Ted Croker
Encyclopedia
Edgar Alfred Croker (13 February 1924 – 25 December 1992) was an English
football
administrator. He was Secretary of the Football Association
from 1973 to 1989.
as a pilot in 1942. He sustained injuries in a crash which hampered his later football career. In the late 1940s and 1950s he played as a defender for Charlton Athletic
, Dartford
and Kidderminster Harriers
.
He lived in Cheltenham
in the 1950s, where he founded the heavy machinery company Liner-Croker Ltd. The company, specializing in earth-moving equipment, grew successfully throughout the 1960s. He sold the company in 1973. The Football Association, anxious to improve the commercial aspects of football, appointed him Secretary in 1973 to succeed the retiring Denis Follows
. The position was effectively that of Chief Executive, overseeing the day-to-day running of the FA. In 1974, he proposed the current format for the Charity Shield, with the match to be played between the champions of the top division of the Football League
(now the Premier League), and FA Cup
winners (or first and second in the League if one team wins both) at Wembley Stadium
, as an introduction to each new football season. Much of his time at the FA was dogged by problems. The Heysel Stadium Disaster
, the Hillsborough Disaster
and the demise of the Home International Championship all occurred during his period of leadership.
His autobiography, "First Voice You Will Hear Is", was published on 7 September 1987.
In 1987 he became President of Cheltenham Town
, a post that he occupied until his death.†
Towards the end of his career Croker suffered from ill-health. He retired from the Football Association in 1989, to be succeeded by Graham Kelly
, who assumed the role of Chief Executive, rather than Secretary. Croker died at the age of 68 on Christmas Day, 1992.
His grandson Eric Dier
is a professional footballer. His brother Peter Croker
played for Charlton Athletic
in the 1947 FA Cup
final.
Print
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
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...
administrator. He was Secretary of the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
from 1973 to 1989.
Life and Career
Born in Kingston-upon-Thames in 1924, Croker joined the RAFRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a pilot in 1942. He sustained injuries in a crash which hampered his later football career. In the late 1940s and 1950s he played as a defender for Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
and Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
.
He lived in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
in the 1950s, where he founded the heavy machinery company Liner-Croker Ltd. The company, specializing in earth-moving equipment, grew successfully throughout the 1960s. He sold the company in 1973. The Football Association, anxious to improve the commercial aspects of football, appointed him Secretary in 1973 to succeed the retiring Denis Follows
Denis Follows
Sir Denis Follows, CBE was a British sports administrator. Between 1962 and 1975 he was Secretary of the Football Association and from 1977 was Chairman of the British Olympic Association. He was educated at the universities of London and Nottingham, and was President of the National Union of...
. The position was effectively that of Chief Executive, overseeing the day-to-day running of the FA. In 1974, he proposed the current format for the Charity Shield, with the match to be played between the champions of the top division of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
(now the Premier League), and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners (or first and second in the League if one team wins both) at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, as an introduction to each new football season. Much of his time at the FA was dogged by problems. The Heysel Stadium Disaster
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...
, the Hillsborough Disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
and the demise of the Home International Championship all occurred during his period of leadership.
His autobiography, "First Voice You Will Hear Is", was published on 7 September 1987.
In 1987 he became President of Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
, a post that he occupied until his death.†
Towards the end of his career Croker suffered from ill-health. He retired from the Football Association in 1989, to be succeeded by Graham Kelly
Graham Kelly (football)
Graham Kelly is an English football administrator. He was Secretary of the Football League and Chief executive of the Football Association from 1989 to 1998....
, who assumed the role of Chief Executive, rather than Secretary. Croker died at the age of 68 on Christmas Day, 1992.
His grandson Eric Dier
Eric Dier
Eric Dier is an English professional footballer who plays for Everton, on loan from Portuguese club Sporting CP.-Early life and youth career:...
is a professional footballer. His brother Peter Croker
Peter Croker
Peter Croker is an English former footballer born in Kingston, Surrey, who played as a fullback in the Football League for Charlton Athletic and Watford and in non-league football for Bromley and Gravesend & Northfleet. He is the only survivor from Charlton's 1947 FA Cup Final-winning team.He...
played for Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
in the 1947 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final.
- The first voice you will hear is..., by Ted Croker, CollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
1987, ISBN 0002180863 - †Cheltenham Town programme versus Worcester City, January 1993