Sir Garry Sobers once had a trial as a goalkeeper with Everton, as revealed by the Liverpool ECHO archives and a conversation with Liverpool legend David Fairclough
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 10: Sir Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time rings the five-minute bell before the 3rd cricket Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's Cricket ground in London on June 10, 2016. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)
The late Sir Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, rings the five-minute bell before the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's Cricket ground in London on June 10, 2016(Image: Philip Brown/Getty Images)
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Sir Garry Sobers, who passed away on Friday aged 89, achieved legendary status as perhaps the greatest cricketing all-rounder of all-time. But the man who achieved immortality with a cricket bat and ball, once revealed to Liverpool FC legend David Fairclough that he'd had a trial as a footballer - a goalkeeper specifically - at Everton Football Club.
"I got the chance to speak to the great man during a coaching visit we made to Barbados a few years ago," said Fairclough, whose own skills as a two-time European Cup winner and three-time title winner were very much with a football at his feet.
"During a break we were invited to Royal Westmorland Golf Club where I met him. He asked where I was from and what I did, and when I told him he revealed he'd once had a trial at Everton, as a goalkeeper!"
Sobers was not spinning a line.
An article, dated July 14, 1960, appeared in the Liverpool ECHO headlined: "Sobers to have trial at Goodison"
A short report ran: "Garfield Sobers, the 24-year-old Bradman of West Indian cricket, is anxious to try to establish himself as a League footballer - he is a goalkeeper - and will have a trial with Everton FC as soon as his cricket commitments permit.
"The Everton manager, Mr John Carey, said today: 'It would be nice to have a sportsman of his standing. We have told him that we shall give him every opportunity to establish himself. Our players report for training next Monday but, as I hear, Garfield is suffering from a pulled muscle and I doubt whether he will be able to join us then'.
"Sobers, one of the greatest bats in the game, has played some basketball and having tremendously fast reflexes may well find a niche in the goalkeeping position."
A cartoon a week later appeared, showing three boys playing football in the street, one quipping: "You can't no-ball our goalie for throwing."
Rather than "find a niche" as a goalkeeper Sobers was soon on a pedestal as a cricketer.
There is no further record of the results of the Everton trial, but Sobers told Fairclough the run-out definitely took place and that: "They obviously didn't think much of me!"
At the time Sobers was a professional playing at the Radcliffe Cricket Club in the Central Lancashire League.
He did play football at a competitive level in Barbados, primarily as a left-back, which made his decision to trial as a goalkeeper all the more curious. Although he once revealed that he came from a multi-sporting family who were all good at football, basketball, table tennis and tennis, and his own favourite sport was golf.
Which is where Fairclough comes back into the story.
"I was given the chance to play as Sobers' partner in a golf match while we were in Barbados," he added. "I turned it down! He was a very good player, I was crap and I was also a bit shy. I didn't think I was good enough to share a tee with him.
"That decision has haunted me ever since!"
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Former West Indies player Sir Garry Sobers (c) chats with Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee (l) as batsman Doug Walters (r) smokes a cigarette in the dressing room after a match circa 1979 in Australia. (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
Sir Garry Sobers (c) chats with Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee (l) as batsman Doug Walters (r) smokes a cigarette in the dressing room after a match circa 1979 in Australia(Image: Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
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Whether the decision not to enlist Sobers as a player haunted Everton is unrecorded. But two years later the club, then known as the Mersey Millionaires, broke the British transfer record for a goalkeeper when they signed Gordon West from Blackpool for £27,500.
The Blues, however, did have historical previous with cricketing excellence on the football pitch.
Only 12 men have represented England at both cricket and football, and two are Evertonians.
Jack Sharp, an Everton FA Cup winner in 1906, enjoyed the distinction of scoring the 100th century in Test match history when he hit 105 against Australia in the Fifth test of the 1909 Ashes series.
While Harry Makepeace, who also played in the FA Cup winning side of 1906 and was a league champion in 1915, played in four Tests for England in the 1920–21 Ashes series in Australia.
The world should perhaps be grateful that Sir Garfield Sobers never got the chance to join them.