Ray ''Flocko'' Flockton - cricketing wag was a team favourite

Neil Marks | March 16, 2023

In November 18 2011, a group of elderly NSW cricketers gathered for lunch to reminisce, as they do every year. It was here that they heard of the passing of Ray ''Flocko'' Flockton, one of NSW cricket's best loved characters.

Flocko had been ill for some time so the news was not unexpected, yet there was no noticeable sadness in the group - only thankfulness that Flocko had come into their lives. A toast was raised and Flocko stories flowed, as did the drinks, for the rest of the afternoon.

Apart from cricket, Flockton was one of Sydney's most recognisable people, for in his working life he was a traffic cop and did point duty on some of the city's most difficult corners. For years, Monday evenings would find Flocko directing traffic outside Rushcutters Bay Stadium for ''fight night''. He knew them all, from the fighters to the pensioners in the bleachers, and even the drivers that he had held up would wave as they went by.

Familiar figure… Ray Flockton on his day directing traffic in Sydney. Image credit Russell McPhedran

Raymond George Flockton was one of five children of John and Jessie Flockton. He was born on March 14, 1930, in Paddington, when the words ''Paddo'' and ''trendy'' were far from being synonymous. He attended Crown Street Public School, was appointed school captain and, as fate would have it, sat in the same seat as the great Victor Trumper 80 years earlier. Flockton joined the NSW Police Force in 1952 and rose to the rank of sergeant. Yet it was cricket that dominated his life.

Flockton played 35 games for NSW at a batting average of 41. He played with many of the greats and always claimed Sid Barnes was the best batsman he'd ever seen. Flockton was a handy medium pace bowler and a fine fieldsman. In the days of uncovered wickets and no helmets, he was a ferocious hooker and wouldn't give his opposition an inch. He was also a keen and competitive lower grade rugby league player. (His brother, Alan, played fullback for South Sydney.)

However, fine a player as he was, it was more his humour and his presence that endeared him to his teammates. Sometimes the humour was intentional, sometimes it wasn't, and sometimes you weren't sure. Like the time he batted all day at the SCG in the heat without a cap on. With his score on 99, he called for his cap, put it on and the next ball he ran a quick single. Flocko then took off the cap and waved it to the applauding crowd. (There was nothing egotistical in the gesture but he was a fervent traditionalist.) On country cricket trips Flocko would often perform his race caller impersonation, using the names of the local town's dignitaries and officials for the ''horses''.

Flocko is now also part of Australia's cricketing vernacular because he had difficulty pronouncing the sound ''th'' and whenever the scoreboard showed 3-33 those in the dressing room would shout, ''What's the score, Flocko?'' He would reply, ''Free for firty-free''. That score is now known as a ''Flocko''.

Flocko was also the master of the malapropism. At the end of one net session, the NSW team was fooling around, with bowlers required to bowl using their opposite hand and the batters having to shape up on their wrong side. Test batsman Bill ''Blinks'' Watson, proved by far to be the best exponent of this unnatural way of playing, causing Flocko to call out, ''Hey, get a load of Blinks, he's amphibious.''

Once, in the first innings of a game against Victoria, NSW collapsed and four of their players made ducks: O'Neill, Saunders, Ford and Martin. By coincidence this group was sitting together for breakfast next morning. Into the dining room came Flockton and as he walked past the table, Warren Saunders called, ''Flocko, tell us what we four here have in common.''

Without halting in his stride, he gave the players a cursory glance and replied, ''Youse are all ugly,'' and continued on to breakfast.

Originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald January 4, 2012