Stan Crowther (footballer) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stanley Crowther | ||
| Date of birth | 3 September 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Bilston, Staffordshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 28 May 2014 (aged 78) | ||
| Playing position | Wing half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| ?–1955 | Bilston Town | ||
| 1955–1958 | Aston Villa | 50 | (4) |
| 1958 | Manchester United | 13 | (0) |
| 1958–1961 | Chelsea | 51 | (0) |
| 1961 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 | (0) |
| Hednesford Town | |||
| Rugby Town | |||
| National team | |||
| 1957–1958 | England U23 | 3 | (0) |
|
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Stanley Crowther (born September 3, 1935 – died May 28, 2014) was a talented English footballer. He played as a professional in the Football League for several famous clubs. These included Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Brighton & Hove Albion. Stan played during the 1950s and early 1960s. He also played three times for the England under-23 team.
Contents
Stan's Early Football Days
Stan Crowther was born in Bilston, a town in Staffordshire, England. He played as a wing half, which is a midfield position. In 1955, he joined Aston Villa from a smaller, non-league club called Bilston Town. Aston Villa paid £750 to sign him, which was a good amount of money back then.
Winning the FA Cup
Stan quickly became an important player for Aston Villa. In 1957, his team played against Manchester United in the 1957 FA Cup final. Aston Villa won the exciting match 2–1, and Stan was part of that winning team! This was a huge achievement in his career.
Joining Manchester United
Less than a year after winning the FA Cup, something very sad happened in football. In February 1958, many Manchester United players were hurt in a plane crash known as the Munich air disaster. Because of this, Manchester United needed new players very quickly.
A Special Transfer
Stan Crowther was signed by Manchester United for £18,000. This happened just about an hour before their FA Cup match against Sheffield Wednesday was supposed to start! Normally, a player cannot play for two different teams in the same FA Cup season. This rule is called being "cup-tied."
However, because of the terrible events in Munich, the Football Association (the FA) made a special exception for Manchester United. They allowed Stan to play even though he had already played for Aston Villa in the competition that year. Manchester United won that match 3–0. Stan and his new team went on to reach the FA Cup final again, but they lost 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers.
Moving to Chelsea and Retirement
Stan Crowther's time at Old Trafford, Manchester United's home stadium, was quite short. In December 1958, he moved to Chelsea for £10,000. It was a funny coincidence that his very first game for Chelsea was against his old team, Manchester United!
Stan played for Chelsea for two seasons, appearing in 58 games. After that, he had short periods playing for Brighton & Hove Albion and then for non-league teams like Hednesford Town and Rugby Town. Stan Crowther decided to retire from football at the age of 27. He passed away on May 28, 2014.
Achievements and Awards
Manchester United
- FA Cup runner-up: 1957–58
