Paul Crichton

Paul Andrew Crichton, born on October 3, 1968, in Pontefract, England, dedicated over two decades to professional football as a goalkeeper. His playing career began as a trainee at Nottingham Forest in May 1986. While at Forest, Crichton gained experience through various loan spells, making his league debut with Notts County in September 1986. He subsequently had loan periods with Darlington, Peterborough United, Swindon Town, Rotherham United, and Torquay United before securing a free transfer to Peterborough United in November 1988. Following his tenure at Peterborough, Crichton joined Doncaster Rovers in August 1990, where he notably saved the same penalty three times in a single game in September 1990, a rare achievement.

Crichton’s career progressed with a move to Grimsby Town in July 1993 on a free transfer, where he was a consistent presence in goal for three years and was named Supporters Player of the Year in 1994. In September 1996, he transferred to West Bromwich Albion for £250,000. Despite a significant transfer fee, playing time was limited, leading to further loan spells, including a brief period at Aston Villa in August 1997. He then permanently joined Burnley in November 1998 for £100,000, playing a key role in their promotion to Division One in the 1999–2000 season. After leaving Burnley in 2001 for Norwich City, where he largely served as a backup, Crichton continued his playing career in non-league football with clubs like York City, Gainsborough Trinity, and Accrington Stanley until 2005, when he began his transition into coaching.

Crichton’s coaching career officially began in 2005 as a player-coach for Gillingham. He continued in similar roles with Cambridge United and King’s Lynn, gradually shifting his focus entirely to coaching. He served as goalkeeping coach for Brighton & Hove Albion, Norwich City, and Sheffield United. In July 2012, he became the goalkeeper coach for Huddersfield Town, and later returned to Grimsby Town in 2014 before moving to Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers. In 2019, Crichton immigrated to the United States, taking on the role of assistant head coach for Miami FC. He then joined the Washington Spirit in 2021 as a goalkeeping coach, and in February 2023, he was appointed goalkeeping coach for Orlando Pride, where he continues to contribute to professional football.