Multi-talented footballers (original) (raw)

"I seem to recall former Carlisle United player Chris Balderstone going on to represent England at cricket," says Gary Scott. "Are readers aware of any other football players who excelled at another sport?"

There are plenty of overlaps between football and cricket, the most obvious example being one Ian Botham, who managed 11 appearances (seven starts) as a non-contract player for Scunthorpe United between 1979 and 1984, a time when he was also hitting all-comers out of the ground for both Somerset and England. And he's still vice-president of the Iron. Then there's Denis Compton, who not only represented Arsenal and England on the football field, but also spent 22 years with Middlesex CCC, amassing 78 Test caps in the process. Brother Leslie followed in the same vein with Middlesex (though not for his country), while also forging a career with the Gunners and winning two England football caps.

But these stars are just the tip of the iceberg, as Ian Spittle takes up. "'Fatty' Foulkes was a dual cricket/football international; in 1920, Jack Durston took a 'five for' playing for Middlesex in the morning, and kept a clean sheet for Brentford that afternoon. As the age of professionalism (and lengthened seasons) dawned, examples become rarer, and often involved journeymen rather than star players. Worcestershire skipper Phil Neale was probably the last true professional cricket and football player, although his football career was spent in the lower leagues with Lincoln. I believe Viv Richards may be the only man to represent his country in both soccer and cricket World Cup competitions, playing for Antigua in qualification."

"Viv Richards was once dismissed by Coventry goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic when Ogrizovic (of Shropshire) played for the Minor Counties against the touring Windies," adds Trevor Harwood, before going on. "Arthur Milton (Arsenal/Gloucestershire) and Willie Watson (Sunderland/Yorkshire) both represented England at football and cricket in the 1950s. Team-mates of Milton at Gloucestershire that also played football included Harold Jarman (Bristol Rovers), Bobby Etheridge and David Smith. At Yorkshire, Watson was joined by Ken Taylor, who was a regular also for Huddersfield Town. I think Brian Close played a bit - maybe for Leeds United, and also for Arsenal.

"Jim Standen won an FA Cup winner's medal for West Ham in 1964, and played in the Worcestershire team that won the County Championship in 1964 and 1965 (and I think he topped the national bowling averages in one season). Ted Hemmings was in the same Worcestershire squad as Standen, and also turned out at wing-half for Shrewsbury Town. The Hammers also had Eddie Presland, who played cricket over several seasons for Essex. And Geoff Hurst, apparently a wicket-keeper, also played at least once for the Essex first XI. Around the same time, Ron Tindall was a regular in the Surrey team, and turned out for many football teams, including Chelsea and the Hammers. Noel Cantwell (West Ham, Man Utd) played football and cricket for Ireland, while Andy Goram (Oldham Athletic, Rangers, Hibernian) did the same for Scotland - but his dressing up in whites instead of a keeper's kit caused some rows; he kept wicket for Scotland against the Aussies in 1989, but Rangers banned him from playing cricket in case of injury."

On top of that there's Graham Cross, who represented Leicester City during the winter and Leicestershire CCC during the summer during the 60s and 70s; and even Phil Neville. That's right, the new Everton signing once captained England's U15 cricket team and even represented Lancashire's second string.

Moving away from cricket, Brian McKeever says: "Instantly, thoughts go to Manchester United and Ireland legend Kevin Moran, who in 1976 and 1977 won All Ireland medals for Dublin in Gaelic Football." Then there's Olympic relay gold medallist Darren Campbell, who once spent a season with Welsh outfit Cwmbran Town, as well as getting himself onto Plymouth and Weymouth's books.

From Europe, Hans van Schijndel notes: "In Holland, Johan Neeskens was a member of the Dutch youth baseball team and was voted best batsman at the European Youth Baseball Championships in Rome in the sixties. And Juha Ovaskainen adds: "Norwegian international Simen Adgestein had to give up his career as footballer due to an injury, but had a nice back-up plan as he became (and still is) a Grandmaster in chess as well."

But it's back to Ian Spittle for the man that trumps the lot: "CB Fry played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton, and for England v Ireland in 1901, as well as playing 26 cricket Tests for England, holding a long jump record that stood for 21 years, and famously being offered the throne of Albania."

NEVER BEEN BOOKED

Dave Hollis wants to know: "Has anyone ever rivalled the great jug-eared Gary Lineker for receiving no bookings in their professional career?"

