HATTERS STRIKER CROWE MAKES OLDHAM SWITCH

Luton Town striker Dean Crowe has today (Thursday) completed a deadline day move to Second Division rivals Oldham Athletic on a free transfer after his contract with the Hatters was terminated by mutual consent.

Crowe has struggled this season after failing to score for over a year and he was mainly restricted to substitute appearances this term after the emergence of Enoch Showunmi, who was signed from non-league Willesden Constantine in September 2003. He made 8 substitute appearances in the League and started 2 LDV Vans Trophy matches, failing to net a single goal as he was unsettled and longed for a move back to his native North. He also spent a month on loan at Third Division York City.

Crowe had joined the Hatters on loan from Stoke City in September 2001. A small, but highly skilful striker, he was signed by then Luton manager Joe Kinnear after impressing during a trial spell with the Hatters, which saw him appear in two reserve team matches.
He came through as a trainee at the Britannia Stadium, and he made his first-team debut during the 1997-98 season in a 2-0 win over Burnley in September 1997 in Division One. After a further four first-team outings, he scored his first goal in professional football in a 1-1 home draw with Nottingham Forest, and he was on the mark again three matches later in a 1-1 draw at Wolves. Two further goals in the campaign followed, in a 1-5 loss at Oxford United and in a 2-1 home win over Queen’s Park Rangers.

After relegation from Division One in his first season as a member of the Stoke City first-team, Crowe had established himself as a regular member of the Potters side. He continued to hold down a place in the side in the 1998-99 campaign, as he made 38 League appearances and scored 8 goals, including a brace in a 4-3 win at Preston North End.

However, things began to go wrong for Crowe during the 1999-00 season. Following the appointment as manager of Icelander Gudjon Thordason, he found himself pushed down the pecking order after Thordason signed a number of Icelandic players. He made just 6 League appearances for Stoke, before a loan move to Northampton Town. He made 5 League appearances for the Cobblers, before returning to the Britannia Stadium. A further loan spell followed at Bury, where he made 4 League appearances at Gigg Lane.

He began the 2000-01 season at Bury, during a second loan spell with the Shakers. He scored in his first appearance of the season, a consolation in a 1-4 home defeat to Wrexham. He made another 6 appearances for Bury, prior to returning to Stoke. It was a very disappointing season for Crowe, as he failed to make a single first-team appearance with the Potteries club.

He began the 2001-02 season on loan once again, this time with Third Division Plymouth Argyle. He made his debut as a substitute in a 0-1 defeat to Shrewsbury Town, but after this single appearance, he returned to the Britannia Stadium.

He scored on his Luton debut, in a 1-2 defeat at Plymouth Argyle, and he followed that up with another goal - this time on his home debut - in a 5-2 win over Darlington. A further two goals followed in a 4-2 win at Halifax Town, which was enough to persuade Kinnear to sign him on a permanent basis. He joined Luton on a free transfer, although Stoke manager Gudjon Thordason insisted on a 50% sell-on clause, should he be sold in the future. He celebrated becoming a permanent Luton player with a goal in a 3-0 home win over Swansea City, taking his tally of goals to 5 in 6 games, and he continued in this rich vein of form by netting in the next game - a consolation goal in a disastrous 1-4 defeat at Mansfield Town.

However, he failed to net in the next 4 matches, but he was back amongst the goals by netting in a 2-1 win at Hartlepool United and then scoring the only goal of the game as Rushden & Diamonds were beaten at Kenilworth Road. Away goals followed in wins at Oxford United and Southend United over the Christmas period, but it marked a goal drought for Crowe that lasted 9 games, before he finally hit the back of the net again in a 3-0 home win over Leyton Orient, much to his and Luton's supporters' relief!

He finished the season with a floury - netting 4 goals in the final 9 games, to end the season with a tally of 15 goals in a Luton shirt. A great season for Crowe, who had struck up a formidable partnership with Steve Howard in Luton's attack. His reward was promotion - which saw Crowe become a Second Division player once again - and he rightfully deserved the accolade.

From a personal point of view, Crowe had a disappointing 2002-03 season, which culminated in him breaking his leg at the beginning of March 2003 and sitting out the remainder of the campaign.

In stark contrast to his previous season with the Hatters, in which he found the net regularly, Crowe struggled for goals during the course of the campaign, and he never looked full of the confidence that had made him such a fans’ favourite during the previous season.

Crowe began the 2002-03 season on the substitutes bench, with Luton’s summer arrival Tony Thorpe, back for his fourth spell with the club, starting the season it attack with Steve Howard. However, as the Hatters were trailing 0-2 at half-time to Peterborough United on the opening day of the season, Crowe was thrown into action, and he scored within 3 minutes of coming on. Unfortunately, he couldn’t prevent the Hatters from losing 2-3.

Further substitute appearances followed in defeats at Blackpool and Plymouth Argyle, and at home to Barnsley, before Crowe started for the first time during the season in a 0-0 draw at Cardiff City in late August 2002.

He started the next match, too, as Luton won for the first time during the 2002-03 season, as Chesterfield were beaten 3-0 at Kenilworth Road, Crowe netting the Hatters’ third goal. It was, however, to be his final goal of the season.

He made a further 24 appearances for the Hatters in all competitions during the course of the season, and he was also used as a right-winger on occasions by Luton boss Joe Kinnear, which showed Crowe’s willingness to help the team’s cause.

Unfortunately, the 2003-04 season was equally disappointing for Crowe and he found himself on the bench with Steve Howard, Adrian Forbes and Enoch Showunmi preferred in attack. Desperate for a return North, he has joined Oldham Athletic on a non-contract basis until the end of the 2003-04 season.
Story date: Thursday, March 25, 2004