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Garth CrooksFormer English footballer.
Date of Birth: 10.03.1958
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Early Life and Club Career
Garth Anthony Crooks was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to Jamaican parents. He began his professional football career in 1976 with his hometown club, Stoke City. The young striker quickly established himself as a key player for the team and earned a call-up to the England under-21 team, for whom he scored 3 goals in 4 matches.
Stoke City had a mixed record during this period, suffering relegation from the top division in the 1976/77 season but bouncing back in 1978/79, where they battled for survival.
Tottenham Hotspur
In 1980, Crooks was signed by Tottenham Hotspur, one of England's strongest clubs at the time. At Spurs, he formed a prolific strike partnership with Steve Archibald. In the 1980/81 season, Tottenham finished 10th in the league but won the FA Cup, defeating Manchester City in a replay (1-1; 3-2). Crooks scored a goal in the first match, becoming the first black player to score in an FA Cup Final. In the replay, Ricardo Villa scored a brace.
Tottenham won their second consecutive FA Cup in 1981/82, with Glenn Hoddle scoring both goals in the final against Queens Park Rangers (1-1; 1-0). They finished fourth in the league, which was dominated by Liverpool during those years.
Crooks played a key role in Tottenham's UEFA Cup victory in 1983/84, although he did not feature in the final matches due to losing his starting spot. He spent part of that season on loan at Manchester United.
Later Career
Crooks' final season at Tottenham was 1984/85, when the team finished third after several years of failing to reach the top three. He then moved to West Bromwich Albion, where he played for two seasons. In his first season, the team was relegated from the top division, but they recovered in the second, finishing mid-table.
Crooks ended his playing career with Charlton Athletic, where he featured from 1987 to 1990. The club was a struggling side in the top division during this period, avoiding relegation twice but eventually dropping down a league. Crooks retired from playing in 1990 due to a knee injury.
Post-Retirement
Despite his success at club level, Crooks never received a full cap for England. In 1988, he became the first black chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), a position he held for two years before retiring from it after his playing career ended.
