A LEGENDARY football scout will be honoured later this year with a blue plaque unveiled beside the pitch where he helped create stars.
Mark Crook ran Wath Wanderers, a feeder team for Wolves, from around 1938 until 1970.
Current research shows that he helped more than 80 professional footballers into the game with most of them going to Molineux.
The likes of England World Cup winner Ron Flowers, fellow Wolves’ hall of famer Roy Swinbourne and Alan Sunderland all turned out for Wath before moving to play in the famous gold on Crook’s recommendation.
The idea to honour him is the brainchild of local football historian Chris Brook, who also spearheaded a similar campaign to celebrate the successful careers of FA Cup winning brothers George and Ted Robledo.
There now proudly sits a blue plaque on their childhood home in West Melton.
One for Crook, who died in 1977, is set to be placed at the Cortonwood Miners’ Welfare building on Knollbeck Lane, Brampton, which is where his Wath team played and talent was nurtured.
A date of May 30, at 2pm, has been set for the unveiling with the plaque being paid for by the Hoober ward councillors and Brampton Parish Council.
A book detailing the remarkable story of the Wath Wanderers, Feeding The Wolves, is set to follow later in the year.
Chris said: “Mark’s Wath Wanderers was an incredibly successful nursery club providing more than 80 professionals, many of these to Wolves.
“It is believed that it was the first of what we now refer to as football academies. I feel that Crook’s football factory is worthy of a blue plaque on its base at Cortonwood Miners’ Welfare.
“His story was an incredible one and it should not be forgotten.
“The plaque and the forthcoming book will ensure that it won’t be.
“We are hoping to hear from any of those players who played for Mark whether or not they went on to play at an elite level.”
Mark, who lived at Wath where he also owned a fish and chip shop near The Crown pub, had played for Wolves before the Second World War and was later entrusted with their youth recruitment from Yorkshire and the north east of England.
Wolves historian Peter Crump said: “Mark joined Wolves in 1929 and made 81 appearances and scored 16 goals.
“Crook played a good few games for Wolves in an era when they returned to the top division.
“Mark’s playing career is respected at Wolves but what Mark achieved as a scout and running the famous nursery club was so important and it must never be underestimated.
“Wath was one of, if not the first, nursery club of its type.
“It had fantastic reach in some of football’s famous heartlands.
“If Mark had not done what he did at Wath then Wolves’ history would look so much different.
“Mark nurtured Wolves’ legends Ron Flowers and Roy Swinbourne who now proudly sit in our Hall of Fame.
“Ron isn’t just a Wolves legend, without doubt an England legend too.”
Geoff Sidebottom, Jack Short, Joe Bonson, Barry Stobart, John Galley, David Galvin, Bob Hatton, Gerry Taylor, Paul Walker, Jeff Wealands, Mick Kent, Jim McVeigh and Peter Knowles also made the journey south on Crook’s say-so.
Peter added: ” One or two didn’t quite make the first team but went on to have good careers nonetheless.
“Some of the other names are of course more recognisable and synonymous with Wolves’ history.
“Latterly we also saw Jimmy Seal, Alan Sunderland and Steve Daley.
“This means that Mark’s influence and superb work at Wath spans from the 1940s to the late 1970s at least.
“It’s a truly remarkable story, Wolverhampton Wanderers would look a lot different if it wasn’t for the work of Mark.”
Mark still has descendants living locally including granddaughter Jane Whitlam who has lended her support.
She said: “It’s great that my granddad’s achievements will finally be recognised. He was very proud of his relationship with Wolves.
“Even though I was only eight when my granddad died, his achievements and character were regularly brought up by family members. I have always done the same with my own family too.
“I can remember going with my granddad in the car to watch games all over the place. I can remember him knowing everyone and everyone knowing of him.
“We are very proud that there is going to be a blue plaque for Mark and thank the people behind the campaign for it.”
n If you would like to express an interest in purchasing a copy or can contribute a story to the book, email Chris at: brookchris@talk21.com
To find out more about Mark’s story, visit: tinyurl.com/crookwwfc
To join the dedicated Facebook page, visit: tinyurl.com/crookblue
