Arthur Milton, the last man to represent England in both football and cricket, has died at the age of 79, at his home in Bristol on 25 April 2007, shortly after suffering a heart attack.
Born and raised in the West Countr in Bedminster, Arthur Milton was a stylish batsman who made his debut for Gloucestershire in 1948 and remained an ever-present member of the side until retiring at the age of 46 at the end of 1974. He was naturally gifted at almost any ball game. A fleet-footed winger, he went on to play for Arsenal, while also enjoying golf and tennis. He even had a reputation for betting on the dogs more successfully than many of his teammates. Even though he was extremely talented in Math, he decided to become an athlete instead of continuing his education.
Blond and slight in build, Milton belonged to a rare breed — the double cricket and football international. His only appearance for England in football came in a 2-2 draw against Austria in 1952.
In his first Test match, against New Zealand at Headingley in 1958, Milton — opening the innings while wearing a rugby cap alongside Mike Smith — scored 104 not out. In 1953, Milton was 12th man against Australia. Thus, he was chosen again as 12th man for a 1955 match against South Africa, but an injury stopped him from playing. He played six Tests for England between 1958 and 1959 scored 204 runs at a batting average of 25.50.
As a great sportsman, Arthur Milton went on to play county cricket in 620 matches over 26 years, until he retired in 1974. He was happier batting for Gloucestershire, which he continued to do until he was in his mid-forties. He finished his career with more than 32,000 runs, 760 catches and 56 centuries, 156 half centuries, 79 wickets, in first-class cricket, most of them for Gloucestershire. Colin Bateman, famous cricketer writer, described Arthur Milton as a, “stylish, relaxed and run-maker”. After retiring from cricket, Arthur Milton became a postman in Bristol, where he was a huge fan of greyhound racing. He also played different sports, including golf, off a handicap of four, and snooker and billiards.
