Arnie Sidebottom
Encyclopedia
Arnold "Arnie" Sidebottom (born 1 April 1954, Shawlands
, Barnsley
, Yorkshire
, England
) is an English
former footballer and cricket
er, who played cricket for Yorkshire
and played one Test match
for England.
. He joined Manchester United
as an amateur in January 1971, and turned professional in 1972. Although he was quite effective in the air, he was only an average footballer, and this was highlighted during his time in place of the injured Jim Holton
during the 1974-75
season in the Second Division
. He did help United win the Second Division Championship in that season, but was soon transferred in January 1976 to Huddersfield Town
, after making 20 appearances and scoring no goals for United. He later played for Halifax Town
as well.
In 2007, he was voted in at Number 5 in The Times
poll of the "50 Worst footballers (to grace the top division)."
led by Graham Gooch
in 1982, which also earned him a three-year Test ban. He also played for Orange Free State. After the ban ended, he was a surprise call up for the Trent Bridge
Test in 1985 against Australia, where he took 1 for 65 before limping off injured. His only wicket was that of Bob Holland
. Sidebottom himself admitted that his Test selection came when he was past his prime.
He continued playing for Yorkshire until 1991, and then went into coaching. He finally left Yorkshire in 2003.
His son, Ryan Sidebottom
, is a left-arm fast bowler who has played cricket for both Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire
, and has also represented England - in both Tests and One Day Internationals. He retired from international cricket in September 2010.
Arnie Sidebottom now coaches football and cricket to pupils at Woodhouse Grove School
, West Yorkshire
. He also coaches cricket to young cricketers at Thongsbridge Cricket Club.
Shawlands
Shawlands is a district of Glasgow, Scotland located less than 2 miles south of the River Clyde. The area has an approximate population of 8000 people, with over 82% dwelling in flats, 74% owner occupied and 79% living alone or with one other person...
, Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former footballer and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played cricket for Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
and played one Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England.
Football
Sidebottom started off as a professional footballer, playing as a central defenderDefender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He joined Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
as an amateur in January 1971, and turned professional in 1972. Although he was quite effective in the air, he was only an average footballer, and this was highlighted during his time in place of the injured Jim Holton
Jim Holton
James Alan "Jim" Holton was a Scottish football player.Born in Lesmahagow, South Lanarkshire, Holton began his playing career with West Bromwich Albion in 1968, but left three years later without having played a first-team game. He spent a season at Shrewsbury Town before making the big move to...
during the 1974-75
1974-75 in English football
The 1974–75 season was the 95th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Dave Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Manchester City, Sheffield United and...
season in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. He did help United win the Second Division Championship in that season, but was soon transferred in January 1976 to Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, after making 20 appearances and scoring no goals for United. He later played for Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
as well.
In 2007, he was voted in at Number 5 in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
poll of the "50 Worst footballers (to grace the top division)."
Cricket
Sidebottom switched to a cricketing career, and first played for Yorkshire in 1973, but did not win his county cap till 1980. Test match cricket seemed to have passed him by when he went to South Africa as part of the rebel tourSouth African rebel tours
The South African rebel tours were a series of seven cricket tours staged between 1982 and 1990. They were known as the rebel tours because South Africa was throughout this period banned from international cricket due to the apartheid regime...
led by Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Alan Gooch OBE DL is a former cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation, and through a career spanning from 1973 until 2000, he became the most prolific run scorer of all time with 67,057 runs...
in 1982, which also earned him a three-year Test ban. He also played for Orange Free State. After the ban ended, he was a surprise call up for the Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
Test in 1985 against Australia, where he took 1 for 65 before limping off injured. His only wicket was that of Bob Holland
Bob Holland
Robert George Holland is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer. He was, for obvious reasons, nicknamed "Dutchy".-Domestic career:...
. Sidebottom himself admitted that his Test selection came when he was past his prime.
He continued playing for Yorkshire until 1991, and then went into coaching. He finally left Yorkshire in 2003.
His son, Ryan Sidebottom
Ryan Sidebottom
Ryan Jay Sidebottom is an English cricketer who plays domestic cricket for Yorkshire. He is a primarily a left-arm fast-medium bowler. Sidebottom played his first Test match in 2001 against Pakistan, but failed to take a wicket and was dropped for six years...
, is a left-arm fast bowler who has played cricket for both Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, and has also represented England - in both Tests and One Day Internationals. He retired from international cricket in September 2010.
Arnie Sidebottom now coaches football and cricket to pupils at Woodhouse Grove School
Woodhouse Grove School
Woodhouse Grove School is an independent, coeducational, day and boarding public school and Sixth Form college in Apperley Bridge, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England for children aged between 11 and 18...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. He also coaches cricket to young cricketers at Thongsbridge Cricket Club.