It's A Knockout and Jeux Sans Frontières round off another decade, one which undoubtedly saw both series at the height of their popularity. The 1979 series of It’s A Knockout saw the introduction of a new colourful sunshine-themed scoreboard, and new costume characters in the form of the Conks - large oval shaped creatures with huge noses - and the Giant Chefs. Jeux Sans Frontières also witnessed changes this year, with the introduction of a new Joker scoring system. 1979 turned out to be a good year for British teams, too.

It's A Knockout 1979
including
It's A Celebrity Knockout and It's A Championship Knockout

Presenters: Stuart Hall and Eddie Waring
Referees: Arthur Ellis and Mike Swann (not Celebrity Knockout)
(+ Paul Ridyard, Terry Harland and Christopher Coldrey for Championship Knockout)
International Referee: Gennaro Olivieri (Championship Knockout only)
Scorers: Debra Windass, Maria Scott and Helene Hunt

Designer: Stuart Furber / Producer: Cecil Korer
Directors: Geoffrey Wilson (1979 Heats + Championship Knockout)
and Alan Walsh (Celebrity Knockout only)
A BBC North West Production

1979-05

It's A Knockout 1979

Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 11th May 1979, 7.00-8.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 8th April 1979

Venue: Pier Approach, Bournemouth, Dorset
Weather Conditions: Sunny

Teams: Arun v. Bournemouth v. South Wight

Team Members included:
Arun - Nicholas Bainbridge, Jan Barnes, Martin Eley, Mike Fairs, Sally Groom, Penny MacDougall, Geoff Tidyman, Jeremy Tribe, Nigel Waugh
Bournemouth - Pat Barker, Pippa Carson, Brian Dicken, Paul Holmes, Alan Mainstone, Francis McCaul, Colin Menzies, Derek Rees, Trevor Roberts
South Wight - Keith Box, Kevin Crump, Ian Dainty, Martin Hill, Tina Raynor, Robert Smith

Games: ‘Conk Football’, ‘Unrolling the Carpet’, ‘Trolley Push’, ‘Trampoline Shy’,
‘Shove Ha’penny’, ‘The Incline’, ‘Trolley Balance’, ‘Water Carriers’, ‘Chefs’ (Marathon) and ‘Inflatable Assault Course’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Arun
 Bournemouth
 South Wight

26
25
20

Arun qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Switzerland: transmitted on 11th September 1979

Did You Know? Arun and South Wight were both created under the Local Government Act 1972. Arun includes the towns of Arundel, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, while South Wight - situated on the Isle of Wight - included the towns of Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor, but was abolished in 1996.

Did You Also Know? On Game 3, one of the wheels on the South Wight’s team equipment broke off and the team could not continue. South Wight was given a re-run on its own using the Bournemouth team’s trolley, and came in 3rd place on the game!

Did You Also Know? Referee Arthur Ellis made several ‘bloopers’ this year. In the first of two heats of Game 5, ‘Shove Ha’penny’, Arun clearly scored 23 points but Arthur announced 20 points. On the second run, the team scored 8 points (a total of 31 points) but he announced 28 points. This error did not affect the outcome of this heat.

Did You Also Know? Scoregirl Debra Windass was a member of the 1977 Beverley It’s A Knockout team, made an appearance as a mermaid mascot for the Bridlington and North Wolds team in the 1980 series, and returned to the role of scoregirl once again for Heat 2 of the 1981 series! An impressive It’s A Knockout career.

Did You Also Know? Topping the bill on the Pavilion Pier, Bournemouth, at the time of this heat’s recording were Cilla Black, The Black and White Minstrels and a sketch show featuring the cast of BBC TV’s It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum!. How people’s tastes have changed since then!

Did You Also Know? If someone disputes this result and backs up their claim by showing you a photograph of the scoreboard, don't believe a word of it! After the recording had finished, spectators ran on to the arena and messed with the scoreboard, changing the result in Bournemouth's favour. This was so photographs could be taken showing Bournemouth winning! And talking about the scoreboard, after this heat when Stuart Hall placed the winning team’s name on the International venues side of the scoreboard, the Italian venue is clearly shown as Lido di Jésolo. But the following week it had changed to its updated venue of Chioggia!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-06

It's A Knockout 1979

Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 18th May 1979, 7.00-8.00pm
Recorded: Monday 16th April 1979 (Easter Monday)

Venue: Mill Meadow and the River Thames, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Weather Conditions: Sunny

Teams: Didcot v. Henley-on-Thames v. Rushmoor

Team Members included:
Didcot - Terry Bradshaw, Bruce Charles, Trevor Davis, Melvin Evans, David Hall, Lesley Hansell, Barry King, Theresa Knox, Barry Metcalfe, Walter Prior, Jo Rapidoe, Vivian Rees-Davies, Duncan Talbot
Henley-on-Thames - Jane Curtis, Elizabeth Davison, Ian George, Kevin Green, John Jones, Sîan Jones, Peter Lilley, Christopher Long, Mike Newbury, Moira Stevenson, John Thatcher, Richard Thatcher
Rushmoor - Graham Bobbin, John Coe, Irene Gold, John Harrett, Steven Kelly, Alan Leaper, Terry Murray, Alec Reid

