Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 8, 2026

David Crown

David Ian Crown is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League, most notably for Cambridge United and Southend United. He also played for Reading, Gillingham, Brentford, Portsmouth and Exeter City. Until March 2021, Crown's 24 goals in a Football League season stood as Cambridge United's club record. He later player-managed Purfleet in non-League football and served as assistant manager at Concord Rangers and Southend United.

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David Crown
Personal information
Full name David Ian Crown1
Date of birth (1958-02-16) 16 February 1958
Place of birth Enfield, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)2
Positions
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–1979 Grays Athletic
1979–1980 Walthamstow Avenue
1980–1981 Brentford 46 (8)
1981–1983 Portsmouth 28 (2)
1983 → Exeter City (loan) 7 (3)
1983–1985 Reading 88 (14)
1985–1987 Cambridge United 116 (45)
1987–1990 Southend United 113 (61)
1990–1993 Gillingham 87 (40)
1993–1994 Dagenham & Redbridge 33 (9)
1994–1995 Purfleet
1995–1996 Aylesbury United
1996 Sudbury Town
1996– Billericay Town
–1997 Concord Rangers
1997–2001 Purfleet
Managerial career
Purfleet (player-manager)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

David Ian Crown (born 16 February 1958) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League, most notably for Cambridge United and Southend United.13 He also played for Reading, Gillingham, Brentford, Portsmouth and Exeter City.4 Until March 2021, Crown's 24 goals in a Football League season stood as Cambridge United's club record.5 He later player-managed Purfleet in non-League football and served as assistant manager at Concord Rangers and Southend United.67

Personal life

As of October 2000, Crown was running an accountancy firm in Leigh-on-Sea.8 As of February 2020, he was working as a matchday host at former club Southend United.9

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1980–8110 Third Division 38 6 3 1 2 1 — 43 8
1981–8210 8 2 — 2 0 — 10 2
Total 46 8 3 1 4 1 — 53 10
Portsmouth 1981–8211 Third Division 27 2 2 0 — 1a 1 30 3
1982–8311 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 28 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 31 3
Exeter City (loan) 1982–836 Third Division 7 3 — — — 7 3
Reading 1983–8412 Fourth Division 45 7 3 0 2 0 1b 0 51 7
1984–8513 Third Division 43 7 3 1 2 2 2b 0 50 10
Total 88 14 6 1 4 2 3 0 101 17
Southend United Total 113 61 4 0 8 4 7 4 132 69
Gillingham 1990–9114 Fourth Division 30 12 1 1 0 0 3b 1 34 14
1991–9214 37 23 2 0 2 1 2b 1 43 25
1992–9314 Third Division 20 5 2 2 2 2 0 0 24 9
Total 87 40 5 3 4 3 5 2 101 48
Aylesbury United 1995–9615 Isthmian League Premier Division 11 4 — — 1c 0 12 4
Career total 380 132 20 5 20 10 17 7 437 154
  1. Appearance in Hampshire Professional Cup
  2. Appearances in Football League Trophy
  3. Appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup

Honours

Southend United

Individual

References

References

  1. "David Crown". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. "Player Profile". SUFCdb. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  4. Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. 99–100. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  5. Page, Stephen (27 March 2021). "Paul Mullin breaks Cambridge United goalscoring record in win at Carlisle United". CambridgeshireLive. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  6. "Crown, David". The Grecian Archive. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  7. "On This Day... – News". Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  8. "Soccer: Crown's backing for Webb". Gazette. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  9. "Shrimpers Through The Ages!". www.southendunited.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  10. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 394–397. ISBN 0951526200.
  11. "David Crown". PompeyRama. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  12. "Reading 1983–84". www.royalsrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  13. "Reading 1984–85". www.royalsrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  14. "David Crown". Gillingham FC Scrapbook. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  15. "David Crown Profile". Aylesbury United FC. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  16. Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 148.
  17. Miles, Peter (12 June 2015). 101 Interesting Facts on Southend United: Learn About the Boys From Roots Hall. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-0-9932417-6-5.
External links