Hall of Fame - World Gurning Champions
Details of World Gurning Champions from 1945 to current day.
Gurning appears in the Guinness World Records. Once for Most Gurning World Championships wins (male), and once for Most Gurning World Champion wins (female).
Year | Champion | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
2018 | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) | Gordon Blacklock | Michael Lanley |
2017 | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Blacklock |
2016 | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) | Tommy Mattinson | Ged Eccles |
2015 | Gordon Blacklock | Tommy Mattinson | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) |
2014 | Tommy Mattinson | Alan (Happy) Hornell | Gordon Blacklock |
2013 | Tommy Mattinson | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) | Alan (Happy) Hornell |
2012 | Tommy Mattinson | Joe Peet | Gordon Blacklock |
2011 | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Blacklock | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) |
2010 | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Blacklock | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) |
2009 | Gordon Blacklock | Alan (Happy) Hornell | Ged Eccles |
2008 | Tommy Mattinson | Alan (Happy) Hornell | Gordon Blacklock |
2007 | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Blacklock | Alan (Happy) Hornell |
2006 | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Blacklock | Alec Woods |
2005 | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Blacklock | Alec Woods |
2004 | Tommy Mattinson | Adrian Zivelonghi (Coventry) | (=) Gordon Mattinson (=) Gordon Blacklock |
2003 | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Mattinson | Alex Woods |
2002 | Tommy Mattinson | Peter Jackman | Gordon Mattinson |
2001 | Tommy Mattinson | Peter Jackman | Alan (Happy) Hornell |
2000 | Peter Jackman | Tommy Mattinson | Gordon Blacklock |
1999 | Tommy Mattinson | Peter Jackman | Rodney McVeigh |
1998 | Peter Jackman | Tommy Mattinson | Alex Woods |
1997 | Peter Jackman | Gordon Mattinson | Roy Millington |
1996 | Peter Jackman | Gordon Blacklock | Jim Wilshire (Australia) |
1995 | Gordon Blacklock | Peter Jackman | (=) Albert Henson (=) Lenny Wells |
1994 | Albert Henson | Ian Rickerby | (=) Gordon Blacklock (=) Lenny Wells |
1993 | Gordon Blacklock | Albert Henson | Peter Jackman |
1992 | Ian Rickerby | Des McKenna | Ron Looney |
1991 | Ron Looney | Ian Rickerby | Jim Cawell |
1990 | Ron Looney | Tommy Mattinson | Robert Johnston |
1989 | Gordon Blacklock | Tommy Mattinson | Ron Looney |
1988 | Gordon Blacklock | Ron Looney | Ian Rickerby |
1987 | Tommy Mattinson | Ron Looney | Jim McKenzie |
1986 | Tommy Mattinson | Ron Looney | Graham Tomlinson |
1985 | John "Snowball" Bryan | Dennis Russell | Tommy Mattinson |
1984 | Gordon Blacklock | Ron Looney | Jim McKenzie |
1983 | Ron Looney | Gordon Blacklock | Paul Seichter |
1982 | Ron Looney | Gordon Blacklock | John Bryan |
1981 | Ron Looney | John Bryan | Gordon Blacklock |
1980 | Ron Looney | Gordon Blacklock | Walter Cussins |
1979 | Ron Looney | Gordon Mattinson | - |
1978 | Ron Looney | Gordon Mattinson | - |
1977 | Gordon Mattinson | John Bryan | Ron Looney |
1976 | Gordon Mattinson | Ron Looney | John Bryan |
1975 | Gordon Mattinson | Henry Cass | John Bryan |
1974 | Gordon Mattinson | Miss Marie Quinn (USA) | John Bryan |
1973 | John Bryan | Gordon Mattinson | Alan Williams |
1972 | Gordon Mattinson | D Mansergh | J Hewitson (Calderbridge) |
1971 | Gordon Mattinson | J Delaney (Kendal) | Mr Burns (Whitehaven) |
1970 | Gordon Mattinson | Albert Henson | J Bainbridge (Staveley) |
1969 | Gordon Mattinson | "Taffy" Thomas | B McGrady (Silloth) |
1968 | Gordon Mattinson | Albert Henson | Dai Llewllyn (Wales) |
1967 | Gordon Mattinson | "Taffy" Thomas | John Bryan |
1966 | "Taffy" Thomas | Gordon Mattinson | Jock Branthwaite |
1965 | Albert Bennison (Consett) | (=) "Taffy" Thomas (=) Dai Llewllyn | - |
1964 | "Taffy" Thomas | Jock Branthwaite | Albert Henson |
1963 | Jock Branthwaite | Albert Henson | "Taffy" Thomas |
1962 | "Taffy" Thomas | "Tedser" Stephenson | Albert Henson |
1961 | Albert Henson | "Taffy" Thomas | Jock Branthwaite |
1960 | "Taffy" Thomas | "Hardy" Campbell (Thornhill) | Mr Simpson (Millom) |
1959 | "Taffy" Thomas | Albert Henson | - |
1958 | Stanley Plummer | - | - |
1957 | Stanley Plummer | Ike Singleton | Jock Branthwaite |
1956 | Charlie Harvey | "Taffy" Thomas | Jock Branthwaite |
1955 | Jock Branthwaite | Mr Simpson | Albert Henson |
1954 | "Tedster" Stephenson | Jock Branthwaite | T Walker |
1953 | - | - | - |
1952 | C Harvey | Jock Branthwaite | T Walker |
1951 | - | - | - |
1950 | - | - | - |
1949 | Jock Branthwaite | - | - |
1948 | T Walker | - | - |
1947 | T Walker | Mr Peel (Millom) | - |
1946 | - | - | - |
1945 | T Walker | J Hugo (Frizington) | - |
Notes
Most of the traditional Crab Fair events, including the gurning competition, were not held during the war years 1939-44 because it was impracticable to stage them.
"Jock" Branthwaite was reported in 1949 to be a bus conductor from Bransty, Whitehaven. He recorded a Crab Fair song which was played over loudspeakers at the 1949 Fair. He also sang the song on radio in 1955. A 1966 newspaper report stated that he won the gurning competition seventeen times, but this is almost certainly incorrect.
Tommy Mattinson of Aspatria is the winner of the most competitions to date, with thirteen victories. His father Gordon won ten times. Ron Looney of Egremont won the event eight times. Gordon Blacklock of Thornhill, Egremont has won six times. Wyndham "Taffy" Thomas of Cockermouth was victor on five occasions.
The first woman competitor, Mrs Mabel Braddock, took part in 1966. Mrs Braddock is the daughter of Albert Henson.
Miss Marie Quinn, reported to be the USA Champion, is the only woman in history to gain a place in the top 3 (2nd in 1974).
Contestants from Canada, Australia, the USA and Holland have taken part in the Egremont gurning championship. Nearer to home, competitors from all parts of the country regularly take part, and nowadays these competitors regularly outnumber local gurners.
Overseas contestants have been numerous, but not one has ever become World Champion Gurner
A junior gurning competition was first held in 1979 and continues to this day.
There was controversy at the 1997 World Gurning Championship when the judges awarded first prize to the wrong contestant. Peter Clifford, an actor from Manchester, was initially given the Championship, but after the event the judges stated that they had meant Peter Jackman. The situation was resolved when Peter Jackman was handed the trophy on TV programme "They think it's all over" a few months later.
After 8 wins in a row, Tommy Mattinson did not take part in the 2009 World Gurning Championship due to the death of his mother.
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