Bill's a real legend

Cricket
By TANIA PHILLIPS

THE guys at Palm Beach Currumbin Cricket Club always figured club stalwart Bill Freeman was a bit of a legend.

But Freeman, who is also a well-known face in Tweed-Border Hockey circles, now has the title for real after being named a local legend as part of the XXXX Gold, Good As Gold Awards - a statewide Queensland Cricket initiative.

The awards recognise coaches and players who year after year put that little bit extra back into their local cricket club. There were 10 regional winners across Queensland, and Freeman grabbed the Gold Coast honours.

"You know who they are because you can't imagine a season without them and it's time they got a pat on the back for all their tremendous work," said Queensland Bulls captain Jimmy Maher at the launch of the award.

And according to Gold Coast cricket spokesman Ray Bubke, who nominated Freeman, he more than fits the bill.

 Freeman has the theme from Mission Impossible as his mobile phone voice mail - but there never seems to be a cricket mission that isn't possible. You name it, he does it from the IT stats to selling raffle tickets and selecting teams.

"Bill Freeman is the secretary of the PBC Cricket Club for the 10th consecutive year," Bubke said in nominating him.

"He is the second highest run- scorer in the 77 year history of the club. He has coached junior PBC teams from under-l0s through to under-16s for the past seven years. (He stopped coaching this season). He has coached and managed junior representative teams to various state titles all over Queensland.

"He is the current fifth division captain and co-captain of the premiership-winning PBC over-40s team.

"He is an accredited Gold Coast umpire and current member of the Cricket Gold Coast board of directors and was the CGC statistician for three years."

Freeman is now in the running to become the overall State winner - announced on Sunday.

He has already won a signed cricket bat from the Bulls and if successful could have a team of 11 players from his club join him for a Twenty2o match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

Freeman reckons it would he fun to play against up to six Queensland Bulls - although he might be forced to go out and buy himself a helmet if facing the pace of Andrew Bichel and Michael Kasprowicz.

Besides he was surprised enough to win at regional level -- although no-one who knows him

"I've won the meat raffle at the club but never anything more than that," Freeman said.

"I was shocked when I got the call from Queensland Cricket. You aren't really looking for that sort of thing. I do what I do because I love it - I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't."

So, Freeman is happy to have received the regional honour without holding much hope of collecting the big prize. He believes "there is probably some old guy from up north who has been doing what he does for a million years".

Photo & Story from Tweed Daily News, April 4, 2006. Reprinted by permission

Last modified: November 01, 2009