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Lanark stars in It's a Knockout - 1972

12 January
  • It's a Knockout came to Lanark in 1972

It's not often that one of the UK's most popular TV shows comes to town, but that's what happened in 1972, when a team from Lanark hosted the BBC's 'It's a Knockout', with the local team taking on rivals in a UK heat of the pan-European show.

The programme was the fourth in the 1972 series of It's a Knockout, and although the programme had not yet reached the popularity and massive audiences of the late 1970s, the arrival in the town of the BBC crew was a major event.

The games were played at Smyllum Park on Sunday 7th May 1972, with the show hosted by Stuart Hall and Eddie Waring, with Arthur Ellis the referee. The programme was broadcast on BBC1 on Friday 9th June at 7.45pm.

Unfortunately, part of the programme has been lost, but most of it still exists in the BBC archive.

The Lanark team that day included Billy Adams, John Barry, Billy Dempster, Diana Dunn, Brian Hawbutt, Marjorie Hunter, Gibby Kerr, Derek McIver, Susan McMoran, Robert Roma, Carol Smith and Marion Thompson.

Some of the weird and wonderful games played included barrel stacking, Water Carriers, The Hod Carrier's Nightmare, Hula Hoop Across the Water, Spinning Painters (Marathon) and Tiling the Roof.

Despite the Lanark team's best efforts, Dalkeith were the winners of the programme by 13 points to eight, and the winning team from Dalkeith went on to take part in an edition of the European show, Jeux Sans Frontieres later in the year - although they finished second last in their heat which was held in Villa Manin, Passariano, Italy.

You can read more about the Lanark programme - and about It's a Knockout - here.

Did you, or do you know anyone who took part in the programme? Or maybe you were in the crowd on the day? Let us know - and share your memories and photos here.

And if you have any other memories of Lanark - the town or the people - appearing on television - or even in the movies, then share them with everyone here on s1lanark


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