Ron Historyo
Today some snaps of Shirley Crabtree, but without going into Big Daddy, a Persona that he adopted well into his forties.
Initially in 1952 we have The Blond Adonis, Blondie Crabtree and Shirley Crabtree. A young man, very fit and a huge frame.
In the sixties there was some form of retirement, part time pro and for some years only really working out of Halifax.
I have found nothing yet for 1969 and 1970 although I thought I had a 1969 bill.
Came back in 71 and certainly 1972 as The Guardsman, but soon reverted to Shirley again.
In the later 1950’s he quit Joint promotions and was an alternative champion for a few years.
Two pictures of the period that he entered 20th century Promotions and then The Guardsman. 1958 and 1972
Part 2 on Shirley shows him in each year 1960-1968.
Certainly colourful shows with Max, his brother and Jack Taylor behind some of the characters.
69 and 70 will be edited in if I ever come across them.
It is well possible that he did take a full break, disillusioned that he had not cut through.
The 60’s shows look grand, but how well they went down, even in Halifax I am not sure.
A very long career and who could have imagined the success that came at the end of it. Big Daddy was an Indian Summer.
Anglo Italian
You have excelled yourself, Ron, with some super bills there.
So there probably was some truth in the “dole queue” story, restricted to 1969 and 1970. He could have been injured and the seventies version we all know and l….. may be a limited version of what he had been able to do previously.
The Halifax and Hull 1972 bills really stand out.
But the renegade promoters just couldn’t resist skulduggery: “Cousin Crabtree.” What on earth was that all about?
Unquestionably, Shirley shared the ring with the very best heavyweights over 30 years. Coverdale, Campbell, Orford and even Gargantua. Surprising we have never heard from anyone who could tell us what he was like in the fifties and sixties.
It’s impossible not to respect and even like him for these twenty years of work. But his final years cast a dark cloud over it all.
Hack
A superb summary in pictures of Shirley’s career Ron. Quite a few unknown names amongst them.
It’s a shame that Shirley’s reputation has been blighted for many by memories of his final years. I only saw him after 1972 but to have worked busily for ten years and sporadically for the next ten, been a credible independent heavyweight champion, he couldn’t have been that bad.
Norman Morrell had a lot to be blamed for in 1972 when he re-invented Shirley as a one and two round KO giant killer. It would have been much better if he had returned as a credible heavyweight, a worthy challenger for the title. Well, until Max decided to re-invent him.
Ron Historyo
A couple of things about Shirley and also their promotion efforts in Halifax. I had not heard of Shirley until he popped up as The Guardsman in 72. That was while Kendo was in Calgary.
Shirley was very powerful and had still some decent lungs on him. To cap it all, he was actually good on the Mic and not many got on the Mic back then, usually putting a challenge out through he MC if refusing to accept a verdict when there had been an injury.
His performance of “I am the strongest wrestler in the world and nobody can beat me” was quite believable.
It fell down a little because too many victims were 14 stoners.
If you take Sheffield and the Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster triangle and the rugby towns near Leeds, the Crabtree’s seemed entwined with the Barnsley Stable of Wrestlers which back in the day even included Bruno. Also though early links with Kirk and Vines through Rugby and Jim Moran are very evident. This made quite a solid base.
Now whether Max paid better wages when he did 20th Century than he did for Joint, I have no idea, but there were certainly some good wrestlers attracted to this Promotion.
Max was mean on the wages for Joint, was he always that way. I may be wrong but am under the impression that ultimately some of the Barnsley Stable did not like the Crabtrees.
Was there not a rumour that Bert Craddock Shot on Shirley in a match?
Max certainly took almost anyone he could get when things were sinking. Many were brought in that had never done Joint before. And it also looks like the Crabtrees had an OK relationship with Jack Taylor. It’s a good picture but we are some way off the full history of it all.
Hack
Sam Betts hadn’t a good word to say for any of the Crabtrees and reckoned they never wanted to pay.
I saw Shirley advertised for the first time in Loughborough in 1965 or 66. Without a photo I was very confused!
Powerlock
I’m sure someone mentioned seeing him at St James in the late 1950s and said he was green as grass. Could it have been Bernard? It may well have been Gerry Hogarth.
The Ost
Dave C saw some of Shirley’s bouts as BWF champion for the independents in London in the early 60’s. He said he could have quite exciting matches and didn’t mind watching him.
But he had nothing good at all to say about Big Daddy.
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