Katie Boyle joins as joint host with David Vine in what proved to be a difficult year owing to student riots in Paris. These events caused the cancellation of the French heat. The BBC hurriedly staged an extra British domestic heat and the Germans stepped in to help with Jeux Sans Frontières, staging two consecutive heats.

It's A Knockout 1968

Presenters: Katie Boyle, David Vine and Maggie Clews / Referee: Eddie Waring
Scoregirls: Rita Morris and Pat Taylor
Producer: Barney Colehan / Director: Philip S. Gilbert
A BBC North West Production

1968-01

It's A Knockout 1968

Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 12th May 1968, 4.40-5.25pm (Live)

Venue: Pittville Gardens, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire

Teams: Cheltenham Spa v. Worthing

Team Members included: Bill Spragg (Cheltenham Spa Team Manager), Ian Rodger (Cheltenham Spa)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Worthing
 Cheltenham Spa

10
8

Worthing qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in France with transmission planned for 19th June 1968. This was subsequently cancelled due to riots in Paris, with Worthing's heat being rescheduled as Heat 6, staged in Germany. This was transmitted on 6th September 1968.

Did You Know? This heat was affected by mixed weather which made the competition difficult. Directly prior to transmission, the arena was hit with a violent hailstorm.

Made in B/W • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1968-02

It's A Knockout 1968

Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 19th May 1968, 4.40-5.25pm (Live)

Venue: Open Air Swimming Pool, New Brighton, Merseyside

Teams: New Brighton v. Blackpool

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 New Brighton
 Blackpool

11
5

New Brighton qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Switzerland: transmitted on 5th July 1968

Made in B/W • This programme exists in the BBC Archives as a B/W film recording

1968-03

It's A Knockout 1968

Heat 3

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 26th May 1968, 4.40-5.25pm (Live)

Venue: The Hoe, Plymouth, Devon

Teams: Plymouth v. Torbay

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Plymouth
 Torbay

10
8

Plymouth qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Belgium: transmitted on 19th July 1968

Did You Know? Torbay is known as the Devon Riviera. It comprises the resorts of Brixham, Paignton and Torquay.

Made in B/W • This programme exists in the BBC Archives as a B/W film recording

1968-04

It's A Knockout 1968

Heat 4

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 2nd June 1968, 4.40-5.25pm (Live)

Venue: Wimbledon Park, Wimbledon, Greater London

Teams: Merton v. Richmond-on-Thames

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Merton
 Richmond-on-Thames

9
6

Merton qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Italy: transmitted on 2nd August 1968

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

1968-05

It's A Knockout 1968

Heat 5

BBC1 Transmission: Sunday 9th June 1968, 4.40-5.25pm (Live)

Venue: The North Inch, Perth, Scotland

Teams: Perth v. Dundee

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Dundee
 Perth

11
3

Dundee qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Great Britain: transmitted on 14th August 1968

Made in B/W • This programme exists in the BBC Archives as a B/W film recording

1968-06

It's A Knockout 1968

Additional Heat

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 21st June 1968, 8.20-8.50pm
Recorded: Sunday 15th June 1968

Venue: Wimbledon Park, Wimbledon, Greater London

Teams: Cheltenham v. Torbay
(The two highest-scoring losing teams from the 1968 series)

Team Members included: Bill Spragg (Cheltenham Spa Team Manager), Ian Rodger (Cheltenham Spa)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Cheltenham Spa
 Torbay

8
6

Cheltenham qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Germany: transmitted on 30th August 1968

Did You Know? This sixth heat had to be hastily arranged as both Cheltenham Spa and Torbay had scored 8 points in their respective heats and were the joint highest-scoring losing teams. As this had been unexpected and no ‘slot’ arranged in the schedules for Sunday 15th June, this programme had to be recorded for transmission later. However, due to the increased student riot disturbances in Paris, and the cancellation of the French International Heat of Jeux Sans Frontières, which was due to have been transmitted on Friday 21st June, the BBC was very fortunate and was able to show this recorded programme into the now available ‘slot’. Incidentally, as this heat had not been expected to be held, there had not been a venue chosen to hold it, and therefore no advance publicity had been given out for it. Wimbledon Park was chosen as the venue for this heat because as a crowd was needed to attend to give the impression of that fact, the BBC (knowing that the Wimbledon Championships were being held adjacent to the park) simply invited people from the crowds which normally flock to the area during ‘Wimbledon fortnight’ to get autographs and early places in the queue for the next day (tennis matches were never held on Sundays until the 1980s), to attend the event free of charge!

