Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Clive Sullivan, rugby league player, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at Thames Television's Euston Road Studios, having been led to believe he was there to take part in a programme about the future of rugby.

Clive, who was born in Splott, a suburb of Cardiff, began playing rugby at school but suffered several injuries, some of which required surgery. Doctors advised he may not walk normally and doubted he could pursue a rugby career. After leaving school, he joined the army, and despite his earlier problems, his talent for playing rugby became clear.

After leaving the army and an unsuccessful trial with Bradford Northern, Hull RFC offered Clive a professional contract. In 1967, he played for the Great Britain side for the first time, and a year later, he became the first British player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup. In 1972, he became captain of the national team - the first black person to do so in any sport - and led the team to World Cup victory.

programme details...

• Edition No: 342
• Subject No: 343
• Broadcast date: Wed 3 Jan 1973
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Wed 29 Nov 1972
• Venue: Euston Road Studios
• Series: 13
• Edition: 8

on the guest list...

• members of the GB Rugby League team
• Bill Fallowfield
• Ron Simpson
• Rosalyn - wife
• Dorothy - mother
• Bassy - stepfather
• Yvonne - sister
• Elmyra - sister
• Brian - brother
• Peter Griffin
• Colin Dixon
• John King
• Tony Miller
• Rod Cunningham
• Roy Francis
• Mrs Francis
• Keith Barnwell
• John Simpson - in audience
• Terry Devonshire
• Joe Brewin
• Albert Brewin
• Sharon - sister
• Sarah - sister
• Mark - brother
• Anthony - son
Filmed tribute:
• Graeme Langlands

production team...

• Researcher: unknown
• Writer: unknown
• Director: Margery Baker
• Producer: Malcolm Morris

• with thanks to Rosalyn Sullivan for her contribution to this page

Up and Under

tackling rugby's top names

Photographs of Clive Sullivan This Is Your Life

Joe Latus recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Hard Road to the Top: The Clive Sullivan Story...

Clive returned to Hull to find himself more of a celebrity than he was before he left for France. Although few people had managed to go to France, very many had seen the match on the television and had been thrilled by it and Clive's part in it. He found Ros wild with excitement and neighbours, supporters and workmates flocked to give him their congratulations, and, at the Boulevard, he was cheered to the echo when he did a 'lap of honour' with the World Cup.

His fame was not confined to Hull and the north of England where our game is played. Many people throughout the country had seen the match on television and sent him letters about it and it was not long after that Eamonn Andrews chose Clive to appear on his This Is Your Life programme which will have appeared on TV before this book is published. The cloak-and-dagger methods employed to get him on the programme without his knowing were hilarious. He was called to London to take part in a sports discussion. Ros, who knew what was going on, had to say goodbye to him in her work-a-day clothing at the gate as he went to catch the London train. Then she had to dash back into the house, up to the bedroom, take out her new rig from where it was concealed - of what woman would go on the Telly without new clothes - quickly make up and catch a London train which went ten minutes after Clive's! Her new clothing she had to buy and keep, without Clive knowing, and she lived in fear and trembling worrying whether he would stumble on them and ask what they were for. However, the show went down very well and everyone voted it a real success.