Please click here to leave a message.
The Ulster Cricketer reserves the right not to publish submissions written under pseudonyms or which make gratuitous personal attacks.
Another few pieces of info on Woodvale players in relation to their participation in the NCU Challenge cup and their other sporting achievements.
Sammy Walker who was vice captain in the 1933 side was also the 1938 British Lions captain.
Sammy Smyth, wicket keeper of the 1952 side and a Northern Ireland International footballer scored for
Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1949 FA Cup final when they defeated Leicester City 3-1 .
Biilly McCleery Captain in the 1948 and 1950 had cup final success for three different clubs. Lisburn 1929 Ulster
1930 and Woodvale 1933, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1948, 1949 and 1950. He also played for Northern Ireland and
Linfield at football winning 9 caps between 1930 and 1933.
George Millar a 1952 Senior Cup winner won an Irish Cup Winners medal with Dundela when they defeated hot
favourites Glenavon 3-0 in 1955.
The Reverend RG Craig who played in the 1940s and 1950s Cup winning sides was also an Irish Rugby International.
Jackie Smyth a former club captain broke his arm taking a difficult catch in the 1952 final. As a sixteen year old
he had been sub-fielding for his brother Sammy who had been called back for pre season training with Wolves.
Aaron Kerr Cregagh - Wolves, Walsall, Tonbridge Angels!!, Ards, Ballymena, Crusaders, Northern Ireland Under 21s.
Colin Coates Cregagh - Crusaders and Norn Iron!
R Cooper Cregagh - Belfast Celtic
Stevie Max , Mike Dillon did play for both Spurs and played for NEW YORK COSMOS along with the great GEORGE BEST and played for both Dundrum firsts and seconds as me and him shared last wicket stand 34 to win a game and his words after hitting the winning runs was it was as exciting as anything he done in sport personally i told him he was crazy , Mike has a shop in Newmarket and is fit and doing well . ps the player that is confusing you was kiwi Brent Condon who done the HAKA in changing room in Templepatrick that scared living daylights out have our very young side that ill never forget .
David Armstrong Cooke CC,Cliftonville FC,Crusaders,Glenavon & Ballyclare Comrades
Re Mike Dillon
I remember playing alongside Mike Dillon but I'm 99% sure its not the same one. The Mike Dillon in Dundrum had, I think, a Kiwi accent!
Well done Andrew White 199 caps for Ireland!!It has been my privilege to watch Andrew develop from a young 16 year old coming into the North Down team to where he is today. At 16 I rated
Peter Shields, Ryan Haire and Alan O'Prey as better prospects but look who deservedly has the caps.
An accomplished cricketer and a wonder
ful young man! Well done Whitey!!
Bryan . yes Mike Dillon played quite few games for us great bloke . Robert Strain played for Drumaness
Carson
If you look at Dennis Tunnah's 'memories' piece on the Woodvale site you will see a picture of Jackie Milburn at Ballygomartin Road. There are also a couple of paper clippings under Pete Uprichard's memories.
http://www.woodvalecricketclub.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=300:woodvale-memories-denis-tunnah&catid=84:memories&Itemid=148
Still outside NCU but closer to home would be Noel Cantwell (Man Utd), Ireland and RoI.
I remember Dundrum registering former Tottenham centreback Mike Dillon a few years ago. Did he play?
Robert Strain (Glentoran)and Dundrum?
Ray Mowat - Ards FC and CC?
Outside of the NCU on of the most famous football/cricket internationals must surely have been Andy "the Goalie" Goram. As well as playing for Man Utd he was a Rangers legend AND an international cricketer with Scotland. I thought about "signing" him for Muckamore one time just to do a "Jackie Milburn plays for Woodvale" trick.
I don't think anyone has mentioned Dennis Guy. A goalscoring legend for Glenavon and an excellent cricketer for both Lurgan and Laurelvale.
Michael,
Big Ray could make a few of my Fantasy teams but not the football one! As we all know he's a legend even if his sporting exploits have been embellished out of all recognition. But was there ever a better story teller?
Carson,
You are spot on! Woodvale had a number of outstanding footballers including Sammy Smyth, Billy McCleery and of course Jackie Milburn. He was a huge crowd puller and obviously picked for that reason. Our football team will be strong as there were a number of good Irish League players in the 'thirties and I'm surprised they haven't been highlighted by the club historians, especially Cliftonville.
Whilst we're on the topic of soccer-playing cricketers, did the legendary Jackie Milburn play a handful of matches for Woodvale ? This would have been around 1957-58 when he was player-manager of Linfield.
Maybe I'm at the stage in life when the memory starts to play tricks, but I seem to have a vague recollection of the Ireland's Saturday Night reporting on a huge attendance at Ballygomartin Road to watch his Woodvale debut.
Hopefully some of the Woodvale guys will be able to confirm if this did actually happen. If it did, then does it not make Jackie Milburn the most famous soccer player ever to play NCU cricket?
Big Raymond Moreland made a few appearances for the Mighty Ards RFC 5th's as far as I'm aware! Surprised he didn't make your team Clarence!
