I remember that game I was nine. Johnny Crossaan didn't miss a penalty when it mattered against Huddersfield town on New years day! Only seems like yesterday.
Johnny Crossan was my second ever City hero as a lad learning the game (Trautmann was the first, obvs..!)
His penalty for the second against our promotion rivals Huddersfield on New Year's Day in 1966 confirmed us as real promotion, even championship, contenders. I remember being in the Platt Lane end with the Old Man, part of a 47000+ crowd. In front of us, Crossan took his time over the penalty while the trainer 'attended to' (!!) Neil Young with his sponge and bucket of ice cold water (again,!!) who had been fouled in the box (I think). Crossan told the trainer to wait while he cleaned his left boot only in the water bucket to suggest to Huddersfield's 'keeper that was his favoured foot. He then placed the ball on the spot, changed his run at the last second and scored with his right foot! Brilliant 'psyching'!
And yes 'GaryJ', I was at the Ipswich game when 'Nelly' scored. We did the double over Ipswich that season, beating them 4-2 at their gaff early in the season. After a good start we were on a bit of a losing run and Ipswich (who'd come up to Division One after winning the Division Two title the year before, managed by Alf Ramsey) were on a really great run which took them to the top of the table. We all expected a thrashing but, typical City, we walloped them instead! Of course, Ipswich went on to win the title that season and having won the Division Two title the previous season, the first time that feat had been achieved, I believe? This was emulated years later by Nottingham Forest under Cloughie, of course.
Funnily enough, I remember going to The Swamp later that season with my mates who supported The Red Filth (we used to do that sort of thing in those days!) where that lot across town also walloped Ipswich, with (again, I think) Albert Quixall getting a hat-trick in a 5-0 win.
gjfootballarchive.com
