Coach joins from Sheffield United
Huddersfield Town has today appointed Paul Crichton as its new first team Goalkeeping Coach.
The Pontefract-born 43 year-old moves across the county from Sheffield United to join Simon Grayson’s first team staff ahead of the new Championship season.
Crichton has a wealth of knowledge, having played almost 500 competitive games as a goalkeeper throughout his 24 year playing career.
He first moved into coaching in 2005, working as a Goalkeeping Coach at Gillingham. He has since filled the same role at Cambridge United, Kings Lynn and Brighton & Hove Albion before joining Norwich City under Bryan Gunn in February 2009.
Crichton departed Carrow Road a year later and soon took up the same role with the Blades, but now moves to West Yorkshire as Town get ready for the impending Championship campaign.
Over the years Crichton has coached likes of Scottish international goalie David Marshall, Welsh international ‘keeper Jason Brown, long-serving Brighton stopper Michel Kuipers and promising Sheffield United ‘keeper George Long.
Huddersfield Town Manager Simon Grayson knows Crichton well:
“We had a number of options to choose from to fill this vacancy, because most people see this as a good opportunity to work at a great football club.
“I know Paul from being on coaching courses with him and having spoken to people that he has worked with he comes highly recommended. He is enthusiastic, hard-working and he wants to make an impression here and do well – just like every other member of staff here.
“We also played together at Aston Villa for a short time and it does help to know him personally. This football club is special in that everybody gets on and that allows us to work very closely together to keep improving.”
Paul told htafc.com that he can’t wait to get going with the Terriers.
“Obviously we all know what happened in the summer in terms of Huddersfield getting promoted and then my contract at Sheffield United expired, which gave me the opportunity to explore my options.
“I know Huddersfield is a good club and this is a great chance for me to work at a Championship football club that is really going places. I know the ambition that the Chairman has here and I want to be a part of it.
“I’ve also sat in the same dressing room as Simon and we’ve caught up since on coaching course, whereas Glynn Snodin lives in the same village as me. I’ve just met the rest of the backroom staff and they all seem brilliant too, so hopefully the transition will be quick.
“It will be great to work with the likes of ‘Benno’, Nick (Colgan) and Alex (Smithies) and I’m sure we’ll have a good season together. These lads are proven and everybody has seen how good they are, so I’m looking forward to working with them and the younger pros too.”