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

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Entrants 1968: Belgium (B) • France (F) • West Germany (D) • Great Britain (GB) • Italy (I) • Switzerland (CH) 

Presenters of International Heats: Paule Herreman and Jean-Claude Mennessier (B), Camillo Felgen (D), David Vine (GB), Enzo Tortora, Giulio Marchetti and Renata Mauro (I), Georges Kleinmann and Mascia Cantoni (CH)

Commentators (BBC): Katie Boyle (Heats 1-3 only) and David Vine / 
International Referees: Gennaro Olivieri, Guido Pancaldi / Referee (BBC): Eddie Waring

Producer (BBC): Barney Colehan
Produced by RTB-BRT (B), ORTF (F), ARD-WDR (D), 
BBC North West (GB), RAI (I), SSR (CH)

 

Key: International Heats  l = Qualified for International Final / l = Heat Winner (Silver Trophy) International Final l = Gold Trophy   l = Silver Trophy   l = Bronze Trophy

- - - - - -

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Heat 1 (Cancelled)

Intended Staging: Wednesday 19th June 1968

Intended Venue: Paris, France

Teams: Bastogne (B) v. Cancale (F) v. Inzell (D) v. Worthing (GB) v. Alghero (I) v. Neuchâtel (CH)

Did You Know? This heat was cancelled due to student riots in Paris and rescheduled as Heat 6 from Germany, additional to the planned German heat. The Swiss heat in Zofingen was re-designated Heat 1.

1968-07

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 5th July 1968, 7.30-8.50pm

Recorded: Wednesday 3rd July 1968

Venue: Zofingen, Switzerland

Teams: Watermael Boitsfort (B) v. Haguenau (F) v. Kaufbeuren (D) v. New Brighton (GB) v. Trani (I) v. Zofingen (CH)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 D • Kaufbeuren l
 B • Watermael Boitsfort
 CH • Zofingen
 F • Hagenau
 GB • New Brighton
 I • Trani

49
47
46
-
33
27

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

1968-08

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 19th July 1968, 7.30-8.50pm

Recorded: Wednesday 17th July 1968

Venue: Verviers, Belgium

Teams: Verviers (B) v. St. Quentin (F) v. Homburg (D) v. Plymouth (GB) v. Terracina (I) v. Bellinzona (CH)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
2nd
4th
5th
6th

 I • Terracina l l
 B • Verviers
 D • Homburg
 GB • Plymouth
 CH • Bellinzona
 F • St. Quentin

51
48
48
40
33
29

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

1968-09

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Heat 3

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 2nd August 1968, 7.30-8.50pm

Recorded: Wednesday 31st July 1968

Venue: Vigevano, Italy

Teams: Bressoux (B) v. Lisbourne (F) v. Landau (D) v. Merton (GB) v. Pordenone (I) v. Estavayer-le-Lac (CH)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
5th

 B • Bressoux l l
 D • Landau
 F • Lisbourne
 I • Pordenone
 CH • Estavayer-le-Lac
 GB • Merton

48 or more
-
-
-
-
-

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

1968-10

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Heat 4

BBC1 Transmission: Wednesday 14th August 1968, 9.05-10.25pm (Live)

Venue: West Stray, Harrogate, Great Britain

Teams: Mons (B) v. Vannes (F) v. Osterholz-Scharmbeck (D) v. Dundee (GB) v. Ascoli Piceno (I) v. Stans (CH)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 D • Osterholz-Scharmbeck l  l
 F • Vannes  l
 CH • Stans l
 -
 -
 -

50 or more
47 or more
46 or more
-
-
-

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

1968-11

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Heat 5

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 30th August 1968, 7.30-8.50pm

Recorded: Wednesday 28th August 1968

Venue: Siegen, Germany

Teams: Gembloux (B) v. Epinale (F) v. Siegen (D) v. Cheltenham Spa (GB) v. Biella (I) v. Mendrisio (CH)

Team Members included:
Cheltenham Spa (GB): Bill Spragg (Team Manager), Ian Rodger

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
2nd
4th
5th
6th

 D • Siegen l
 GB • Cheltenham Spa
 CH • Mendrisio
 -
 -
 -

-
44
44
-
-
-

Did You Know? There were several problems with the coaches taking the Cheltenham team to Germany. Two broke down and a third was required to get them there. Twenty thousand German fans at Siegen were joined by a small contingent of the Gloucestershire Regiment stationed in West Berlin.

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

1968-12

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

Heat 6

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 6th September 1968, 7.30-8.50pm

Recorded: Wednesday 4th September 1968

Venue: Schwäbisch-Hall, Germany

Teams: Bastogne (B) v. Cancale (F) v. Inzell (D) v. Worthing (GB) v. Alghero (I) v. Neuchâtel (CH)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 D • Inzell l
 GB • Worthing l
 -
 -
 -
 -

-
45 or more
-
-
-
-

Did You Know? This additional German heat was added to compensate for the cancellation of the planned first heat in France, which was to feature these teams.

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

1968-13

Jeux Sans Frontières 1968

International Final

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 13th September 1968, 9.05-10.20pm

Recorded: Wednesday 11th September 1968

Venue: The Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium

Teams: Bressoux (B) v. Vannes (F) v. Osterholz-Scharmbeek (D) v. Worthing (GB) v. Terracina (I) v. Stans (CH)

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 D • Osterholz-Scharmbeek l
 CH • Stans l
 F • Vannes l
 GB • Worthing
 B • Bressoux
 I • Terracina

41
39
33
32
27
24

Did You Know? The first game of the night had to be abandoned due to mechanical failure. Also, the Swiss played their Joker on the Fil Rouge. In later competitions, this was not permitted.

Made in B/W • A French-language version exists at RTB, Belgium, a copy of which now resides in the BBC Archives

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