Croot: Frederick Richard (Fred)

1907-1918 (Leeds City Player Details) (Leeds City War-time Guest Player Details)

Outside Left

Born: Little Harrowden, Near Rushden, Northamptonshire: 30-11-1885

Debut: v Glossop (h): 02-09-1907

5’7” 12st 2lb (1907)

Croot started with Northamptonshire Southern League team, Wellingborough in 1904-05, scoring three goals in thirty-three gamesand left when they finished bottom of that League in that season and the club changed its name to Wellingborough Town before recommencing the following season. He joined First Division Sheffield United in the closed season and first played for them in at the City Ground, Nottingham on 28th October 1905, when he was still not quite twenty. Forest easily won the game by 4-1. It was to be his only game for the Blades in that season. He could not establish himself at Bramall Lane playing only eight games in his two seasons there and not finding the net at all. He made the move to Leeds City in May 1907 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular and crowd favourite. He was an ever-present in his first season, scoring nine in thirty-eight and played sixty consecutive League games before missing his first game, in a 1-5 loss to Derby County at the Baseball Ground on 23rd January 1909, the only game he missed in his second season at Elland Road which saw him having accumulated eleven goals in seventy-five League appearances. He accumulated appearances at a rapid rate, missing only a handful of games as a fixture on the left wing for City. He was also a regular scorer and was City’s second highest goal-scorer in League football, after Billy McLeod, and was also United’s second on City’s all-time appearances list, once again being second to Billy McLeod. Ironically, it was from Fred’s fine crosses that McLeod scored many of his goals. He was also City’s regular penalty-taker for four seasons from 1909-10 to 1913-14 scoring sixteen times from the spot in that time. This included two in one game at Barnsley on 11th April 1912 before the half-time whistle. He had quickly accumulated the milestones with seven goals in thirty-five League games in 1909-10, eight goals in thirty League games in 1910-11, seven goals from thirty-two games in in 1911-12 and five goals from thirty-two games in 1912-13. He did not play for City in the War-time fixtures, as he worked in a munitions factory and it was a protected industry, so his contribution from that point onwards to the war cause increased and consequently his Leeds City action was severely reduced. Scoring just once in his ten appearances in 1913-14 and finally he did not find the net in five appearances in the 1914-15 season. His final League appearance for Leeds City in a 2-3 home defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers on 6th April 1915. After making thirteen appearances in the initial 1915-16 season, until his very final appearance in the Leeds colours, when he turned out for City in the away fixture at Leeds Road in the Subsidiary Tournament defeat against Huddersfield Town by 4-2 on 16th March 1918. In 1916, he was loaned to Scottish Amateur team, Stevenston United for 1916-17 but then was loaned to Rangers where, between his debut against Partick Thistle in January 1917 and a win over Aberdeen at the beginning of March, before joining Clydebank later in 1917, he scored once when he got the third goal in a 3-0 away win on 17th February 1917 in front of a 5,000 crowd, in nine games. He left City to join Scottish club Clydebank before the start of the 1917 -18 season. He scored once in sixteen League games in 1917-18 and played seven times without scoring in the 1919-20. Having joined East Stirlingshire in February 1920, he didn’t make an appearance for The Shire and (appears to have) retired the same year. He died in his hometown of Rushden on 5th July 1958. He was without doubt one of City’s best and most consistent players and was very popular with the crowd for his outstanding contributions and performances.