Games: ‘Conkgate’, ‘Roll out the Barrels’, ‘Ladder Obstacle Course’, ‘Balloon Stretch’, ‘Motorcycle Football’, ‘Trampoline Basketball’, ‘Hoop-la’, ‘Messing about on the River’, ‘Punch-Bag Soccer’ (Marathon) and ‘Inflatable Assault Course’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Henley-on-Thames
 Didcot
 Rushmoor

29
25
20

Henley-on-Thames qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in France: transmitted on 18th September 1979

Did You Know? Rushmoor was created under the Local Government Act 1972, and includes the towns of Aldershot and Farnborough.

Did You Also Know? Having already blotted his copybook a little in Heat 1, referee Arthur Ellis made a second consecutive ‘blooper’ on Game 3. The game involved teams rolling a foam barrel down the course. Atop each barrel was a girl, who had to stay on top as it rolled, keeping her balance. At the end of the outward run, the teams had to cross a line and then make the return journey. Henley-on-Thames were penalised on the outward run of this game, because their girl came off the barrel before crossing the line and was sent back a few feet to complete the run. However, whilst Arthur Ellis was distracted by this, the Didcot competitors could be clearly seen doing the same. They were not penalised and went on to win the game. Although in this particular case, it fortunately didn't make much difference to the result at the end of the contest, refereeing errors like this could have produced wildly different results.

Did You Also Know? One of the games in this heat (Game 8) was actually played on the River Thames, and Game 5 was played out on petrol-fuelled motor-scooters.

Did You Also Know? The last game, which was the same game throughout the series, was changed from this heat onwards. In Heat 1, the teams had to ascend the dirigible to collect balls from the girls after they had climbed the net, whereas in this heat and onwards the teams climbed the nets and brought the balls over with them and descended the dirigible.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-07

It's A Knockout 1979

Heat 3

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 25th May 1979, 7.00-8.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 29th April 1979

Venue: Great Yarmouth F.C. Ground (Wellesley Park), Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Weather Conditions: Rain

Teams: Great Yarmouth v. North Walsham v. Norwich

Team Members included:
Great Yarmouth - Dawn Branch, Kevin Denmark, Carol Layden, Donald McDonnock, Martin Moss
North Walsham - Henry Bachelor, Paul ‘Grisley’ Brown, Elaine Field, Ivor Fields, Keith Fraser, Geoff Gutteridge, Sheila Olive, Roderick Smith, Elizabeth Wrighton
Norwich - Michael Barratt, William Black. Linda Clemence, Steven Dudley, Hazel Hall, Trevor Richardson

Games: ‘Conk Bonk’, ‘Water Climb’, ‘Drum Roll’, ‘All Aboard the Board’, ‘Disc Roll’, ‘Brick Lift’, ‘Bouncing Chefs’, ‘Wire Swing’, ‘Conveyor Belt Football’ (Marathon) and ‘Inflatable Assault Course’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 North Walsham
 Norwich
 Great Yarmouth

27
23
21

North Walsham qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Yugoslavia: transmitted on 25th September 1979

Did You Know? Throughout the show, Stuart Hall wore a 1900s all-in-one bathing costume, Wellington boots and a false moustache, despite the fact that the normally sunny resort was overcast with rain falling throughout the recording and the crowd were all hiding under umbrellas!

Did You Also Know? Due to the inclement rainy weather, team members on Game 2 were allowed to wear household rubber gloves to assist their grip during their climb up the metal poles.

Did You Also Know? Some of the Dudley team (who would be competing in Heat 5) attended this event to get a feel for the competition and to see the standards of the teams competing. They can be seen in the watching crowd throughout the programme. They played - and won - their heat two weeks later on Sunday 13th June 1979.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-08

It's A Knockout 1979

Heat 4

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 1st June 1979, 7.00-8.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 6th May 1979

Venue: Archbishop's Park, Lambeth, London
Weather Conditions: Sunny

Teams: Hounslow v. Kingston-upon-Thames v. Lambeth

Team Members included:
Hounslow - Maxine Kierey, Colin Knight, Gayle McCulloch, Christine Nelson, Warren Wilkinson
Kingston-upon-Thames - Malcolm Chamberlain, Barry Clarke, Oliver Day, Alison Hurd, Brian Kane, Carole Rice, Steve Sands, Andy Stewart, Paul Whiting, Anne Wilkinson, David Wright
Lambeth - Mark Andrews, Eddie Burns, Hazel Carter, Graham Fullen, Kim Mawle, Wilf Smith, Owe Williams

Games: ‘Conk Rings’, ‘Quad-Drums’, ‘Boots ‘n’ Balls’, ‘Caught in the Net’, ‘Bobbin Along’, ‘On Your Stilts’, ‘Board Roll’, ‘Drum Stack’, ‘Water Jump’ (Marathon) and ‘Inflatable Assault Course’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Kingston-upon-Thames
 Lambeth
 Hounslow

27
26
22

Kingston-upon-Thames qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Belgium: transmitted on 9th October 1979

Did You Know? The opening shot of this heat was a close-up of Big Ben’s clock showing 4.25pm, dubbed with the sound of a cuckoo chiming the hour, and the closing shot showed the time of 6.35pm.

