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We are sure all Heritage readers know of Spartan Promotions, the Ayr based company run by two Heritage members, Andy and William Bryden, who wrestled as Dale Storm and Bruce Welch.
Spartan Promotions staged wrestling throughout Scotland in the 1960s and 1970s. Young wrestlers, like Scott Thomson, Young Starsky and the Harlequins trained at the gymnasium in the Ayrshire village of Mossblown, and would then appear on Spartan’s bills. Bruce and Andy succeeded in talking the committee of the local Health and Strength Club into allowing them to use the mat in their well equipped Martial Arts Judo Dojo. Not long afterwards they took over a derelict pre-fabricated building in the local primary school grounds following the intervention of the head teacher who used his persuasive powers on the education committee. This was to become The Old Mossblown Gym.
Alongside the boys from the Mossblown gym would be stars of the independent circuit from the south, including big names such as Adrian Street, Les Kellett and Jackie Pallo. Both Adrian Street and Eddie Rose have praised Dale, Bruce and Spartan Promotions in their books. There was a third wrestling Bryden boy, known in the ring as Big Ian Millet.
Eddie Rose spoke fondly of the visits made by the Manchester lads to work on Spartan bills, and the welcome they received from the whole of the Bryden family, “The Bryden family always made us Manchester lads most welcome and fed and bedded us in their own home (does that sound quite right?). They never asked, nor would take, a penny in return. It was a privilege to know such genuine, straight talking people.”
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