Ian Crook
Encyclopedia
Ian Stuart Crook, is a former professional footballer
who began his career with Tottenham Hotspur
before making 418 appearances for Norwich City
. He was an England B
international.
signing with the club as a schoolboy in 1976. He made his debut in 1980 against Liverpool and stayed with the North London club for another six years. He found it difficult to break into the first team, as the Tottenham midfield at the time contained Glenn Hoddle and Ossie Ardiles. He would, however, receive a UEFA Cup
Medal in 1984 as an unused substitute for the final, in which Tottenham beat R.S.C. Anderlecht
on penalties.
In 1986 Crook moved to Norwich City for a fee of £80,000, which would prove to be one of the best bargain buys for the club. He was at the hub of the most successful team in Norwich's history. During his eleven seasons at the club, he helped them to a series of top five finishes in England's top
division and played in the club's UEFA Cup
run in the 1993-94 season, though he missed the match in which Norwich were eliminated from the competition - against Inter Milan in the San Siro - through suspension, due to his having collected two yellow cards in the tournament. He was a midfielder noted for his passing ability and accuracy from set-pieces. Many experts in the game believe that had Crook played for a so called bigger club, he would have played for the full England team. In a 2001 poll for Four Four Two magazine, Crook was voted as one of the best players never to have played for England, along with his former Norwich team-mate Steve Bruce
.
He famously agreed to leave Norwich to join their fierce rivals Ipswich Town F.C.
at the end of the 1995-96 season, even posing for photos with his new shirt and buying his children replica kits before changing his mind and re-signing for City days later. This was due to former Norwich manager Mike Walker taking over the helm at Carrow Road following the sacking of Gary Megson
and his persuading Crook to stay. Crook had played under Walker for Norwich during his first spell as manager from 1992 to January 1994. Ipswich Town F.C.
took it to court, with the local newspaper Evening Star carrying the headline "Get out of Town Crook and take that man Walker with you".
In 1997, he was signed by Eddie Thomson
for Sanfrecce Hiroshima
. He left the club in May 1998 and transferred to Northern Spirit FC
.
In 2002, Norwich fans voted Crook into the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame. In September of the same year he played at Carrow Road in the club's centenary match against Harwich & Parkeston F.C.
. Crook remained a favourite with Norwich City supporters, and in 2008 he was voted in the Greatest Ever Norwich City eleven.
in Australia
before moving on to take his first managerial post at Newcastle Jets. In his first season in the 'Hunter region', he took the Jets from second bottom to second, earning him the NSL Coach of the year award. Following his successful time in Newcastle, Crook took on the job of coaching the American Samoa national football team, a team that had never scored a goal in a competitive international fixture. In early 2004 he was then appointed assistant coach for the Australian U20s team, before joining Sydney F.C. the following November, under manager Pierre Littbarski
, winning the A-League title and attending the World Club Championships in 2005. After the 04-05 season Littbarski left the club following a contract dispute, and Crook remained at the club for another six months.
During his work in Australia, he was often linked with a possible return to Norwich, notably in the close-season of 2006, when Martin Hunter
was eventually appointed as coach in place of Steve Foley
. Following the departure of Peter Grant
from Norwich City in October 2007, Crook was again linked with the vacant manager's position.
In January 2007 Crook accepted the assistant manager's role at Japanese second division side Avispa Fukuoka
to be reunited with Littbarski, but the pair were dismissed in July 2008. He was subsequently linked with new A-League
club North Queensland Thunder FC, but instead was recruited for a second spell as manager at the Newcastle Jets.
On 21 January 2009 Crook was unveiled as first team coach for Norwich City alongside new manager and former team mate Bryan Gunn
. In June 2010 he returned to Australia, signing a two year contract as Director of Coaching for Sydney Olympic Football Club.. Ian left Sydney Olympic in 2010 to take up the position of Head Coach at the New South Wales Institute of Sport.
He returned to Sydney FC
in 2011, the club he helped coach to their inaugural Championship, this time working with former player Steve Corica
and under former Czech International
Vitezslav Lavicka
.
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Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who began his career with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
before making 418 appearances for Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. He was an England B
England B national football team
England B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. At times they have played other nations' full teams; they have also played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations...
international.
Club career
Crook began his football career at Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
signing with the club as a schoolboy in 1976. He made his debut in 1980 against Liverpool and stayed with the North London club for another six years. He found it difficult to break into the first team, as the Tottenham midfield at the time contained Glenn Hoddle and Ossie Ardiles. He would, however, receive a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
Medal in 1984 as an unused substitute for the final, in which Tottenham beat R.S.C. Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
on penalties.
In 1986 Crook moved to Norwich City for a fee of £80,000, which would prove to be one of the best bargain buys for the club. He was at the hub of the most successful team in Norwich's history. During his eleven seasons at the club, he helped them to a series of top five finishes in England's top
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
division and played in the club's UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
run in the 1993-94 season, though he missed the match in which Norwich were eliminated from the competition - against Inter Milan in the San Siro - through suspension, due to his having collected two yellow cards in the tournament. He was a midfielder noted for his passing ability and accuracy from set-pieces. Many experts in the game believe that had Crook played for a so called bigger club, he would have played for the full England team. In a 2001 poll for Four Four Two magazine, Crook was voted as one of the best players never to have played for England, along with his former Norwich team-mate Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
.
