Tyne Tees Television’s ‘SPORTING CHANCE’

by David Westerby.

 In the early 1980’s, Tyne Tees Television production team came up with the idea of a  sports quiz in which local quiz teams, with a ‘guest sporting celebrity’, would compete  against each other in a knock-out competition.

 The idea reached fruition in 1984 when the programme, entitled ‘Sporting Chance’ came to  North East TV screens. The question-master was Tyne Tees sports commentator Roger  Tames, the series editor was George Taylor, well-known to North East sports fans as the  commentator and producer of the popular ‘Shoot!’ programme, and the question-setter was  Chris Rhys, author of several books of sporting facts and figures. 

 The show drew exclusively on the teams competing in the then Whitbread Sports Quiz  League, along with the then flourishing Cleveland Sports Quiz League, which was sponsored  by Cameron’s Brewery. 16 teams from the region took part – 8 from the Whitbread League  and 8 from the Cleveland League.

 In the first series, The Mile House of the Cleveland League (who were also members of the  Whitbread League) won the competitition, beating a St Teresa’s team in the final which  consisted of Chris Bone (still captain of St Teresa’s to this day), Jimmy Taylor, the late Tony  Jobson, and Scottish Rugby Union international Jim Pollock. 

 The show was popular with North East viewers, and despite its not being networked  nationally due to its regional flavour, a second series was commissioned for the following  year. This time the winners were Throckley Bank Top, led by Bob Brewis, who were  dominating the Whitbread League at that time. The other members of the team were John  Doyle (currently captain of Byker Key Club) and Peter Wylie. Coundon Cricket Club were the  beaten finalists.

 The 1986 series saw the emergence of The Rose, who were to dominate the show from  then on. Led by Barry Wilkinson (still in the League with East End Nomads), and ably  assisted by Kevin Spencer, Ray Nicholson (who had been a member of the Mile House team  which won the first competition in 1984) and guest celebrity Kirsty Wade, they progressed to  the final, accounting for The Board Inn of Birtley, United Services Club of Gateshead, and  The Engine, Walbottle. In a hugely exciting final, which went to the last question, they saw  off Throckley Bank Top to claim the trophy.

 The Rose retained the title in the 1987 series, which was the last to be made, knocking out  The Engine in the first round, Great Broughton Cricket Club of the Cleveland League in the  second, and St Teresa’s in the semi-final, before beat Hartlepool Rovers in the final.

 Personal Recollections of ‘Sporting Chance’.

 Dave Westerby, East End Nomads:

 ‘I was new to the League then, but had just joined the Committee and I remember at the  first Committee meeting I attended negotiations were going on between Roger Tames of  Tyne Tees and Brian Hannaford & Bob Brewis, who were Chairman and Secretary of the  League at the time. Brian and Bob were arguing for a selection process based on teams’  ability, as several of the Cleveland League teams were also members of the Whitbread  League, and were being included only because of  Tyne Tees’ insistence on a geographical  split of 8/8 between the Whitbread and Cleveland Leagues. However it was Tyne-Tees’  programme and they could do what they wanted! I recall Malcolm Hodgson and I going to  the Tyne Tees studio to watch a recording of a show – one team were Darlington Civil  Service (now the Britannia Inn) who were competing as The Brown Trout, I think. It may  have been St Teresa’s they played, but I’m not sure.’

 John Doyle, Byker Key Club:

 Two programmes were recorded each evening. One day we were in the Green Room  having a pint and watching the first recording. A particular question was asked and a lad  buzzed in. The camera panned in on him, full face shot, he grimaced and then said 'Aah,  s**t I've forgotten'. The recording stopped due to everyone falling about laughing. When  the producer had recovered from his apoplexy they asked him the same question and made  the same guy buzz in and politely say 'I'm very sorry, I can't remember'!

 On another occasion the quiz was in full flow when the recording was stopped at the  request of the lighting engineer. They were having difficulty with glare (rather like Dickie  Bird at the Test match, when he had to tell the corporate box holders to close the windows).  A bald contestant was sweating and the reflection off his head was the problem. On came  the make up woman with a bucket and after brushing powder on the offending bald pate, all  was well and recording could continue - when everyone had finished laughing.

 Lennie Lauchlan, Philadelphia CC:

 The 1987 final was particularly memorable not just because it was an excellent game  between the Rose and Hartlepool Rovers but for the furore before the start of the final. We  (the Rose) had wore our Black Newcastle Utd jumpers as our “Strip” all the way through the  rounds and even Kirsty Wade came dressed in black to be uniform. However Hartlepool  Rovers had been given club jumpers to wear in the final which were of course also black.  The director said he could not have both teams in black so one would have to change.  Roger Tames came to us and asked us to change as our jumpers weren’t club jumpers,  Barry Wilkinson our “glorious leader” flatly refused saying we had wore black all along and  our guest had even asked us if we wanted her to wear black as well. Hartlepool also flatly  refused to change and there was a bit of a stand off where the words “we're not ganna play  if we have to change” was quite to the fore. Eventually both sides reluctantly agreed to a  coin toss which we won thankfully and Hartlepool hurriedly went to the costume section to  get some different attire. Mr Wilkinson did a lap of the studio when he won the toss fastest  I have ever seen him move. So glad that the final went the same way as the jumper saga.

  Got personal recollections of Sporting Chance? Send them to us and we’ll add them here.

  nesql@hotmail.co.uk

 Watch Sporting Chance matches here:

 1985  Round 1: The Rose vs The Board Inn.

  Part 1

  Part 2

  Part 3

  Part 4

 1985 Quarter Final: The Rose vs United Services.

  Part 1

  Part 2

  Part 3

  Part 4

 1985 Semi Final: The Rose vs The Engine.

  Part 1

  Part 2

 1985 Final: The Rose vs Throckley Bank Top.

  Part 1

  Part 2

  Part 3

  Part 4

 1986 1st Round: Throckley Bank Top vs Neville Dene CC

  Part 1

  Part 2

 1986 Quarter Final: Throckley Bank Top vs Redcar Albion.

  Part 1

  Part 2

 1986 Semi Final: Throckley Bank Top vs Hartlepool Rovers.

  Part 1

  Part 2