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Jack Atherton and Billy Riley spent many hours of the 1930s and 1940s knocking seven bells out of each other. By the 1960s they were working together and promoting shows in northern England and the Isle of Man. Both men worked as trainers and scouts for Joint Promotions, promoted in association with the organisation, but were never Directors.
Their arrangement with the controlling group allowed them to use Joint Promotion wrestlers, and combining these with new faces made for some interesting matchmaking. Graham Brook recalled watching Jack Atherton (and Frank Woodhouse) shows in Derby, “His shows were always interesting as they featured mainly Joint Promotions stars but also a few on the independent circuit who crept into the bills.“
Jack continued promoting following the retirement of Billy Riley. Eddie Rose told us: “Jack supplied me with many bookings over the years in places as far apart as Dumfries, Derby and Redruth. He paid very good wages and expenses and it was always a learning experience working on his shows. He also created a durable tag team -Les Diables Rouges that later changed to the anglicised version of Red Devils and kept Pete Lindberg, Ian Wilson and me well occupied for so long.”
Read our tribute to Jack Atherton
Read our tribute to Billy Riley
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