More than you might imagine, Dave. Among them, an Everton legend even greater than Lineker, Dixie Dean; the striker once claimed the only thing he ever received from a referee was a boiled sweet. Another Goodison great, Tommy Lawton, also went through his career without finding his way into the referee's book.

And we can't forget the great Sir Stanley Matthews, often referred to as the 'first gentleman of soccer', whose exemplary sportsmanship during a career spanning around 700 games for Stoke, Blackpool and England saw him go booking-free. Or Sir Tom Finney for that matter, who was never even spoken to by an official in all his years with Preston, England and one game for Irish outfit Distillery.

In 541 games for Wolves and 105 for England, Billy Wright never once blotted his copybook, while Welsh hero John Charles, 'The Gentle Giant', didn't earn the nickname for nothing; revered around the world for his sporting conduct, he too never saw yellow. The moniker 'Gentleman Jim' was afforded to Jimmy Dickinson, veteran of 812 appearances for Portsmouth and England between 1946 and 1965 without so much a stern stare from an official.

And two Scots also navigated booking-less passages through their careers: Liverpool's Billy Liddell, whose mercurial displays during the 1950s helped win his team the nickname 'Liddellpool'; and Eddie Gray, a member of Leeds's rock-hard side of the 60s and 70s. "We had enough players in our side who could take care of that side of things," said Gray.

MORE PUNDITS THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT

"Which English top-flight match holds the record for having the most footballers/coaches/managers who went on to become regular pundits/commentators on TV involved?" asks Patrick McGorman.

Well Patrick, you'll do well to find more than the 16 media 'authorities' who featured in Arsenal's famous last-minute, 2-0 title-winning triumph at Liverpool on May 26, 1989. While the Reds boasted seven players (Ronnie Whelan, Alan Hansen, Ray Houghton, John Aldridge, Ian Rush, John Barnes and Steve McMahon), manager Kenny Dalglish and coach Roy Evans, who have all honed their TV/radio/newspaper skills in later years, Arsenal had six (Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Paul Merson, David O'Leary, Alan Smith and Nigel Winterburn), plus boss George Graham. Can you top that?

KNOWLEDGE ARCHIVE

"I remember reading in Eamonn Dunphy's excellent book Only a Game? that each year the team was convinced that it was going to be their year, and that a win on the first day seemed to mean everything," said Mike Lockwood in 2003. "Could some genius work out if statistically a win on the first day leads to a higher final points total than, say, a win on the 12th, 25th, or 30th day of the season? In other words, if a team wins on day one is it statistically likely to win more points over the remaining games than in the remaining games if you subtract the points won on, say, day 25?"

"Well, I don't know about being a genius, but I'll have a stab at answering this," said Haydon Banbury, probably while adjusting his king-sized anorak. "Looking at all of the results from the 2002-03 Premiership season I found the following:

"The teams that won their first games finished with an average of 65.14 points, those that drew finished with 48.16 points on average and those that lost the first game ended the season with 43.57 points on average. In other words, statistically speaking, the teams that won on the first day finished with 35.2% more points than those that drew and 49.5% more points than those that lost."

"The 10th game of the season doesn't seem to have been quite so significant," Haydon added. "Taking account only of the points gained from that point in the season onwards, those teams that won game 10 outscored those that drew by 13.5% and those that lost by 28.4%.

"Moving on to the midpoint of the season, those 'crucial' Christmas fixtures were only moderately so. Of game 20, those that won outscored those that drew by 14.5% to the end of the season and those that lost by 48.3%.

"However, the run-in was statistically the most important period of all. Those teams that won their 30th game got 43.7% more points from that game to the end of the season than those that drew, and a whopping 92.9% more points than those that lost game 30.

"So, in answer to the question the answer appears to be that yes, winning on the first day is indeed very significant in terms of end-of-season league position, but even more important is getting the team properly set for the title run-in with nine or 10 games to go."

There are hundreds more questions and answers, all of which can be accessed by clicking here.

Can you help?

Neil Connolly writes: "I've just finished Cosmicomics, a novel by Italo Calvino, and he talks of an Arsenal v Real Madrid match. Does anyone know to which match he's referring and are there any other obscure references to football in great literature?"

"How many different nationalities have been represented in Premiership history?" asks Andy Worden. "And name the first player from each country to have played in the league."

And Stephen Doe wonders: "Jonathan Woodgate has been on the Real Madrid roster for a season and has yet to kick a ball for the club - what's the longest that a player with a senior contract has been at a club without ever playing for them?"