Garth Crooks stepped down from his role as an analyst on BBC Final Score, which made people curious about his sudden departure and question whether he was suffering from any illness.
Born in Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, Garth Crooks was an active member of the Professional Footballer’s Association, being elected as the first black chairman of the union throughout his career.
Moreover, he played at Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur before being loaned to Manchester United, and a knee injury forced his retirement from the field in 1990.
Garth Crooks #THFC 1980/1#COYS pic.twitter.com/FlNb0MJj4Y
— Mal Winkles – Football Nostalgia (@MemorabiliaMal) February 10, 2020
Later, Crooks shifted to the media, first as a guest presenter on Top of the Pops and then as a match analyst at the World Cups. Until 2022, he regularly appeared on Final Score as a football pundit, interviewing and analyzing several players.
After garnering much experience, he worked on the Premier League Team of the Week column hosted by the BBC News website.
However, his sudden departure from the column raised speculations about Garth Crooks suffering from some illness. The news company revealed that Crook was let off due to creative differences rather than problems in his physical well-being.
Readers called Garth Crooks ‘mentally ill’ for all his think pieces in the column!
Garth Crooks received an emotional send-off by host Jason Mohammad, as he had been working with BBC since 1992.
Moreover, he added, “As the presenter of this programme, I just want to say a big thank you for your friendship, your analysis, your fun, laughter, and seriousness.“
On the other hand, viewers rejoiced at the departure and welcomed Troy Deeney wholeheartedly, as they often criticized Crook’s style of writing and football analysis.
I think Garth Crooks is unwell.
— smtm_lfc1975 (@smtm_lfc1975) December 4, 2023
Never liked him as a pundit or commentator.
But he seems to be becoming more and more unstable.
His views are batshit. Perpetually talks out of his hoop.
He's incoherent and seems to be losing it. (that's if he ever had it)
BBC should get rid. pic.twitter.com/fhGifnA4xT
Among several hate comments, one of the users wrote, “I think Garth Crooks is unwell. Never liked him as a pundit or commentator. But he seems to be becoming more and more unstable. His views are batshit. Perpetually talks out of his hoop.“
Despite negative reviews, Crooks never changed the way he channeled his thoughts on the games or the players, establishing himself as a unique football thinker.
He regularly picked players out of position in strange formations, even as an advisor, though his column looked well-curated.
After Crook’s departure, his replacement commented, “I know Garth was famous for sometimes choosing unusual formations like that, but I am going to do things a bit differently. In my team, I promise players will be in their correct positions for starters!“
Additional Information
- Garth Anthony Crooks, born 10 March 1958, progressed through Stoke City’s youth ranks before signing a professional contract with the team.
- He represented England at the international level, making several appearances for the England under-21s, scoring three goals in a match.
- Apart from football, Crooks hosted the BBC Two political program Despatch Box in the late 1990s.
