When men were men me owd flower.

[drfc1951]

Ken Taylor played football for Huddersfield and cricket for Yorkshire ans England.

[newyankee]

It's a pity that Chris Balderstone died so young.

[mrfrostsdad]

My cousin, Arnold Sidebottom.
Played for Man Utd and Huddersfield and Yorkshire and England at cricket

[BobG]

How could I forget Arnie?! Of course he did! A decent centre half if I remember right? All hair and whiskers. If he's your cousin MFD then I suppose you must have had at least a few of those genes? What was your sport?

Do you ever see him?

Cheers

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

Fascinating how so many pro sportsmen were sufficiently talented to perform at pro level in other sports 30-60 years back.

In the WWI era and before, there were several players who played at international level at both sports.

In the 50s-80s, there were several players who played for the England Test team, and also played professional football to some level. And there were many players who turned their hands to both sports on a professional level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_cricket_and_football_players#First-class_cricket_.2F_Professional_football

It doesn't happen now. Without checking, I'd guess that there's not a single League footballer who has played County Championship cricket in the past 20-25 years.

That backs up my long-held view that it is getting so much more demanding now to get to the top in any ONE sport. 30-40 years ago, you could have Chris Balderstone or Ted Hemsley being talented and fit enough to play top class cricket, and play several hundred matchesof professional football, some of it at the top division level. There is no possibility whatsoever that a top class cricketer could get into a Tier 4 football side on a regular basis, never mind a Premier League club. Part-time footballers cannot possibly compete.

And that puts the ability of the likes of the stars from yesteryear into context. The stars of the 1950s-1970s were playing in an environment where a part-time footballer could play in the top division. The football world has moved on so far since then.

[Lesonthewest]

Was also at the Balderstone game, he played well too.

[mrfrostsdad]

And of course cricket is full year game these days and football 9 months so too much of an overlap.
Even county cricketers play in Australia, South Africa etc in a Grade A cricket, or even as club pro's.

Did I have any of the genes Bob G? Yes, a few. McMenemy signed me on schoolboy forms for the Rovers in 1971. I still have the photo somewhere where he's looking over my shoulder as I signed. Never got further than that I'm afraid. Always played local league football up to my mid 30's. And I played league cricket up to being about 55/56. Played in the Yorkshire Council League for Bentley Colliery, the Western Union League when I lived in Scotland, Sprotborough in the Donny Premier League etc etc and finished in the Scarborough Beckett League as I've lived here for 16 years.

I've not seen Arnie for years and years. Only met Ryan (his son - also a Yorkshire/England cricketer) once when he was in Scarborough and he was pissed so won't remember me.

Arnie was voted one of the worst 50 players to play in the top flight at football!!

[BillyStubbsTears]

MFD

When did you play for Sprotborough? I might have belted you all over the park for Denaby & Cadeby back in the 80s.

[newyankee]

No one appears to mention another Yorkshire and England cricketer, born in Bolton-on Dearne and who played football for Sunderland 211 games and England 4 caps. That man was Willie Watson.

[Draytonian III]

Professional  footballers nowadays at most clubs are not allowed to play cricket or any other sport,even at amateur level in case  of injuries

[idler]

Footballers now also get paid all year round.
They used to drop down drastically money wise in the summer and take close season jobs to make ends meet.

[mrfrostsdad]

BST, I played for Sprotborough from about 1971 for 4 maybe 5 years.
By the 80's I was playing for Bentley Colliery

[BillyStubbsTears]

I played against Bentley a couple of times in the mid 80s. Don't remember scoring many runs mind.

[The Red Baron]

As far as I know there is only one current county cricketer who has played professional football, Keith Barker of Warwickshire. He played a handful of League games for Rochdale on loan from Blackburn Rovers. After Blackburn released him he realised he wasn't going to make a career in football so he focused on cricket instead and got a contract at Warwickshire. He's developed into a decent lower order batter and left arm swing bowler.

[podrover73]

Apparently Ted Hemsley , better known at Sheff Utd played for us and played cricket for Worcestershire

[The Red Baron]

Gosh.  Memories - I was at the Balderstone game.  And...I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Botham coming on as a sub for Scunny at BV in a league match.

I have a feeling Botham played at BV for Scunny in a reserve match. I think the attendance was considerably higher than usual.

[The Red Baron]

Apparently Ted Hemsley , better known at Sheff Utd played for us and played cricket for Worcestershire
[/quote

Apparently Ted Hemsley , better known at Sheff Utd played for us and played cricket for Worcestershire


He did. I thought he was well past his best when he played for us. He was a decent cricketer and carried on with Worcestershire for several years after his football career ended.

I managed to discover four men who played League football for Rovers and county cricket. Balderstone and Hemsley were two. Can anyone name the others? One should be straightforward but the other is difficult.

[drfc1951]

Alonzo Drake?

[The Red Baron]

Alonzo Drake?

That's one. As I say, the other is a difficult one. If no-one has the answer today I'll post something tomorrow.

[podrover73]

John Ryan ?

[newyankee]

Hey Red Baron,  I think Keith Kettleborough played County cricket and for Sheff Utd and Rovers.

[The Red Baron]

Hey Red Baron,  I think Keith Kettleborough played County cricket and for Sheff Utd and Rovers.

Kettleborough was a high-standard League cricketer but he never played county cricket. John Ryan? Certainly not a county cricketer.

[newyankee]

Just checked RB thanks for putting me right. I know that Tony Leighton was also a good cricketer, but at Yorkshire League level. Has anyone come up with number four? We already have Balderstone, Hemsley and Alonzo Drake, but I am drawing a blank on number four.

[idler]

Rodney Johnson was a very good cricketer. He didn't play for one of Yorkshire's youth teams did he?

[The Red Baron]

The missing cricketer was Tommy Thorpe. He was Rovers goalkeeper during the ill-fated 1904-5 season when we took only 8 points from 34 Football League games.
Unlike most of the players from that season, Thorpe went on to have a decent professional career, playing for Barnsley and then Northampton Town, then of the professional Southern League.

In 1913, while a Northampton player, he made three County Championship appearances for Northamptonshire. The county often struggled to field a team and Thorpe may have been the best available. Certainly he didn't have a very distinguished career record. He scored 11 runs in 4 innings, held two catches and didn't bowl.