Were you there when It's A Knockout brought out a 5,000-strong crowd in Sunderland?
We’ve got some knockout reminders of an international competition which came to Sunderland.
It is 45 years since crowds of more than 5,000 people flocked to Cliffe Park to watch It’s A Knockout when it came to Roker.
Richie Pitt was the team captain
A sell-out crowd packed the specially-built arena to watch a Sunderland team, captained by Richie Pitt, take on Tyneside rivals Gateshead and Newcastle.
Each was competing for a chance to win tickets to Coburg, Germany for the “International Jeux Sans Frontieres” competition.
It was a day packed with entertainment. At first, there were precision landings by four members of the North Wings parachute team who got the programme off to a spectacular start.
Comic giants and costume dogs
Then the real action of the afternoon began as comic giants tussled, costume dogs raced, and the crowd laughed.
The actual recording of the event lasted less than two hours, but for the participants it was a full day of action beginning at 9am.
The event itself was the culmination of months of planning and, apart from an eccentric scoreboard which refused to work at vital moments, there was no major hitches.
Selection trials at Roker
The event was back a year later and the search was on to find a team to compete in the Sunderland leg of the It’s A Knockout competition.
A preliminary meeting held at Bede School attracted a crop of likely athletes - but the organisers were looking for more.
Any athletic person over 16 was invited to enter the selection trials, which were to be held at Ryhope Recreation Park on April 2 in 1981.
The final team was due to compete against teams from six countries in the “Jeux Sans Frontieres” contest at Washington Bowl on August 26.
Who remembers the competition and did you take part?
Can you recall who your teammates were and how did you do in Jeux Sans Frontieres?
Tell us more by emailing [email protected]