Ducat Andy Image 8 Arsenal 1905

Description

Brixton, London born right half Andy Ducat was a remarkable sportsman and one of only 12 men to represent England at both football and cricket. His football career started as an amateur with Westcliff Athletic in 1903 and at Southend Athletic (later United) in 1904, after which he joined First Division Woolwich Arsenal in February 1905 where he made his Football League debut against Blackburn Rovers days after signing, playing at centre forward, but by 1907 he had moved into the half back line where his career flourished. He played for Arsenal for seven  years winning the first of his 6 England caps, awarded either side of the First World War, in a 1-1 draw against Ireland at The Solitude, Belfast in February 1910 (he had been selected for the England squad for the same fixture in 1908 without playing and was also a reserve for England games in 1911 and 1912). He played 2 further matches for England in 1910 scoring once against Wales, the only goal of the game.

Having made 188 appearances for Arsenal scoring 21 goals he transferred to Aston Villa for £1,500 in June 1912 but a broken leg kept him out of their 1913 FA Cup win and he only played four matches as Aston Villa also finished runners up in the League Championship. However after the First World War he captained Villa to their 1920 FA Cup Final triumph over Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge and won 3 further England caps that year between March and October, a decade after his previous appearances.

After scoring 4 goals in 87 matches either side of the War, he joined Second Division club Fulham for £2,000 in May 1921, and on retirement from Fulham after 69 games in May 1924 he continued as their manager for a further two seasons where he succeeded Phil Kelso, his former manager at Arsenal. After giving up the post as Fulham manager in May 1926, Ducat returned to amateur status and played for The Casuals.

He also played cricket for Surrey from 1906 to 1931 and and made 52 centuries for Surrey, including 306 not out in 280 minutes against Oxford University in 1919. He was also one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1920. Ducat played a single Test Match for England against Australia at Headingley in 1921, when he played alongside fellow double international Wally Hardinge, but he was unlucky to only make only 3 and 2. He was “doubly” out in the first innings: his bat disintegrated when he played a ball bowled by Ted McDonald, the ball looping to slip where it was caught, and part of the bat dislodging a bail. He was given out caught rather than hit wicket.

In 1928, he made 994 runs in less than six weeks, including centuries in four successive matches. His first class career batting average was a very creditable 38.3, and he played alongside the likes of Tom Hayward, Jack Hobbs and Ernest Hayes. He was the cricket coach of Queensland in 1929-30 and at Eton College from 1931 to 1936. He died of an apparent heart attack while playing cricket at Lord’s in 1942 aged 56, and remains the only person to have died while playing in a match at Lord’s.