Did You Also Know? After opening the show with the now familiar call of ‘Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!’, the Lambeth Town Crier was later called upon by Stuart Hall and stated that It’s A Knockout could not visit Lambeth without hearing some Cockney rhyming slang. He obliged without hesitation by saying ‘I go for a ‘ball of chalk’ down the ‘frog and toad’, round the ‘Johnny Horner’ to the ‘rub-a-dub’ for a pint of ‘pig’s ear’. Pick up the ‘Eau de Cologne’, have a ‘bull and cow’ with the ‘trouble and strife’, walk up the ‘apple and pears’, take off the ‘tat-for-tat’, the ‘Peckham Rye’, the ‘Oliver Hardy’, then the ‘Dickie Dirt’, and the ‘round the houses’, the ‘almond rocks’ and the ‘daisy roots’. Jump on the ‘Uncle Ned’, lay down the ‘loaf of bread’ on the ‘weeping willow’, close your ‘mince pies’ and go to ‘Bo-Peep’. Wake up in the morning, put a comb through the ‘Barnet Fair’, have a ‘bang in the Bostik’, ‘dig a grave’ and go to work. (Translated as ‘I go for a walk down the road, around the corner to the pub for a pint of beer. Pick up the phone, have a row with the wife, walk up the stairs, take off the hat, the tie, the cardigan, then the shirt and the trousers, the socks and the boots. Jump on the bed, lay down the head on the pillow, close your eyes and go to sleep. Wake up in the morning, put a comb through the hair, go to the loo, have a shave and go to work’). So now you know!

Did You Also Know? Hounslow played their Joker on one of the riskiest games ever, which was dependent upon the opposing team’s failure to hit a 3ft diameter beach ball. The game involved team members, wearing cranked boots, holding aloft a large tray which housed the ball. They had to walk across the course, avoid an attack from flour bags and try to keep the ball intact until they reached the safe area on the opposite side. Hounslow went first but failed to score, but luck was on their side when Kingston-upon-Thames failed to do so as well. It looked like a very safe six points in the bag as it seemed Lambeth would not score either. However, just three seconds before the limit time, Lambeth successfully achieved their goal and got one ball across.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-09

It's A Knockout 1979

Heat 5

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 8th June 1979, 7.00-8.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 13th May 1979

Venue: Dudley Castle Park, Dudley, Birmingham, West Midlands
Weather Conditions: Sunny

Teams: Bridgnorth v. Dudley v. Worcester

Team Members included:
Bridgnorth - Peter Arch, David Batty, Susan Clegg, Andrew Pottinger, Sheila Thompson
Dudley - Steven Davies, Paul Dodge, Bob Dunkley, Kelvin Hughes, Ray Keighley, Colin Leaper, Roy Muller, Vivienne Taylor (Ladies’ Team Captain), Michelle Welch, Linda Wiltshire
Worcester - Richard Applegate, Jean Cowley, Jackie Stiles, Gwyneth Thompson, John Weston, Mark Wootton

Games: ‘Conks' Obstacle Race’, ‘ Up the Pole’, ‘Pool Blocks’, ‘Stepping Stones’, ‘Sheriffs of Nottingham’, ‘Boxing Bounce’, ‘Weighing the Water’, ‘Rollerball Relay’, ‘Chefs on the Move’ (Marathon) and ‘Inflatable Assault Course’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Dudley
 Bridgnorth
 Worcester

25
24
23

Dudley qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Italy: transmitted on 2nd October 1979

Did You Know?  Animals from Dudley Zoo - Boris the Boa Constrictor, Flanagan the Water Monitor, Bubba the European Eagle Owl, Lent the Llama, Ben the Bennett’s Wallaby and Roberta the Pelican - all made special appearances in between games at this event.

Did You Also Know? The Sheriff of Nottingham costumes used on Game 5 were previously used at the British International heat held at Scampton (Lincoln) during the 1978 series.

Did You Also Know? This domestic heat had the closest and most exciting finish of all the heats this year. With the scores standing at Brignorth 21, Dudley 23 and Worcester 22 before the last game, all three teams had the opportunity to win this heat. It could even have finished in a three-way tie, something which never occurred in the history of It's A Knockout.

