Frank Evans
Frank Evans fights a bull, Spain
Frank Evans, Matador
Personal information
Birth nameFrancis Evans
Nickname(s)El Inglés (The Englishman)
The bus-pass bullfighter
Born (1942-08-18) 18 August 1942
Salford, Lancashire, England
Sport
SportBullfighting
RankMatador
Bullfighting career
Début novillero1966
Montpellier, France

Francis "Frank" Evans (born 18 August 1942) is a British-born matador, the most senior form of bullfighter, known as "El Inglés" (The Englishman.) He is reputed to be the only British bullfighter currently working professionally. He now holds Spanish citizenship.[1]

Early career

The son of a butcher, Evans had started out with ambitions to be a rugby league professional.[2] He was first interested in bullfighting on hearing his father's stories of watching fights when going into Spain from Gibraltar during World War II. In 1963, aged 19, on his first trip abroad (to attend a wedding in Spain) he witnessed his first bullfight at the Corpus Christi festival in Granada.[2] A subsequent reading of the autobiography of Vincent Hitchcock, the first professional British bullfighter, persuaded him that it was possible for a Briton to train as a bullfighter.[3] In April 1964 he attended a training school in Valencia.

His first ever fight at a village festival was a disaster, with the bull running away with his cape, which had to be rescued by children. (Evans has described the event as "very Benny Hill"[4]). His first professional fight as a novillero came in Montpellier in France in 1966,[5] following a mix-up by the promoter, who believed he had booked another English fighter called Henry Higgins.[4] However, by 1969, and after only three professional fights and struggling to earn a living and pay for equipment,[3] Evans returned to Salford.

Back in Salford, he began a successful kitchen business.[3] He was also an associate of George Best, at one point being his "unofficial manager".[6]

Resumption of his career

The death of his father in 1976 persuaded him that "life is too short" not to pursue one's dreams, and he returned to Spain. By 1979 he was fighting again professionally.

Noticing that although Evans was not highly ranked, he was drawing large crowds, the owner of the Benalmádena ring began to give Evans regular bookings.[4] By 1991 he achieved matador status. In 2003 he was ranked number 63 in the world, out of some 10,000 bullfighters.[6] In 2005 he announced his retirement, due to arthritis in his knee from a rugby league injury.[4][7] At the time he said he would continue his business interests in property, construction and importing tobacco.[8]

Retirement and return

Subsequent to his retirement, Evans received a replacement titanium knee. On a routine health check in 2007 it was discovered that he had blocked arteries and a leaking heart valve. He underwent a quadruple heart bypass.

In 2009 he announced his return to bullfighting. His first fight was in Benalmadena, killing two bulls and receiving the ears of the bulls as an award from the judges.[9] Evans has stated that only old age will stop him from fighting,[10] and that he plans fights in Ecuador, Columbia and Peru, the three bullfighting countries he has yet to perform in.[11]

Injuries

Evans has been gored six times.[3] These include a perforated buttock sustained in 1984 in Ciudad Rodrigo,[7] and a foot-long gash sustained in a fight in Mexico.[11]

In the media

In 1988 Evans made an extended appearance on the After Dark topical discussion programme on Channel 4, alongside among others Katie Boyle and Miriam Rothschild. He was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary entitled The Buspass Bullfighter, and has written a well-received autobiography, The Last British Bullfighter.[12] Both his retirement and return were covered extensively in the British media.

In 2009 it was reported that threats from animal rights activists had led Waterstones booksellers to abandon booksigning sessions for Evans' autobiography in Liverpool and Manchester.[9] It was also reported that Evans had previously received death threats, and that the post office had intercepted a parcel bomb intended for him.

In 2012, Evans was featured in a book, The Bull and The Ban, giving his views on bullfighting regulations and how they could be changed to be less cruel.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Parmenter, Tom (3 January 2010). "Matador Pensioner Still Battling in Bullring". Sky News. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  2. 1 2 Fuchs, Dale (18 August 2005). "The final bow of El Inglés". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Keeley, Graham (18 August 2009). "British matador Frank Evans steps back into the ring at 67". The Times. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Tremlett, Giles (20 August 2009). "British matador makes comeback - aged 67". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  5. ↑ Lewis, Paul (18 August 2008). "Frank Evans returns Salford matador makes successful comeback to bullring at 65". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  6. 1 2 Mulchrone, Patrick (29 June 2009). "British matador defies medical advice to make bullfighting return aged 67". Daily Record. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  7. 1 2 Couzens, Gerard (25 August 2005). "Exclusive: Brit Matador Frank Evans Retires". The Mirror. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  8. ↑ "English matador retires from ring". BBC News. 16 August 2005. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  9. 1 2 Nash, Elizabeth (11 September 2009). "Threats cancel British matador's book sessions". The Independent. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  10. ↑ Keeley, Graham (31 August 2009). "Frank 'El Ingles' Evans, 67, the bull-fighting Briton, back in the ring". The Times. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  11. 1 2 Govan, Fiona (13 August 2008). "British pensioner bullfighter makes comeback in Spain after quadruple heart bypass". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  12. ↑ Webster, Jason (9 August 2009). "The Last British Bullfighter by Frank 'El Inglés' Evans: review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  13. ↑ Fiske-Harrison, Alexander. "The Bull and The Ban". Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
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