Post by tiptoes on Nov 3, 2020 19:27:21 GMT
Was watching Meridian News tonight and they had a feature on Tommy Cook with a new gravestone. Apparently he was the best dual sportsman to come out of Sussex who sadly took his life just before his 49th birthday having served in both wars. He represented the county through BHA and Sussex Cricket with distinction.
It was a shame that county cricket clubs didnt have an off season football competition in bygone days as Sussex's inability to win the county championship would have been offset by their likelihood of dominating at football in the 1950/60s with Ken Suttle, Don Bates and Dennis Forman who all played for Brighton's 1st team. Their main rivals would have been Yorkshire with Close, Illingworth and Boycott on professional football teams books in their youth and Fred Trueman who turned out for Lincoln City reserves.
Will Joe Gatting be the last person who played both professional football and cricket? Wouldn't surprise me. And with the Yorkshire link, I saw Billy Athey play for Ringmer FC against Eastbourne Borough FC during his time at Sussex.
It was a shame that county cricket clubs didnt have an off season football competition in bygone days as Sussex's inability to win the county championship would have been offset by their likelihood of dominating at football in the 1950/60s with Ken Suttle, Don Bates and Dennis Forman who all played for Brighton's 1st team. Their main rivals would have been Yorkshire with Close, Illingworth and Boycott on professional football teams books in their youth and Fred Trueman who turned out for Lincoln City reserves.
Will Joe Gatting be the last person who played both professional football and cricket? Wouldn't surprise me. And with the Yorkshire link, I saw Billy Athey play for Ringmer FC against Eastbourne Borough FC during his time at Sussex.
