Martyn Crook
Encyclopedia
Martyn Crook was a British-born Australia
n soccer coach
and former representative player.
Martyn Crook was born in Hampton Court, Middlesex, England, the second son of Arthur (b 1920) and Elsie (b 1931) Crook. Arthur is a former top amateur player for Walton and Hersham FC and Kingstonian FC. The family lived in Shepperton, Middlesex, and migrated to Australia in 1964 settling in Adelaide
.
Playing Career
As a goalkeeper, he played for Para Hills SC from 1965 until he departed for Adelaide Hellas ten years later, playing in league and cup winning sides throughout his time there. He was a member of the Senior team from 1972. During his time at the club, he represented South Australia at the Under 14’s and Under 16’s level, winning the National Championship in 1972, as well as the Far North Zone from the Under 12 level. He was also a member of the Para Hills Primary School team which won the Referees’ Cup in 1967.
He was a member of the SA League and Ampol Cup winning side at Adelaide Hellas in 1976, before playing for West Adelaide SC
when the National Soccer league commenced in 1977. In 1978 West Adelaide won the Phillips League National championship and Martyn played with the club 192 times before returning to play at Para Hills in 1987.
Martyn represented the Australian national team fourteen times at the national level, and was a member of the Merlion Cup winning side in 1982 which beat South Korea in the final. He also represented South Australia eight times at a senior level.
Coaching Career
In 1990, following his retirement due to a back injury, he became Assistant Coach at Para Hills SC, becoming Head Coach for the 1991 and 1992 seasons. He then moved to coach Polonia (now Croydon) for the 1993 season. In 1992 and 1993 he was the South Australian State Coach as well.
In 1994 he became the Head Coach of the South Australian Sports Institute National Training Centre, in 1999 becoming the Technical Director, a position which he held until his death. He was responsible for 31 Youth International & 17 AIS Scholarships passing through SASI NTC during his tenure.
At a national level, he was the Technical Assistant for the Australia national under-17 football team
(known as the 'Joeys') World Cup team in 1999, Olympic Team Goalkeeper Coach in 2000, and then became Assistant Coach for the Under 17’s from 2000 until 2005 in three separate campaigns in Trinidad, Finland and Peru. In 2007 he was appointed as the Head Coach for the Joeys.
In 2006, Martyn was inducted into the FFSA Hall of Fame in the Roll of Honour as a member for Distinguished Contribution. In 2010 he was posthumously inducted into the Football Federation Australia’s Hall of Fame.
He died of a suspected heart attack
just before the team was scheduled to play the USA Under-17 in an international junior tournament. He was 52.
The Martyn Crook Foundation
In 2009, Martyn's family established The Martyn Crook Foundation to assist in the advancement of Association Football in Australia, through initiatives that support the development of outstanding talent in young Australian players.
The Foundation is a public charitable trust established by Deed of Trust and is a registered tax-deductible gift recipient organization. It will rely on the support of individuals and organizations, both private and public, to continue with its work. The Foundation, through its Board of Trustees, will support such activities as it believes to be in tune with the Foundation’s objectives. Visit the Foundation's website www.tmcf.org.au for further information and updates
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n soccer coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and former representative player.
Biography
Martyn Crook was born in Hampton Court, Middlesex, England, the second son of Arthur (b 1920) and Elsie (b 1931) Crook. Arthur is a former top amateur player for Walton and Hersham FC and Kingstonian FC. The family lived in Shepperton, Middlesex, and migrated to Australia in 1964 settling in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
Playing Career
As a goalkeeper, he played for Para Hills SC from 1965 until he departed for Adelaide Hellas ten years later, playing in league and cup winning sides throughout his time there. He was a member of the Senior team from 1972. During his time at the club, he represented South Australia at the Under 14’s and Under 16’s level, winning the National Championship in 1972, as well as the Far North Zone from the Under 12 level. He was also a member of the Para Hills Primary School team which won the Referees’ Cup in 1967.
He was a member of the SA League and Ampol Cup winning side at Adelaide Hellas in 1976, before playing for West Adelaide SC
West Adelaide SC
West Adelaide Soccer Club is an Australian football club from Adelaide, Australia. Currently it plays in the FFSA State League Competition. It participated in the National Soccer League from the 1977 season until the end of the 1998/99 season, except for the periods 1987-89 and 1990-91. It was...
when the National Soccer league commenced in 1977. In 1978 West Adelaide won the Phillips League National championship and Martyn played with the club 192 times before returning to play at Para Hills in 1987.
Martyn represented the Australian national team fourteen times at the national level, and was a member of the Merlion Cup winning side in 1982 which beat South Korea in the final. He also represented South Australia eight times at a senior level.
Coaching Career
In 1990, following his retirement due to a back injury, he became Assistant Coach at Para Hills SC, becoming Head Coach for the 1991 and 1992 seasons. He then moved to coach Polonia (now Croydon) for the 1993 season. In 1992 and 1993 he was the South Australian State Coach as well.
In 1994 he became the Head Coach of the South Australian Sports Institute National Training Centre, in 1999 becoming the Technical Director, a position which he held until his death. He was responsible for 31 Youth International & 17 AIS Scholarships passing through SASI NTC during his tenure.
At a national level, he was the Technical Assistant for the Australia national under-17 football team
Australia national under-17 football team
The Australia national under-17 association football team, more commonly known as the Joeys, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia in international Under 17 or youth football competitions.-FIFA U-17 World Cup:...
(known as the 'Joeys') World Cup team in 1999, Olympic Team Goalkeeper Coach in 2000, and then became Assistant Coach for the Under 17’s from 2000 until 2005 in three separate campaigns in Trinidad, Finland and Peru. In 2007 he was appointed as the Head Coach for the Joeys.
In 2006, Martyn was inducted into the FFSA Hall of Fame in the Roll of Honour as a member for Distinguished Contribution. In 2010 he was posthumously inducted into the Football Federation Australia’s Hall of Fame.
He died of a suspected heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
just before the team was scheduled to play the USA Under-17 in an international junior tournament. He was 52.
The Martyn Crook Foundation
In 2009, Martyn's family established The Martyn Crook Foundation to assist in the advancement of Association Football in Australia, through initiatives that support the development of outstanding talent in young Australian players.
The Foundation is a public charitable trust established by Deed of Trust and is a registered tax-deductible gift recipient organization. It will rely on the support of individuals and organizations, both private and public, to continue with its work. The Foundation, through its Board of Trustees, will support such activities as it believes to be in tune with the Foundation’s objectives. Visit the Foundation's website www.tmcf.org.au for further information and updates