James William Crabtree (23 December 1871 – 18 June 1908[1]) was a gifted English footballer of the end of the 19th century.

[2] His performances attracted the attention of FA Cup holders, Aston Villa, in 1895.

He played alongside Howard Spencer at left-half, and went on to share the captaincy of the club with him.

Crabtree joined Plymouth Argyle in January 1904 and made four appearances in the Southern League before injury forced him to retire.

[3] He then coached at several non-league clubs and later became a pub licensee in Birmingham.