One of the best goalkeepers ever to play for York City, Graeme Crawford was born in Falkirk in 1947, and began his career with East Stirling.

He joined Sheffield United in 1968, but found his opportunities restricted at Bramall Lane, where he managed only a couple of league starts. In November 1971 Crawford signed on loan for York City before making the deal permanent a month later. And such was his impact at the club that he became a virtual ever-present over the next five-and-a-half years.

During the promotion season of 1973-74 he kept eleven successive clean sheets to equal a Football League record that had lasted almost five decades. He appeared in every game for York during their two seasons in the second tier of English professional football, and was a major contributor as City came up against the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and Southampton on a regular basis.

He was transferred to Scunthorpe United in July 1977, but returned to Bootham Crescent in January 1980 in an exchange deal that took Joe Neenan in the opposite direction. However, it proved only a fleeting reminder of former glories as within eight months he had signed for Rochdale, where he remained for the next three seasons.

Crawford finished his career at Scarborough before later briefly coming out of retirement at the age of forty-two to make an FA Cup appearance for Goole Town.