'Outstanding' - Why Graham Gooch is backing Anthony McGrath to bring success back to Yorkshire CCC
GRAHAM GOOCH is backing Anthony McGrath to bring the good times back to Yorkshire and said that the club could not have a better man at the helm.
The Essex and England legend knows McGrath well from the Yorkshireman’s time as head coach at Chelmsford.
McGrath won two County Championships, a T20 Blast and a Bob Willis Trophy during his nine seasons with Essex before returning to Yorkshire last winter.
“I’m good friends with Anthony,” said Gooch, who was speaking ahead of his appearance at Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival on Saturday, where he will be telling stories from a life in the game.
“He worked down at Essex for around nine years and did a magnificent job.
“He first came as number two to Chris Silverwood, another Yorkshireman, of course, who’s now back with us at Essex, and Anthony was outstanding and much-loved by all the players.
“He was a very good coach, a very good man-manager, very knowledgeable and got the best out of people.
“I've got nothing but respect for Anthony as a person.
“I’m sure he’ll turn things round at Yorkshire. I mean, obviously you've got to produce the players. That goes without saying.
“You have to produce the players. If you do that, then I think there's a bright future for them with him in charge, without a doubt.”
Gooch, 72, played against McGrath towards the end of his career.
He had much respect for him as a player as well before McGrath made the move into coaching.
“He was a top player for Yorkshire,” said Gooch. “There’s no doubt about that.
“He’s Yorkshire through and through, and ingrained in Yorkshire cricket, so that’s a win-win in my book.
“I mean, I don’t think you can get a better guy, I really don’t.”
Gooch, who is now an ambassador at Essex, winning the Professional Cricketers’ Association Outstanding Contribution award earlier this month, came to York last season when Yorkshire achieved arguably their finest win under McGrath, a thumping 10-wicket triumph over Essex that was important in the battle to stay in Division One of the County Championship.
On that occasion, he took the opportunity to catch up with his old mucker Sir Geoffrey Boycott, his former opening partner for England.
“I came up to York for two days,” said Gooch. “Although I’m still an ambassador at Essex, I’m not now involved in the playing/coaching side, that sort of stuff.
“I still love Essex cricket, and I came up because Geoffrey was coming too. I’m good friends with him and we get on very well.”
Gooch, the leading run-scorer in cricket history, with 67,057 across the formats, said that he always enjoys coming to Yorkshire.
“We come up quite a bit,” he added. “We walk in the Dales quite a bit, so I like going there.”
His visit to Harrogate on Saturday comes on the weekend on which people will say their goodbyes to Dickie Bird, whose funeral takes place at St Mary’s Church, Barnsley, on Sunday afternoon.
Gooch played in many games umpired by Bird, who died peacefully last month at the age of 92, and had nothing but admiration for him.
“What a great man,” said Gooch, “a wonderful character.
“I mean, he was a top, top umpire, but I think the most important thing, you know, when you're in a position of authority like he was, is that you don’t have to be liked, but you have to be respected.
“But Dickie was both.
“He was liked as well as respected as an umpire. He held the respect of all the teams, not just the English team, but all the teams.”
Gooch went on: “He was such a great character, and all the things that would go on would generally happen to him.
"It all generally happened to Dickie on the field.
“You know, ‘88, I think it was, the leaking water pipe at the football ground end at Headingley, right where he was standing.
"I mean, it could only happen to him.
“He was a good umpire for a batter because, shall we say, you had to be convincingly in front of all three before Dickie would give you out.
“You get umpires who err on the side of not-out, and ones who err on the side of out, and I don't have a problem with that as long as they're consistent for both sides.
“He was a great man and will be sadly missed.”
Graham Gooch: A Life in Cricket, presented by Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, takes place on Saturday October 18 at 4pm at The Crown Hotel, Harrogate.
Tickets are available from harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or by calling the Box Office on 01423 562303.