CROYDON COMMON FOOTBALL CLUB

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KEY PLAYERS

 

Although not internationals or F.A. Cup finalists, the following gave good service to the club.

PERCY BARNFATHER had three spells at Croydon Common and held several goalscoring and appearance records for the club.   He also played for Barnsley, Norwich City and Merthyr Town.

Rising through the ranks from Private to Captain, he won the Military Cross in World War 1.

 Much travelled HERBERT KINGABY was the subject of a contract test case in the courts when, wishing to leave Aston Villa, he challenged the "retain and transfer" contract system.  The Bosman of his day, except that he lost the case.

A summary of the case can be found here.
       
BILLY BUSHELL also played for Luton Town, Norwich City (in the club's first ever Southern League game) and Brentford. FRED ROUSE played for several top Football League clubs of the day, including Everton, Chelsea and WBA.  He was reputedly Chelsea's first £1,000 signing.
       
ALBERT GOODMAN scored five goals in Croydon Common's penultimate match.  He later joined Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic.  He was nicknamed "Kosher" for obvious reasons. BOB SPOTTISWOOD played several years for Crystal Palace after leaving the Robins.  When the Crystal Palace chairman referred in the Daily Mail to Spottiswood's "ruination by betting", he sued the writer, the newspaper and the club for libel.  With the assistance of the Players' Union, he won an out of court settlement of £50.
       
ARTHUR HUTCHINS held the Croydon Common record for goals scored from the penalty spot.  He later played seven seasons at full back for Arsenal. WILLIAM TAYLOR joined the club from West Ham.  He played in Croydon Common's first league and F.A.Cup matches and ended up with 140 appearances for the club.
       
JACK LITTLE was related by marriage to his full back partner HUTCHINS.  He later joined Arsenal and then had several seasons with Crystal Palace in the 1920s.

He once played 87 consecutive matches for Crystal Palace before injury ended the run and he was presented with a cigarette lighter by the club to mark the achievement.  A smoking related gift for a sportsman - how times change!		 Born in Peshawar, just 10 miles from the Khyber Pass, GEORGE HUNTER played in Croydon Common's first (1907) and last (1917) professional matches.

In the intervening years, he played for Aston Villa (where he won a Football League championship medal in 1909-1910), Oldham, Chelsea and Manchester United.