He famously agreed to leave Norwich to join their fierce rivals Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
at the end of the 1995-96 season, even posing for photos with his new shirt and buying his children replica kits before changing his mind and re-signing for City days later. This was due to former Norwich manager Mike Walker taking over the helm at Carrow Road following the sacking of Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
and his persuading Crook to stay. Crook had played under Walker for Norwich during his first spell as manager from 1992 to January 1994. Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
took it to court, with the local newspaper Evening Star carrying the headline "Get out of Town Crook and take that man Walker with you".
In 1997, he was signed by Eddie Thomson
Eddie Thomson
Eddie Thomson was a Scottish football player and coach.-Career:Born in Rosewell, Scotland, he played 162 games for Heart of Midlothian F.C. from 1966 to 1973, before moving to Aberdeen F.C. and playing a further 91 games with them...
for Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
is a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...
. He left the club in May 1998 and transferred to Northern Spirit FC
Northern Spirit FC
Northern Spirit Football Club was a football club based in North Sydney, Australia. Northern Spirit entered the National Soccer League in the 1998-99 season...
.
In 2002, Norwich fans voted Crook into the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame. In September of the same year he played at Carrow Road in the club's centenary match against Harwich & Parkeston F.C.
Harwich & Parkeston F.C.
Harwich & Parkeston F.C. is an English football club based in Harwich, Essex. The club are currently members of the Essex & Suffolk Border League and play at the Royal Oak ground.-History:...
. Crook remained a favourite with Norwich City supporters, and in 2008 he was voted in the Greatest Ever Norwich City eleven.
Managerial career
After leaving Japan, Crook played for and coached Northern Spirit FCNorthern Spirit FC
Northern Spirit Football Club was a football club based in North Sydney, Australia. Northern Spirit entered the National Soccer League in the 1998-99 season...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
before moving on to take his first managerial post at Newcastle Jets. In his first season in the 'Hunter region', he took the Jets from second bottom to second, earning him the NSL Coach of the year award. Following his successful time in Newcastle, Crook took on the job of coaching the American Samoa national football team, a team that had never scored a goal in a competitive international fixture. In early 2004 he was then appointed assistant coach for the Australian U20s team, before joining Sydney F.C. the following November, under manager Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Michael Littbarski is a German football manager and former player. He was mainly a winger or attacking midfielder and is best known for his brilliant dribbling abilities. He was a FIFA World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990. He was also runner–up twice in 1982 and 1986 with West Germany...
, winning the A-League title and attending the World Club Championships in 2005. After the 04-05 season Littbarski left the club following a contract dispute, and Crook remained at the club for another six months.
During his work in Australia, he was often linked with a possible return to Norwich, notably in the close-season of 2006, when Martin Hunter
Martin Hunter (football coach)
Martin Hunter is an English Football coach who was appointed Southampton Football Club's Under-21 manager on 13 July 2010.-The FA:Before joining The Football Association Hunter worked as the assistant manager at Bradford City and Stoke City...
was eventually appointed as coach in place of Steve Foley
Steve Foley
Steve Foley may refer to:*Steve Foley , drummer for The Replacements*Steve Foley , English association football coach*Steve Foley , English association football player...
. Following the departure of Peter Grant
Peter Grant (footballer)
Peter Grant is a Scottish former footballer and was, until October 2007, manager of Norwich City. This was Grant's first role in management, but he had previously held coaching jobs at Bournemouth, West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion...
from Norwich City in October 2007, Crook was again linked with the vacant manager's position.
In January 2007 Crook accepted the assistant manager's role at Japanese second division side Avispa Fukuoka
Avispa Fukuoka
For the record label, see Avispa. is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1 having been promoted from J. League Division 2 in the 2010 season. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish.-In Fujieda:The club was founded as...
to be reunited with Littbarski, but the pair were dismissed in July 2008. He was subsequently linked with new A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
club North Queensland Thunder FC, but instead was recruited for a second spell as manager at the Newcastle Jets.
On 21 January 2009 Crook was unveiled as first team coach for Norwich City alongside new manager and former team mate Bryan Gunn
Bryan Gunn
Bryan James Gunn is a Scottish former professional goalkeeper and football manager. After learning his trade with Aberdeen in the early 1980s, he spent most of his playing career at Norwich City, the club with which he came to be most closely associated...
. In June 2010 he returned to Australia, signing a two year contract as Director of Coaching for Sydney Olympic Football Club.. Ian left Sydney Olympic in 2010 to take up the position of Head Coach at the New South Wales Institute of Sport.
He returned to Sydney FC
Sydney FC
Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
in 2011, the club he helped coach to their inaugural Championship, this time working with former player Steve Corica
Steve Corica
Stephen Christopher Corica is a former Australian football player who last played for Australian A-League team Sydney FC. A technically gifted and skillful player playing primarily as an attacking midfielder, he is very versatile, able to play both centrally or out wide, or even pushed up as a...
and under former Czech International
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
Vitezslav Lavicka
Vítezslav Lavicka
Vítězslav Lavička is a Czech football manager and former player currently in charge of Australian A-League club Sydney FC.-Playing career:...
.
Club career statistics
|-|1997||rowspan="2"|Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
is a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...
||rowspan="2"|J. League 1||15||3||0||0||0||0||15||3
|-
|1998||9||1||0||0||0||0||9||1
24||4||0||0||0||0||24||4
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