Frederick Glover Craig (16 January 1891 – 30 August 1966) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, best remembered for his two spells with Plymouth Argyle, for whom he made over 430 appearances in the Southern League and the Football League. Craig made more appearances for the club than any other goalkeeper.[3]
 Craig while with Plymouth Argyle in 1921 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frederick Glover Craig[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 January 1891 | ||
| Place of birth | Larkhall, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 30 August 1966 (aged 75)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Larkhall, Scotland[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1909 | Glenview | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1909–1910 | Larkhall United | ||
| 1910–1911 | Ross Rovers | ||
| 1911–1912 | Larkhall Thistle | ||
| 1912–1915 | Plymouth Argyle | 38 | (0) |
| Royal Albert | |||
| St Johnstone | |||
| 1915–1916 | Vale of Leven | ||
| 1916–1917 | Hamilton Academical | 42 | (0) |
| 1917 | Brentford | 1 | (0) |
| 1918 | Ayr United | 3 | (0) |
| 1918–1919 | Motherwell | 29 | (0) |
| 1919 | Clydebank | 1 | (0) |
| 1919 | Larkhall Thistle | ||
| 1919–1930 | Plymouth Argyle | 401 | (5) |
| 1930–1931 | Barrow | 14 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editA goalkeeper, Craig began his career in Scottish junior football,[4] before moving to England to join Southern League First Division club Plymouth Argyle in 1912.[5] He made just four appearances during the 1912–13 season, in which Argyle won the Southern League First Division title.[5] He succeeded Titch Horne as Argyle's first choice goalkeeper midway through 1914–15, but the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 led to the cessation of competitive football in England at the end of the season, for the duration of the conflict.[6]
Craig returned to Scotland to play competitive Scottish League football during the war and turned out for several clubs (most notably Hamilton Academical and Motherwell),[7][8] before re-joining Plymouth Argyle in time for the beginning of the 1919–20 season.[2] Argyle were elevated into the Football League Third Division for the 1920–21 season and Craig remained with the club until the end of the 1929–30 season, when he captained the team to the Third Division South championship.[5][6] During his 14 seasons at Home Park, Craig made 467 appearances and scored five goals.[5] Towards the end of his Argyle career, he occasionally filled in as the team's penalty taker.[6] Craig finished his career with a short spell at Third Division North club Barrow.[1]
International career
editIn 1923, Craig was selected for the Home Scots v Anglo-Scots international trial match alongside Plymouth Argyle teammate Patsy Corcoran (with whom he had also played at Hamilton Academical), though neither gained a full cap.[9]
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Plymouth Argyle | 1912–13[5] | Southern League First Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1913–14[5] | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1914–15[5] | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| Hamilton Academical | 1915–16[10] | Scottish League Division One | 9 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| 1916–17[11] | 29 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |||
| 1917–18[12] | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | |||
| Ayr United | 1917–18[2] | Scottish League Division One | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Motherwell | 1918–19[2] | Scottish League Division One | 29 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |
| Clyde | 1918–19[2] | Scottish League Division One | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| Plymouth Argyle | 1919–20[5] | Southern League First Division | 40 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| 1920–21[5] | Third Division | 42 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 1921–22[5] | Third Division South | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 1922–23[5] | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| 1923–24[5] | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 1924–25[5] | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 1925–26[5] | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 1926–27[5] | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| 1927–28[5] | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| 1928–29[5] | 40 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||
| 1929–30[5] | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 1 | ||
| Total | 439 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 467 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 514 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 542 | 5 | ||
Honours
edit- Plymouth Argyle
- Southern League First Division: 1912–13[5]
- Football League Third Division South: 1929–30[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Joyce, Michael (16 October 2012). Football League Players' Records 1888–1939 (3rd Revised ed.). Tony Brown. p. 69. ISBN 9781905891610.
- ^ a b c d e f Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
- ^ "Keep On Keeping On". www.pafc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ "Craig Fred Plymouth Argyle 1922". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Fred Craig". GoS-DB. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ^ a b c "Greatest Pilgrim Goalkeepers: 15–11". www.pafc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "Craig, Fred (1916)". Hamilton Academical Memory Bank. 17 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "Frederick Craig". Motherwellnet. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "Football | International Trial Match". The Glasgow Herald. 21 March 1923. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "1915–16". docs.google.com. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ "1916–17". docs.google.com. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ "1917–18". docs.google.com. Retrieved 29 December 2018.