Did You Also Know? At the heat in Great Yarmouth (Heat 3), Stuart Hall was presented with a giant stick of rock by the Great Yarmouth team. Unfortunately, he forgot to take it away with him, and consequently, it was re-presented to him by a member of the Dudley team, who had been present at that heat.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-10

It's A Knockout 1979

Heat 6

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 15th June 1979, 7.00-8.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 20th May 1979

Venue: King William's College, Castletown, Isle of Man
Weather Conditions: Overcast / Cold

Teams: Castletown v. Douglas v. Ramsey

Team Members included:
Castletown - Paul Baker, Katherine Evans, Billy Jones, Patricia Kirkham, Ronnie McCulloch, Michael Pickard, Susan Quirke, David Sale, Heather Staley, Michael Staley
Douglas - Dave Anderson, Derek Christian, William Christian, Irene Collette, Caroline Cumbrey, Ian Forrest, Brian Kane, David Kane, Tina Kelly, Brian Lees, Karen Lees, Pip Penrode, Peter Quayle, Sheila Quayle, Frank Towning, Chris Wossley
Ramsey - Gayle Corin, Jayne Crellin, Bobby Gains, Juan Gele, Bobby James, Timothy Jones, Jane Franklin, Jeremy Moffatt, John Orr, Kevin Quinn, Tommy Quinn, Peter Smith, Martin Webb

Games: ‘Bobbin Roll’, ‘Pool Netball’, ‘Dice Roll’, ‘Battle of the Conks’, ‘See-Saw Spears’, ‘Rope Swing Bridge’, ‘Greasy Ramp’, ‘Building the Stockades’, ‘Penalty Shoot-Out’ (Marathon) and ‘Inflatable Assault Course’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Douglas
 Castletown
 Ramsey

30
21
20

Douglas qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in West Germany: transmitted on 16th October 1979

Did You Know? Joining Stuart Hall and the It’s A Knockout team in the arena throughout the programme were an assortment of people and animals. Amongst them were members of the King William’s College Boys’ School Choir, Lucky (a black Manx tailless cat) and Pearl (a grey shire horse) which famously pulled H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip in a Douglas tram along the promenade, when they went to the island for a Royal visit in 1972.

Did You Also Know? Even before the last heat of the Marathon, Douglas were leading by 5 points overall, and guaranteed 4 points from the Marathon, the team had already won the contest. Nevertheless, the team won the Marathon and also went on to win the final game, winning the contest by 9 points over their nearest rival.

Did You Also Know? Douglas team member Peter Quayle had participated four years earlier in It’s A Knockout for the successful Onchan team.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-11

It's A Knockout 1979

Heat 7

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 22nd June 1979, 7.00-8.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 17th June 1979

Venue: Goshen Playing Fields, Bury, Greater Manchester
Weather Conditions: Sunny

Teams: Blackburn v. Bury v. Salford

Team Members included:
Blackburn - Arthur Brindell, David Cooper, Diane Knowle, Margaret Moon, Mark Reid, Douglas Smith, Roy Stanicliffe, Martin Waite, Gregory Yeats
Bury - Sheila Antrobus, Dave Barber, Mark Barlow, John Denham (Captain), Carol Driver, Nadia Duda, Tony Edwards, Trevor Lewis, Richard Llewellyn, Janice Mitchell, Anne Monks, Nigel Rowley
Salford - Michael Bent, Paul Bridge, Andrew Brunt, Juliet Chapman, Les Gore, Amanda Johnson, David Mason, Gillian Norrie, Bill Smith, Michael Thomas

Games: ‘Trifle Chefs’, ‘Ski Slalom’, ‘Slope Build’, ‘Podium Balance Build’, ‘Conk Balloon Battle’, ‘Unfolding Ladder Lift’, ‘Balloon Trapeze’, ‘Pouffé Roll’, ‘Suction Climb’, ‘Elastic Bounce’ (Marathon) and ‘Inflatable Assault Course’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Bury
 Blackburn
 Salford

30
27
22

Bury qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Portugal: transmitted on 30th October 1979

Did You Know? This heat saw one of the biggest and most enthusiastic crowds ever in It’s A Knockout history, producing a truly electrifying atmosphere. It opened with the two presenters and the referees dressed in 1900s-era police uniforms to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the modern-day British police force by Sir Robert Peel, who was born in Bury.

Did You Know? The reason for the unusually high scoring in this heat was because there were eleven games instead of the normal ten. This happened because some of the games were designed to have short running times. The extra game was added to enable the timing to be right for the BBC’s transmission slot.

Did You Also Know? On Game 7, after Bury and Blackburn had finished the game, presenter Stuart Hall assisted two of the girls from Salford through the elasticated trapeze with their balloons. Referee Arthur Ellis severely castigated him for doing so, by telling him “You are here to commentate, not to assist the teams and you are not to do it again, and I mean it seriously!” It was also on this game that referee Arthur Ellis failed to observe foul play by one of the female members of the Salford team. Whilst negotiating the elasticated trapeze, it was possible that some of the large balloons burst by the tautness of the equipment. However, it can clearly been seen that the first Salford girl member to enter the trapeze bends down and deliberately bursts one of the Blackburn team’s balloons with her hand. Although this meant that Blackburn finished second on the game (Bury 24 balloons, Blackburn 23 balloons and Salford 19 balloons), fortunately it did not affect the overall outcome of the contest!

