Alan Crawford (English footballer)

Alan Paterson Crawford (born 30 October 1953) is an English former footballer who made more than 450 Football League appearances scoring 98 goals playing as an outside left.[3]

Alan Crawford
Personal information
Full nameAlan Paterson Crawford
Date of birth (1953-10-30) 30 October 1953 (age 70)
Place of birthRotherham,[1] England
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s)Winger
Youth career
19??–1971Rotherham United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1971–1978Rotherham United237(49)
1973Mansfield Town (loan)2(0)
1979–1982Chesterfield94(20)
1982–1985Bristol City92(26)
1985–19??Exeter City33(3)
Bath City
Managerial career
Blackpool (coach)
Stockport County (coach)
West Bromwich Albion (coach)
Nottingham Forest (coach)
Rotherham United (scout)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Crawford started his football career with Rotherham United and went on to make 169 consecutive appearances for them. He scored 31 Football League goals in their Third Division campaign in 1976–77, which is a Rotherham record for a midfielder. In 2007, he was voted as the greatest ever left-sided midfielder for Rotherham, in a Millers Mad poll.[4]

He later moved to Chesterfield, and scored the winning goal for them in their 1980/81 Anglo-Scottish Cup victory over Notts County.[5] Crawford subsequently played for Bristol City, Exeter City, Bath City and Bristol Manor Farm. He rejoined Bristol City as a youth team coach before retiring from football working as a painter & decorator in Backwell near Bristol in the late 1990s.[6]

Coach/Scout

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In recent years he has established himself as a football coach with clubs such as Blackpool, Stockport County, West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest, working notably for Gary Megson. He is currently a scout for his hometown team Rotherham United.

References

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  1. ^ "Alan Crawford". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  2. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. ^ Hugman, Barry (1998). Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 1-85291-585-4.
  4. ^ "MillersMAD Greatest XI: Midfielders". rotherhamunited-mad.co.uk. 12 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  5. ^ Fisher, Paul (5 March 2006). "Anglo Scottish Cup Winners 25th Anniversary". Compton Street. Chesterfield Mad. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  6. ^ Woods, David; Edwards, Leigh (1997). Bristol City FC – The First 100 years. Redcliffe Press. ISBN 1-900178-26-5.
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  • Alan Crawford at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database