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JSFnetUK is researched, written, designed, maintained and Copyright © Alan Hayes and David Hamilton.

It's A Knockout Copyright © BBC Television and Jeux Sans Frontières is Copyright © Eurovision and respective national television companies. No attempt to infringe these copyrights is intended. 

The first series of It's A Knockout was played out entirely in two English counties, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Each week, two teams from one county would meet in competition, the winner going through to a regional final. The two winners of the regional finals then went through to the Grand Final, where Lancashire played Yorkshire for the 'Tip-Top-Town Trophy'.

It's A Knockout 1966

Presenter: McDonald Hobley
Master of Ceremonies (Lancashire Broadcasts + Final): Charlie Chester
Master of Ceremonies (Yorkshire Broadcasts + Final): Ted Ray
Referees: Eddie Waring and Stuart Hall (Grand Final only, with E.W.)
Producer: Robin Scott
Directors:
Barney Colehan, Philip S. Gilbert (Grand Final only, with B.C.)
A BBC North West Production

1966-01

It's A Knockout 1966

Lancashire Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 7th August 1966, 4.40-5.30pm (Live)

Venue: Beach and Promenade, Morecambe, Lancashire

Teams: Morecambe and Heysham v. Blackpool

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Blackpool
 Morecambe and Heysham

-
-

Did You Know? This edition, the first ever It's A Knockout, ended in disarray with the tide coming in on Morecambe Beach to wash away the games. Eddie Waring, who had flown back from Australia where he had been commentating on a Rugby League tour, found himself refereeing up to his knees in water. He was not alone - the camera crew were splashing around, trying to rescue their sodden equipment!

Made in B/W • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

 

1966-02

It's A Knockout 1966

Yorkshire Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 14th August 1966, 4.40-5.30pm (Live)

Venue: Peasholm Park, Scarborough, Yorkshire

Teams: Scarborough v. Bridlington

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Bridlington
 Scarborough

13
5

Made in B/W • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

 

1966-03

It's A Knockout 1966

Lancashire Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 21st August 1966, 4.40-5.30pm (Live)

Venue: Swimming Pool and Promenade, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire

Teams: Lytham St. Annes v. Fleetwood

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Lytham St. Annes
 Fleetwood

9
8

Made in B/W • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

 

1966-04

It's A Knockout 1966

Yorkshire Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 28th August 1966, 4.40-5.30pm (Live)

Venue: Bathing Pool, Ilkley, Yorkshire

Teams: Ilkley v. Otley

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Otley
 Ilkley

15
3

Made in B/W • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

 

1966-05

It's A Knockout 1966

Lancashire Final

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 4th September 1966, 4.05-4.55pm (Live)

Venue: Open Air Swimming Pool, Blackpool, Lancashire

Teams: Blackpool v. Lytham St. Anne's

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Lytham St. Anne's
 Blackpool

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

 

1966-06

It's A Knockout 1966

Yorkshire Final

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 11th September 1966, 5.05-5.55pm (Live)

Venue: Bridlington, Yorkshire

Teams: Bridlington v. Otley

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Bridlington
 Otley

14
4

Made in B/W • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

 

1966-07

It's A Knockout 1966

Grand Final

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 18th September 1966, 5.05-5.55pm (Live)

Venues: Fairhaven Lake, Lytham St. Anne's (Marathon only)
and The Spa, Bridlington

Teams: Lytham St. Anne's v. Bridlington

Team Members included:
Bridlington -
David Clark

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Bridlington
 Lytham St. Anne's

9
7

Bridlington qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in France: transmitted on 14th June 1967

Did You Know? McDonald Hobley presented this Grand Final from the BBC Studios in Manchester, where he was joined by the mayors of the two competing towns. All the games took place on location, captured for TV by the BBC's Outside Broadcast unit. The competition ended up depending on the final game, in which a Bridlington bank clerk, David Clark, secured the victory by knocking down more dummy goalkeepers than his Lytham opponent.

Made in B/W • This programme does not exist in the BBC Archives

Although Jeux Sans Frontières had been running in Europe since 1965, Great Britain did not participate until 1967. Details of the 1966 European competitions are given below:

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Entrants 1966: Belgium (B) • France (F) • West Germany (D) • Italy (I) 

Presenters of International Heats:
Jean-Claude Menessier (B), Guy Lux (F),
Enzo Tortora and Giulio Marchetti (I), Unknown (D)

International Referees: Gennaro Olivieri (and unknown)

Produced by
RTB-BRT (B), ORTF (F), ARD-WDR (D), RAI (I)

1966-08

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 1

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 2nd June 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Arcachon (F) v. Eschwege (D)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 -
 
-

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-09

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 2

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 9th June 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Tivoli (I) v. Antoing (B)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 -
 
-

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-10

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 3

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 16th June 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Menton (F) v. Montecatini Terme (I)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 I • Montecatini Terme
 F • Menton

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-11

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 4

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 23rd June 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Erkelenz (D) v. Ath (B)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 -
 -

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-12

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 5

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 30th June 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Jambes (B) v. Fougères (F)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 B • Jambes
 F • Fougères

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-13

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 6

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 7th July 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Alassio (I) v. Eichstätt (D)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 D • Eichstätt
 I • Alassio

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-14

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 7

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 14th July 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Bagnères-de-Bigorre (F) v. Glückstadt (D)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 -
 -

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-15

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 8

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 11th August 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Todi (I) v. Malmedy (B)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 -
 -

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-16

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 9

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 18th August 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Malo-les-Bains (F) v. Isla di Procida (I)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 F • Malo-les-Bains
 I • Isla di Procida

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-17

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

Heat 10

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 25th August 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Sennestadt (D) v. Huy (B)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 -
 -

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-18

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

1st Semi-Final

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 1st September 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Malo-les-Bains (F) v. Jambes (B)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 B • Jambes
 F • Malo-les-Bains

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-19

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

2nd Semi-Final

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 8th September 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Montecatini Terme (I) v. Eichstätt (D)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 D • Eichstätt
 I • Montecatini Terme

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

1966-20

Jeux Sans Frontières 1966

International Final

RAI Uno (Italy) Transmission: Thursday 15th September 1966
Not broadcast in Great Britain

Venue: unknown

Teams: Jambes (B) v. Eichstätt (D)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 D • Eichstätt
 B • Jambes

-
-

Made in B/W • This programme may exist in European archives

 

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