New biography released on Arthur Milton
Followers of cricket in The Parks, and supporters of OUCC, might well be interested in reading a newly released biography on Arthur Milton, former OUCC coach. Arthur was one of the most talented all-round sportsmen of the post-war generation and whilst discussing his life, the book details some golden years in The Parks.
“There’ll never be another” was a favourite expression of Arthur Milton’s - used sparingly but almost always replete with compliment and praise.
Mention Arthur’s name in the company of sports folk, and the immediate response is likely to be “Oh yes, the Gloucestershire cricketer and Arsenal winger, capped by England at both cricket and soccer – the last of the twelve who have done so.” And almost without pausing for breath, any who saw him play will go on to wax lyrical about how very talented he was – not only at cricket and soccer for he was a gifted golfer, snooker and table tennis player, who had captained his school at rugby (as well as cricket and soccer). He was a shrewd judge of fast greyhounds too!
Arthur was Coach to Oxford University CC in the years 1975 to 1978, an appointment encouraged by Colin Cowdrey. His seasons in The Parks were golden years for Arthur at the end of his professional careers – and they were golden years too for that generation of Oxford cricketers who came within his influence: Vic Marks, Chris Tavare, Imran Khan, Andrew Wingfield Digby, John Claughton Paul Fisher and David Fursdon among them.
Most named here were willing and generous contributors to a new biography of Arthur – “Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals” – in which one of the longest and most delightful chapters covers his time in The Parks, aided by warm and evocative memories of most named above.
What makes Arthur’s remarkable story even more remarkable is that, when he finished at Oxford, he became a postman in his home city of Bristol. This he declared to be a richly fulfilling part of his life, so-much-so that when Royal Mail regulations required him to retire at 60 he became a paper boy so that he could still be out and about in the early morning fresh air, enjoying all the seasons of the year and continuing to serve his customers, many of whom had become friends.
He was ‘capped’ once more, in 2002, when the University of Bristol awarded him an honorary MA to mark his unique and outstanding contribution to sport and his contribution to the community of Bristol – and the morning following his graduation ceremony he was again on his bike delivering newspapers to some of the University’s halls of residence.
There’ll never be another like him.
The book’s author Mike Vockins, was a long-time friend of Arthur’s and Secretary (Chief Executive) of Worcestershire County Cricket Club from 1971 to 2001. Of the book he says “Arthur phoned me one evening and told me he was writing a book. This was great news as I knew full well that many writers and publishers had endeavoured, for many years, to get him to tell his amazing story. Being, by nature, genuinely modest and unassuming he had always declined, feeling no-one would be interested. But now his age and the prompting of three sons had egged him on. Having explained this Arthur then floored me by saying: ‘Yes, but it will only get done if you help me’ – said in a way which seemed to brook no argument.
“We began working together in 2006 but, sadly, he died in the Spring of 2007, and so I have needed to call on the memories of his Gloucestershire friends and team-mates like Tom Graveney, Tony Brown, John Mortimore and David Allen, as well as former colleagues from his Arsenal and England days and, not least, those Oxford cricketers who so admired him and valued all that he had offered them. It has been an immense privilege to find a way to let Arthur tell his story of an outstanding sporting life.”
“Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals” is published by SportsBooks Ltd, and is available from all good bookshops, priced £18-99.
