Toby or Not Toby? That is the Question
Spot Toby
By Jeff Coleman
November 25 2009
Jeff Coleman pays tribute to Toby Radford, the Middlesex first team coach who departed mid season 2009. Jeff pulls no punches in this fascinating piece, covering Toby's career, his controversial departure from Middlesex and where Toby is now. Jeff's opinions are his own, but Jeff is truly MTWD; his opinions are always considered and always worth hearing. Many thanks, Jeff.
Toby Radford did not fulfil his early promise as a player and after representing England in 6 Youth Tests and 1 ODI he played only 14 matches in a first class career spanning just 4 years at MCCC and Sussex. He averaged 26 with the bat. His highest score for Middlesex being 69 which came at Chelmsford in his first championship match. His last first class match was for Sussex against Oxford University at The Parks when he scored 58no and 69no. So he topped and tailed his career well.
He took one wicket as a bowler. The unfortunate sole being Will Kendall when playing for Oxford Uni. Kendall went on to play 140 first class games, mainly for Hampshire, with a batting average of 33. So we can assume he learnt well from his dismissal.
After his retirement Toby quickly gained his coaching badges and briefly played for Berkshire in the Minor Counties before becoming Berkshire’s Cricket Development Officer.
Toby set up and became the first director of the Middlesex Cricket Academy in 2003 before progressing to second and then first eleven coach. The following have gone from Academy to county contracts under his charge: Godleman, Finn, Housego, Toor, London and Levy. Probably the best crop of youngsters the club has produced for many years. Joel Pope also graduated from the academy to a contract with Leicestershire. As second eleven coach he also helped progress the careers of Malan, Robson and Morgan. During the period from 2003 to his departure he probably achieved more for the club than anyone else on the staff.
Under his care the seconds won the SET, the first trophy at this level for many years and he coached the first eleven to a major trophy for the first time in 15 years when the 20/20 was won in 2008. The academy structure set up by Toby is now in the capable hands of Graeme West and continues to produce. He had success in all the roles he was asked to fill.
Bringing Home the Bacon
As reported in the current edition of Wisden Cricketer, Toby played a significant role in assisting Andrew Strauss to rediscover his batting form having been dropped from the test side in 2007. After the work that they did together Strauss came back with the 177 at Napier that resurrected his England career and led to the run of form that has brought another Middlesex player to the England captaincy.
So why did Toby leave MCCC? I think we can trace it back to the decision not to re-engage Ed Smith as captain and the subsequent decision by Ed Joyce to relinquish the role and, in fact, decamp to Sussex. This left a huge gap for the captaincy. Shaun Udal was chosen for the role and with it asked for full control of all first team matters. In fact we were told at his first forum as captain that the role of the coach ‘was to put out the cones and knock up the catches’. We thought Shaun was joking. Obviously not. With the added arrival of Gus Fraser as Managing Director of Cricket, Toby’s role was further diminished; after a series of discussions re the terms of his departure, Toby left in mid season 2009.
Top Table in Perspective
Did the club make the right decision in going for Shaun over Toby? Only time will tell, but in 2008, Toby’s only full season as first team coach, we won the 20/20 and finished third in division 2 of the championship. In 2009, with Toby having little or no input to first team matters following the appointments of Shaun and Gus, the results in the 20/20 were poor and we avoided last place in the championship, for the first time in the club’s history, by the skin of our teeth.
Did Toby suffer by the speed of his progression? Maybe, but he was doing what he was asked following a sequence of ill-fated and/or poor management decisions by the club which led to the high turnover of coaches and captains. He filed the gaps created by the promotion of John Embury to Director of Cricket, a position that never appeared to sit comfortably with John, the disastrous appointment of Richard Pybus and the captaincy debate after Ed Smith’s departure.
Clearly Toby did not want to leave Middlesex but the changes to his role and his inability to accept the new captain’s methods made it untenable for him to stay. He never gave the impression of being ‘a political person’ and maybe this also contributed to his disaffection.
So what has Toby been up to since he left?
He will be heading up the ECB Skills Camp to SA in January, is writing a 20/20 coaching book and is creating an online coaching website. In addition, he has set up as a specialist batting coach working with current and aspiring professional players.
He was always approachable, knowledgeable and fully committed to Middlesex during his 15 years with the club as player and coach. Having watched and chatted with Toby over a number of years and seen the effect that the politics of the club were having on him I believe he made absolutely the right decision in moving on when he did. I expect him to continue his development as one of the top batting and overall coaches in the country.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:12:02:21:16:55 by Ged.
Jeff, this is gold.
Thanks Jeff.
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
My first view was in 1986, when taking my Senior Award Coaching Course at Park House School, Newbury. On completion of the exam, a couple of hours were left and one course candidate - Brian Radford - said he would go and get his son and we could bowl to him in the nets. The boy was thirteen and class.
It was true that Toby would rarely take a side apart but often ended with a hundred.
The next meetings came much later when we were both on coaching courses and Toby went on to be National Coach for the South region, with me one of his staff coaches.
The guy is a student of the game and knows the technical side inside out, particularly batting. He is patient and sympathetic with students and always gives kids a good experience.
He was also a very good club player, being a member of the very strong Hungerford side which topped the British Gas Southern League for a good few years.
Back trouble was never far away and restricted outings, but last I heard, he was still playing the odd game for Andover.
I was delighted to meet Toby again with Middlesex at Uxbridge, he always had time for a chat, and unlike many others who make kind comments, one always felt Toby meant his words.
Often I think the coaches role is over stated, never have I seen a coach take a wicket or score a run but Toby certainly has all the tools to influence a game - as witnessed in the T/20 victory - should the players wish to listen.
It is my view that Middlesex CCC lost a gem and the ECB must be rubbing their hands together to gain, once again, the services of Toby Radford.
I sincerely hope so ,otherwise we are back to square one.....
Re Richard Scott - no disrespect to the man, but with the coaches role seemingly reduced to putting out cones and knocking up catches, an anonymous name like this was always favourite over a household name like Justin Langer.
I would love to see the JD before and after Toby left.
Good luck Richard, whatever you will be doing exactly.