Jimmy Crabtree (footballer, born 1895)

James Joseph Crabtree MC (15 February 1895 – 4 December 1965) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Rochdale, Blackburn Rovers and Accrington Stanley.[1] He was capped by England at amateur level and played one Football League match as an inside forward for Rochdale,[4] for whom he scored two goals.[5] Crabtree later served as a linesman in the Football League and as a referee in the Lancashire Combination.[6]

Jimmy Crabtree
Personal information
Full name James Joseph Crabtree[1]
Date of birth 15 February 1895[2]
Place of birth Clitheroe, England
Date of death 4 December 1965(1965-12-04) (aged 69)[2]
Place of death Clitheroe, England[2]
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1911–1912 Stonyhurst College
1912–1913 Clitheroe Amateurs
1913–1919 Blackburn Rovers 12 (0)
Preston North End (guest)
1921–1923 Rochdale 58 (2)
1923–1924 Accrington Stanley 7 (0)
1929 Colne Town
International career
1914 England Amateurs 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Personal life edit

Crabtree attended Stonyhurst College.[6] On 5 September 1914, a month after the outbreak of the First World War, Crabtree enlisted as a private in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.[6] Just over a year later, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.[6][7] Crabtree was wounded near Morval during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916 and saw further action at Arras and Passchendaele after his recovery.[6] He won a Military Cross for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" on 26 September 1917.[6] A month later, he was wounded for a second time and did not serve on the Western Front for the remainder of the war.[6] After being promoted to captain, Crabtree was posted briefly to Central Asia before leaving the army.[6]

Career statistics edit

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rochdale 1921–22[8] Third Division North 34 0 1 0 2[a] 0 37 0
1922–23[8] 24 2 1 0 4[b] 0 29 2
Career total 58 2 2 0 6 0 64 2
  1. ^ 1 appearance in Lancashire Senior Cup, 1 appearance in Manchester Senior Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Lancashire Senior Cup

Honours edit

Blackburn Rovers

References edit

  1. ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 309. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. ^ a b c "Crabtree". BRFCS. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. ^ "League clubs and their players for the coming season. Accrington Stanley". Athletic News. Manchester. 4 August 1924. p. 3.
  4. ^ "England Matches – The Amateurs 1906–1939". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Crabtree Jimmy Rochdale 1922". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "James Crabtree – Footballer and the First World War". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  7. ^ "No. 29348". The London Gazette. 2 November 1915. p. 10776.
  8. ^ a b Phillipps, Steven (2001). Rochdale AFC: The Official History 1907–2001. Harefield, Middlesex: Yore. ISBN 1-874427-09-7. OCLC 48531524.