Footballing Heros Gone too soon

William Cropper was an English cricketer and footballer who played cricket for Derbyshire County Cricket Club between 1882 and 1888 and football, as a centre forward, once for Derby County. He was one of nineteen sportsmen to achieve the Derbyshire Double of playing cricket for Derbyshire and football for Derby County, but died aged 26 as a result of an accident while playing football for Staveley. Cropper was born at Brimington, Derbyshire, the son of Thomas and Mary Cropper, and was a bricklayer. He made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1882 season. He also played for the North of England team. He shared most wickets for the club in the 1883, 1884, 1885 and 1886 seasons. In 1886, he played one football match for Derby County. Derbyshire lost first-class status for the 1888 season but Cropper continued playing for the side. Cropper played 113 innings in 60 first-class matches to score 1638 runs with an average of 15.00 and a top score of 93 not out. He took 171 first-class wickets, with an average of 17.13 and a best performance of 7 for 25. From 1888, Cropper played football for the Derbyshire side of Staveley. While playing for Staveley, on 12th January 1889 against Grimsby Town at Clee Park, Lincolnshire, Cropper collided with Dan Doyle, the Grimsby rightback, after fifteen minutes. He was badly injured by Doyle's knee in his abdomen and left the field in obvious distress. The collision resulted in a ruptured bowel.