538 Stuart Croft

Biography

Stuart Croft was a rock solid centre half at City throughout the 1970s. He hailed from Ashington in the Northumberland coal fields, but joined City as an apprentice in the early 1970s and broke into the first team in an Anglo-Italian Cup tie against Verona in April 1973. After a couple of years in the reserves Croft was introduced into the first team more regularly by manager John Kaye from November 1974 onwards. For the next two and a half seasons Crofty was practically an ever present. City changed managers often in the late 1970s and Croft was in and out of the side as a result. Injuries also took their toll and it wasn’t until 1979/80 season that he was again a regular pick. As the 1980s dawned, City were rebuilding their squad and suffering financial hardship as a result. Croft left the Tigers in March 1981, but not before he scored a vital Cup goal at Elland Road against his Northumberland rivals Blyth Spartans.

Croft signed for Portsmouth in March 1981 but he only made half a dozen league appearances for Pompey before he returned north in August 1981 and signed for York City. A few months later he joined Bridlington Trinity, his final club.

By 2014 Croft was proprietor of a club in Bentley, near Doncaster.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 12 April 1954, Ashington
Hull City First Game: 4 April 1973, Verona H (Anglo Italian Cup Group Stage), 18 years, 357 days old
Hull City Final Game: 3 January 1981, Doncaster Rovers H (FA Cup Third Round), 26 years, 266 days old

Clubs

Hull City (1972-1981), Portsmouth (1981), York City (1981), Bridlington Trinity

Hull City Record

Career: 215 apps, 6 goals

Stuart Croft
SeasonLGE
App
LGE
Gls
FAC
App
FAC
Gls
FLC
App
FLC
Gls
EUR
App
EUR
Gls
OTH
App
OTH
Gls
1971/72----------
1972/731 (0)0------1 (0)0
1973/74----------
1974/7518 (3)12 (0)1------
1975/7641 (0)13 (0)03 (0)0--1 (0)0
1976/7738 (0)12 (0)01 (0)0--2 (0)0
1977/7819 (0)0--2 (0)0----
1978/7924 (0)01 (0)03 (0)0----
1979/8039 (0)1--------
1980/817 (0)04 (0)1------

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