Did You Also Know? Two ‘bloopers’ were made in this heat. The first was by Eddie Waring, when before the start of the last heat of the Marathon, he inadvertently called it the last heat of the Fil Rouge! The second ‘blooper’ was made by Stuart Hall before the start of the final game. With the scores standing at Bury 28, Blackburn 24 and Salford 21, he told the crowd “It is not over yet, it could still end in a draw”. It was 42 seconds before he rectified his mistake!

Did You Also Know? Many of the competitors in the Bury team had previously been members of the 1977 Oldham team, which participated in Evry, France.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

St. Albans qualified as hosts for Jeux Sans Frontières in Great Britain: transmitted on 23rd October 1979

1979-12

It's A Celebrity Knockout 1979

Summer Special

BBC1 Transmission: Wednesday 29th August 1979, 8.10-9.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 29th July 1979

Venue: Queen’s Park Rangers F.C. Football Ground (Loftus Road), Shepherd's Bush, Greater London
Weather Conditions: Very Hot and Sunny

Teams: The Lord’s Taverners v. Celebrities

Team Members included: Debbie Arnold, Robin Askwith, Keith and Tim Atack, Raymond Baxter, John Blythe, Tommy Boyd, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Paul Burnett, Roy Castle, Jacqueline Clarke, Julie Dawn Cole, Jess Conrad, Roger de Courcey, Bernard Cribbins, Barry Cryer, Linda Cunningham, Larry Dann, Celena Duncan, Neil Durden-Smith, Hal Dyer, Arthur English, Liz Fraser, Bob Grant, Jenny Hanley, Anita Harris, Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Frazer Hines, Derek Hobson, Rod Hull and Emu, Jan Hunt, Kid Jensen, John Junkin, Jeremy Kemp, George Layton, Adrian Love, Victor Maddern, Teresa Mann, Mick McManus, Patrick Moore, Eric Don Moss, Patrick Mower, Richard O’Sullivan, Pan’s People, Lance Percival, William Rushton, George Sewell, Jim Standon, Sheila Steafel, Mike Swann, Shaw Taylor, Bill Tidy, Meriel Tufnell, Bob Wilson and Frank Windsor

Games: Unknown

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
1st

 Celebrities
 Lord's Taverners

12
12

Did You Know? No tie-break was played, the trophy being awarded to both team captains.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-13

It's A Championship Knockout 1979

Autumn Special

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 4th September 1979, 7.15-8.30pm
Recorded: Sunday 15th July 1979

Venue: Arena North, Park Hall, Charnock Richard, Lancashire
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Radio Times Trophy presented by: Eddie Waring

Theme: Domestic Re-Run

Teams: Arun v. Bury v. Douglas v. Dudley v. Henley-on-Thames v. Kingston-upon-Thames v. North Walsham v. St. Albans

Team Members included:
Arun - Nicholas Bainbridge, Jan Barnes, Martin Eley, Mike Fairs, Sally Groom, Penny MacDougall, Geoff Tidyman, Jeremy Tribe, Nigel Waugh
Bury - Sheila Antrobus, Dave Barber, Mark Barlow, John Denham, Carol Driver, Nadia Duda, Tony Edwards (Team Captain), Trevor Lewis, Richard Llewellyn, Janice Mitchell, Anne Monks, Nigel Rowley
Douglas - Dave Anderson, Derek Christian, William Christian, Irene Collette, Caroline Cumbrey, Ian Forrest, Brian Kane, David Kane, Tina Kelly, Brian Lees, Karen Lees, Pip Penrode, Peter Quayle, Sheila Quayle, Frank Towning, Chris Wossley
Dudley - Steven Davies, Paul Dodge, Bob Dunkley, Kelvin Hughes, Ray Keighley, Colin Leaper, Roy Muller, Vivienne Taylor (Ladies’ Team Captain), Michelle Welch, Linda Wiltshire
Henley-on-Thames - Jane Curtis, Elizabeth Davison, Ian George, Kevin Green, John Jones, Sîan Jones, Peter Lilley, Christopher Long, Mike Newbury, Moira Stevenson, John Thatcher, Richard Thatcher
North Walsham - Henry Bachelor, Paul ‘Grisley’ Brown, Elaine Field, Ivor Fields, Keith Fraser, Geoff Gutteridge, Sheila Olive, Roderick Smith, Elizabeth Wrighton
Kingston-upon-Thames - Malcolm Chamberlain, Barry Clarke, Oliver Day, Alison Hurd, Brian Kane, Carole Rice, Steve Sands, Andy Stewart, Paul Whiting, Anne Wilkinson, David Wright
St. Albans - Sue Boardman, Steve Gates, Placid Gonzales, Steve Mitzei (Team Captain), Ian Moorfield, Julie Nardy, Melanie Wilson

