When Queens Park Rangers acquired young striker Peter Crouch from Tottenham Hotspur, they gave him his first season in English football.
Crouch, who came through the junior levels in North London and had loan stints with IFK Hassleholm in Sweden and Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian Premier League, had not played a competitive game for Spurs at the age of 19.
The R’s chose to take a chance on Crouch despite the fact that he didn’t start off well in his football career. The frontman was acquired for an estimated £60,000, with former Spurs manager Gerry Francis using his connections while in the Loftus Road hotseat.
The club would ultimately make a sizable profit from their initial investment, despite the fact that it was a risky move at the time. Crouch would find his footing with the Hoops in the First Division and display the skills that would eventually position him for a long and highly successful career in the game.
The immediate impact of Peter Crouch at QPR
Given his early difficulties at Tottenham, many QPR fans wouldn’t have had high hopes for what Peter Crouch could accomplish in 2000, but the 6’7″ giant showed promise by consistently scoring goals in the First Division.
In a 2-2 tie with Gillingham, the now 44-year-old would make an early impression by scoring his first goal for the team. Regular starts would come after he started to score goals, which surely increased his confidence.
After earning the confidence to start at the front, Crouch returned the favour by scoring goals against Crystal Palace, Bolton, Nottingham Forest, and Wimbledon. He also scored two goals against Sheffield Wednesday before the year ended.
Crouch would end up scoring ten goals in 2001 as the goals would gradually slow down to only three at that season. However, it was insufficient to ensure the R’s survival, as they were demoted to the Second Division.
It was an amazing accomplishment for him to reach double figures in his first full English season at the age of 19, and this run of success inspired him to become a consistent goal scorer who would eventually represent his nation.
The Peter Crouch investment would later generate a solid profit for QPR.
Significant cuts must be made as part of any relegation, and QPR was no exception as they were ready to compete in the third division.
After such a stellar first and last season for the club, Crouch would head for the exit door as the West London team had to sell several of its best players due to reduced funds.
The forward, who was born in Macclesfield, would move to Portsmouth for an estimated £1.5 million, relieving their financial concerns and enabling them to make plans for a chance at the Second Division.
The club ultimately made a significant profit, and the monies ultimately helped QPR return to the Championship in 2004, even though Crouch’s goals weren’t enough to keep them from relegation.
Crouch will undoubtedly always be thankful to the club for giving him the breakthrough he so desperately wanted, but the club’s fortunes may have been entirely different without such a huge return.
In addition to playing for England more than 40 times, he had a lengthy career in the Premier League with teams including Burnley, Liverpool, Southampton, Spurs, Stoke City, and Aston Villa.
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