Pat Kruse
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Patrick Karl Kruse[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 November 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Arlesey, England | ||
| Position(s) |
Centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Arlesey Town | |||
| 1972–1975 | Leicester City | 2 | (0) |
| 1974 | → Mansfield Town (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 1975 | → Torquay United (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 1975–1977 | Torquay United | 69 | (4) |
| 1977–1982 | Brentford | 186 | (12) |
| 1982 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 1982–1983 | Barnet | 28 | (1) |
| Total | 291 | (17) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Patrick Karl Kruse (born 30 November 1953) is an English former professional
centre back.[2] Kruse is known for scoring what is believed to be the fastest own goal of all time, netting past his own keeper after just six seconds of play in a match in January 1977.[3][4][5][6]
Career
Arlesey Town
A
centre back, Kruse began his career at hometown South Midlands League Premier Division club Arlesey Town.[7] He departed in June 1970.[8]
Leicester City
Kruse secured a move to the
clean sheet in a 3–0 win.[7] Kruse failed to make another first team appearance for the Foxes and moved to Fourth Division club Mansfield Town on loan in September 1974.[1] He departed Filbert Street at the end of the 1974–75 season.[7]
Torquay United
Kruse linked up with former Leicester City assistant manager
following season and won the club's Player of the Year award.[6] The most memorable event of Kruse's time with Torquay came in a match versus Cambridge United in January 1977, when he scored what is claimed to be the quickest own goal of all time, scoring after just six seconds of play:[4][5]
The game was delayed for about an hour because of a frozen
speech impediment and that’s when his affliction kicked in – he stuttered, but nothing came out at all. As far as I knew, he was still in his goal, but when he realised I didn’t hear, he tried to go back, slipped on the ice and as I flicked it back, I could see him lying on the floor as the ball went in. Unfortunately, it wasn’t caught on camera![10]
Kruse departed Torquay United in March 1977, having made 79 league appearances and scored four goals during two years at Plainmoor.[1]
Brentford
Kruse joined Fourth Division strugglers
Nigel Smith and Danis Salman.[9] Kruse averaged 42 appearances a season and helped the club to promotion to the Third Division in the 1977–78 season.[2] His performances during the 1979–80 season won him the club's Player of the Year award.[13]
Kruse was out of favour under new manager Fred Callaghan during the 1981–82 season and made just one appearance before joining Fourth Division strugglers on loan Northampton Town in February 1982.[1][10][11] Kruse rejected a potential permanent transfer to the County Ground due to wage concerns.[10] He left Brentford at the end of the season, after making 201 appearances and scored 12 goals in just over five years at Griffin Park.[2]
Barnet
Kruse dropped into
Alliance Premier League club Barnet in 1982.[14] He made 31 appearances and scored one goal before retiring at the end of the 1982–83 season.[14][15] Differences with manager Barry Fry saw Kruse turn his back on the game at age 29.[9]
Personal life
During his time at Brentford, Kruse commuted to
Midlands home with David McKellar and picked up Jim McNichol and Bob Booker on the way.[12] After retiring from football, Kruse settled in Hitchin and became a builder.[12][16] He retired in 2022.[10]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leicester City | 1973–74[7] | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| Torquay United (loan) | 1974–75[1]
|
Fourth Division | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| Brentford | 1976–77[11] | Fourth Division | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | 15 | 2 | |||
| 1977–78[11] | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 44 | 1 | |||
| 1978–79[11] | Third Division | 44 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 47 | 4 | ||
| 1979–80[11] | 44 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 47 | 3 | |||
| 1980–81[11] | 42 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 47 | 2 | |||
| 1981–82[11] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 186 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 201 | 12 | |||
| Northampton Town (loan) | 1981–82[1]
|
Fourth Division | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| Barnet | 1982–83[15] | Alliance Premier League
|
28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| Career total | 244 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 262 | 13 | ||
Honours
Brentford
- Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1977–78[11]
Individual
- Torquay United Player of the Year: 1975–76[6]
- Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year: 1979–80[9]
- Brentford Players' Player of the Year: 1979–80[13]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Pat Kruse". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ Edgar, Bill (17 July 2006). "Hilarity and tragedy: curse of the own goal". The Times.
- ^ ISBN 978-0753419618.
- ^ a b "Levski Sofia defender in tears after own goal record". Reuters. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ a b c "Local Studies Education Series – Torquay United" (PDF). Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Pat Kruse – Leicester City career stats". FoxesTalk. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ a b "Transfers to or from Arlesey Town". FoxesTalk. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ ISBN 0954368282.
- ^ a b c d Long, Dan. "Kings of the Castle: Pat Kruse". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ a b c Brentford Official Matchday Magazine versus Mansfield Town. Blackheath: Morganprint. 8 August 1998. p. 19.
- ^ ISBN 978-1906796709.
- ^ a b "Disappointing end to the season for the Bees !!". Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ a b "Pat Kruse". Downhill Second Half – A Barnet FC Archive. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ^ "Where are they now?". Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2017.