Games: Horseback Riding’, ‘Pouffé Roll’, ‘Pool Netball’, ‘Rope Swing Bridge’, ‘Sheriffs of Nottingham’, ‘Ski Race’, ‘Inflatable Assault Course’, ‘Scaling the Wall’ (Marathon) and ‘Conks’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th
8th

 Douglas
 St. Albans
 Bury

 Kingston-upon-Thames

 Dudley

 Arun

 North Walsham
 Henley-on-Thames

52
45
44

38

34

31
30
24

Did You Also Know? On the only two occasions that teams from the Isle of Man competed in It’s A Knockout (both in heats with all teams from the Isle of Man), they both ended as winners of the ‘Radio Times’ Trophy for being the best British team. Onchan was awarded the trophy by virtue of having the highest score in the domestic heats in 1975, and Douglas won the trophy here at the It’s A Championship Knockout!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Entrants 1979: Belgium (B) • France (F) • West Germany (D) • Great Britain (GB)
Italy (I) • Portugal (P) • Switzerland (CH) • Yugoslavia (YU)

Presenters of International Heats:
Paule Herreman and Mike Verdrengh (B), Guy Lux, Simone Garnier and Claude Savarit (F), Manfred Erdenberger and Heribert Faßbender (D), Stuart Hall and Eddie Waring (GB), Milly Carlucci and Michele Gammino (I), José Fialho Gouveia and Elàdio Clímaco (P), Ezio Guidi and Mascia Cantoni (CH), Dragan Nikitovic, Dunya Lango and Milan Subota (YU)

Commentators (BBC): Stuart Hall and Eddie Waring
International Referees: Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi
Referees (BBC): Arthur Ellis (Heats 1, 2, 4, 7 and Final only)
and Mike Swann (Heats 3, 5, 6, 7 and Final only)

Designer (BBC): Stuart Furber
Producer (BBC): Cecil Korer / Director: Geoffrey Wilson
Produced by RTBF-BRT (B), A2F (F), ARD-WDR (D), 
BBC North West (GB), RAI (I), RTP (P), SSR (CH), JRT (YU)

 

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

1979-14

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 11th September 1979, 7.15-8.30pm
Recorded: Tuesday 29th May 1979

Venue: Guiseppe Motta Piazza (Giuseppe Motta Square), Ascona, Switzerland
Weather Conditions: Dry and Warm

Theme: The Circus

Teams: Tubize (B) v. Digne Les Bains (F) v. Unterschleißheim (D) v. Arun (GB) v. Ancona (I) v. Braga (P) v. Ascona (CH) v. Tetovo (YU)

Team Members included:
Arun (GB) - Nicholas Bainbridge, Jan Barnes, Martin Eley, Mike Fairs, Sally Groom, Penny MacDougall, Geoff Tidyman, Jeremy Tribe, Nigel Waugh

Games: ‘Lion’s Birthday Cake’, ‘Suitcases and Plates’, ‘Seals’, ‘Horses and Chimps’, ‘Sawing Girl in Half’, ‘Hercules The Strongman’, ‘Fat Ladies’, ‘Elephants’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Girls' Balancing Act’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th

 CH • Ascona l l
 GB • Arun
 I • Ancona
 P • Braga l
 D • Unterschleißheim
 YU • Tetovo
 B • Tubize
 F • Digne Les Bains

45
44
40
38
35
34
27
26

Did You Know? Referees Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi entered the area atop an Indian elephant, and they both seemed very uneasy as their seats swayed from side to side!

Did You Also Know? From this programme on, only teams finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their Joker game received bonus points - six for 1st, four for 2nd, two for 3rd. Also, the addition of an eighth team to the competition (Portugal) meant that to keep the programme to a reasonable length, each Fil Rouge would be competed by two teams at once, rather than, as before, by one team at a time.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-15

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 18th September 1979, 7.20-8.30pm
Recorded: Wednesday 13th June 1979

Venue: Vieux Circuit de Grand Prix (Old Grand Prix Track), St. Gaudens, France
Weather Conditions: Dry and Warm

Theme: Tin Soldiers

Teams: Beringen (B) v. St. Gaudens (F) v. Mering (D) v. Henley-on-Thames (GB) v. Aosta (I) v. Aveiro (P) v. Romont (CH) v. Zrenjanin (YU)

Team Members included:
Henley-on-Thames (GB) - Jane Curtis, Elizabeth Davison, Ian George, Kevin Green, John Jones, Sîan Jones, Peter Lilley, Christopher Long, Mike Newbury, Moira Stevenson, John Thatcher, Richard Thatcher
Aosta (I) - Franco Alberti, Sergio Ascenzi, Liana Barin, Nicola Bocache, Ezio Cottino, Marina Cuccarolo, Ines Dayné, Paola Ferrazin, Renato Franchini, Carlo Gobbo, Sandra Girri, Piero Marchiando, Stefano Mosca, Daniela Neyroz, Tiziana Pinzoni, Roberto Riva, Roberto Spinella, Olivia Verduci

