A potential cause of concern?

[morgieb]

Ah, so he didn't choose cricket as such either.

Seems to be in most cases were players do have a genuine choice they go for their preferred football code. Liam Botham & Jeff Wilson certainly did, even if the latter belatedly returned to cricket.

Johnny Wilkinson & Phil Neville did too. Apparently Graham Thorpe chose cricket over soccer .

 

[morgieb]

Suprised this doesn't consern Rugby League as much.

 

[sanga1337]

Johnny Wilkinson & Phil Neville did too. Apparently Graham Thorpe chose cricket over soccer .

Yeah Phil Neville was really good. Captained England under 15 side and was in the Lancashire under 19 side along with Flintoff. I think his brother Gary was also pretty good

 

[Craig]

Yeah Phil Neville was really good. Captained England under 15 side and was in the Lancashire under 19 side along with Flintoff. I think his brother Gary was also pretty good

IIRc there was a cricketer who played cricket for Derbyshire and Derby County at the same time of Brian Clough's era at the club, and Clough did not take to kindly that cricket took priority over Derby when the football/cricket season's overlapped. Couldn't tell you his name though to save my life.

 

[Richard]

Yeah Phil Neville was really good. Captained England under 15 side and was in the Lancashire under 19 side along with Flintoff. I think his brother Gary was also pretty good

Nah, Gary was always a considerably better full-back than batsman. Something I'd say might well not have been the case the other way around.

 

[Richard]

IIRc there was a cricketer who played cricket for Derbyshire and Derby County at the same time of Brian Clough's era at the club, and Clough did not take to kindly that cricket took priority over Derby when the football/cricket season's overlapped. Couldn't tell you his name though to save my life.

Not sure you're not getting two stories together there. I'm not 100% clued-up on the dual players, but one of the last I can think of was Chris Balderstone, of Yorkshire, Huddersfield Town, Leicestershire and Carlisle United, who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The one who was famously fined for playing cricket was the excellent goalkeeper Andy Goram, who lined-up for Scotland in 1989. I forget who his club was at that point.

 

[social]

A few players have done it but Max Walker was probably the last to have any real success - nearly 140 test wickets plus about 100 games in the VFL (now AFL) for Melbourne

Reality is that the both sports are now fully professional with minimal breaks so it's just not possible

 

[social]

Suprised this doesn't consern Rugby League as much.

Graeme Hughes played for Bulldogs/NSW in league and NSW in cricket in the 80s

However, like AFL, pre-season starts before Christmas so they dont get a chance

 

[Craig]

Not sure you're not getting two stories together there. I'm not 100% clued-up on the dual players, but one of the last I can think of was Chris Balderstone, of Yorkshire, Huddersfield Town, Leicestershire and Carlisle United, who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The one who was famously fined for playing cricket was the excellent goalkeeper Andy Goram, who lined-up for Scotland in 1989. I forget who his club was at that point.

Hibernian it was (thanks wiki)

As for my Derby County and Derbyshire post, it is in Clough's autobiography. It was Ian Buxton.

 

[Uppercut]

Not sure you're not getting two stories together there. I'm not 100% clued-up on the dual players, but one of the last I can think of was Chris Balderstone, of Yorkshire, Huddersfield Town, Leicestershire and Carlisle United, who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The one who was famously fined for playing cricket was the excellent goalkeeper Andy Goram, who lined-up for Scotland in 1989. I forget who his club was at that point.

Ah, Andy "smell the glove" Goram. They should have fined him for being a ****.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ah, Andy "smell the glove" Goram. They should have fined him for being a ****.

Quite. As footballing ****s go, Goram has to be up there, the fat, mental, UVF-sympathising tool. Wore a black-armband when Billy Wright (the loyalist terrorist rather than the former Wolves & England captain) was killed.

Although did love the chant the oppo fans used to do after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia:

"Two Andy Gorams, there's only two Andy Gorams..."

By the by, the last player to play both cricket & footy regularly was Phil Neale, the former England tour manager who used to spend his winters playing for Lincoln & S***thorpe. Don't know if he was ever in the same team as Beefy, but they are of similar vintage.

Two other sportsmen who briefly flashed across cricket are the former Cov goalie Steve "Oggy" Ogrizovic, who once dismissed Chris "Dad of Stuart" Broad in a List A game whilst playing for Shropshire when the minors used to play in the old NatWest Trophy & Rob Andrew, who scored a first-class ton for Cambridge Uni.

 

[morgieb]

Graeme Hughes played for Bulldogs/NSW in league and NSW in cricket in the 80s

However, like AFL, pre-season starts before Christmas so they dont get a chance

I was referring to the fact that there aren't many who were skilled in both sports.

 

[morgieb]

A few players have done it but Max Walker was probably the last to have any real success - nearly 140 test wickets plus about 100 games in the VFL (now AFL) for Melbourne

Reality is that the both sports are now fully professional with minimal breaks so it's just not possible

Simon O'Donnell had reasonable success IIRC.

 

[social]

I was referring to the fact that there aren't many who were skilled in both sports.

There probably are a lot but there taken into the club system so early these days that they never get the chance to show any of their potential at even grade level

 

[bryce]

Jeff Wilson most gun imo

*At 19 years old played 4 ODI's for New Zealand(in one match hit 44* off 28 balls to down aussies )
*Quit cricket & switched to rugby union. He not only scored 44 tries in 60 Tests for the All Blacks, but proved he was one of the best wingers to ever play the game
*Quit rugby union at 28 years old to once again play cricket. Played very well for Otago over 2/3 seasons and earnt a ODI recall at the age of 31. Too bad soon after the aussies put him off cricket again