Ian Botham

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Ian Botham bigraphy, stories - Professional cricketer

Ian Botham : biography

24 November 1955 –

Sir Ian Terence Botham, OBE (born 24 November 1955) is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy". While a controversial player both on and off the field at times, Botham also held a number of Test cricket records, and still holds the record for the highest number of wickets taken by an England bowler.

He is generally regarded as being England’s greatest ever all-rounder, particularly in Test cricket, although having earned celebrity status, his award of a knighthood was in recognition of his services to charity.http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/archive/2004/08/06/The+North+East+Archive/6982046.Bothams_rocked_by_jewellery_break_in/

Just like fellow cricketers Denis Compton, Jim Cumbes and Arnold Sidebottom, Botham was also a talented footballer, and made 11 appearances in the Football League.

On 8 August 2009, Botham was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Honours

  • 2010 Botham was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Lincoln.
  • 2008 Botham was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Sports Science by Leeds Metropolitan University.
  • 2008 Botham was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Bath.
  • 2007 In the Queen’s Birthday Honours Botham was appointed as a Knight Bachelor "in recognition of his cricket achievements and his sustained efforts in raising money for Leukaemia research (see above). Botham was invested by HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace on 10 October 2007
  • 2004 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • 2003 First ever President of Leukaemia Research, the UK’s leading blood cancer charity.
  • 1992 Botham was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to cricket and for his charity work in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
  • 1988 Awarded Pipe Smoker of the Year
  • 1981 Voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
  • 1978 Elected one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year.

Early life

Botham was born in Heswall on the Wirral, to Herbert Leslie Botham (who worked for Westland) and Violet Marie, née Collett (a nurse). Both his parents played cricket. He went to Milford Junior School in Yeovil, Somerset, where his "love affair" with sport began, and played for Somerset Under-15s. He left Bucklers Mead Comprehensive School at the age of 15, intent on playing cricket for the Somerset County Cricket Club, although he also had an offer to play football for Crystal Palace F.C. From an early age he was always single-minded. When informed that Botham wanted to be a sportsman, the Careers Mistress at his school said to him, "Fine, everyone wants to play sport, but what are you really going to do?" (interviewed BBC Radio 4’s Fiona Glover, 20 November 2010, Saturday Live).

Football career

A talented footballer as well as cricketer, Botham had to choose very early in his career whether to play professional football or cricket. At one point during his career, in an effort to get fit after an injury, in March 1980 he joined the football club Scunthorpe United, where he played as a centre half and made 11 appearances in the Football League.

Botham also had a spell at Yeovil Town. Whilst with Yeovil, Botham made an appearance for the Football Association XI (a representative side for non-league footballers) against the Northern Football League at Croft Park during the 1984-85 season.Tony Williams, Official Football Association Non-League Directory 1986, Newnes Books, 1985, pp. 28-29

Personal life

In 1976, in the Borough of Doncaster, Botham married Kathryn Waller (Kathy, now Lady Botham) whom he first met in June 1974. After their marriage, they lived until the late 1980s in Epworth, near Scunthorpe. They have two daughters Becky (born November 1985) and Sarah, and a son Liam (born August 1977). Sarah works for Sky as a production assistant, and Liam was a professional cricketer and rugby player, before becoming a commentator for Sky Sports. Sir Ian and Kathy, their son and daughter-in-law (and their three children) all live in Ravensworth in North Yorkshire. Botham is an enthusiastic football fan and supports Sunderland,"Botham Trains", The Times, 27 September 1988 Chelsea and Rangers. Botham is also a supporter of the Conservative Party. He is also a vice president at Scunthorpe United Football Club.http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=celebrity-x-factor&method=full&objectid=22143891&siteid=93463-name_page.html Vivian Richards is godfather to Liam.. Daily Mirror Newspaper (UK). Published 07 March 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.. Article: Clive Gammon. Published 27 October 1986. Retrieved 19 June 2013.