Games: ‘Cannonballs’, ‘Food for Prisoners’, ‘Drinks Over the Pool’, ‘The Ice Flows’, ‘Jumping the Gap’, ‘The Generals’, ‘Hitting the Soldiers’, ‘Platoon of Soldiers’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Escaping from Soldiers’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
5th
7th
8th

 YU • Zrenjanin l l
 I • Aosta
 D • Mering
 B • Beringen
 CH • Romont
 GB • Henley-on-Thames
 P • Aveiro
 F • St. Gaudens

53
47
45
38
33
33
28
21

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-16

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Heat 3

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 25th September 1979, 7.15-8.30pm
Recorded: Wednesday 27th June 1979

Venue: Obala nad Jezero Durdap (Shore of Lake Durdap), Donji Milanovac, Yugoslavia
Weather Conditions: Light Rain at Start

Theme: Hunting

Teams: Theux (B) v. Saint-Chamond (F) v. Starnberg (D) v. North Walsham (GB) v. Castel San Pietro Terme (I) v. Horta (Faial) (P) v. Weggis (CH) v. Donji Milanovac (YU)

Team Members included:
North Walsham (GB) - Henry Bachelor, Paul ‘Grisly’ Brown, Elaine Field, Ivor Fields, Keith Fraser, Geoff Gutteridge, Sheila Olive, Roderick Smith, Elizabeth Wrighton

Games: ‘Making Stew’, ‘On Safari’, ‘Mammoths and Pterodactyls’, ‘Bears and Honey’, ‘Rabbits and Wolves’, ‘Foxes and Chickens’, ‘Butterflies and Nectar’, ‘Firing the Rifle’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Stuffing the Wolf’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th

 YU • Donji Milanovac l
 CH • Weggis
 GB • North Walsham
 B • Theux
 D • Starnberg
 P • Horta (Faial)
 F • Saint-Chamond
 I • Castel San Pietro Terme

48
43
35
34
32
29
28
23

Did You Know? The Yugoslavian broadcasting company, JRT, went to great lengths to make this a memorable heat. Using brightly coloured, and often lifelike costumes, games were based on hunting. The final game ‘Stuffing the Wolf’ involved each of the teams having to stuff a wolf costume with enough stuffing so that it would stand up on its own, unassisted. However, the strangest game (theme-wise) of the night was the first game, which had nothing to do with hunting in the real sense. It involved the teams making stew from a list of ingredients that had to be collected and put in a cooking pot.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-17

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Heat 4

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 2nd October 1979, 7.15-8.30pm
Recorded: Wednesday 11th July 1979

Venue: Isola dell’Unione (Union Island), Chioggia, Italy
Weather Conditions: Dry and Warm with a Slight Breeze

Theme: Spectacular in a Garden

Teams: Izegem (B) v. Troyes (F) v. Aurich (D) v. Dudley (GB) v. Chioggia (I) v. Évora (P) v. Monthey (CH) v. Bar (YU)

Team Members included:
Dudley (GB) - Steven Davies, Paul Dodge, Bob Dunkley, Kelvin Hughes, Ray Keighley, Colin Leaper, Roy Muller, Vivienne Taylor (Ladies’ Team Captain), Michelle Welch, Linda Wiltshire
Chioggia (I) - Elisabetta Bin, Vanni Bertotto, Sergio Bertoli, Luisa Boscolo, Enzo Collalti, Gabriella Frizziero, Manuel Luyse, Fabio Mantovani, Walter Meneghini, Alvar Naccari, Federica Mongiardini, Alberta Pagan, Giovanna Pasetti, Carla Perselli, Gianni Pescara, Roberto Schiavon, Sergio Scudallero

Games: ‘Planting the Bulbs’, ‘Flowers in Vases’, ‘Flowerpots’, ‘The Sun’, ‘Collecting Pollen’, ‘Bees and Nectar’, ‘Dogs and Bones’, ‘Worms in Apples’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Fountains and Tulips’
Jokers: Giant Flowers

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
4th
6th
7th
8th

 I • Chioggia l l
 GB • Dudley
 F • Troyes
 B • Izegem
 D  • Aurich
 CH • Monthey
 P • Évora
 YU • Bar

46
44
43
38
38
29
26
23

Did You Know? Dudley went first on the Fil Rouge, which involved getting worms out of apples, but due to a problem, they were judged out of time. After protests from the team’s coach to referee Gennaro Olivieri, the team were given a second attempt, but they had to wait until all the other teams had played. Dudley eventually managed to get 4th place on the Fil Rouge.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-18

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Heat 5

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 9th October 1979, 7.15-8.30pm
Recorded: Wednesday 25th July 1979

Venue: Parc de l’Atomium (Atomium Park), Heysel, Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium
Weather Conditions: Sunny and Warm

Theme: Brussels of the Past and Present

Teams: Bruxelles/Brussel (B) v. Paris (F) v. Neumünster (D) v. Kingston-upon-Thames (GB) v. Roma (I) v. Lisboa (P) v. Zürich (CH) v. Beograd (YU)

