Soccer players who were more than a player.

Former Belfast Celtic goalkeeper Oscar Traynor went on to become the Irish Minister of Defense during World War II.

 

Looking at this from the other way around, people who are famous for something else, but also played professional football.

David Icke:- One time BBC commentator, now a visionary/Christ re-born/ lizard hater etc, started off as Coventry City’s goalkeeper, arthritis finished his career early.

Julio Iglesias:- The singer, or Enrique’s dad these days, was once third choice keeper for Real Madrid, an injury cut short his footballing career.

The old Pope:- He was a goalkeeper, although I don’t think he ever played professionally.

The Compton Brothers:- Dennis & Leslie played for Middlesex County Cricket Club in the summer, and Arsenal in the winter. Dennis was the superstar, but Leslie was a better footballer, I think getting a full England cap (Dennis played for England during wartime) I don’t think Leslie played cricket for England, but Dennis brought joy to post-war England. A batsman of huge skill, with a great eye, he played for fun, sometimes improvising the most outrageous shots. In 1947 he scored the most runs and centuries ever in a single season, in 1953 he scored the winning runs at a packed Oval, as a nation yearned for the Ashes, after nearly 20 years:- the only period longer than the 87-05 period just ended. Stories about him are legion:- he ran his brother out with a bad call during Leslies benefit match! He would be fast asleep in the pavilion, someone would wake him when he had to go in, he would pick up any old bat he could find nearby, and then hit a brilliant century.

Ian Botham:- Not really possible anymore for a player to play both sports, but as late as the 1980’s Ian Botham had a season at Scunthorpe.

Vinnie Jones:- has carved out a decent acting career for himself, and Eric Cantona was in Elizabeth (as was me brother-in-law)

Would it be unfair to suggest Frank Lampard Snr is now famous only as Frank Lampard Jnr’s father?

 

Iain Dowie is a rocket scientist.

i.e. he has a degree in aeronautical engineering (IIRC - some type of engineering anyway).

 

Marius Lacatus, Steaua Bucharest ex-footballer. He's a legend.. and now is the president of the club.

Gica Popescu, one of the best Romanian footballers ever, used to be a football agent, and recently just lost the elections for the Romanian Football Federation President, winning over 100 votes. He's also got a football school.

George Weah... nearly won the election for the Lyberian president.

 

Yep, there's quite a few people who played cricket and football to a high standard the Compton brothers are probaly the most famous mentioned as both played for top-level cricket and football clubs, both played for England in football and Dennis played cricket for England too. Gary Lineker wasn't mentioned above, but he is another example playing cricket for Leicestershire

One of the most remarkable footballer/cricketeer is C B Fry who as footballer played in the 1902 FA cup final and also played for England and was amongst the best of his day. In Cricket he is regarded as one of the greatest cricketeers of all time with an astouding record for Sussex and England (which he captained). Football and cricket were by no means the limit of his sporting abilties as he played Rugby Union too for a top club and was probably good enough to represent England in this sport too and he was also the world record holder in the long jump for a couple of years. Outside of football he was a diplomat and poltician standing unsuccesfully for parliament in England and represneting India at the League of Nations.

 

Juan Manuel Bazurco who played for Barcelona de Guayaquil(Ecuador)in the early 70's,he was a priest and made history in a Libertadores match between Barcelona of Ecuador vs Estudiantes de Argentina.He scored the winning gol against the almighty Estudiantes in Argentina taking away thier undefeated record at home.
NOTE. "El Padre" Bazurco was from Spain but lived in Guayaquil for many years due to his first job has a priest.

 

Good stuff, I was aware that Lineker was a good cricketer (a wicketkeeper/batsman, I believe), but are you sure he actually played for Leicesterdshire?

Some sources suggest that Fry's record stood for 21 years, although it seems it was probably 18 months.. It is also stated that he was offered the Kingship of Albania, although various people, including Neville Cardus, say that was a joke. He captained England during the famous "Trianglular Tournament" of 1912, and worte an excellent autobiography called "Life Worth Living".

 

Again looking the other way around:


Alain Prost had to choose between pro soccer and formula 1.
Belgian cycler Axel Merckx (son of Eddy) used to play in the youth division of Anderlecht.
I believe Tyler Hamilton could've become a professional skier, but it could very well be someone else.
In other sports the most famous example would be Michael Jordan, who converted from basketbal to baseball and back.

 

When you don't know the first thing about cricket, that sounds very funny. Is leicesterdshire a big club, then?

 

You have major counties and minor counties, Leicestershire is a major county which means it's among the 18 elite county cricket clubs.

I've done a bit of checking, I'm not sure if Lineker ever actually played for Leicestershire - it appears he was offered a place there, but then Leicester City FC offered him a place which took.

 

Article on de Zeeuw:

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/11-19-2005-81848.asp

 

it's more this way- george was financier, scout, coach, promoter, etc... he was the liberian FA. he sometimes paid the players salaries out of his own pocket and managed to get some players deals in europe.

still can't believe charles taylor tried to kill him.

 

Mike Fisher - a great player for UVA. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Mutiny but I guess at the time MLS had only been around for 1 year and he figured being a doctor was much more lucrative. I don't recall if he was involved in any youth National team programs. Perhaps it was a case of a very good college player with a game that wouldn't have translated well to the pros. I wonder what Arena thought of his choice? He was already with DCU at this time but coached Fisher for I think 3 years.

 

Neil Webb - does anyone remember him? ex-Man U & Nottingham Forest legend.



He is now a postman in Reading.... http://www.thebubbleburst.co.uk/bb.php?entry=Neil Webb

"Neil now works as a postman in Reading, working 10 hour shifts and getting paid 220 pounds a week."

... seriously.... I think he left the game right before top flight star players became instant millionaires and is now delivering mail for a living instead.

Also, apparently Jose Mourinho "used to" be a conspiracy theorist.

 

Cool. I had no idea about that.

 

According to this the fighter ace Hermann Graf, a goal keeper, looked after Walter:

"In 1943, Graf intervened to save all the best German soccer players from the horrors of frontline service, and had them transferred to his JG 50 in Germany--under the pretext that they were "badly needed technical experts""

http://www.graf-grislawski.elknet.pl/walter.htm

 

There was a good story in the paper today about Max Woosnam.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=17475590&method=full&siteid=94762-name_page.html

The best part is about how he beat Charlie Chaplin at table tennis using a butter knife before throwing him into a swimming pool.