Gone - but not forgotten

Posted by Tony Hutton

The recent spate of information generated by John Winn's tantalising quiz questions on the late Geoff Pullar's opening partners has perhaps almost run its course.

However a few more snippets have now been generated from various sources. Peter France, one of our regular followers, advised that he had played against the almost forgotten Gerald Knox in a Sykes Cup semi-final between Paddock and Holmfirth. Peter was on the winning side and Paddock went on to win the cup (team picture on the Paddock section of the cricket heritage website). Knox was professional for Holmfirth and perhaps the first of a long string of Lancashire players who turned out for them.
A little while earlier Peter, as a seventeen year old, played in goal for Huddersfield Town reserves against Bolton Wanderers. The opposition goalkeeper was yet another Lancastrian cricketer, Ken Grieves.

David Williams, a life long Manchester City supporter, adds more information on Jack Dyson, who apparently played his first game for City against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, then still a county cricket ground, in 1955. The result 1-1 and Dyson scored. David also states that you can't imagine any premier league footballers playing cricket these days. Most of them wouldn't know what it is.

Finally, another moment of self-indulgence. I found my scrapbook for the 1955-56 soccer season and a report I had written of the West Bromwich Albion game with Manchester City on 10.3.56. (I was blogging even then!). One extract reads as follows-

'Eight minutes before the end, came the goal of the match. The Lancashire cricketer Dyson got the ball on the edge of the penalty area with a packed defence in front of him. He picked his way round Brookes and Summers with very little room to manoeuvre and as Sanders ran out of goal, sent him the wrong way, walked round him and put the ball in the net. A brilliant piece of ball control.'

Gone, but certainly not forgotten.