Team Members included:
Kingston-upon-Thames (GB) - Malcolm Chamberlain, Barry Clarke, Oliver Day, Alison Hurd, Brian Kane, Carole Rice, Steve Sands, Andy Stewart, Paul Whiting, Anne Wilkinson, David Wright

Games: ‘Belgian Trams’, ‘The Mannekin-Pis’, ‘Marionettes’, ‘Making Lace’, ‘Collecting Chips’, ‘Policemen’, ‘Waffles and Cherries’, ‘The Atomium’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Brussels - Heart of Europe’
Jokers: The Atomium

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th

 YU • Beograd l
 CH • Zürich
 F • Paris
 D • Neumünster
 B • Bruxelles/Brussel
 I • Roma
 GB • Kingston-upon-Thames
 P • Lisboa

51
46
40
38
35
30
27
26

Did You Know? Kingston-Upon-Thames and Dudley had originally won the 4th and 5th domestic heats respectively. Going to the international heats, Dudley participated in the 4th heat and Kingston-Upon-Thames in the 5th. This was the first and only time that this occurred. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, Archbishop’s Park could not be used on Sunday 13th May (which was the date for the fifth IAK heat), and secondly, the Belgian broadcaster RTBF had requested that all countries send teams from their capital cities for the fifth international heat in Brussels. All countries obliged except for Switzerland and West Germany, who also declined as they had already stated that their heat would be coming from Bonn.

Did you Also Know? The games in this heat were all based on Brussels through the years, and anyone who has visited the city, or Belgium itself would have quickly associated the games with it. Games in this heat included ‘Belgian Trams’ (which actually ran on real tramlines seconded from the public transport company), ‘The Mannekin-Pis’ (the statue of a little boy sited near Grote Markt, which is seen to be ‘urinating’ all day long), ‘Belgian Marionettes’ and ‘Collecting Chips’ (in which the teams had to collect long chips in conical-shaped cups). One of the other games, ‘Waffles and Cherries’, involved one male team member standing on a podium holding a very heavy 12ft spatula on which was placed a huge waffle. As he held the spatula, he had to turn his body 180 degrees, and swing the spatula to a girl team mate who then placed a large ‘cherry’ on one of the waffle’s compartments. He then had to swing the waffle back to another girl team mate, who then removed the ‘cherry’. This was repeated until end of the game. However, many of the teams were unable to sustain the weight of the spatula and made only a couple of swings, but Italian team, Roma, made the game look easy and were swinging the spatula until the whistle. Not surprisingly, the Belgian team did not play this game!

Did You Also Know? The Belgian broadcaster, RTBF, had situated a cameraman high up in the uppermost ‘globe’ of the Atomium, looking down over the arena. The camera had been sited on a specially built platform OUTSIDE the globe with cameraman as well. A brave fellow in anyone’s book!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-19

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Heat 6

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 16th October 1979, 7.15-8.30pm
Recorded: Wednesday 8th August 1979

Venue: Universität von Friedrich Wilheims (Friedrich Wilheims University), Bonn, West Germany
Weather Conditions: Dry and Very Warm

Theme: The Open Air Festival

Teams: Mouscron (B) v. Mandelieu La Napoule (F) v. Bonn (D) v. Douglas (GB) v. Merano Meran (I) v. Funchal (Madeira) (P) v. Trélex (CH) v. Karlovac (YU)

Team Members included:
Douglas (GB) - Dave Anderson, Derek Christian, William Christian, Irene Collette, Caroline Cumbrey, Ian Forrest, Brian Kane, David Kane, Tina Kelly, Brian Lees, Karen Lees, Pip Penrode, Peter Quayle, Sheila Quayle, Frank Towning, Chris Wossley

Games: ‘Collecting Glasses’, ‘Swinging Chandeliers’, ‘Chefs and Vegetables’, ‘The Dancing Couples’, ‘Clowns’, ‘Clocks and Wardrobes’, ‘The Cold Buffet’, ‘The Band’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Musical Chairs’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th

 D • Bonn l l
 YU • Karlovac
 I • Merano Meran
 GB • Douglas
 F • Mandelieu La Napoule
 P • Funchal (Madeira)
 CH • Trélex
 B • Mouscron

47
43
42
40
36
32
28
20

Did You Know? Both the Italian team, Merano, and the Yugoslavian team of Karlovac were leading this heat before the final game, and the West German team, Bonn was in 3rd place. However, on the game itself, ‘Musical Chairs’, the Italians were eliminated first, quickly followed by the Yugoslavians. After this, the West German team had to last out for one more elimination round and outright victory was theirs. As it happened, the team lasted until the end, and had to do battle with the British team from Douglas, Isle of Man in the final round - which was won by the Brits. This incidentally was the team’s third win on the night, but alas none of which was on the Joker. See also Richard Farnham’s article on this heat in the ‘Comments’ section of this website.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1979-20

Jeux Sans Frontières 1979

Heat 7

BBC1 Transmission: Tuesday 23rd October 1979, 7.15-8.30pm
Recorded: Wednesday 22nd August 1979