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Gran-Daddy
When the name Dave Kidney came to national prominence in 2009 we were as surprised as anyone. The question was asked by many, “Who is Dave Kidney?” The question arose when the BBC broadcast a documentary,”Dave Kidney Superstar,” about a 78 year old wrestling grandfather.
A bit of Heritage digging discovered that Dave did indeed have a wrestling history. Born in Dundee on 5th September, 1930, Dave began his wrestling training when he was nine years old and joined the North End Club in Dundee, a contemporary of George Kidd who trained at the same club. Times were hard and a lack of membership money was solved with an agreement that Dave would sweep the floor and light the fire in return for his lessons.
Dave said that he began to wrestle in the professional style in 1946, just sixteen years old, though the earliest recorded match we have uncovered is in 1954, losing to George Marr at his local Caird Hall. Making it into the professional ring at all was quite an achievement. To say that he was small for a wrestler is no understatement, weighing well under 10 stones. The Lord Mountevans rules of 1946 did include a featherweight division (up to 9 stones 11 pounds), but this was not recognised by Joint Promotions when they were formed in 1952.
Nevertheless, Dave continued to receive bookings and in 1959 he defeated George Allanby two falls to one at the Caird Hall, Dundee, to win the BWA British Featherweight Championship. The fight was reported in the Dundee Courier.
Although credible challengers were in short supply Dave did defend his title around the country: Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, London and Bradford. It was a title he appears to have never lost and was still defending in the 1970s. Our last recorded sighting of Dave was in 1972.
He worked for numerous independent promoters, including Universal Promotions, Ace Sports Promotions, George Kidd and Jack Casey, as well as for Joint Promotions.
Well into his seventies Dave was still involved in wrestling as an occasional contestant, promoter and trainer. Dave Kidney died on 21st July, 2020.
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