The Flying Sportsman

When Peter Minto first discovered the name of F N S Creek, he began to unravel a forgotten legend of British football. He soon found that there was far more to this man than it seemed… When the First World War broke out, F N S Creek found himself battling in the squalid trenches of Flanders and soon transferred into the Royal Flying Corps performing dangerous aerial reconnaissance and bombing missions behind enemy lines, eventually earning a military cross for his contributions. Despite the short life expectancy of aircrew, Creek returned to England to study at Trinity College, Cambridge, and there he first discovered his talent for football. F N S Creek quickly grew to celebrity status with his spectacular scoring ability, earning caps for England and later going on to coach the Olympic team for sixteen years. Throughout his career he revolutionised the coaching of football throughout the nation whilst also becoming a successful cricketer, writer, journalist and broadcaster. In this extensively-researched biography of a forgotten legend of English football, Peter Minto presents the remarkable life of F N S Creek.