A Geordie All-Rounder: 1 - Introduction
Today we begin the serialisation of the autobiography of first-class all-round South Shields sportsman Malcolm Scott.
Malcolm played county cricket and first class football.
Here's an introduction to his book A Geordie All-Rounder by his old friend Robert Owen who assisted in the writing.
Watch out for further episodes on forthcoming Wednesdays.
Robert writes:
I first met Malcolm in May 1951 when we both played cricket for South Shields third team. During the coming months we became good friends and played cricket, football, tennis, badminton, bowls and mini-golf together. Malcolm always won and it didn't take me long to recognise he had a natural sporting ability. He went on to much greater things and I followed his varied career with interest. It now gives me much pleasure to assist him with his long overdue autobiography.
Malcolm provided the framework for this book from many memories of his family, school, work, National Service and sporting career. The other main resource was a 350 page scrapbook started by his father when his son began to show sporting promise. This includes a collection of over 1,000 photographs, newspaper cuttings, programmes, scorecards and correspondence pertaining to Malcolm's career.
The book takes the reader from his evacuation during the 1939-45 war, via education at Mortimer Road school, an engineering apprenticeship at Readhead's Shipyard and National Service in the R.A.K, to his full and, at times, conflicting life as a professional footballer and cricketer. It concludes with details of his experiences after a sporting career, reminiscences and reunions and comparisons of then and now.
I hope this book brings back memories, somewhat belatedly, of an unsung South Shields sportsman and provides a contribution to the sporting history of Tyneside. My only regret is that I didn't talk Malcolm into 'putting pen to paper' many years ago when his parents and many others would have enjoyed the benefits of his efforts.
To succeed in one sport is impressive. To succeed in two is exceptional. Read on and judge for yourself....
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To be continued next week.
