John Crabbe

Football player infobox| playername= John Crabbe
fullname = Stephen Allan John Crabbe
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1954|10|20cite book | first=Roger|last= Triggs | title=The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club| publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd | year=2001| id=ISBN 0-7524-2243-X|pages=96]
dateofdeath=
cityofdeath=
cityofbirth = Weymouth
countryofbirth = England
countryofdeath =
height = height|ft=5|in=8
currentclub = n/a
clubnumber =n/a
position = Midfielder
youthyears = 1970–1972
youthclubs = Southampton
years=1972–1977
1976
1977–1981
1981–1982
1982–1983
1983–1985
1985–1986
1986–1987
1987–1990
1990–1992
1992–1997
clubs=Southampton
→ Hellenic (loan)
Gillingham
Carlisle United
Hereford United
Crewe Alexandra
Torquay United
Crawley Town
Canterbury City
Ashford Town
Whitstable Town
caps(goals)=012 0(0)
"unknown"
181 (12)
026 0(4)
016 0(2)cite book | first=Barry J.|last= Hugman | title=Canon League Football Players' Records 1946-1984| publisher=Newnes Books | year=1984| id=ISBN 0-6003-7318-5|pages=p374]
075 0(7)
029 0(2)Cite web
url = http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/johncrabbe.htm
title = John Crabbe
accessdate = 2007-09-13
publisher = Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database

]
"unknown"
"unknown"
"unknown"
"unknown"
nationalcaps(goals) =
managerclubs=WeymouthCite web
url = http://www.theterras.co.uk/website/news%202006/05%20May/Too%20long%20in%20the%20wilderness.htm
title = Too long in the wilderness| accessdate = 2007-09-13|date=2006-05-03|author=Nigel Biddlecombe| publisher = The Dorset Echo]
manageryears=1997
pcupdate = 13 September 2007

Stephen Allan John Crabbe (born Weymouth, 20 October 1954) is an English former professional football (soccer) player. He played for six Football League clubs, with his most successful spell coming at Gillingham.

Playing career

Crabbe, nicknamed "Buster" after the actor, began his career with Southampton where he graduated through the youth channels before making his debut in the FA Cup match against West Ham United on 4 January 1975, replacing David Peach who had been dropped following a poor performance in the previous league match. Described as "a tenacious midfielder", [cite book | author=Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk | title=In That Number - A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC | publisher=Hagiology | year=2003|pages=p.498| id=ISBN 0-9534474-3-X] Crabbe retained his place for the next few Division Two matches before the arrival of Jim McCalliog at the end of January. He made occasional appearances over the rest of the year but found it hard to break into the team on a permanent basis. In March 1976 he was loaned to Hellenic in South Africa.

Upon his return to English football in January 1977 he was sold to Gillingham for £10,000. He quickly became a first team regular at Priestfield Stadium and went on to make over 180 Football League appearances, a figure which would have been higher had he not spent a long spell on the sidelines after breaking his arm in 1979.

In 1981 Crabbe moved to Carlisle United, where he helped the team gain promotion to the Second Division a year later. Shortly after this he moved to Hereford United and later had spells with Crewe Alexandra and Torquay United before dropping into non-league football in 1986 where he played for Crawley Town, Canterbury City, Ashford Town and Whitstable Town, serving as player-coach at the latter two clubs.

Managerial career

After hanging up his boots Crabbe returned to his hometown as coach of Weymouth in July 1997 under manager Neil Webb. He was promoted to manager upon Webb's departure just three months later, but was himself dismissed before the end of the year. He later had a spell as assistant manager at Lordswood.

References