has died. 84 years old, so not unsurprising.
I don’t suppose any of us who saw him standing up to the West Indies bowlers in 1976 ( age 45) will ever forget it. Nor entirely ever be happy with more recent histrionics, feigning injury and the like.
Brian Close…
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Looking at it today – with the scare from Eoin Morgan’s hit echoing Philip Hughes it’s inconceivable to be facing that without helmet.
My feeling at the time though was that the best we could do was take it or grind it out (see also David Steele) as opposed to counterattack with flare.
I read Ian Botham’s autobiography and his love for Brian Close will give you a new definition for the phrase “man crush”
Go to google images and search for “Brian Close West Indies” some of the photos are incredible. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
No helmet for sure. Nor thigh pad, forearm protector, chest etc etc.
Close was, of course also renowned for close fielding with similar results.
A classic remnant of a past era. Having said that, I thought he died years ago.
Sitting outside our local one summer evening a few years ago, a minibus pulled up. A load of New York firemen and Mr and Mrs Close got out, having apparently been to some charity golf do. Chatting to a couple of the firemen, it was clear that they had no idea who it was, but were impressed when he played his shots alternately left and right handed (he was a single handicap golfer both ways) and noticed the high regard he was held in wherever they went. We gave them a brief run down on his glittering multi disciplinary sporting career.
Plenty people wanted to buy him a drink. Many a time we heard him say ” I’ll have a whisky. Tell you what, make it a large one!”
A great Yorkshireman and all round hard bastard, it could be said that his career was marred somewhat by brushes with officialdom.
Tremendous sportsman. Hard as bloody nails as he showed many times. Some great anecdotes in Beefy’s book. Clear that he hero-worshipped him while also acknowledging that he was totally mad, as when he proclaimed to the dressing room that he could take on Ali and beat him, despite Close being in his 40s and several stone lighter.
You can only admire his physical and mental toughness in fronting up the the West Indies attack. There’s a great photo of him afterward in the dressing room, stripped to the waist. His chest is covered in bruises. He suits there, smiling, smoking a tab. They don’t make them like Closey anymore.
A few more achers for Yorkshire.
I think Eric Morecambe joked that ‘you know the cricket season has started, when you hear the sound of leather on Brian Close’.
Doubt if we’ll ever see another career spanning as many years in first class and international cricket
That’s one of my earliest memories of international cricket. What on earth possessed him to take on that attack when he was 45. Even more remarkable when you think he made his England debut in 1949.
Apparently, during that series, Close was being peppered with bouncers and Viv Richards, who played in Close’s Somerset team, was getting quite concerned for his safety. Viv called from the slips ‘Are you alright Closey’. Close turned round, told him to fuck off and got ready for the next delivery.
As others have said, the like of which we probably won’t see again.
So to summarise his lifetime achievements he;
Played football for Arsenal and Leeds
Scored almost 35,000 first class runs
Took nearly 1200 first class wickets
Was a single handicap golfer both left and right
He was certainly at the right end of the line when sporting talent was being handed out! What a man. I can see why Botham was so in awe of him. Watching the videos of him facing up to Holding in 76 is truly terrifying. What bravery
One thing I was surprised at was that he made his debut in 1949 and played his last test in 1976. 27 years apart and yet he only played 22 tests. I know there was less test cricket played back then but what was the reason for him playing so few tests?
No tribute yet from that other cricketing Yorkshireman – quelle surprise
Close once picked Boycs up and hung him on a coat hook, for some reason
Is a reason needed? Saves time later. . .
Any hero of Bothams is a hero of mine. Great that he lived to see Yorkshire at the very top and the likes of Root, Rashid and Bairstow flying the Yorkshire flag for England. Must look out for what Holding, Roberts and co have said today I’m sure the word “respect” appears somewhere in its most heartfelt and truest sense