Brian Croft

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Brian Croft
Personal information
Full name Brian Graham Alexander Croft
Date of birth September 27, 1967 (1967-09-27) (age 40)
Place of birth    Chester, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position Winger (retired)
Youth clubs
1984-85 Chester City
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1985–1988
1988–1989
1989
1989–1992
1992–1995
1993–1994
1995
1995
1995
1995–1996
1996
2000		 Chester City
Cambridge United
→ Grantham Town (loan)
Chester City
Queens Park Rangers
→ Shrewsbury Town (loan)
Blackpool
Torquay United
Southport
Stockport County
Bath City
Chester City		 059 (3)
017 (2)
007 (1)
114 (3)
000 (0)
004 (0)
000 (0)
001 (0)
000 (0)
003 (0)
001 (0)
000 (0)   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 5 January 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Brian Graham Alexander Croft (born 27 September 1967 in Chester, England) is a retired English professional footballer who played as a winger. The majority of his Football League appearances were made for his hometown club Chester City in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Contents

[edit] Playing Career

Croft joined Chester as a schoolboy, with his debut coming as a 17-year old substitute away at Peterborough United on 24 August 1985. Although that was to be his only league appearance during Chester’s promotion season from Division Four, he started two matches in the Freight Rover Trophy. Croft became much more involved in first team duty in 1986–87 when he featured in 21 league games, scoring his first league goal in a 3–1 win over Bristol Rovers in November 1986. This same period saw several other youngsters such as Chris Lightfoot and Colin Woodthorpe break through the Chester youth ranks and go on to enjoy long professional careers.

Croft opted to drop into Division Four with Cambridge United in October 1988, but after less than a year away he rejoined Chester. During his spell at Cambridge, Croft was loaned out to Grantham Town.

Back at Chester, Croft was to be a regular in the left wing berth over the next three years. In the summer of 1992 he made a surprise £60,000 to Premier League side Queens Park Rangers, but he was unable to make the first-team over the next three years. His only league action during this period came during a loan spell with Shrewsbury Town, playing four times midway through their 1993–94 Division Three title success.

Croft’s final league season was 1995–96, when he had brief spells with Blackpool, Torquay United, Stockport County and non-league sides Southport and Bath City.

In April 1999 Croft returned to Chester as Football in the Community officer [1]. The following March he registered again as a player [2]. However, he was not included in any first-team matches as Chester were relegated out of the Football League. In October 2001 Croft moved to Macclesfield Town, again for a Football in the Community post [3].

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Crofty’s Back", chester-city.co.uk (see 20 April), 1999-04-20. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. 
  2. ^ "New Signings", chester-city.co.uk (see March 23), 2000-03-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. 
  3. ^ "Brian Croft", chester-city.co.uk (see October 25), 2001-12-25. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. 

[edit] References

  • Sumner, Chas (1997). On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City F.C. 1885-1997. Yore Publications. ISBN 1-874427-52-6. 
  • Hardman, John (2004). Alliance to Conference 1979-2004: The First 25 Years. Tony Williams Publications Ltd. ISBN 1-869833-52-X. 
  • Hugman, Barry (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946-2005. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.