2 Karl Power He has walked on to the Headingley turf padded up for England and flourishing his bat at a bemused crowd, appeared in a Manchester United team line-up before a game in Munich, lolloped with the England rugby union team on the pitch in Rome and played a game on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, as well as breaching security at the British Grand Prix to take his place on the podium.
Hard stunts to follow, but don’t be surprised if Power, 38, from Manchester, decides to grab the headlines again.
3 Joe Horn Only the truly cynical would suggest that American footballers are under-employed, but in December 2003, New Orleans Saints receiver Joe Horn did find the time to telephone mom during a televised game against the New York Giants. He had scored his second touchdown of the evening, and, to celebrate, teammate Michael Lewis produced a mobile phone that had been strapped to the goalpost. As a confused nation watched, Mrs Horn got a call. “I had told my kids to be at home watching the game, and I told my momma if I scored a second touchdown, I’d get my cellphone out.” Horn’s team was handed a 15-yard penalty, the Saints won 45-7, he was fined $30,000 and Lewis $5,000. Expensive, some of those tariffs.
4 Rodney Marsh A less worldly, less cheeky chappie than Sir Alf Ramsey it would be hard to imagine this side of Gordon Brown. During one of his notoriously straight-faced team talks, Ramsey told Rodney Marsh that if the mercurial forward’s workrate was not up to scratch, the Clown Prince (see also Len Shackleton) would be “pulled off” at half-time. Marsh smirked and the silence in the dressing room was deafening, for his teammates knew that smirk meant there was something afoot. The response was unforgettable. “Crikey, Alf,” Marsh declared. “At Manchester City all we get is an orange and a cup of tea.”
5 Sammy Nelson The Northern Ireland defender was a rare goalscorer. So, naturally, when he bundled in Arsenal’s equaliser to his own-goal against Coventry in April 1979, he was both relieved and delighted. So much so that he showed his pleasure by bearing his manly buttocks to a delighted North Bank. The FA was appalled and charged him with bringing the game into disrepute, Arsenal paid lip-service but didn’t really care, and the North Bank continued to salute their chirpy cult hero.
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6 Derek Randall In the Centenary Test of 1977, Australia’s Dennis Lillee took offence when Derek Randall doffed his cap to the ever-cross bowler and shouted: “That was a good one, Mr Lillee!” after receiving a vicious bouncer. Lillee’s temper was inflamed by Randall’s antics and his tendency to move about as the bowler ran up. “I hate bowling at you,” he bellowed, moustache twirling, veins pumping. “It’s so much harder hitting a moving target.” On later receiving the man of the match award, Randall thanked Lillee for striking him on the head with another bouncer: “If it had hit me anywhere else, it might have hurt.” Ouch.
7 Ronnie O’Sullivan Possibly the best snooker player of all time, O’Sullivan’s cheek knows no bounds. Thus when he played fellow right-hander Alain Robidoux in 1996, he was so superior that he decided to play left-handed. He won 10-3 and the humiliated Canadian refused to shake hands afterwards. “Ha,” snorted O’Sullivan, “I play better with my left than he does with his right.” Cheered by the whole business, he made a habit of it.
8 Cornish bodysurfers To some, bodysurfing is less a sport, more an opportunity to waste a few years until daddy’s trust fund runs out and it’s time for a real job. Yet it was hard not to warm to a tubby trio from Cornwall who became the first Britons to enter the bodysurfing world championship when they competed in Hawaii this year. On seeing the 30ft waves, two of the three retreated to the bar, but cheeky Andrew Whitworth, left, bravely faced the Pacific. He came last, but that’s not the point. We welcome them back as heroes.
9 Dennis Lillee That notorious cricket fan the Queen took in the aforementioned 1977 Test in Melbourne. Naturally, she demanded to meet the players. As “Lillee, Dennis Keith, ma’am” was introduced, he shook hands, grinned and nudged his teammate Rick McCosker, who just happened to have a pen and paper. Then, Lillee cheekily asked for her autograph. A smile passed the monarch’s lips as she politely declined. However, we were very much amused, and a few days later a signed picture was delivered to the Lillee home in Perth. It’s on his mantelpiece to this day.
10 Len Shackleton Arguably England’s first thrilling post-world war two winger, Shackleton was a cheeky maverick from the deferential days when jollity was regarded as evidence of mental illness. Never one to duck a potential confrontation, The Clown Prince of Football titled his 1956 autobiography after his nickname. The best chapter was entitled The Average Director’s Knowledge Of Football. It was a blank page. Class.