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A good value, popular worker on the independent wrestling circuit in the 1960s and 1970s, that was Monty Britton. We came across Monty in the mid 1960s when he was working for Dominic Pye in Blackpool, and he’d already been on the scene for a few years, our earliest documented outing being in 1961.
Encouragement by his friend Malcolm McGrail, who wrestled as Terry McDonald, led to a life of wrestling for Monty. Malcolm recommended him to Danny Flynn and Fred Woolley who were at that time starting out as promoters under the Cape Promotions banner. Danny and Fred gave Monty a try-out, and seeing potential recommended him to an experienced wrestler Grant Foderingham, The Black Panther.
Monty had good training at Panther’s gymnasium in Longsight, Manchester, alongside Eddie Rose, Pete Lindberg and Ezra Francis among many others.
This was the start of a long-term association and, before long, Monty was featuring on the Panther’s Unique Promotions shows around Manchester, paired with the likes of Steve Allan and Mad Mike Mahoney. From this foundation Monty eventually worked for all the major independent promoters, from Scotland down to Cornwall. Fans liked him and promoters liked him too because he was reliable and had the versatility to wrestle or mix it depending upon his opponent’s approach to a bout.
Although he did travel nationwide the bulk of Monty’s matches were around south Lancashire, Cheshire and North Wales. He was of the opinion that as he could wrestle virtually every night of the week in and around Manchester, a mere half an hour’s travel from home, there was little point in taking bookings for Cardiff or Glasgow for the same money?
In his near twenty year career Monty wrestled some of the legendary characters of the time, amongst them Lord Bertie Topham, the afore-mentioned Mad Mike Mahoney who was definitely unusual, Big Bill Coverdale, Hans Streiger, Jack Cassidy and the effervescent Chunky Hayes. Chunky was the wrestler and promoter who had a single-decker bus in which he used to transport the ring and provide accommodation for the wrestlers for a week’s tour of the West Country. Can you just imagine what the interior of that bus was like at the end of the week?
Monty is now retired and lives in Denton just outside Manchester and continues to support God’s Own Team, Manchester City!
Page added 25/02/2024
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