Legend Crawford Celebrates 90th Birthday
Monday, 13th Jul 2026 12:51

Town legend Ray Crawford celebrates his 90th birthday today.

Crawford joined the Blues from hometown club Portsmouth in 1958 and was a member of Sir Alf Ramsey’s team which won the old Second Division and First Division titles in 1960/61 and 1961/62 after forging a remarkable strike partnership with Ted Phillips.

Having moved on to Wolves in September 1963 and then West Brom, he rejoined the club in March 1966 for a further three years and was also the side which carried off the Second Division title in 1967/68.

He left for Charlton in March 1969 having become one of only two players to feature for Town under both Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson along with Bill Baxter.

The Blues’ first ever England international during his first spell with the club, winning two caps, scoring twice, Crawford remains the club’s top goalscorer having netted 227 times in 353 appearances.

He has remained a regular visitor to Portman Road for the annual Ex-Players’ Dinner and when Portsmouth have been in Suffolk and has spoken regularly to Town-related media, including Life’s a Pitch TV a couple of years ago.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

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Super_Cooper added 12:56 - Jul 13 Happy Birthday!
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tractorboybig added 12:57 - Jul 13 Met him asa boy my all time hero happy birthday
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Terrystowel added 13:02 - Jul 13 My hero too!! How much would he have been worth in today's market?
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Stato added 13:03 - Jul 13 And that's whst a club legend looks like
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blueboy1981 added 13:08 - Jul 13 Ray the LEGEND. Happy Birthday. Now those were the Days !!
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RetroBlue added 13:09 - Jul 13 Happy Birthday Ray. I used to deliver your daily newspaper lol!!
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IBelieve added 13:30 - Jul 13 Ray and Ted, I can picture them now, a truly awesome strike force. Happy birthday Ray.
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haircut101 added 14:07 - Jul 13 The 'jungle boy' is 90 ! Happy Birthday Ray! You and Ted were unstoppable.
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December1963 added 14:15 - Jul 13 I guess the last member of the championship winning team still with us. Met him once at Portman road, very friendly a real gentleman. The word legend can be overused but he certainly is one. Happy birthday to a club great.
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51blue added 14:29 - Jul 13 Happy birthday Ray, My first hero and probably favourite player in seven decades of ITFC.
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Somersettractor added 14:32 - Jul 13 My favourite Town memory is seeing him score the second goal against Villa to win the title in '62. It was a classy goal where he rounded the centre-half in mid-field and slotted the ball past the oncoming goal keeper. A moment only matched by Roger Osborne, We all know when.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 14:36 - Jul 13 Happy Birthday, Ray. I had the privilege of seeing you in action towards the end of your career. Town legend!
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del45 added 14:39 - Jul 13 Watched him many seasons at Portman Road created many memories for me. Happy birthday Ray.
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oldelsworthyfan added 14:42 - Jul 13 Happy Birthday Ray and thank you for the joy you and the boys of 1961-62 gave us, in particular the 33 goals you scored!
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suttonexile added 15:10 - Jul 13 Was upset when Ray left for Wolves after our Champions success but joyous when he returned to help fire us back to the (then) First Division in 1968. Extraordinary and prolific centre forward. A later memory was his goal for Colchester in the giant killing of (then becoming) mighty Leeds Utd.
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Linkboy13 added 15:14 - Jul 13 Great player and a lovely man . If somebody asked me my opinion of who was our greatest number nine i just couldn't tell you Crawford, Mariner, Johnson (ex Everton).
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WeWereZombies added 15:14 - Jul 13 Many happy returns, I never knew he was from Portsmouth and I lived three doors away from him on Castle Hill as a kid.
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moike added 15:20 - Jul 13 What memories ! Roy Stephenson (a right footed right winger) tearing down the wing. His cross would usually result in Ted or Ray scoring. If it fell loose , Doug Moran or Sticks would do the honours.
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blueboy1981 added 15:21 - Jul 13 And some think today’s times at Portman Road are the best - such people haven’t lived ! Days never forgotten.
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Secondhalf added 15:47 - Jul 13 He brought finesse to the partnership whilst Ted Phillips brought terror !! Glancing headers v crossbar cracking penalties Not forgetting Tom Garneys, also a prolific goalscorer.
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itfchorry added 16:02 - Jul 13 A Very Happy Birthday Ray - Absolute Gentleman
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IWBlue added 16:29 - Jul 13

Happy Birthday, Ray- a true Ipswich Town legend. My boyhood hero growing up following Town. To correct the main article, he only scored once for England (against Austria at Wembley). Should have played many more times and would have been great to see Ray and Ted playing for England together! Unusually he is a double international having played for both England and Malaya!

Tedray added 16:41 - Jul 13 Well done Ray one of the best headers of the ball - he seemed to have the ability to hang in the air can see the "jungle boy" now with his deadly partner Ted Phillips - those were the days. They seemed to play all the games and never got injured.A great joy to have seen them play.
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ElvisMariner added 16:46 - Jul 13 Happy Birthday Ray… true Ipswich Town legend and a real gentleman.
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Sibelius8 added 16:50 - Jul 13 In the early 1960s Ray came to teach football to my Ipswich Primary School class at St. John's C of E - any other older supporters from that school still around?. I distinctly remember he told me "never complain about a foul, sonny; play to the whistle!" TWTD indeed!
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