Laurie Craker

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Laurie Craker

|image =

|caption =

|fullname = Laurence David Craker{{Hugman|4285|accessdate=23 July 2020}}

|birth_date = {{birth date|1953|3|1|df=y}}

|birth_place = Aylesbury, England

|death_date = {{death date and age|2020|5|16|1953|3|1|df=y}}

|death_place =

|height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}{{Cite book |last=Butler |first=Frank |title=News of the World Football Annual 1973–74 |last2=Collins |first2=Patrick |year=1973 |location=London |pages=308}}

|position = Midfielder

|youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1971

|youthclubs1 = Chelsea

|years1 = 1971–1972

|clubs1 = Jewish Guild

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 = 1972–1977

|clubs2 = Watford

|caps2 = 66

|goals2 = 4

|years3 = 197?

|clubs3 = → Dartford (loan)

|caps3 =

|goals3 =

|years4 = 1977–1981

|clubs4 = Hayes

|caps4 =

|goals4 =

|years5 =

|clubs5 = Staines Town

|caps5 =

|goals5 =

|years6 =

|clubs6 = Chesham United

|caps6 =

|goals6 =

|years7 =

|clubs7 = Maidenhead United

|caps7 =

|goals7 =

|years8 =

|clubs8 = Northwood

|caps8 =

|goals8 =

|years9 =

|clubs9 = Chalfont St Peter

|caps9 =

|goals9 =

|totalcaps = 66

|totalgoals = 4

|manageryears1 = 1984–198?

|managerclubs1 = Windsor & Eton

|manageryears2 = 1986–1987

|managerclubs2 = Chalfont St Peter

|manageryears3 = 1996–1997

|managerclubs3 = Walton & Hersham

|manageryears4 = 1999

|managerclubs4 = Chesham United

|manageryears5 = 2000–2001

|managerclubs5 = Flackwell Heath

|manageryears6 = 2004–200?

|managerclubs6 = Flackwell Heath

}}

Laurence David Craker (1 March 1953 – 16 May 2020) was an English footballer and manager who played as a midfielder. As a player, Craker played in the Third Division and the Fourth Division with Watford.

Early life

Craker was born in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.

Playing career

As a player, Craker started his career at Chelsea, but did not make an appearance for the club and left to join Jewish Guild in 1971, where he played for nine months. He returned to England, joining Watford in 1972. Craker went on to make 66 league appearances for Watford, scoring 4, between 1972 and 1977 in the Third Division and the Fourth Division. He suffered multiple injuries while at Watford, including a broken leg. Towards the end of his spell at Watford, Craker had a three-month loan spell at Dartford.{{Cite web |title=Laurie Craker |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player12/lauriecraker.htm |access-date=23 July 2020 |website=Neil Brown Newcastle Fans}}{{Cite web |title=A-Z of Hayes FC: Craker – Cutler |url=http://www.hyufc.com/features/a_z/hfc/craker-culver.html |access-date=23 July 2020 |website=www.hyufc.com |publisher=Hayes & Yeading United F.C.}}

After leaving Watford, Craker joined Hayes in August 1977, where he made 184 appearances, scoring 8, before being released by the club in August 1981. Following his release by Hayes, Craker played for Staines Town, Chesham United, Maidenhead United, Northwood and Chalfont St Peter.

Managerial career

Craker's first managerial role came when he was offered the manager role at Windsor & Eton in 1984, before later managing Chalfont St Peter across the 1986–87 season. In 1990, he was appointed as assistant manager at Marlow with Dave Russell, and helped guide Marlow to the FA Cup third round in the 1992–93 season, before Craker and Russell moved on to Slough Town.{{Cite web |title=Laurie Craker 1953-2020 |url=https://www.sloughtownfc.net/article/2203/Laurie-Craker-1953-2020 |access-date=23 July 2020 |publisher=Slough Town F.C. |language=en}} Craker was manager of Walton & Hersham across the 1996–97 season.{{Cite web |date=4 August 2010 |title=History |url=http://www.waltonandhershamfc.org.uk/club/ |access-date=23 July 2020 |website=waltonandhershamfc.org.uk |publisher=Walton & Hersham F.C. |language=en-GB}}

In January 1999, Craker became the assistant manager of Chesham United,{{Cite news |date=16 January 1999 |title=Robbo returns |language=en |work=Bucks Free Press |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/5195202.robbo-returns/ |access-date=23 July 2020}} before becoming their manager in April 1999 following the departure of Alan Cork.{{Cite news |date=17 April 1999 |title=Cork quits Chesham |language=en |work=Bucks Free Press |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/5194823.cork-quits-chesham/ |access-date=23 July 2020}} He later became the manager of Flackwell Heath in 2000 before resigning in August of the following year.{{Cite news |date=17 August 2000 |title=Flackwell start afresh |language=en |work=Bucks Free Press |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/5193626.flackwell-start-afresh/ |access-date=23 July 2020}}{{Cite news |date=16 August 2001 |title=Flackwell start with a manager |language=en |work=Bucks Free Press |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/5187746.flackwell-start-with-a-manager/ |access-date=23 July 2020}} Craker was appointed as a coach at Kingstonian in 2003,{{Cite web |date=15 August 2003 |title=New Coach Appointed |url=http://www.kingstonian.net/news.jsp?2003/08 |access-date=23 July 2020 |website=www.kingstonian.net |publisher=Kingstonian F.C.}} before returning to Flackwell Heath as manager in 2004.{{Cite news |date=20 February 2004 |title=Flackwell Heath 0–1 Chertsey Town |language=en |work=Bucks Free Press |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/462407.flackwell-heath-0-1-chertsey-town/ |access-date=23 July 2020}} Craker became assistant manager at Burnham before resigning in 2014.{{Cite news |last=Darlington |first=Daniel |date=18 January 2014 |title=Martin Stone and Laurie Craker resign as Burnham FC's management team |work=Maidenhead Advertiser |url=https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news/20166/Martin-Stone-and-Laurie-Craker-resign.html |access-date=23 July 2020}}

Personal life

Craker also worked as a thatcher alongside his father.

His son Lewis was also a footballer and played for multiple clubs, including Maidenhead United,{{Cite news |last=Darlington |first=Daniel |date=18 May 2020 |title=Tributes paid to popular former footballer and assistant boss Laurie Craker |work=Maidenhead Advertiser |url=https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/gallery/maidenhead-utd-fc/158663/maidenhead-united-pay-tribute-to-former-first-team-captain-laurie-craker.html |access-date=23 July 2020}} and is now manager of Thame Rangers.

Craker died of cancer on 16 May 2020, aged 67.{{Cite news |last=Richings |first=James |date=20 May 2020 |title=Former Marlow FC manager who played for Chelsea and Watford dies |language=en |work=Bucks Free Press |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/18460679.former-marlow-fc-manager-laurie-craker-dies/ |access-date=23 July 2020}}