Ray Crawford (footballer) facts for kids
Crawford (left) and former team-mate Ted Phillips at Portman Road
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Raymond Crawford | ||
| Date of birth | 13 July 1936 | ||
| Place of birth | Portsmouth, England | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1954–1957 | Portsmouth | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1957–1958 | Portsmouth | 19 | (9) |
| 1958–1963 | Ipswich Town | 197 | (143) |
| 1963–1965 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 57 | (39) |
| 1965–1966 | West Bromwich Albion | 14 | (6) |
| 1966–1969 | Ipswich Town | 123 | (61) |
| 1969 | Charlton Athletic | 21 | (7) |
| 1969–1970 | Kettering Town | ||
| 1970–1971 | Colchester United | 45 | (24) |
| 1971 | Durban City | 6 | (1) |
| Total | 482 | (290) | |
| International career | |||
| 1956 | Malaya | 1 | (0) |
| 1961–1962 | England | 2 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| Fareham Town | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Raymond Crawford, born on July 13, 1936, is a famous English former footballer. He was a fantastic striker who scored over 300 goals for his clubs. He also played for the England national team twice, scoring one goal.
Contents
Ray Crawford's Football Journey
Starting at Portsmouth
Ray Crawford began his football career as a young player at Portsmouth, his hometown club. He played his first league game on August 24, 1957. It was a match against Burnley that ended in a 0-0 draw. He played 19 games for Portsmouth before moving to Ipswich Town in August 1958.
Becoming a Star at Ipswich Town
Ray Crawford was an amazing goal scorer. He helped Ipswich Town win two league titles in a row! First, they won the Second Division in the 1960–61 season. Then, they won the top league, the First Division, in 1961–62.
In that amazing 1961–62 season, he was the top scorer in the First Division. He scored 33 goals, sharing the top spot with Derek Kevan. During this time, Ray also made history. He became the very first Ipswich Town player to play for the England national team.
Moving to Other Clubs
In September 1963, Ray Crawford joined Wolverhampton Wanderers. He continued to score lots of goals there, getting 41 goals in 61 games. In January 1965, he moved to West Bromwich Albion.
However, he didn't stay long at West Brom. He rejoined Ipswich Town in March 1965. He played three more full seasons for Ipswich, bringing his total goals for the club to an incredible 259 goals.
Later Career and Famous FA Cup Moment
Ray joined Charlton Athletic in March 1969. After that, he played for Kettering Town in a lower league. In June 1970, he signed with Colchester United for £3,000.
In his only season with Colchester, he scored 24 goals in 45 games. He is most famous for scoring two goals in a huge FA Cup upset. Colchester United, a smaller team, beat the mighty Leeds United 3-2 in the fifth round of the FA Cup in 1971. This was a truly memorable moment in football history!
After this season, Ray left English football. He went to play for Durban City in South Africa. He had an amazing scoring record in the Football League, with 289 goals in 476 games. In South Africa, he won the cup and finished second in the league.
Ray Crawford's International Games
Ray Crawford's international career was short but interesting. He played for two different countries.
Playing for Malaya
He made his international debut for the Malaya national team in 1956. He played as a left-winger in their 4-2 win against Singapore on April 1, 1956. He was also part of the Malaya squad for the Asian Cup qualifiers that year.
Playing for England
Later, he played for the England national team. His first game for England was against Northern Ireland on November 22, 1961. He also played against Austria on April 4, 1962. In that game, he scored the first goal in a 3-1 win for England.
He also played for a special team called the Football League XI. This team was made up of top players from the English Football League.
After Playing Football
After retiring from playing, Ray Crawford became a youth-team coach at Brighton. He also worked as a youth team manager and assistant manager at his old club, Portsmouth, until 1979. He briefly managed non-league teams like Fareham Town before fully retiring from football in 1984.
Ray is still very involved in the Portsmouth community. He often attends charity events and is a popular figure at Fratton Park, Portsmouth's home stadium.
In 2007, he wrote his autobiography. The book explains why he was known as 'Jungle Boy'. This nickname came from his time serving in the army in Malaya. Fans even had a special 'Jungle Boy' chant for him!
Ray also works as a commentator for Portsmouth matches on Express FM radio. He sometimes comments on Ipswich Town games for Radio Suffolk too. He is known for his loud cheers and shouts, which make him very popular. He also writes a weekly column for an online newspaper, discussing Colchester United.
Ray Crawford's Achievements
Team Honours
Ipswich Town
- First Division: 1961–62 (Champions)
- Second Division: 1960–61, 1967–68 (Champions)
Individual Awards
- Football League Second Division top scorer: 1960–61
- Football League First Division top scorer: 1961–62
- Ipswich Town Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2007
- Colchester United Player of the Year: 1970–71
- Colchester United Hall of Fame
Records
- Ipswich Town F.C. all-time top scorer: 218 goals.
- The first footballer to score hat-tricks (three goals in one game) in the Football League, League Cup, FA Cup, and European Cup.
