Death of Falkirk-born and record breaking goalkeeper Graeme Crawford

His career spanned more than 24 years and he made more than 500 appearances, playing for East Stirlingshire, Sheffield United, Mansfield Town, York City, Scunthorpe United, Rochdale and Scarborough FC.

While playing with York City’s promotion winning team in the 1973/74 season, he kept a clean sheet for 11 successive games, surpassing a previous Football League record and holding the record for 10 seasons before it was claimed by Petr Čech.

The middle child of Jessie and Peter Crawford, he grew up in Bantaskine Street, attending Comely Park and Falkirk High schools.

His first job on leaving school was in the offices of printers Inglis Paul but football was always his first love and during his younger years he played with Gairdoch and Dunipace.

As a 15-year-old he was invited down to Liverpool for a week-long trial. He was told to meet up with four boys at Glasgow’s Central Station and they got the train south.

They all took part in games during the week and at the end Bill Shankly told him and another lad that they had both done very well but to go home for now and they would keep an eye on them going forward.

The other lad was Kenny Dalglish – they could have signed him for nothing rather than the British record fee of £440,000 years later in 1977.

Meanwhile, Graeme signed with Bo’ness United and after a season, he had a trial at East Stirlingshire and it was while there he began to attract attention.

Sheffield manager Arthur Rowley was keen to sign him and the Shire were keen to pocket the £10,000 fee on offer – the money needed to allow the club to install floodlights at their ground.

Graeme moved south in 1968 and found himself competing for a place in the Sheffield United team alongside England international Alan Hodgkinson.

However, during a trip abroad he made several appearances in the Anglo-Italian Cup, where he faced such illustrious opponents as Dino Zoff when playing against Napoli.

Shortly after, he was involved in a serious road accident which left him with 50 stitches and unable to train for around three months.

After recovering, he would go on loan to Mansfield Town and on one occasion found himself back on home soil playing Falkirk at their Brockville ground.

He moved to York City in 1971, initially joining on loan and making his debut in a 2-0 defeat against Tranmere Rovers. But his performances soon some his signing a permanent deal with the club.

Such were his skills between the sticks, many in football consider him unfortunate to have been overlooked for a Scotland call up.

He made 280 appearances for the Minstermen before leaving the club in 1977 to join Scunthorpe United, but re-joined York in 1980 featuring 17 times.

A three-year spell with Rochdale then saw him join Scarborough FC, where he went on to play 93 times on the North Yorkshire coast.

He played until he was 43 before retiring and setting up a promotions business.

Graeme continued to live in York and remained a York City fan: together with grandson Tom, he was a season ticket holder at the LNER Community Stadium.

Paying tribute to their former “legendary goalkeeper”, the club said: “Graeme was immensely proud to have been asked to become one of the club’s first ‘Ambassadors’ and had attended a number of events up until a few weeks ago.”

Graeme passed away on May 27 after a long illness.

He is survived by wife Helen, children, Peter and Lynda, and four grandchildren, Tom, Sophie, Isla, and Elsie.

Also his brother Douglas and sister Janet, who both still live in the Falkirk area.

Football skills run in the family with Janet’s son, David Weir, the former Falkirk, Hearts, Everton and Rangers player, who is now the sporting director at Brighton and Hove Albion.