[tracypaper]

The covering in question looks like Rexine to me and should be cloth backed as most players from the era used this, later fidelity players used paper backed. The stripped darker grey material does look like some kind of speaker cloth and is a totally different kettle of fish.
The Iron does sound a drastic measure but it has worked every time for me, as Refugee suggests (and I perhaps should have) find an inconspicuous piece under the deck and try the methods suggested.
Gaz.