1957 Cruz, Antonio
Occupation
Winger
Biographical Text
Antonio Cruz from Bilbao was a 24-year-old language student in Exeter during the early months of 1958 when he made half-a-dozen appearances for Exeter City Reserves in the Southern League.
At a time when practically every player in English professional football either came from Britain or Ireland, the presence of any player from elsewhere was always a novelty be he a professional or amateur. When Antonio - soon to become 'Tony' in local football circles - arrived at the International School of English on Mount Radford Crescent in Exeter, word reached Clive Toye of the Express and Echo that City had a 'Spanish second division player' on the doorstep. Although that would have been impossible to verify, and with City hesitant, 'Tony' soon impressed playing for Bridgwater Town in the Western League.
Within three weeks City had made the customary seven-day approach needed to sign an amateur player and Antonio was turning out for the reserves in the hefty Southern League defeat at Barry in March 1958.
Further appearances followed in the Southern League against Hereford United (home and away), Merthyr Tydfil (when he scored) and Hastings United as well as in the Devon Professional Cup game at St James' Park against Barnstaple Town that was watched by 1,597.
Beyond that point there is no record. Nor is it clear whether Antonio was actually seeking a professional career. The eligibility rules of the day would have made this extremely difficult and, besides, City had just signed fellow winger Nelson Stiffle from Bournemouth. The easiest explanation is that Antonio simply returned to the Basque Country at the end of a language course that lasted no more than two or three months.
At a time when practically every player in English professional football either came from Britain or Ireland, the presence of any player from elsewhere was always a novelty be he a professional or amateur. When Antonio - soon to become 'Tony' in local football circles - arrived at the International School of English on Mount Radford Crescent in Exeter, word reached Clive Toye of the Express and Echo that City had a 'Spanish second division player' on the doorstep. Although that would have been impossible to verify, and with City hesitant, 'Tony' soon impressed playing for Bridgwater Town in the Western League.
Within three weeks City had made the customary seven-day approach needed to sign an amateur player and Antonio was turning out for the reserves in the hefty Southern League defeat at Barry in March 1958.
Further appearances followed in the Southern League against Hereford United (home and away), Merthyr Tydfil (when he scored) and Hastings United as well as in the Devon Professional Cup game at St James' Park against Barnstaple Town that was watched by 1,597.
Beyond that point there is no record. Nor is it clear whether Antonio was actually seeking a professional career. The eligibility rules of the day would have made this extremely difficult and, besides, City had just signed fellow winger Nelson Stiffle from Bournemouth. The easiest explanation is that Antonio simply returned to the Basque Country at the end of a language course that lasted no more than two or three months.
[It is understood that Antonio Cruz remained City's only Spanish player at any level until the arrival of Guillem Bauzà in 2011].
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