Ray Crawford / John Pender

sillav nitram

Different decades I know but didn’t want to put two threads up.

Seem to remember being quite excited when Crawford joined in 69. Looking at his stats, says he only played 21 times and scored 7 goals. Can’t remember if he joined beginning or half way through the season, anyone have any memories of him playing for us, mine are too vague?

Pender I thought was a decent player, I think he was signed, along with John Humphries from Wolves, was it by Lennie?

He sprang to mind because of the Steve/Emma Thompson thread thought they were a good pairing, with Steve not Emma;)

But think he only stayed one season, not sure why he left, any thoughts?

DaveMehmet

sillav nitram said:

Different decades I know but didn’t want to put two threads up.

Seem to remember being quite excited when Crawford joined in 69. Looking at his stats, says he only played 21 times and scored 7 goals. Can’t remember if he joined beginning or half way through the season, anyone have any memories of him playing for us, mine are too vague?

Pender I thought was a decent player, I think he was signed, along with John Humphries from Wolves, was it by Lennie?

He sprang to mind because of the Steve/Emma Thompson thread thought they were a good pairing, with Steve not Emma;)

But think he only stayed one season, not sure why he left, any thoughts?

He was another key player in the promotion year, signed by Lawrence. Think he got injured either at the end of the promotion or beginning of the following season and never got back into the team.

Big William

I read somewhere Ray Crawford fell out with Eddie Firmani, or I think more exactly his wife wound up Firmani by wanting better wages for her husband. There’s some footage around of Crawford scoring an overhead kick at the old den at the start of the 69-70 season, he was a good player alright.

Pender got back about 18 months after we got promoted and got injured down at Plough Lane. That was the last we saw of him, he went to Burnley I think.

Lewis Coaches

John Pender seem to remember got a bad injury at Plough Lane which didn,t help him but a very good centre half alongside Steve Thompson.

Ray Crawford will Always be remember for the goal he scored at The Den 1-1.

Kap10

Big William said:

I read I somewhere Ray Crawford fell out with Eddie Firmani, or I think more exactly his wife wound up Firmani by wanting better wages for her husband. There’s some footage around of Crawford scoring an overhead kick at the old den at the start of the 69-70 season, he was a good player alright.

Pender got back about 18 months after we got promoted and got injured down at Plough Lane. That was the last we saw of him, he went to Burnley I think.

I tgink Ray Crawford was the first season I came down to the Valley, so not much memory of him, other than at the real back end of his career he knocked mighty dirty Leeds out of the FA Cup playing for Colchester.

John Pender was a great player for us in the promotion season by which time I was a fan as opposed to an occasional visitor to the Valley. Key player in that team.

East Kent Addick

Pender also found his way back into the first team blocked by Peter Shirtliff

sillav nitram

East Kent Addick said:

Pender also found his way back into the first team blocked by Peter Shirtliff

And I guess the rest is history, as they say.

thai malaysia addick

I remember Ray Crawford playing for us. He looked slow but he looked a cut above anyone else on the pitch. He had some very neat touches and took his goals well.

Pedro45

Crawford was good but to play him, we had to break up the Tees Treacy partnership. Crawford didn't quite fit playing alongside either of them, so didn't quite click. He did fall out with FIrmani. I saw him and his wife in Cheesemans in Lewisham one day and got his autograph. He said he hoped to be back in the team soon, but I don't think he ever did play for us again.

WhenIwasLittleBoy

Some good signings made during that pre season. Pender and Humphrey (Both Wolves) George Shipperly and Steve Thompson (Both Lincoln) Mark Reid, John Person, also with the emergence of Stuart and Lee as well as the experience of Flanagan, Aizlewood and Curbishley we were a great team that year.

Richard J

John Pender came from Wolves and was a key member of the 1985/86 promotion team and then got injured .

As others have said that summer we brought Peter Shirtliff and later in the season Paul Miller . I think he did make a comeback and played a few more games but was sold to Bristol City in October 1987 during our second season in the First Division . He later moved on to Burnley where he was very successful , Wigan and Rochdale .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pender_(footballer)

SporadicAddick

Richard J said:

John Pender came from Wolves and was a key member of the 1985/86 promotion team and then got injured .

As others have said that summer we brought Peter Shirtliff and later in the season Paul Miller . I think he did make a comeback and played a few more games but was sold to Bristol City in October 1987 during our second season in the First Division . He later moved on to Burnley where he was very successful , Wigan and Rochdale .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pender_(footballer)

I don't remember him looking that dapper

masicat

I think there was a situation that ended with Ray Crawford being sacked. Not sure how that is possible, but I’m sure it happened.

Richard J

SporadicAddick said:

Richard J said:

John Pender came from Wolves and was a key member of the 1985/86 promotion team and then got injured .

As others have said that summer we brought Peter Shirtliff and later in the season Paul Miller . I think he did make a comeback and played a few more games but was sold to Bristol City in October 1987 during our second season in the First Division . He later moved on to Burnley where he was very successful , Wigan and Rochdale .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pender_(footballer)

I don't remember him looking that dapper

Sorry the Wiki link didn't work .

It said he now lives in Telford .