Crowther's interest in football was sparked by the distinct lack of public interest in Huddersfield Town. Since the club had achieved Football League status in 1910, their attendances had been extremely poor; up to the suspension of the League programme in 1915, home games had rarely exceeded crowds of 5,000. Contributing factors included Huddersfield's poor form – in five years of endeavour, the club's best position had been fifth in Division Two in 1912–13, and during this period they had never advanced beyond the second round of the FA Cup – and the presence of the established (and well supported) Huddersfield Northern Rugby Union Club. Playing a near-empty ground, which had been redeveloped to house over 50,000 spectators, could not have been encouraging for players, management or the club directors.