William Cropper
William Cropper (born December 27, 1862 in Brimington , Derbyshire , † January 13, 1889 in Grimsby , then Lincolnshire , now North East Lincolnshire ) was an English athlete. The football - and cricketer Cropper was the tragic circumstances of his early death a celebrity of the late Victorian era .
Life
William Cropper was born in Brimington, Derbyshire in 1862 . He made a living in an ironworks , but was also athletic, playing both cricket and soccer. In a total of 60 first-class cricket games he represented mainly the Derbyshire County Cricket Club between 1882 and 1888 and Derby County once in football in 1886 . His idiosyncratic approach style as a bowler (thrower) in cricket earned him the nickname "Kangaroo". From 1888 Cropper played in football for Staveley FC , which at that time was one of the most famous football clubs in Derbyshire.
On January 12, 1889, during an away game by Staveley at Grimsby Town , Cropper clashed with his opponent Dan Doyle . The result was a hard blow from Boyle's knee in Cropper's abdomen, after which Cropper had to leave the field. He died of his injuries a day later and was buried in his native Brimington.
Cropper's sudden death was considered a shock for the sports world in the following time and made him known beyond the borders of Derbyshire.
Web links
- Article at youandyesterday.co.uk
- CricketArchives
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cropper, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English cricket and soccer player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 27, 1862 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brimington |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 13, 1889 |
| Place of death | Grimsby |