# Ted Croker

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**Edgar Alfred Croker** (13 February 1924 – 25 December 1992) was an English [football](/source/Association_football) player and administrator. He was Secretary of [the Football Association](/source/The_Football_Association) from 1973 to 1989.

## Life and career

Born in [Kingston-upon-Thames](/source/Kingston-upon-Thames) in 1924, Croker joined the [RAF](/source/Royal_Air_Force) as a pilot in 1942. He sustained injuries in a crash which hampered his later football career. In the late 1940s and 1950s he played as a [defender](/source/Defender_(association_football)) for [Charlton Athletic](/source/Charlton_Athletic_F.C.), [Dartford](/source/Dartford), Headington United (later [Oxford United](/source/Oxford_United_F.C.))[1] and [Kidderminster Harriers](/source/Kidderminster_Harriers_F.C.).

He lived in [Cheltenham](/source/Cheltenham) in the 1950s, where he founded the heavy machinery company Liner-Croker Ltd. The company, specializing in earth-moving equipment, grew successfully throughout the 1960s. He sold the company in 1973. [The Football Association](/source/The_Football_Association), anxious to improve the commercial aspects of football, appointed him secretary in 1973 to succeed the retiring [Denis Follows](/source/Denis_Follows). The position was effectively that of chief executive, overseeing the day-to-day running of the FA. In 1974,[2] he proposed the current format for the [Charity Shield](/source/FA_Community_Shield), with the match to be played between the champions of the top division of the [Football League](/source/English_Football_League) (now the [Premier League](/source/Premier_League)), and [FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup) winners (or first and second in the League if one team wins both) at [Wembley Stadium](/source/Wembley_Stadium), as an introduction to each new football season.[3] Much of his time at the FA was dogged by problems. The [Heysel Stadium Disaster](/source/Heysel_Stadium_Disaster) and the demise of the [Home International Championship](/source/Home_International_Championship) both occurred during his period of leadership.

In 1987, Croker became president of [Cheltenham Town](/source/Cheltenham_Town_F.C.), a post that he occupied until his death.† He was appointed [Commander of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (CBE) in the [1989 Birthday Honours](/source/1989_Birthday_Honours).[4]

Towards the end of his career Croker suffered from ill-health. He retired from the Football Association in February 1989, to be succeeded by [Graham Kelly](/source/Graham_Kelly_(football_administrator)), who assumed the role of chief executive, rather than secretary. Croker died at the age of 68 on Christmas Day in 1992.

His grandson, [Eric Dier](/source/Eric_Dier), is a professional footballer, who plays as a defender for AS Monaco. His brother, [Peter Croker](/source/Peter_Croker), was also a professional footballer, playing for [Charlton Athletic](/source/Charlton_Athletic_F.C.) in the [1947 FA Cup Final](/source/1947_FA_Cup_Final).[5]

## References

### Print

- *The First Voice You Will Hear Is...*, by Ted Croker, [Collins](/source/HarperCollins) 1987, ISBN 0-00-218086-3
- †Cheltenham Town programme versus Worcester City, January 1993

### Internet

1. ["Statistics for Ted Croker"](https://archive.today/20130421025117/http://www.rageonline.co.uk/mainpage.php?type=player&player_id=547). Rage Online. Archived from [the original](http://www.rageonline.co.uk/mainpage.php?type=player&player_id=547) on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2012.

1. [Main reference](http://www.crokerfamily.co.uk/): *CrokerFamily.co.uk* website.

1. [Charity Shield format](http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACommunityShield/), Croker's idea: [TheFA.com](/source/The_Football_Association) website.

1. United Kingdom list: No. 51772. 16 June 1989. p. 7.

1. ["Eric Dier to Tottenham? Spurs closing in on £4m deal for Sporting"](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/eric-dier-to-tottenham-spurs-closing-in-on-4m-deal-for-sporting-lisbons-english-born-centre-back-9640295.html). *[Independent.co.uk](/source/Independent.co.uk)*. August 2014. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/eric-dier-to-tottenham-spurs-closing-in-on-4m-deal-for-sporting-lisbons-english-born-centre-back-9640295.html) 26 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ted Croker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Croker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Croker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.