Eric Brook	Manchester City FC 18 appearances, 10 goals P 18 W 12 D 1 L 5 F 47: A 20 69% successful 1929-39 captain: none minutes played: 1620
Profile
Full name	Eric Fred Brook
Born	27 November 1907 at 7 Dolcliffe Road, Dolcliffe Common, Mexborough, West Riding of Yorkshire [registered in Doncaster, March 1907]. Attended Dolcliffe Road School
Census Notes	According to the 1911 census, Eric Fred is the oldest of two children, the other is Florence, to Fred and Kate (née Ward) and live at 7 Dolcliffe Road in Mexborough. His father is a coal hewer. Eric's parent's would go on to have three more children, Walter, Eva and Donald.
	According to the 1939 register, Eric F. is a professional footballer married to Ivy and they live at 20 Brayton Avenue in the Didsbury area of Manchester.
Married	to Ivy Whitehead (b.2 April 1909) [registered in Rotherham, June 1926].
Died	29 March 1965, aged 57 years 122 days [registered as Eric F., in Manchester, June 1965].
Height/Weight	5' 6½", 11st. 0lbs [1928]. 5' 7¾", 11st. 4lbs [1929]. 5' 6¾", 11st. 6lbs [1933].
Source	Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], FindMyPast.com and his niece, Gillian Catchpole.
Club Career
Club(s)	Started his career with Mexborough Schools and Oxford Road YMCA. Played for local teams Swinton Prims FC, Mexborough Thursday FC, Dearne Valley Old Boys FC and Wath Athletic FC. Barnsley FC paid £200 to take Brook in February 1926. He impressed in his 78 league appearances and eighteen goals, because on transfer deadline day, 16 March 1928, Manchester City FC parted with a £4000 transfer fee to get Brook, two days after they had already signed his teammate, Fred Tilson. He remained at City, making 453 league appearances, scoring 158 goals, he announced his retirement on 29 October 1940, after failing to recover sufficiently from a recent car crash.
Club honours	FA Cup runners-up 1932-33, winners 1933-34; Football League Champions 1936-37;
Individual honours	Football League (seven appearances)
Distinctions	None
Source	Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].
England Career
Player number	One of two who became the 545th players (546) to appear for England.
Position(s)	Outside-left
First match	No. 168, 19 October 1929, Ireland 0 England 3, a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 21 years 326 days.
Last match	No. 213, 17 November 1937, England 2 Wales 1, a British Championship match at Ayresome Park, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, aged 29 years 355 days.
Major tournaments	British Championships 1929-30, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1937-38;
Team honours	British Championships winners 1929-30, 1937-38, shared 1934-35;
Individual honours	None
Distinctions	None
England Resilience
"Eric Brook, the Manchester City and England outside-left, who underwent an operation on Saturday [at a private nursing home] for peritonitis, was stated to-day to have passed a comfortable night and to be in a satisfactory condition." - Monday, 29 November 1937, various newspapers "Eric Brook leaves the nursing home to-day, a fortnight after his entrance." - Saturday, 11 December 1937, The Daily Mail "MANCHESTER CITY 3 MILLWALL 1 - ERIC BROOK AS GOOD AS EVER "Manchester City made no mistake in their [FA Cup third round] replay with Millwall, and defeated the club that dismissed them from the competition in the sixth round last year. Eric Brook came into the side for the first time since he underwent an operation for appendicitis in November, and played a big part in City's success. His corner kick paved the way for the opening goal, scored by Heale, who was making his first appearance of the season, and he himself obtained the second. City were much the superior side in the opening half, when all the scoring occurred and only grand work by Yuill, in the Millwall goal, kept down the tally against him. Heale put the City ahead in three minutes. Burditt equalised and Brook and Herd gave Manchester a two goals' advantage again. Millwall improved following the interval, but though Walsh, Burditt, Brolly and Mangall all went close they could not overcome a stubborn defence." - Thursday, 13 January 1938, The Daily Independent ERIC BROOK BACK IN TRAINING "Eric Brook, who only a month ago was on the verge of death, surprised everybody at Maine Road yesterday when he turned up at the ground and recommenced training. It is just a month since he underwent an operation for acure appendicitis, and it then appeared that even if he recovered his career with the City might be ended. Yesterday, however, he returned with all his old enthusiasm, and expects to be playing within a month. Dr. F. C. Scotson, who first examined Brook and diagnosed appendicitis, told the Daily Independent last night that Brook would undoubtedly have been dead inside two days if the operation had not been performed so quickly. 'It was touch and go,' he said, 'and it was only the skill with which the operation was performed and Brook's splendid constitution that made such a remarkably quick recovery possible, The wound has healed completely and he is quite fir to resume light training. He may be fit to play in about a fortnight.' After he had completed his training, however, the player himself said that he expected to be all right again in about a month's time. 'I feel a little bit stiff, but otherwise I am fine.' " - Thursday, 30 December 1937, Daily Independent   "CAR CRASH GAVE SCOT ENGLISH CAP "It was a real happy party at Newcastle on Saturday. England came out 'tops,' but nobody same to care which way the game went. The object of the 'national was to give the Red Cross Fund a hoist and as the authorities were not too strict on the 15,000 control the result was highly satisfactory. Crowd was estimated at 30,000. Game will go down to history as the match in which a Scot was 'capped' for England. The Manchester City men, Ned Barkas and Eric Brook were caught in a spot of bother on their way to Newcastle, failed to put in an appearance, and deputies were chosen from the home team's staff. Pearson, who went in for Brook on the left, is a former Murrayfield amateur. He pulled his weight under what must have been trying circumstances. Mystery of the missing players was solved yesterday. Brook and Barkas were injured in a car crash, and returned to their Manchester homes after spending the night at Ripon Hospital. It appears they set out by car for Newcastle at 6 a.m., and were involved in a collision with another car at Dishforth, Yorkshire. They suffered shock, cuts, and bruises. Their driver escaped injury, and was allowed home." - Monday, 4 December 1939, The Courier & Advertiser "ERIC BROOK PROGRESSING "Although Eric Brook, the Manchester City and England international footballer, has been ordered to rest as a result of injuries he received in a recent car crash, officials of his club discount the suggestion that he will not play again this eason. Mr. W. Wild, City's secretary-manager, said to-day: 'Brook is making good progress at home. All he needs is rest and quiet, and the doctors believe he will make a complete recovery.' " - Thursday, 29 December 1939, The Manchester Evening News. "FOOTBALLERS ON WAY TO MATCH "A civil action arising out of a motor-car collision, in which two-footballers were injured while travelling to a match, was heard by Mr. Justice Charles at the Assizes in Leeds, yesterday. Plaintiff was Mr. Alexander Butkus, taxi-cab proprietor, of Beckett Street, Leeds, who unsuccessfully sued Mr. Robert Weightman Jackson, farmer, of Barker's Farm, Dishforth, for damages for personal injuries. A collision between motor-cars driven by the parties occurred near Dishforth, on the Great North Road, about 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 2, last year. Mr. Butkus was driving Mr. Eric Brook and Mr. Sam Barkas, who were to play for Manchester City Football Club at Newcastle. Mr. Barkas formerly played for Bradford City. Both footballers were injured, but were not parties in yesterday's action. Mr. Butkas's injuries included concussion, fractured left second rib and face bruises. In cross-examination, Mr. Butkus was asked questions which recalled the recent conviction and hanging of Vincent Ostler and William Appleby, of Hawksworth, for the shooting of a policeman in County Durham.  Mr. Butkus denied that he received stolen goods from the two men. He agreed that he gave evidence that one of the two men showed him a revolver on a certain occassion. That was the only connection he had with the two men, he said. Mr. Butkus said he was driving at 45 to 50 m.p.h. when his car and Mr. Jackson's collided. His Lordship, giving judgement, said that if Mr. Butkus had been keeping a proper look-out he would have seen Mr. Jackson's car coming on to the main rood soon enough to have avoided a collision. The two footballers had missed their train, and Mr. Butkus was driving them to their match. He was driving very much too fast, and much faster than he said he drove. The collision was entirely his fault, and there must be judgement for Mr. Jackson, with costs. - Tuesday, 23 July 1940, The Yorkshire Post & Leeds Mercury.
Beyond England
Following his enforced retirement through the war, Eric settled in Manchester working latterly as a crane driver. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.48.

