This article was originally publish in Two Footed Tackle Fanzine Issue 21 - February 2002
JUNIOR CROOKS – R.I.P - A BROMLEY LEGEND
On
13th December 2001 former Bromley legend Junior Crooks died of a
heart attack at the age of 50. Most of
you will have been too young to have seen him play, but believe me he was truly
a gifted footballer and lit up Hayes Lane whenever he played there.
He
was playing for Bromley the first time I went to a game in October 1977 and was
a feature of John Biddle’s successful side that eventually gained promotion to
the Isthmian Premier Division. It was Junior himself who scored the winning
goal in the Kent Senior Cup Final that season and he also hit a spectacular
goal against Finchley that secured our promotion in April 1981. Swindon Town
were rumoured to have put a bid in for him after his display against them in the
first round of the FA Cup, which he turned down!
He
started his career at Charlton before moving into Non-League with Cray, this at
a time when it was far from easy being a black guy in the world of football,
let alone everyday life!
He
came to Bromley with manager John Biddle and soon earned the status of crowd
favourite.
I
can remember him warming up as a sub one Tuesday and as he ran along the touch
line the large group behind the goal chanted ‘Junior! Junior!’ and huge cheer
went up when he eventually came on to torment the oppositions defence. After
leaving Bromley he went to Hampton, Tilbury and eventually finished his playing
days in the Kent League with Thamesmead at the age of 40 in 1991.
I’m
not afraid to say he was a hero to me and this was further assured when he gave
me and my Dad a lift home from a game one Tuesday night when he‘d seen us walking back up the
Lane and spotted my Bromley scarf. I was too awe struck to speak! A footballing genius and a gentleman.
I’ve
definitely recalled this before but I’ll write it again, when I was in the
playground at school all the kids wanted to be Kevin Keegan or Dalglish, I
wanted to be Junior Crooks.
