Peter Harry Lewis Croker (21 December 1921 – 7 December 2011) was an English footballer,[2] who played as a full-back in the Football League for Charlton Athletic and Watford and in non-league football for Bromley and Gravesend & Northfleet.[3][4] Prior to his death, he was the last survivor from Charlton's 1947 FA Cup Final-winning team.[5][6][7] He missed the 1946 FA Cup Final through injury.[7]

Peter Croker
Personal information
Full name Peter Harry Lewis Croker[1]
Date of birth (1921-12-21)21 December 1921[1]
Place of birth Kingston upon Thames, England
Date of death 7 December 2011(2011-12-07) (aged 89)[1]
Place of death Bexley, England
Position(s) Full back
Youth career
Kingston YMCA
Leyland Motors
Kingston-upon-Thames
1940–1941 Charlton Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Bromley
Charlton Rovers
1941–1952 Charlton Athletic 59 (0)
Bromley (guest)
1945Brentford (guest) 1 (0)
1952–1953 Watford 23 (0)
Gravesend & Northfleet
Harvey Sports
0000–1956 Greenwich
Managerial career
1965–1966 Charlton Athletic (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Coaching and administrative career

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Beginning in 1956, Croker served Charlton Athletic as youth team manager, scout and assistant manager.[3] He also scouted for Blackpool and Sunderland and later became chairman of the South East Counties League.[3]

Personal life

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His great-nephew Eric Dier is also a professional footballer. His brother Ted Croker was the secretary of The Football Association between 1973 and 1989. At the time of his retirement in May 1994, Croker had been working as a solicitor. Peter Croker died at age 89.[7][8]

Honours

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Club

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Charlton Athletic

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Peter Croker". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Roster: Peter Croker". Charlton Athletic Former Players Association. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  3. ^ a b c "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2017 » Players – Clark to Crussell" (PDF). p. 39. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  4. ^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 378. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. ^ Atkin, Ronald (20 February 2005). "Back-to-front Dublin dumbfounds Charlton". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Addicks mourn Cup legend Johnson". Bexley Times. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d Wright, Matt (8 December 2011). "Club saddened by Croker's death". Charlton Athletic Football Club. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Eric Dier to Tottenham? Spurs closing in on £4m deal for Sporting". Independent.co.uk. August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.