Garth Crooks
Garth Anthony Crooks, OBE (born 10 March 1958) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker and subsequently a television pundit specializing in association football analysis.[1][2] Crooks began his playing career with Stoke City, where he scored 48 goals in 147 appearances before transferring to Tottenham Hotspur in 1980.[3] With Tottenham, he contributed to victories in the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982, as well as the UEFA Cup in 1984; notably, he scored in the 1981 FA Cup final, becoming the first black player to achieve this in the competition's history.[1][3] Later spells at Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, and Charlton Athletic followed until his retirement in 1990 due to a knee injury.[1] Off the pitch, Crooks served as the first black chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association from 1988 to 1990.[1][3] Transitioning to media, Crooks joined the BBC as a pundit, providing commentary for programs such as Football Focus and Match of the Day, and analyzing matches for Final Score.[3] He gained particular recognition for his long-running "Team of the Week" column on the BBC Sport website, where he selected and critiqued standout Premier League performers after each matchday, a feature that concluded in August 2024.[4][5] His punditry has been characterized by forthright opinions, occasionally drawing criticism for selections perceived as overlooking key performers or assigning players to unfamiliar positions.[5] Crooks received the OBE in 1999 for services to football.[3]Early life
Upbringing and entry into professional football
Garth Crooks was born on 10 March 1958 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, to parents of Jamaican descent.[2] Raised in the Bucknall area amid a strong local football culture dominated by Stoke City F.C., he honed his skills through informal play, including kicking a ball against walls near his home in the Victoria Ground vicinity.[6] This environment fostered early self-reliance, as young aspirants in industrial Stoke-on-Trent navigated limited structured opportunities outside club-affiliated activities. Crooks advanced through Stoke City's youth system without notable external trials, signing professional contract forms in March 1976 at age 18.[7] He made his senior debut on 10 April 1976 in a First Division match against Coventry City, which Stoke lost 0–1, marking the first appearance by a Black player for the club since Roy Brown in the 1940s.[8][7] Entering professional football as a Black teenager in 1970s England presented empirical barriers, including pervasive racism from spectators and inadequate institutional safeguards, with Black players comprising fewer than 5% of league professionals amid widespread discriminatory practices.[9] The Football Association later acknowledged these failures in a 2001 apology to affected players, highlighting how such hostility often forced reliance on personal resilience over systemic support.[9][10]Football career
Club career at Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur
Crooks turned professional with his hometown club Stoke City in 1976, initially playing as a forward in the Second Division after progressing through the youth ranks.[11] Over four seasons, he established himself as a prolific scorer, netting 48 goals in 141 league appearances plus 6 as substitute, contributing to Stoke's promotion push efforts though the team faced relegation in 1980.[11] In July 1980, Stoke sold Crooks to Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record fee of £650,000 amid his transfer request following disputes with manager Alan Durban, marking one of the highest transfers for a Second Division player at the time.[12] At Tottenham, Crooks formed a potent striking partnership with Steve Archibald, scoring on his debut against Nottingham Forest and totaling 75 goals in 182 appearances across all competitions during his five-year stint from 1980 to 1985.[13] [14] Crooks played a key role in Tottenham's successes under Keith Burkinshaw, starting in the 1981 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City (3-2) and contributing goals in the 1982 FA Cup campaign, including against Manchester United in the semi-finals.[3] In the 1983-84 UEFA Cup, he scored 1 goal across Tottenham's run to the final against Anderlecht, though he was an unused substitute in the second leg of the 4-3 aggregate win secured via penalties.[15] [16] His physical presence and finishing helped Tottenham secure two FA Cups (1981, 1982) and the 1984 UEFA Cup, though form dips and a brief loan to Manchester United in 1983-84 (7 appearances, no goals) preceded his £80,000 transfer to West Bromwich Albion in August 1985.[17] [18]International career with England
Crooks' international involvement with England was restricted to the under-21 team, where he made four appearances and scored three goals during the late 1970s.[19] Despite strong club form, including 75 goals in 182 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur from 1980 to 1985, he received no senior caps.[20] Under Bobby Robson, appointed England manager in 1982, forward selection prioritized players with proven goal-scoring output and tactical versatility amid preparations for World Cup qualifiers; competitors included Mark Hateley (who debuted and scored against Brazil on 10 June 1984), Peter Withe, and Kerry Dixon, who collectively earned dozens of caps between 1982 and 1985 based on their domestic tallies exceeding 15 goals per season.[21][22] The absence of senior opportunities for Crooks reflects the era's intense merit-based competition rather than unsubstantiated claims of systemic barriers, as squad lists from friendlies and qualifiers—such as the 1984 South America tour featuring Hateley and John Barnes—show no inclusion of Crooks despite his 1983-84 UEFA Cup success.[23] While racial prejudice affected black players like Crooks, who faced on-pitch abuse, selection records indicate decisions hinged on empirical factors like recent scoring rates and positional depth; Crooks' 10 First Division goals in 1984-85, solid but not exceptional amid league-leading strikers, aligned with his non-selection over narratives of exclusion lacking direct evidence. Robson's choices emphasized causal links between club performance and international readiness, with 23 different forwards capped during his tenure by 1985.Career statistics and honours
Crooks won the FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspur in 1981, where he scored the equalising goal in a 3–2 victory over Manchester City on 9 May 1981 at Wembley Stadium, and again in 1982.[7] He was a squad member for Tottenham's UEFA Cup triumph in 1984, defeating Anderlecht 4–3 on aggregate in the final on 23 and 24 May 1984, though he did not feature in the second leg.[14] His Football League appearances and goals by club are as follows:| Club | Seasons | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke City | 1976–1980 | 147 | 48 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1980–1985 | 125 | 48 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1985–1987 | 40 | 9 |
| Charlton Athletic | 1987–1989 | 56 | 15 |