Aussie cricket great David Boon drank 52 cans of beer on a flight to London. Now, 36 years later, his teammate reveals the REAL story of how he created a sporting legend
David Boon went down in sporting folklore when he drank 52 cans of beer on a flight to London for the 1989 Ashes series - but now his teammate Geoff Lawson has finally set the record straight over an important fact he claims has been incorrectly reported for the last 36 years.'Boonie' has since admitted he regrets his most famous half-century, saying it was a 'stupid' thing to do with 'ramifications' for his family and children.But for generations of fans, the cricket legend's feat remains an all-time Ashes moment that will never be repeated.Now Lawson, who was an eyewitness to Boon's staggering alcoholic consumption, has finally exposed some never-before-reported details about the flight - and the huge regret he has carried ever since.At the time, the Aussie Test team was widely expected to be thrashed by England, having lost the two previous Ashes series during a rebuilding phase.Boon – who scored 7422 runs in 107 Tests for Australia – was one of the team's veterans and top batters, with a reputation for toughness and an instantly recognisable handlebar moustache. David Boon (pictured with a celebratory beer after the first Test of the 1989 Ashes) set a staggering record on a flight to London, necking 52 alcoholic drinks It was universally thought that Boon stuck to beer as he set the mark - but now his teammate Geoff Lawson (pictured) has revealed what really happened on the infamous journey Boon (pictured at the Australian Open tennis in January) has his consumption meticulously recorded by Lawson as they flew to LondonHe is so well known for his in-flight drinking that his middle name may as well be '52 beers' - but according to Lawson, that would be doing him a disservice, because he was necking everything he could get his hands on. 'I was writing it [Boon's beverage tally] on the back of a sick bag: the brand, the alcohol content and the volume,' Lawson told the Telegraph.'It was a whole lot of different drinks – lots of beer, a few spirits, but I recorded every drink’s alcohol content. 'One of my biggest regrets of my career is that I’ve written this all down on the back of a white sick bag, but I left it on the plane. 'It would have been one of the greatest pieces of memorabilia in Australian sporting history.' Lawson, who was a teetotaller during his career, added that the 52-drink record 'wasn't seen as a big deal' among the team, as there was a history of Aussie stars engaging in outlandish drinking contests on long flights.Former batter Doug Walters reportedly got through 44 beers on the flight to London for the 1977 Ashes series.That didn't sit well with ex-wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who drank 45 on the way to the 1983 World Cup in England, with legend having it that his record-breaking last beer was even announced by the captain of the plane. 'Boony' (centre) is pictured unloading kegs of beer with teammates Greg Ritchie (left), Jeff Thomson (bottom right) and Craig McDermott (top right) in 1985 The Tasmanian cult hero (pictured in a promotion for Victoria Bitter beer in 2006) came to regret his drinking feat, branding it 'stupid'According to Lawson, there was no such fanfare when Boon set the new mark.'There was no song and dance about it,' he recalled.'It wasn’t seen as a big deal. 'It was just a fun thing of "oh, you broke Rod’s record, let’s win the Ashes now".'Lawson also states that Boon was able to walk off the plane without a problem.After years of saying his mid-flight effort had been 'greatly embellished' by mates who 'learned never to let the truth get in the way of a good story', Boon changed his tune in December 2023.'I've got to be brutally honest here, I won't deny it happened... we all do stupid things in our lives,' he said.'You have fun, you do something and then you think s**t, what about the ramifications to everything else – to your family, to your children.'It caused some crap over the years and it's something that I regret a lot ... I was stupid given I was in the public eye.' English rugby legend Mike Tindall – now a member of the Royal family after marrying Princess Anne's daughter Zara – reportedly attempted to break Boon's record as he flew home from Australia after winning the World Cup in 2003. Born in Tasmania, Boon made his Test debut in 1984 against the West Indies and was also a talented batsman at ODI level, winning a World Cup in 1987.He played his final Test in 1996 before becoming a national selector.
