David Crown

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.^[1][3] 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.^[6][7]

David Crown

Personal information
Full name	David Ian Crown[1]
Date of birth	(1958-02-16) 16 February 1958 (age 67)
Place of birth	Enfield, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s)	Forward, winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
0000–1979	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
0000–1997	Concord Rangers
1997–2001	Purfleet
Managerial career
	Purfleet (player-manager)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

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	1980–81[10]	Third Division	38	6	3	1	2	1	—		43	8
	1981–82[10]		8	2	—		2	0	—		10	2
	Total		46	8	3	1	4	1	—		53	10
Portsmouth	1981–82[11]	Third Division	27	2	2	0	—		1[a]	1	30	3
	1982–83[11]		1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	Total		28	2	2	0	0	0	1	1	31	3
Exeter City (loan)	1982–83[6]	Third Division	7	3	—		—		—		7	3
Reading	1983–84[12]	Fourth Division	45	7	3	0	2	0	1[b]	0	51	7
	1984–85[13]	Third Division	43	7	3	1	2	2	2[b]	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	1990–91[14]	Fourth Division	30	12	1	1	0	0	3[b]	1	34	14
	1991–92[14]		37	23	2	0	2	1	2[b]	1	43	25
	1992–93[14]	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	1995–96[15]	Isthmian League Premier Division	11	4	—		—		1[c]	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

• Football League Fourth Division third-place promotion: 1989–90^[8]

Individual

• PFA Football League Fourth Division Team of the Year: 1989–90^[16]
• Southend United Player of the Year: 1988–89^[17]