Multi Sport Professionals.

[Plastic Yank]

We were discussing sportsmen and women the other night and came across thew topic of those that have excelled at sports - in the modern age - other than the one they are known for.

Ian Botham sprang to mind. He played professionally for Scunny, didn't he?

Isn't Gary Neville in the second XI at Lancashire or something?

Anyone else have any names?

[Bostons Arab Buyer]

Matt O'Halloran - Plays for Lincoln United at football and captains Nettleham in the ECB Premier Division at cricket

Not a big name star but still multi talented

[Fairfax]

Dennis Compton - Middlesex and Arsenal
Arnie Sidebottom - Yorkshire and Manchester United
Rebecca Romero - Rowing and cycling
John Surtees - Motor Cycling and Motor Racing (World champion in both)
Mike Hailwood - Motor Cycling and Motor Racing (World champion motor cyclist).

[Pilgrim86]

Daley Thompson - Olympic decathlete and played for a few non-league clubs

Numerous players have done both rugby codes too..

[Swineshead Pilgrim]

not technically a professional but i saw michael schumacher play football once (alongside colonel gaddafi's son) and he was pretty damn good!

[dubai camel]

Michael Schumacher once played in one of my tournaments - to help him get fit, in the close season, he played for three different teams on the same night!
Was very handy it has to be said, but with a multi-million pound contract with Ferrari he wasn't much into 'tackling back' it has to be said 

[Keynsham Pilgrim]

The Neville brothers (especially Phil) were supposed to be very handy at cricket with Phil representing England at schoolboy levwel i believe

[PilgrimSam]

If you class it as a sport, Rio Ferdinand was with a top ballet school

[Bostonshire]

Green was a dab hand at that spot the ball card game.

[Wembley 85]

For the greatest of all time, I offer C.B Fry - see attached.

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/England-History/CBFry.htm

[Martyn Bishop]

How about Max Woosnam (1920s and '30s)? Manchester City captain, England football captain, five times Cambridge Blue, Wimbledon doubles champion, Davis Cup captain, Olympic tennis gold medallist, Lord's centurian, scratch golfer, maximum break at snooker. He also served in the trenches throughout the 1st World War, AND beat Charlie Chaplin at table tennis using only a butter knife!
(I only know all this as I've recently been given his biography.)

[Finchley Tiger]

The South African batsman, AB deVilliers, is a very talented multi sportsman. I believe he could have been a professional rugby player (scrum half), heard the other day he is a scratch golfer as well as being a talented tennis and hockey player.

England bowler Ajmal Shahzad is also a very talented badminton player. Until the age of 18 he was playing for England at badminton.

[truffleshuffle]

Double international Willie Watson represented England as a footballer and a cricketeer in the 50's

[Rocking Rev]

Ron Tindall played for Chelsea at football and Surrey at cricket.

[chris b]

Here's a few more:

Chris Balderstone - only person to have played league football and first class cricket on the same day.

Andy Gorman played cricket for Scotland as well as keeping goal.

Dirk Nannes - Australian cricketer and skiier.

Curtis Woodhouse - football/boxing.

Phil Neville is the cricketer I think

Simen Agdestein - Norwegian football international and chess grandmaster.