A former Spalding United player features in a forthcoming book about how a South Yorkshire footballer-turned-scout provided players to more than 80 Football League clubs.
Feeding the Wolves – the story of Mark Crook’s Wath Wanderers, published by Lincolnshire author Steve Penny, is due out in December and tells the remarkable tale of how the former Wolverhampton Wanderers winger set up his own academy. He produced and discovered more than 110 players who went on to play professional football between 1939 and 1979.
Among them were World Cup winners Ron Flowers and Terry Cooper, FA Cup winners, League champions and some of the country’s top managers, including Keith Burkinshaw and Ken Knighton. He also had a hand in the development of the Charlton brothers, Alan Ball and Cyril Knowles.
The players discovered by Crook include the Tulips’ Mike Kent, who played for Crook’s junior Wolves side, alongside future Arsenal and England star Alan Sunderland. He made two appearances for the Wanderers first team before turning out for Gillingham, Sheffield Wednesday and in South Africa, as well as Spalding.
Do you remember Kent’s stint in a Tulips shirt? Did any other Wolves old boys turn out for the club? Share your memories by emailing [email protected]
The 160-page book will cost £22 but pre-orders are now being taken for just £12 (plus £3 postage) until September 30 with the option of having your name included in the list of subscribers in the book.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/CrookBook25 to order your copy.
