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The Lancashire town of Accrington is only small with a population of around 37,000 in 2021, but it has produced an impressive collection of wrestlers that includes Jack and Ray Taylor, Andreas Svajik, Mike Agusta and our subject today, Accrington ‘arry. Not that the latter name was ever seen on a wrestling poster because Harry Walsh adopted the ring name of Ian St John. To the lads back in the gym, and that was Bob Bannister’s gym, and later the Wryton Stadium gym, he was always Accrington ‘arry.
Harry Walsh was born in Haslingden, an even smaller town about ten miles east of Blackburn, on 13th September, 1929. He was a favourite, mostly on the independent circuit in the 1960s and one time tag partner of Johnny Saint. Whilst Saint went on to become one of the country’s most famous wrestlers, Ian St John’s work for Joint Promotions (which would give television access) was far more limited. Many of those who watched Ian, Heritage members Frank Thomas and Powerlock among them, believe that Joint Promotions missed out greatly, and we would agree. Powerlock commented “Ian never failed to entertain in the ring, he should have been better well known to wrestling fans than he was, people talk about Johnny Saint and George Kidd but Ian would not have looked out of place in the ring with either man.”
When younger Ian was a military policeman in the army. Wrestling training was at Bob Bannister’s Accrington gym, the first in Bridge Street behind the Commercial Hotel, later in Argyle Street, and still later at the Central Working Men’s Club in Accrington.
Ian was a wiry lightweight who was very fast and acrobatic, often seen in action with another fast moving lightweight, Andreas Svajik. Wrestler colleague Mike Agusta told us, “They were a couple of what I would call ‘Unsung Heroes’. They were lighting fast and always gave of their best.”
Those who didn’t see Ian St John in action will probably not appreciate just how fast he could move. One man who experienced Ian’s speed was Eddie Rose: “A great wrestler and a very good friend with a dry sense of humour. I wrestled him on quite a few occasions and for quite a few promoters, too, and it was always a pleasure. That is, if you could keep up with him. I was in a tag match versus him and Mel Riss once and I didn’t stand a chance. They got me in the ring and my feet hardly touched the canvas but my back did! I felt like a ping pong ball being batted between the two of them.”
Ayr’s Dale Storm also recalled Ian with fondness, “He was quick, he was skilful, and he was above all, very, very generous! And he was always very safe to work with. I really liked the man and I respected his ability immensely. I learned a lot from my time in the ring with him.”
In the Spring of 1969 matchmaker Martin Conroy booked Ian for work on Wryton Promotions. This brought a new range of opponents that included Jim Breaks, Al Miquet, Jon Cortez and Zoltan Boscik. We last came across Ian St John in 1978 wrestling at Liverpool Stadium against his long time friend, Andreas Svajik.
Out of the ring he worked as a joiner and ran a security business training guard dogs. He was most definitely Accrington ‘arry. Ian St John died on 7th December, 2012.
Page added 04/12/2022
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