Cliff Richard at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens in 1962
Today is Cliff Richard’s 80th birthday and many visits have been made to Cardiff during his long career. But one visit almost put a end to gigs in the Capitol after one riotous visit in the early 1960’s
A second show stampeding at the Cliff Richard concert last night may have robbed Cardiff of another visit from Cliff.
“The audience was one of the worst we have ever come across.” said Cliff’s manager Mike Morris today.During the demonstrations, a girl is reported to have a broken wrist, a policeman lost his wristwatch, handbags were damaged and buttons torn from coats as crowds fought their way through two entrance doors.During the show, boys and girls were yelling. When Cliff came on there was a concerted rush from the back of the hall towards the stage which an army of stewards failed to control.
Said Mike Morris today as he and Cliff toured the Cardiff Blind Institute before leaving for Taunton: “We don’t want to play Sophia Gardens Pavilion again. It is not suitable for our type of show.
“It is an amazing thing, but there is nowhere in Cardiff now for a show like ours. The Gaumont was the only place. If we do have to come back here, I think we shall have to use the Capitol Cinema, and there, the stage is too narrow.
Mr William Phillips of Pontnewydd, telephoned the South Wales Echo to “register disgust” at the behaviour of the audience and the “inactivity” of the stewards at the show.“People jumped on chairs, on other people’s shoulders. The curtain should have come down to stop the mad behaviour.”
Cliff’s own opinion of the brawl, delivered as he chatted and joked at the Cardiff institute : “It was rough. I was sorry because I could not give a good performance under those circumstances. I love Cardiff, and up to now the fans have been fairly well behaved.”
