Arnold "Arnie" Sidebottom (born 1 April 1954)[1] is an English former footballer and cricketer, who played cricket for Yorkshire and played one Test match for England.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1954-04-01) 1 April 1954 (age 68) | ||
| Place of birth | Shawlands, Barnsley, England | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1972–1975 | Manchester United | 16 | (0) |
| 1975–1978 | Huddersfield Town | 61 | (5) |
| 1978–1979 | Halifax Town | 21 | (2) |
| Total | 98 | (7) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Arnold Sidebottom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1954-04-01) 1 April 1954 (age 68) Shawlands, Barnsley, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | RJ Sidebottom (son) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Only Test (cap 512) | 11 July 1985 v Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1991 | Yorkshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1984 | Orange Free State | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: CricketArchive, 16 April 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sidebottom was born in Shawlands, Barnsley, Yorkshire, and started off as a professional footballer, playing as a central defender. He joined Manchester United as an amateur in January 1971, and turned professional in 1972. He replaced the injured Jim Holton during the 1974–75 season in the Second Division.[3] He helped United win the Second Division Championship in that season, but was transferred in January 1976 to Huddersfield Town, after making twenty appearances for United.[4] 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)".[5]
Sidebottom also had a cricketing career, and first played for Yorkshire in 1973, but did not win his county cap till 1980. The county's fortunes on the field were adversely affected during his career by in-fighting and by its own regulations, which prevented the fielding of players born from outside of the county; the county only obtained its first overseas-born player (Sachin Tendulkar) as Sidebottom's career was coming to an end. A rare highlight came in 1987 when the county won the limited-over Benson and Hedges Cup, Sidebottom being at the wicket in the final as the win was secured.[6]
Test match cricket seemed to have passed him by when he went to South Africa as part of the rebel tour led by Graham Gooch in 1982, which also earned him a three-year Test ban.[1] 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.[7]
He continued playing for Yorkshire until 1991, and then went into coaching. He finally left Yorkshire in 2003.
Arnie Sidebottom now coaches football and cricket to pupils at Woodhouse Grove School, West Yorkshire. He also coaches young cricketers at Thongsbridge Cricket Club and the Ryan Sidebottom Cricket Academy.[8]
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 and domestic cricket in 2017.[9]