Billy Crinson

Life and career Crinson was born in 1883 in Sunderland, which was then in County Durham, to Robert Crinson, an iron ship plater, and his wife Ophelia. As of the 1901 Census, the family were living in the Monkwearmouth area and the 17-year-old Crinson was an apprentice in the shipyards. Crinson married Mary Angus in 1902. The 1911 Census shows him as a professional footballer living in Steyning, Sussex, and the father of five children.

He played Wearside League football for Seaham Albion and Southwick before signing for The Wednesday in 1906 as backup for Jack Lyall. Crinson made his Football League debut on 5 January 1907, standing in for Lyall who had been kicked on the arm in the previous match. He kept a clean sheet as Wednesday won 1–0 away at Manchester City and, according to the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star, "but for a first-class display in goal by young Crinson Wednesday would scarcely have come back home with both points." Lyall returned for the next match, and Crinson made three more appearances in the First Division in the following season, at the end of which he was allowed to leave.

He spent a season in the North-Eastern League with the newly formed Huddersfield Town club before joining Brighton & Hove Albion of the Southern League. As at Wednesday, Albion used him mainly as backup, in this case to Bob Whiting He made 13 appearances for the first team in all before returning to the north east of England,

After the First World War, Crinson acted as secretary of Wearside League club Sunderland Comrades, and scouted on behalf of Brighton & Hove Albion. He was still resident at that address when he died in hospital in 1951 at the age of 67.