Sheffield Cricket Lovers' Society Year Book 2020

13 www.sheffieldcricketlovers.org.uk TED HEMSLEY must be one of the most envied sportsmen around for anyone with a passion for football and cricket. Now a remarkably fit 76 year old he spent over 20 years playing both games professionally and - as if to purposely help manufacture the oft used headline used here - later pursued his other great love of horse racing and became a bookmaker! His cricket career was spent solely with Worcestershire and he represented Shrewsbury Town, Sheffield United and Doncaster Rovers Football Clubs. Sport and Sports Science have changed so much in the last four decades that it is almost unthinkable that anyone else will be able to emulate him. It evokes dewy eyed memories of the ‘old days’ when much admired ‘Brylcreem Boys’ strode the football pitches and cricket wickets like Gods with superhuman powers. They had almost mythical status because of the breadth of their skills and I for one could scarcely believe it possible, bearing in mind the ability needed to excel in just one area of sport. Ted must have been one of the last of the breed, having retired from football in 1979 and cricket three years later. By then both codes were embarking on paths that would lead to longer seasons and increased professionalism that would render playing both at the top level impossible. No longer can we, as I did, look at such an individual playing one of the games and try and imagine him playing the other. They were such an exotic breed that I can easily and fondly recall many of their names, whether I was old enough to watch them or not. Doubtless you can too so, without even attempting to name the most famous or most decorated, I offer you Chris Balderstone, Jim Cumbes, Arthur Milton, Ken Taylor, Denis Compton, Arnie Sidebottom, Jim Standen, Graham Cross, Chris Marples. What a lucky lot they were….. Not for them the agony of twiddling their thumbs and being agitated through the long close-season months - it was, ‘’Bye, lads, off to play cricket (or football). See you next season.” Of course, there must have been downsides. Did staleness set in? Were they fatigued? Was there even time for a holiday? What about momentarily forgetting which game you were playing and hitting the goalie for six or tackling the wicketkeeper... Whatever the suffering I would give my right arm to have been one of the buccaneering band of brothers who lived everyone’s else’s dream...twice over. It is only fair to remind ourselves that their lifestyles required dedication, self sacrifice, and the character to deal with public scrutiny, especially during a bad run of form. They possessed the fortitude to overcome setbacks, along with an unnatural ability to learn and execute highly difficult skills across sports with codes of conduct that were hardly in alignment. I almost feel sorry for them! NB Ted is scheduled to appear in a Q &A session at the Society in March 2020 - a great opportunity to hear a lot more about a fascinating sporting career. Andy Pack Ted with Jim Cumbes at Villa Park