pembsexile wrote:

neilcork68 wrote:Can you ever imagine a modern day player playing top level cricket and football in today's world ? I cant ever imagine another Dennis Compton

Geoff Hurst played cricket for Essex and football for some other team.

David Bairstow played cricket for Yorkshire and football for Bradford AFC.

Phil Neale played football for Scunthorpe at the same time as Ian Botham.

Edit. Forgot to add. In the 60’s we had another player at the County who played both. Graham Reynolds for us and cricket for Glamorgan. Definitely the seconds - is that first class?

Graham played twice for Glamorgan first eleven at first class level

Ted Hemsley was probably the best at it.He played top first division with Sheffield United and a long career with Worcestershire,in fact at one stage there was talk of an England call up at cricket.He also played at Bramall Lane for Worcestershire as an away player,did he walk into the wrong dressing room I wonder.

I remember Len in his second spell.He came on loan initially,then permanently for £1500 or similar.He scored some vital goals in that loan spell,early 72 which cleared us from re-election.I was surprised when he was released in May 74,I thought he had a few years left in him.

I remember reading that Joe Erskine, the former British Heavyweight Champion, was a schoolboy international rugby player, but chose to concentrate on boxing.

Percy plunkett wrote:I remember Len in his second spell.He came on loan initially,then permanently for £1500 or similar.He scored some vital goals in that loan spell,early 72 which cleared us from re-election.I was surprised when he was released in May 74,I thought he had a few years left in him.

As I recall Len was sold to Swansea for £5,000 and we paid Swansea £5,000 to have him back.

I remember that Hill was sold to Swansea for £5,000. Am I dreaming or am I right that County had difficulty in getting the money from Swansea or was it the other way round when we bought him back. I seem to recall a Swansea official remarking that County were getting bigger gates than Swansea st the time, so probably it was County that owed them money.

Can’t imagine we had £5000 to spend then.Just looked in Tony Ambrosen’s “Lifetime in the league”,he says we got £4500 for him and paid £2500 to get him back.I know where I got £1500 from,that’s what we paid for Passey later that year.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

wattsville_boy wrote:Gary Lineker had to choose between football and cricket. It's not uncommon for "ball" players to be accomplished at many sports but excel at one. Perhaps it's just that they practice the one sport greater than others.

Rugby and cricket used to a common combination. There are many who managed to combine both to international level back in the day...

That's absolutely right. You can train any reasonably coordinated person to be competent at ball games but to be truly exceptional your coordination needs to also be exceptional.

Thankyou Dame Margot Fonteyn

pembsexile wrote:

neilcork68 wrote:Can you ever imagine a modern day player playing top level cricket and football in today's world ? I cant ever imagine another Dennis Compton

Geoff Hurst played cricket for Essex and football for some other team.

David Bairstow played cricket for Yorkshire and football for Bradford AFC.

Phil Neale played football for Scunthorpe at the same time as Ian Botham.

Edit. Forgot to add. In the 60’s we had another player at the County who played both. Graham Reynolds for us and cricket for Glamorgan. Definitely the seconds - is that first class?

Although never capped by England officially ( he played some war time games but they didn't earn him a full cap ) at Football Compton played at the TOP LEVEL in both sports.....he played for Arsenal where he won a League and Cup medal and Middlesex and England at Cricket....
I doubt that would happen nowadays

Remember in Glamorgan's championship season in 1969 going to see them at Cheltenham. Arthur Milton, who was a dual international, played for Glos.

George Street-Bridge wrote:Remember in Glamorgan's championship season in 1969 going to see them at Cheltenham. Arthur Milton, who was a dual international, played for Glos.

That was a great day out at Cheltenham. Glamorgan had a wonderful side back then. Some of the close fielding was outstanding. A lovely ground at Cheltenham college. I seem to remember that they clinched the championship by winning at Cheltenham. I may be wrong though.

I think they clinched it at Essex a couple of weeks later, but this was the equivalent of a six-pointer. I think the maximum points you could get was 20 or 22 and Glamorgan cleaned up.

We went on the first day and IIIRC Glamorgan bowled them out before lunch. Malcolm Nash would surely have played tests if he'd been with any other county. Card here:

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHI ... G1969.html

I was thinking former County player Barrie Meyer would have played, but he didn't.

Arnold Sidebottom.

Cricket for Yorkshire, football for Manchester United.

I saw him play against Bristol City in the 2nd division at Ashton Gate (75/76 season?). City won 2-0 and Arnie managed to catch Alex Stepney on the forehead when he lunged for the ball as Stepney tried to collect it. I was stood among the Manchester United fans and had great difficulty holding the laughter in.

I'm also pretty sure that Botham played against us at Somerton Park. Can anyone confirm?

Gareth Edwards was offered a contract by Swansea Town (as was).

I know of a youngster, with the football Decision making brain of a top level player and the ability And work rate to match. He decided that his love of cricket was more important to him and left a great future at a well known London academy and is selected for a near South of London team at county level. Still youngster. His first choice passion won over potential money.