2.50) for boxing a four round exhibition match with Woodcock at Dillington Park Greyhound Stadium. Woodcock was preparing for his world title fight gainst Lee Savold.
The lure of wrestling was too great and Charlie Glover could see the youngster had potential as a professional. Bert turned professional in the late 1940s (we have a record of matches in 1949), initially using the name Wilson Shepherd. Opponents in the first year included Jack Atherton, Jim Anderson and Don Mendoza.
In the mid 1950s the name Wilson Shepherd was dropped in favour of his birth name. By then Bert was an established wrestler working for Joint Promotions. He worked at their biggest halls (Belle Vue, St James Hall) against top heavyweights such as Norman Walsh, Billy Joyce, and Dave Armstrong. Jack Dale was keen that Bert worked for Dale Martin Promotions with the promise of a full date book. Acceptance would mean moving south and Bert didn’t want to leave his elderly parents in Barnsely so turned down the chance.
In 1959 Max Crabtree started promoting and was on the look out for wrestlers to work on his programmes. It was Max that tempted Bert back to the independent promoters. Back on opposition bills Bert was chosen as a safe pair of hands to help guide another Barnsley wrestler just starting out, and that was Leon Arras, son of Charlie Glover and a man Bert knew well from the gym.
Bert Craddock continued wrestling into the early 1960s before retiring from the ring. Sam Betts again, “Bert and I worked a lot together and always gave a good no nonsense bout. Lets not forget him, he was simply the best”
Bert Craddock died on 9th May, 2007.
Page added 28/01/2023
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