Ron Historyo
Alan Garfield, Anglo’s top man. I do wonder if, even after all this time that I may have found him even further back in time than we expect.
In 1948 Garfield was doing the rounds, not always wrestling but exhibitions as the Modern Sandow. You can see the bills at Tonbridge.
But I have two bills from 1947. Apollo Sports Company was William Bankier. Sandow and Apollo, Victorian Music Hall Strongmen Acts.
Was it Bankier that nurtured Garfield into this Persona? Was Jules Garfield the earliest form of the Turbulent Trail Blazer?
There he is at Chester in May 47 and Alan Garfield at Manchester in July 47.
The only man from the South to come to Chester for William Bankier ???#
These are earlier than what WD.com have whilst they have a match with Neil Sands as late as 1978.
I have him quite busy in 1973 and a cluster of matches with Shirley Crabtree as The Guardsman. There is an example at Hull.
My latest bill is September 1973 back at Tonbridge.
Hack
Nice one Ron. You’ve set us all a challenge with this one to find something earlier or later. These will take some beating though. Years ago I excitedly found Garfield at Willenhall late 40s for Anglo Italian. But probably not this early. The Australian nonsense started from the beginning. I wonder who came up with that.
Lots of potential as we can comment on others on the bill. Jim Bevan and Joe Reid together. Still together 20 years later. Elma Foy very powerful, often talked about by Sam Betts. Same year he was in the World Heavyweight Tournament at Harringay.
At the other end I wouldn’t have imagined Garfield on the same bill as JJ Pallo. A lot to think about. Thanks Ron.
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Garfield beat Foy. This would be a battle between two very strong men. Glyn Evans a name often seen but I know little about him. He was said to be an ex rugby player.
As for his last night .. try the next, here he is on 18th September ….
Anglo Italian
What a beautiful topic.
You’re certainly pushing the boundaries there, Ron. Fascinating to see him in Chester as the sole Southerner at the start of his career. Surely he must have had appreciable experience in the South before that.
Jules is mind-boggling.
1973 saw his mini-feud with peak Nagasaki; a great shame we have no eye witness accounts of their matches.
You and Hack seem successfully to have identified Alan Garfield’s final month working for Joint Promotions, September 1973. Dale Martin gave monthly employment so he may have worked to the end of September. But then again, he was so very often a substitute that we will probably never really know.
By October he was wrestling for Neil Sands on bills never very far from his Beckenham home.
The final bouts I can see are in January 1974 tagging with Docker Don Steadman and then on 18th February 1974 losing by DQ to Sands.
I really don’t think that 1978 appearance can be right, someone has merely copied our data wrongly. Frankly, I don’t think he would have been up to it in 1978, I’m afraid.
In his later years his most frequent opponents were Steve Viedor and, chiefly, Les Kellett – with scores of bouts. Kellett must have really enjoyed their bouts and they must have worked out quite a routine.
Just to ingress between the bookends of Ron’s topic: Garfield defeated a certain John Quatsie at Croydon on 2nd March 1970. I have always assumed this too was a mistake and should be Kowalski, but in case anyone does know of John Quatsie, please put me right.
Ron Historyo
For now a new first for Garfield and with all the topics , if you have an interesting picture of someone when they were at the young end then it’s worth being on here.
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