Shirley Crabtree worked for Joint Promotions and the original British Wrestling Federation.
10 Facts About Shirley Crabtree
2.
Shirley Crabtree was the first child of a blacksmith's daughter and weighed about twelve pounds at birth.
3.
Shirley Crabtree's father abandoned the family when his son was seven, and so the bullying toughened up the young Crabtree in the manner portrayed by "A Boy Named Sue",.
4.
In 1972, Shirley Crabtree returned to Joint Promotions as a villain with a gimmick of the Battling Guardsman based on his former service with the Coldstream Guards.
5.
Shirley Crabtree headlined Wembley Arena with singles matches against Quinn in 1979 and Haystacks in 1981, as well as a tag match in 1980 with Wayne Bridges against Quinn and Yasu Fuji.
6.
Shirley Crabtree continued to make regular appearances into the early 1990s, but he eventually retired from wrestling altogether in 1993 to spend the remainder of his days in his home town of Halifax.
7.
Shirley Crabtree was a professional rugby league footballer for Bradford Northern, and Halifax.
8.
Shirley Crabtree had stints as a coal miner and with the British Army's Coldstream Guards.
9.
Shirley Crabtree died of a stroke on December 2,1997 in Halifax General Hospital.
10.
Shirley Crabtree was survived by his second wife of 31 years, Eunice and six children.