Proof from a 72 year old?
Well Jeff I do not know how you you can check on the info; and before you start to laugh at the Bouncer bit, this is Liverpool we are talking about, UK.
I worked at the Cavern Club of Beatle fame, 1960 till 1964, Thur/Fri/Sat. nights in those 4 years we could guarantee a fight on a Fri night at least, every week, most of these started as a group entertainment, ended up as more that two against one, we were the ones, I was stabbed in the back, being silly, dragging some one off the guy he was beating up, mistake, next to right kidney.
On my own on the door, same Friday night, not the same as the stab in the back, but a Friday night. Georgy Downs was down getting us two cups of tea, a well dressed young man collar and tie, wanted in, no chance.
I gave the standard answer, to late, I was back a bit inside the street entrance, on our step. He suddenly stepped in and threw what I thought was a straight left, till I saw his thumb forward, he was aiming for my sternum with a home made spike (made from a rat tailed file) I moved back, took it in the right wrist, kept moving back, held on to his wrist, swung his head in to the brick wall (the Cavern had like a stone passage to lead in to the stone steps in) when he fell I kicked him in the side of his face, broke his jaw, cheek bone, and took out 4 teeth.
The Jeep Patrol took him away, and the spike.
Lots of times fights would be a punch, dodge kicks, for instance, a Welsh Man, messing with his tie, his collar! I clipped him on the jaw, took a Commando knife off his hidden sheath, hanging down his back, under his shirt. A sucker punch, instinct, no more Mr. nice guy.
Lots of other scraps, but nothing memorial.
1965, till November, then moved to Australia, at the Blue Angel, on Seal Street, Liverpool 8.
Again left on my own, whilst Larry Newport (Ex SAS Wild Man, he died in 07, a shame) went down stairs for a chat "Just for a minute" my first Night here! A Thursday night, nothing ever happened on a Thursday!
You came in from the street, to keep out of the rain, rain in England you say!
this meant you had 6 or 8 people in the passage, who had to show their cards to the handicapped chap, Tony, sat on a chair, at a table, he knew every member! Had those canes that your forearms fitted in to.
I was having all kinds of trouble with the University kids, "Tony knows me"
me trying to get them to show their cards, "Mike, these two gentlemen are not members" said Tony, now you see the fault with the system, the two hard cases at the desk were 5 yards in to the club, half a dozen people behind them.
"You can't come in chaps, you are not members" said me! "We are all ready in La" said the short, but big! one. I took my glasses off, popped them on Tony's desk, my new friend, who also wore glasses, I remember them distinctly, heavy, thick lenses, said "Two can play at that game" he said.
He had them about two inches under his nose when my right handed punch smashed them into his face, bits stuck in his face, down he went,his buddy (I would have said his "Mate" then) stepped over him, fists up, he was just about 6'2" but thin, his error was looking down to not step on the flat out guy on the carpet.
My first left hand ripped his upper lip just about off, and I two handed him down the passage, the front door had got closed by some one, he ended up behind this steel door, and would not go down! A loud screaming voice in my ear was saying "His coat is hung on the hinge, he can not fall down" My arms were falling off by then, so I stopped hitting him, Larry arrived in time to throw the two of them into the street.
Total silence, the University kids are looking at me as if I was a Mad Man, white as a sheet, fists still up, looking for some one else to hit. Flecks of blood on the wall.
The next night busy Friday, these Kids all have their cards in their hands, and like a chorus "Hi Mick" "Hi Mick" That's about two minutes of an occurrence you know, that fight.
Three or 4 more in that club. a few in my Dads Pub, 1968 took on 4 young yobs my Wife got me into in an Indian Café' in St Helens, that's a long tail, last altercation was in Dayton Ohio, in 2004, we were at a Firearms Training annual seminar (Dave Spalding was there, just about cut his thumb off with a too sharp knife!) in stepping in to a elevator with my Lovely Wife Pauline, stepping with us, a Gent in a Suit, had a few drinks he had, on seeing Pauline he stated "I need a hug" and stepped towards my Wife, I arm barred him in to the back of the Lift, that must have hurt, it had one of those wooden shields all around, about a foot wide.
"Stay there, don't move" and we left, he might still be there! I was 68 YOA.
There is a brick with my name cut into it behind the door of the Cavern Pub on Matthew Street in the Pool.
That exercise brought back a whole bunch of memory's! Sorry if that is not enough Mr. White, by the way, in the Brit Military your nick name would have been, Chalky, Chalky White.
Past my bed time.
Good Night all.
