Biography
Diminutive outside left Brian Samuel Cripsey was born in Hull and joined the Tigers in November 1951 from local amateur side Hull Brunswick, having completed his National Service. He made his City debut a year later and for three seasons he struggled to establish himself as a first team regular ahead of experienced wingers Eddie Burbanks and Brian Bulless, although he did score his first City goal during that period, against Lincoln City on Boxing Day 1953. In the 1955/56 season Cripsey finally became a regular pick, coincidentally the season that City were relegated from the Second Division, and he maintained that status for two further years as the Tigers fought in the upper reaches of Division Three North. Brian’s best season in front of goal came in the 1957/58 season when he struck eight times, but by the start of the 1958/59 season, in which the Tigers would finally win promotion back to the Second Division, Cripsey was a peripheral figure and he left the club in September 1958.
In September 1958 Cripsey was lured away from his local club, joining North Wales based Division Three side Wrexham. He spent two seasons at the Racecourse Ground but failed to make his mark, making only 27 senior starts for the Robins and scoring three goals. In July 1960 he headed back to the East Riding and signed for Bridlington Town. Subsequent spells at Bridlington Trinity and Goole Town preceded Cripsey emigrating to New Zealand, where he played for North Shore United and had a second career as a laboratory technician.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 26 June 1931, Hull
Hull City First Game: 3 January 1953, Brentford A (Division Two), 21 years, 191 days old
Hull City Final Game: 15 September 1958, Notts County H (Division Three), 27 years, 81 days old
Clubs
Hull City (1951-1958), Wrexham (1958-1960), Bridlington Town (1960-1961), Bridlington Trinity (1961-1962), Goole Town (1962-1963), North Shore United
Hull City Record
Career: 159 apps, 20 goals
Brian Cripsey| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951/52 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1952/53 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1953/54 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1954/55 | 10 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1955/56 | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1956/57 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1957/58 | 35 | 8 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1958/59 | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Just talked to his brother Steven, Brian is 90 years old tomorrow
Can remember getting his signature in 50’s. Seemed a really nice man.