Alex Cropley

Cropley was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. His father is Jack Cropley, who was playing for Aldershot at the time. Cropley junior, who grew up in Edinburgh, began his career with Hibernian, where he featured in the famed team of the early 1970s known as "Turnbull's Tornadoes". While with Hibs, he won the Scottish League Cup of 1972, in a 2–1 victory over Celtic in the final. Despite being born in the south of England, Cropley was eligible for Scotland and he was selected for matches played against Belgium and Portugal in 1971. Late in 1974, Cropley moved to London where he turned down an offer from Chelsea to play for Arsenal, whom he signed for in a deal worth £150,000. He made his debut for the Gunners against Carlisle United on 7 December 1974. Cropley then broke his leg in a match away to Middlesbrough in January 1975 and broke it again soon after his comeback. He returned to make 22 appearances in the 1975–76 season, but could not secure a regular place in Arsenal's first team. He then linked up with Aston Villa in September 1976, having played 30 league games with five goals scored altogether for Arsenal. At Villa, he featured in a memorable win against the great Liverpool side of the period. Cropley also appeared in the League Cup Final of 1977 against Everton. The final needed to be replayed after the game ended in a draw. The second final saw the two teams once again finish the game tied altogether. In the eventual third final, with the game going to extra time,…

After his playing days came to an end, Cropley became a taxi driver within his hometown of Edinburgh. His son Jordan is also a footballer, who played for Hibernian's academy. Jordan went on to feature for Scottish clubs Berwick Rangers, Arniston Rangers and Haddington Athletic. An autobiography entitled Crops: The Alex Cropley Story was released in 2013. Cropley was diagnosed with dementia in December 2020. He died on 27 March 2026, aged 75.

Hibernian

Scottish League Cup: 1972–73 Aston Villa

Football League Cup: 1976–77 Individual

Hibernian Hall of Fame: 2017