Eric Brook - Career Statistics
Squads	Apps	comp. apps	Mins.	Goals	goals ave.min	comp. goals	Pens	Capt.	Disc.
21	18	12	1620	10	162 min	6	1	none	none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

Eric Brook - Match History
 

Club: Manchester City F.C. - 18 full appearances (1620 min), 10 goals

F.A. International Selection Committee - 18 full appearances (1620 min)x

Age 21
1	168	19 October 1929 - Ireland 0 England 3, Windsor Park, Belfast	BC	AW	Start	ol

Age 25
186		13 May 1933 - Italy 1 England 1, Stadio Nazionale del PNF, Roma	tour	AD	reserve
2	187	20 May 1933 - Switzerland 0 England 4, Stadion Neufeld, Bern		AW	Start	ol
3	188	14 October 1933 - Ireland 0 England 3, Windsor Park, Belfast	BC	AW	Start 30	ol
4	189	15 November 1933 - England 1 Wales 2, St. James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne		HL	Start 59	ol

Age 26
5	190	6 December 1933 - England 4 France 1, White Hart Lane, Tottenham	Fr	HW	Start 20	ol
6	191	14 April 1934 - England 3 Scotland 0, Empire Stadium, Wembley	BC	HW	Start 70	ol
7	192	10 May 1934 - Hungary 2 England 1, Stadion Üllõi út, Budapest	tour	AL	Start	ol
8	193	16 May 1934 - Czechoslovakia 2 England 1, Stadión Letná, Praha		AL	Start	ol
9	194	29 September 1934 - Wales 0 England 4, Ninian Park, Cardiff	BC	AW	Start 30	ol
10	195	14 November 1934 - England 3 Italy 2, Arsenal Stadium, Highbury	Fr	HW	Start 1,9,12	ol

Age 27
11	196	6 February 1935 - England 2 Ireland 1, Goodison Park, Liverpool	BC	HW	Start	ol
12	197	6 April 1935 - Scotland 2 England 0, Hampden Park, Glasgow		AL	Start	ol
13	199	19 October 1935 - Ireland 1 England 3, Windsor Park, Belfast	BC	AW	Start 85	ol

Age 28
14	201	5 February 1936 - England 1 Wales 2, Molineux, Wolverhampton	BC	HL	Start	ol
15	202	4 April 1936 - England 1 Scotland 1, Empire Stadium, Wembley		HD	Start	ol

Age 29
16	207	2 December 1936 - England 6 Hungary 2, Arsenal Stadium, Highbury	Fr	HW	Start 25	ol
17	212	23 October 1937 - Ireland 1 England 5, Windsor Park, Belfast	BC	AW	Start 75	11
18	213	17 November 1937 - England 2 Wales 1, Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough		HW	Start	11

Age 30
214	1 December 1937 - England 5 Czechoslovakia 4, White Hart Lane, Tottenham	Fr	HW	withdrawn poorly

Age 31
223	15 April 1939 - Scotland 1 England 2, Hampden Park, Glasgow	BC	AW	withdrawn injured

Notes

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