George Mann
Encyclopedia
George Mann CBE
, DSO
, MC
(6 September 1917 – 8 August 2001) was an English
cricket
er, who played for Cambridge University
, Middlesex
and England.
, Surrey
, England
. His father, Frank Mann, also captained England, making them the first father and son to both captain England. Equally both captained England in all of their Test outings. Colin
and Chris Cowdrey
are the only other father and son to have done this for England.
Mann captained England in each of his seven Test match
es, winning two, and drawing the other five. Wisden
said of Mann: "as a captain he was ideal, zealous to a degree, and considerate in all things at all times". After leading England in South Africa in 1948/49, Mann led his side for two Tests in the following summer, before he stood down, citing inability to participate regularly due to his family's
brewing
business commitments (Watney Combe & Reid
).
F.G. Mann was chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board
(TCCB) from 1978-83; most notably during the controversy over the rebel tour which Geoff Boycott and Graham Gooch
led to South Africa
in 1982.
His son, Simon
, was jailed for thirty-four years in Equatorial Guinea
in 2008, on charges related to an attempted coup
in 2004, but was pardoned on 2 November 2009.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(6 September 1917 – 8 August 2001) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played for Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
and England.
Life and career
Francis George Mann was born in ByfleetByfleet
Byfleet is an inland island village forming a suburb of Woking in Surrey, England. It is in the east of the borough between the River Wey and the River Mole, and is within the M25 motorway....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His father, Frank Mann, also captained England, making them the first father and son to both captain England. Equally both captained England in all of their Test outings. Colin
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
and Chris Cowdrey
Chris Cowdrey
Christopher Stuart "Chris" Cowdrey is an English former cricketer. Cowdrey played for Kent, Glamorgan and England as an all-rounder...
are the only other father and son to have done this for England.
Mann captained England in each of his seven Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
es, winning two, and drawing the other five. Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
said of Mann: "as a captain he was ideal, zealous to a degree, and considerate in all things at all times". After leading England in South Africa in 1948/49, Mann led his side for two Tests in the following summer, before he stood down, citing inability to participate regularly due to his family's
Brown ale
Brown ale is a style of beer with a dark amber or brown colour. The term was first used by London brewers in the late 17th century to describe their products, such as mild ale, though the term had a rather different meaning than it does today...
brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
business commitments (Watney Combe & Reid
Watney Combe & Reid
Watney Combe & Reid was a leading brewing business in London. At its peak in the 1930s it was a constituent of the FT30 index of leading companies on the London Stock Exchange. It produced the beer brand Watney's Red Barrel.-The Stag Brewery:...
).
F.G. Mann was chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board
Test and County Cricket Board
The Test and County Cricket Board was established in 1968 to provide Test and county cricket in England, replacing the functions of the Board of Control for Test Matches and the Advisory County Cricket Committee. In 1992 Scotland severed their ties with the TCCB and England...
(TCCB) from 1978-83; most notably during the controversy over the rebel tour which Geoff Boycott and Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Alan Gooch OBE DL is a former cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation, and through a career spanning from 1973 until 2000, he became the most prolific run scorer of all time with 67,057 runs...
led to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1982.
His son, Simon
Simon Mann
Simon Francis Mann is a British mercenary and former British Army officer. He had been serving a 34-year prison sentence in Equatorial Guinea for his role in a failed coup d'état in 2004, before receiving a presidential pardon on humanitarian grounds on 2 November 2009.Mann was extradited from...
, was jailed for thirty-four years in Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
in 2008, on charges related to an attempted coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 2004, but was pardoned on 2 November 2009.