Tom Crawley

{{short description|Scottish footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Tom Crawley

| image=

| fullname=

| height= 5ft 9in

| position= Centre forward

| birth_date= 10 November 1911

| birth_place= Blantyre, Scotland

| death_date= {{death year and age|1977|1911}}

| death_place= Coventry, England

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1=

| years1=

| clubs1= Blantyre Victoria

| caps1= | goals1=

| years2= 1932–1934

| clubs2= Hamilton Academical

| caps2= 46 | goals2= 25

| years3= 1934–1935

| clubs3= Motherwell

| caps3= 8 | goals3= 9

| years4 = 1935

| clubs4= Hamilton Academical

| caps4= 0 | goals4= 0

| years5= 1935–1936

| clubs5= Preston North End

| caps5= 2 | goals5= 0

| years6= 1935–1947

| clubs6= Coventry City

| caps6= 45 | goals6= 16

| years7= –

| clubs7=

| caps7= | goals7=

| totalcaps= 101 | totalgoals = 50

}}

Thomas Crawley (10 November 1911 – 1977) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre forward for Hamilton Academical,[https://sites.google.com/site/hamiltonacademicalmemorybank/players/crawley-tom-1932 Crawley, Tom (1932)], Hamilton Academical Memory Bank Motherwell,[http://www.motherwellnet.com/database/player-archive/c/tom-crawley/ Tom Crawley], MotherWELLnet Preston North End and Coventry City.[http://www.ccfpa.co.uk/player_search/player_profile.php Tommy Crawley], Coventry City Former Players Association{{cite journal|title=A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players|author=John Litster|publisher=Scottish Football Historian magazine|date=October 2012}}

He signed for Hamilton as a replacement for the injured David Wilson and moved to Motherwell for the same reason to fill in for Willie MacFadyen, but was unable to displace either of them on a long-term basis despite a good scoring record (they were among the leading forwards of the period in Scottish football). He turned out for Accies once more in the summer of 1935 in the Rosebery Charity Cup in 1935 with Wilson unavailable.[https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1935/1935050804.htm Hearts Beat Hamilton {{!}} Unusual Goal at Tynecastle], The Scotsman, 9 May 1935, via London Hearts Supporters Club

Crawley then moved to England, firstly for a short spell with Preston. In his later years at Coventry (where he stayed until after World War II),[https://www.11v11.com/players/tommy-crawley-30030/ Tommy Crawley], 11v11.com he moved back to play at centre half. During the war he made guest appearances for Nottingham Forest[http://www.thecityground.com/player.php?player_name=Tommy_Crawley Tommy Crawley], TheCityGround.com and Leicester City.

His son Tommy[http://www.fromtowntotown.org.uk/assets/nuneaton-borough-1958-1970-pt2-approved.pdf Nuneaton Borough 1958-1970 – Part 2], Nuneaton's Footballing Heritage, 2015 and grandson Ian both played in non-league football in the East Midlands, Ian winning the FA Vase with VS Rugby and the FA Trophy with Telford United in the 1980s.[https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/coventry-city-bogey-officially-been-14208863 The Coventry City bogey that has officially been put to rest], Coventry Live, 26 January 2018