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
Position(s) 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
1951–1953 Kidderminster Harriers
1953–1955 Ashford Town 25 (0)
International career
1943–1944 Scotland (wartime) 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Joseph Crozier (2 December 1914 – 27 July 1985) was a Scottish professional footballer who made 200 appearances in the Football League for Brentford as a goalkeeper. Crozier has been described as Brentford's best-ever goalkeeper and he is a member of the club's Hall of Fame.[2][3] He represented Scotland in wartime international matches.

Playing career

Crozier began his career at junior team Strathclyde and moved to Scottish League Second Division club East Fife in 1934.[4] He made 100 appearances for the club and earned a £1,000 move to English First Division club Brentford in May 1937.[5] Either side of the Second World War, Crozier made 224 appearances for the Bees.[6] As a testament to his longevity, Crozier made 114 of his 200 league appearances consecutively and as of August 2023,[2] his 25 top-flight clean sheets is the club record.[7] During the war, Crozier played as a guest at Hibernian and Airdrieonians.[8][9] He departed Brentford in 1949 and ended his career with spells at non-League clubs Chelmsford City, Kidderminster Harriers and Ashford Town.[10][11][12]

International career

Crozier won three unofficial caps for Scotland in three wartime internationals versus England in 1943 and 1944.[13] He conceded 16 goals in three defeats.[13] The final match at Hampden Park in April 1944 was witnessed by a wartime record 133,000 crowd.[14]

Personal life

Crozier served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.[15] After retiring from football, he became managing director of Cory Lighterage and a Freeman of the City of London.[2]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
East Fife 1934–35[5] Scottish Second Division 31 0 1 0 — 32 0
1935–36[5] 33 0 1 0 — 34 0
1936–37[5] 31 0 3 0 — 34 0
Total 95 0 5 0 — 100 0
Brentford 1937–38[6] First Division 35 0 4 0 1[b] 0 40 0
1938–39[6] 42 0 1 0 — 43 0
1945–46[6] — 8 0 — 8 0
1946–47[6] First Division 42 0 4 0 — 46 0
1947–48[6] Second Division 40 0 2 0 — 42 0
1948–49[6] 41 0 4 0 — 45 0
Total 200 0 23 0 1 0 224 0
Ashford Town 1953–54[12] Kent League 15 0 3 0 1[c] 0 19 0
1954–55[12] 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
Total 25 0 3 0 1 0 29 0
Career total 320 0 31 0 2 0 353 0
  1. ^ Includes Scottish Cup, FA Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in Empire Exhibition Trophy
  3. ^ Appearance in Kent League Cup

Honours

References

  1. ^ a b "Joe Crozier". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 39. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
  3. ^ a b "Steve Phillips inducted in to Hall of Fame". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  4. ^ Joe Crozier at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  5. ^ a b c d Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 374–380. ISBN 0951526200.
  7. ^ "Raya signs new contract and joins Arsenal on loan". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Hibernian Player Jospeh [sic] Crozier Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  9. ^ Smith, Tony (2011). Gordon Smith – Prince of Wingers. Edinburgh: Black & White Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84502-381-2. OCLC 779827535.
  10. ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  11. ^ "Crozier Joe Brentford 1937". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Joe Crozier Player Profile". The Nuts and Bolts Archive. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Joe Crozier". 11v11.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  14. ^ TW8 Matchday: The Home Of Real Football – Official Brentford FC Matchday Programme versus Chesterfield. Charlton, London: The Yellow Printing Company. 3 April 2004. p. 32.
  15. ^ "Stewart Signs For Brentford. Bees Report for Training on Wednesday". Middlesex Chronicle. 3 August 1946.
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