Crispin, Fran

Fran Crispin played as a central defender for Exeter in 1982/83, having made her debut in the previous season on the 25th April 1982 against Frome in the League Cup Semi-Final. 

The following is from a local paper in December 1982, 

"Torbay United may be a thing of the past but two of the club's former players have joined the Exeter women's team and both could emulate Sarah Pollard's achievement of gaining international recognition. They are bank clerk Fran Crispin and Annie Hesketh, who works for Youngs Seafood. Both are 21 and live in Paignton, and both were keen to continue to play football when their old team broke up.

"I attended the meeting at which Torbay United was formed but I did not play for them until 1977," recalls centre-back Fran. "I had always watched football because I found it interesting, then one day I was kicking a hockey ball around when Sarah Pollard came up and asked if I wanted to join the football team." 99

Fran is something of a sports fanatic who plays badminton at county level and squash.

Annie Hesketh, a centre-forward and prolific goal scorer, was bitten by the football bug at an early age, but being brought up in the football-crazy city of Manchester this perhaps is not surprising.

She joined a girls team at the age of 15 and when the family moved to Torbay the following year, Annie was determined to join the nearest side which happened to be Torbay United.

"Football is very important to me. I have played for the South Western regional side and I would like to play for England," she says. "I think blokes should come to see one of our games before they make up their minds about women's football."

"The South-West regional team represents virtually the whole of the south of England," says Rod Hawker. "Annie is a very fast player who has in terested the England manager and must be on the fr inge of the international side.

"Fran is a fine all-round player who can win the ball and has a good head. One of the problems is that her badminton has ruled her out of represen tative matches which is a pity as she also has England qualities.

"There are not many players who have her skill.”


Playing Record 

Season 

 Apps 

Gls 

1981/82

  1

  0

Total to 82 

  1

 0



 Season 

 Apps 

Gls 

1982/83 

 24

 3

Total to 83 

 25

 3

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