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I don't think anyone has mentioned Dennis Guy. A goalscoring legend for Glenavon and an excellent cricketer for both Lurgan and Laurelvale.
Michael,
Big Ray could make a few of my Fantasy teams but not the football one! As we all know he's a legend even if his sporting exploits have been embellished out of all recognition. But was there ever a better story teller?
Carson,
You are spot on! Woodvale had a number of outstanding footballers including Sammy Smyth, Billy McCleery and of course Jackie Milburn. He was a huge crowd puller and obviously picked for that reason. Our football team will be strong as there were a number of good Irish League players in the 'thirties and I'm surprised they haven't been highlighted by the club historians, especially Cliftonville.
Whilst we're on the topic of soccer-playing cricketers, did the legendary Jackie Milburn play a handful of matches for Woodvale ? This would have been around 1957-58 when he was player-manager of Linfield.
Maybe I'm at the stage in life when the memory starts to play tricks, but I seem to have a vague recollection of the Ireland's Saturday Night reporting on a huge attendance at Ballygomartin Road to watch his Woodvale debut.
Hopefully some of the Woodvale guys will be able to confirm if this did actually happen. If it did, then does it not make Jackie Milburn the most famous soccer player ever to play NCU cricket?
Big Raymond Moreland made a few appearances for the Mighty Ards RFC 5th's as far as I'm aware! Surprised he didn't make your team Clarence!
One omission I can think off with the Rugby/cricket team, wasn't Adrian Semple a handy rugby player as well as having had a cap or two for Ireland at cricket ?
With the quality of some of the cricket/footballers being mentioned on here already, it's going to be very difficult to even make the bench on the Ulster cricketer select team !
Mention of Ossie Bailie brings back memories of Ballymena 1st XI during one season in the mid-60s.In several games the team included five current or former Irish League players,all of whom had been capped by N.Ireland at Amateur International level.
The five were:
Ossie Bailie (Belfast Celtic/Cliftonville)
Jimmy Small (Cliftonville/Ballymena)
Davy Cairns (Linfield/Ballymena)
Jackie Fullerton (Derry City/Ballymena/Crusaders)
Trevor Halliday (Glenavon)
Remarkably there could easily have been a sixth member of this unique group. Harry Millar had played centre-half for Glentoran and been capped at Amateur International level whilst still a teenager. He was also a promising 2nd XI cricketer who would almost certainly have played for this side, had he not emigrated to Canada the previous winter.
David Miskelly NDCC
Formerly Wolves I think but now Goalkeeper for Portadown in Irish League.
I played cricket with George Neill and Gary Smyth both mainly Glentoran in 90's when i played for Civil Service.
Of course cant forget Ryan Haire-Comber Rec thirds!!!!
Andy, Ossie also played for Cregagh was part of our 1947 league winning side
Continuing on with the theme. How about a list of overseas players both ncu and northwest past a present who went on to bigger and better things. Ab devilliers or Andre adams etc. Maybe listed in batting order for instance. We could maybe make a couple of good teams.
Gary Hamilton: Waringstown CC, Portadown, Glenavon,
Glentoran & N.Ireland
Robbie Dennison: Waringsown CC, Wolves & N.Ireland
David Dennison: Waringstown CC & N.Ireland
All three related (Robbie & David brothers, Gary nephew)
Yes indeed Andy in another life, I was that soldier!
But keep it under you're hat, I'll look like a right eejit after all the slagging I give the poor old much miligned footballers !
(Dan's probably in hiding after that poem I wrote about him)!!
Caleb - I didn't realsie that you are THAT C. Boomer who played for Moira Albion. And I thought that I didn't know any stars! In talking aboput all-round sportsmen don't forget Ossie Bailie who seems to have played every sport for everybody! Cricket for Ballymena & Muckamore, football for Belfast Celtic, Cliftonville, etc., tennis for Ballymena, bowls and golf. P.S. thought that Dan might have been on crowing about K.P.!
Ted Hinton [goalkeeper] who was capped for Northern Ireland seven times kept wicket for Shorts second eleven team in the early seventies.
Victoria PlayerS
Add Jackie's son Alec who played for Glenavon and maybe even in a team that beat Lnfield 6-1 in the Budweiser Cup Final. Also NCU umpire Reggie McNally who played for the Blues
