Like many players since, Billy Crooks won Irish international recognition, but failed to make an impact on the Manchester United first team...Name: William James Crooks
Born: 12 December 1899, Belfast
Died: 3 Augusy 1956, Belfast [aged 56]
Height:
Weight:
Position: Inside-Forward
Reprsentative Honours: Ireland: 1 Full Cap (1922); Irish League: 3 Caps (1921).
Club Honours: (with Glentoran) Irish League Champion 1920/21, 1930/31; Irish Cup Winner 1920/21, 1932/33; City Cup Winner 1931/32; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1920/21; Charity Cup Winner 1982/29; (Belfast Celtic) Irish League Champion 1925/26.
Club Career:
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Teams
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Seasons
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Signed
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Fee
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League
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FA Cup
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Other
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St
Galls
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-
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-
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-
|
-
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-
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-
|
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Glentoran
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18/19-21/22
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-
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-
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*51/ 18
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-
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-
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Manchester
United
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22/23
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c/s-1922
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-
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0/ 0
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-
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-
|
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New
Brighton
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23/24-24/25
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c/s-1923
|
-
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33/ 7
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-
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-
|
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Belfast
Celtic
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-
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-1925
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-
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-
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-
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-
|
|
Larne
|
-
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-
|
-
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-
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-
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-
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Glentoran
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28/29-32/33
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-1928
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-
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*161/ 91
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-
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-
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TOTALS
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-
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£-
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245/116
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-
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-
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Biography:
A diminutive goalscoring inside-forward, Billy "Willis" Crooks began his career with St Galls in West Belfast, before signing for Glentoran. In two spells at the Oval Crooks scored over 100 goals in over 200 games, and picked up medals in the Irish League, Irish Cup, City Cup and Charity Cup, only the Gold Cup evading his grasp.
Crooks left Glentoran for the first time in 1922, signing for Manchester United. In a season at Old Trafford he failed to make an impact, though it was during this time that he earned his only cap, and he moved on to New Brighton in 1923.
After 33 Football League appearances Crooks returned to Belfast in 1925, signing for the club he had supported as a boy, Belfast Celtic.
Glentoran re-signed Crooks in 1928, and in 1930/31 he scored 21 Irish League goals (32 in all competitions) to bring the title back to the Oval. In 1933 he was one of four players (including Fred Roberts) released by the Glentoran board, despite having found the net a total of 20 times that season.
Ireland Cap Details:
01-04-1922 Wales... H D 1-1 BC
Summary: 1/0. Won 0, Drew 1, Lost 0.
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