'I wrestled Big Daddy and lived to tell the tale' - Sunderland author's incredible memories

A former Sunderland Echo journalist reflected on the day when he wrestled Big Daddy and just about survived.

Michael McClennan, 65, has included the incredible encounter in his book which he is currently completing.

Put in a headlock by Big Daddy

It’s an insight into life on Wearside in the late 1970s and early 80s, looking at the characters, the people and the ‘weird and wonderful stories’ he worked on.

Michael never forgot his meeting with Big Daddy on stage at the Odeon in Holmeside in 1980.

“He was huge and I was 11 stone wringing wet. He was five inches bigger and eight stone heavier.

“He did promise not to sit on me but he threw me a couple of times and he put me in a headlock.”

A brush with Basil at the Empire

Michael’s bravery got him his interview with the wrestler. It wasn’t his only noteworthy adventure.

Local characters such as The Spectre were also interviewed by Michael who joined the paper as an 18-year-old in 1977.

He once grabbed a chat with Basil Brush at the Sunderland Empire but it didn’t go exactly to plan at first.

‘I went with the photographer to the stage door and said ‘I’m from the Echo. I have come to interview Basil Brush.

“The stage door manager said ‘you’ve just missed him. He’s been put away in his box.

“I said ‘okay, we’ll come back tomorrow. The photographer said to me ‘what are you doing, it’s just a puppet.”

A chat in Steels Club he would never forget

Michael eventually did his interview with the man behind the puppet - but it cost him a lot of ‘ribbing for weeks’ when he got back to the Echo.

He met plenty of other characters as well and twice chatted to a man who was drinking in Steels Club on a quiz night.

‘I used to be a member of the Echo quiz team and we would have home and away matches. One of the places we went to was Steels Club. After the quiz in the side room, we would come out and have a pint in the bar.”

Michael got chatting to a delivery driver from a haulage firm who was sitting in the corner, and who said he was on his way to Glasgow.

Later, he saw the face again on the front page of the Echo. It was Peter Sutcliffe.

And it led to Michael getting a headline feature about his own encounter with the Yorkshire Ripper.

Book is filled with memories

Sunderland-born Michael, who now lives in Dorking, worked for the Echo between 1977 and 1980.

His book is all about his three years as a junior reporter on Wearside and is filled with everything from celebrity interviews to memories of Sunderland as it looked in the 1970s.

He is in talks to have the book published hopefully in time for his retirement in September.

‘I met so many people, so many characters’

Michael added: “I met so many people, so many characters. I thought I would get it all down before time passes and no-one remembers it.

“It is very much about a time, a people and a community long gone.”

Michael went on to enjoy a 33 year career in journalism including spending time at the Shields Gazette and Hartlepool Mail.

He quit the profession to retrain as a psychotherapist and moved to Dorking where he is a partner in a business.

An insight into 1970s life

But retirement is approaching and Michael wanted to reflect on his hometown memories.

“I want the book to represent the town as it was in the late 1970s, as a sociological look at Sunderland.”

More details about the price and release date of the book are expected to be announced later this year.