Willie Watson played Test Cricket and World Cup Football too
by A.C. de Silva
The only man so far to play World Cup Football and Test Cricket for
England is Willie Watson, Watson was born on 7th March 1920 at Bolton in
Yorkshire.
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Willie Watson – the left-hand batsman played big-time
football too. |
He played for England against Ireland at Football on 16th November in
1949 and then played Cricket against South Africa at Tent Bridge,
Nottinghamshire on June 1951.
Born on March 7th 1920 at Bolton in Yorkshire, Willie Watson is the
only man to have played in a World Cup soccer match for England and also
Test Cricket for England.
A left-handed batsman, he made his debut for Yorkshire on 22nd July
1939 against Nottinghamshire at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, only to have
his career interrupted by the Second World War. He resumed his career
when peace was proclaimed.
Made 223 appearances in League Football
Watson made 223 League appearances for Sunderland in seven seasons of
football at Roker Park. He made his first international football debut
(one of four appearances for his country) in the first World Cup
qualifying home match played by England, a 9-2 victory over Ireland.
However, he did not appear in any matches played during the final
stages of the World Cup in Brazil in 1950.
The following year - that's 1951 he made his Test cricket debut
against South Africa, the first of 23 appearances. He scored 109 runs
over almost six hours in the second cricket Test in 1953 at Lord's
against the Australians when the match appeared all but lost.
Not picked forOval Test
He was not picked for The Oval Test when the Ashes were regained
after 19 years. In 1954 he was named as one of Wisden's five Cricketers
of the Year. That particular year he became manager of Halifax Town, a
position he held until 1956. In 1958 he left his native country and
gained Leicestershire CCC as Assistant Secretary and Captain.
He retired in 1962, though he made nine appearances in 1963 and 1964.
That was the year he undertook a second spell as manager at Shay Ground
which lasted two years. From 1966 until 1968 he was manager of Bradford
City. He died on April 23rd in 2004.
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