Joe Crozier (footballer, born 1914)

Joe Crozier
Personal information
Full name Joseph Crozier[1]
Date of birth (1914-12-02)2 December 1914
Place of birth Coatbridge, Scotland
Date of death 27 July 1985(1985-07-27) (aged 70)[1]
Place of death Greenwich, England
Playing position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1934 Strathclyde
1934–1937 East Fife 95 (0)
1937–1949 Brentford 200 (0)
1939–1941 → Airdrieonians (guest) 59 (0)
1941–1942 → Hibernian (guest) 43 (0)
1949–1951 Chelmsford City
Kidderminster Harriers
Ashford Town (Kent)
National team
1943–1944 Scotland (wartime) 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Joseph Crozier (2 December 1914 – 27 July 1985) was a Scottish professional football goalkeeper who made 200 appearances in the Football League for Brentford. Having made the majority of his Brentford appearances in the club's only spell in the English top-flight, Crozier has been described as the club's best ever goalkeeper.[2] He represented Scotland in wartime international matches.

Playing career

Crozier began his career at junior team Strathclyde and moved to Scottish Second Division club East Fife in 1934.[3] He made 100 appearances for the club and earned a £1,000 move to English top-flight club Brentford in May 1937.[4] Either side of the Second World War, Crozier made 224 appearances for the Bees.[5] As a testament to his longevity, Crozier made 114 of his 200 league appearances consecutively.[2] During the war, Crozier played as a guest at Hibernian and Airdrieonians.[6][7] He departed Brentford in 1949 and saw out his career with spells at non-league clubs Chelmsford City, Kidderminster Harriers and Ashford Town (Kent).[8]

International career

Crozier won three unofficial caps for Scotland in three wartime internationals versus England in 1943 and 1944.[9] He conceded 16 goals in three defeats.[9] The final match at Hampden Park in April 1944 was witnessed by a wartime record 133,000 crowd.[10]

Personal life

After his retirement from football, Crozier became managing director of Cory Lighterage and a Freeman of the City of London.[2]

Career statistics

Club Season League National Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
East Fife 1934–35[4] Scottish Second Division 31 0 1 0 — 32 0
1935–36[4] 33 0 1 0 — 34 0
1936–37[4] 31 0 3 0 — 34 0
Total 95 0 5 0 — 100 0
Brentford 1937–38[5] First Division 35 0 4 0 1[lower-alpha 1] 0 40 0
1938–39[5] 42 0 1 0 — 43 0
1945–46[5] — — 8 0 — 8 0
1946–47[5] First Division 42 0 4 0 — 46 0
1947–48[5] Second Division 40 0 2 0 — 42 0
1948–49[5] 41 0 4 0 — 45 0
Total 200 0 23 0 1 0 224 0
Career total 295 0 28 0 1 0 324 0
  1. ↑ Appearance in Empire Exhibition Trophy.

References

  1. 1 2 "Joe Crozier". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 39. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  3. ↑ Joe Crozier at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  4. 1 2 3 4 Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 374–380. ISBN 0951526200.
  6. ↑ "Hibernian Player Jospeh [sic] Crozier Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  7. ↑ Gordon Smith – Tony Smith – Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ↑ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  9. 1 2 "Joe Crozier". 11v11.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  10. ↑ TW8 Matchday: The Home Of Real Football – Official Brentford FC Matchday Programme versus Chesterfield 03/04/04. Charlton, London: The Yellow Printing Company. 2004. p. 32.
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