Johnny Crossan

KS55 said:
N.I. was complete slavery for players at the time. Most players were amateur and a mafia of businessmen ran a system whereby they decided when and where a player could move. Money would change hands and owners enriched themselves at the players’ expense. When Crossan kicked against the pricks they banned him for life. Crossan did not take it lying down and explored legal remedies. The owners partially backed down and a deal was agreed whereby the ban would apply to home nations only. Crossan was thus free to pursue his career on the continent which he did successfully. The ban was finally lifted as the old retain and transfer system was abolished. (A story in itself).
He signed for Sunderland and later for City. He was hugely instrumental in our return to div1 under Joe Mercer. He was a schemer, today called playmaker. He made a few appearances for us in div1 but he was at the end of his career.
I absolutely adored him and his subtle game. So good to see him still going strong.
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Thankyou, really interesting
 
johnevans said:
Fabulous player, one of my all-time City heroes. There is a case to be made that he singlehandedly willed us to promotion in 1965-66, such was his importance to that side in Mercer-Allison's first season.

He had an incredibly quick brain, always trying to catch the opposition out at free-kicks and corners. And it's no exaggeration to say that he was as good as David Silva in getting himself out of tightly marked situations to deliver a killer pass behind the defence to set 'Buzzer' Summerbee or Neil Young in on goal.

My favourite memory of Johnny Crossan in action was during the home game with promotion rivals Huddersfield Town on a wintry New Year's Day 1966. We took the lead with Mike Doyle's flying header in the first half. Huddersfield came back at us very strongly and threatened to at least equalise on several occasions. Whenever we did get possession in the second half, it was Crossan who calmed the play, holding on to the ball and allowing us to get into formation.

But his killer moment was when we were awarded a penalty at the Platt Lane end where I was sitting with The Old Man. I think it was Glyn Pardoe who'd been fouled and required treatment* from the trainer (* that's 'treatment' as in he ran onto the pitch with a pail full of freezing water and drenched the injured part of Pardoe's leg with an equally frozen sponge as the snowflakes fell from the even more equally frozen Manchester sky!)

Crossan was our penalty taker and he placed the ball on the spot, seemingly ready. But as the trainer made to run off, Johnny beckoned him over and made him place the bucket on the pitch so he could wash the mud off his left boot. And all of this in front of Huddersfield's goalkeeper, who went back onto his line. Crossan shaped to take the penalty with his left foot but at the last second shifted his balance and scored with his right foot! Absolute genius! We saw the game out at 2-0 for a statement win in the promotion title race and pretty much never looked back for the rest of the season.

Johnny Crossan - a truly glorious footballer who'd be worth quite a few bob nowadays!
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Was my favourite player when I first started watching City, you have summed up my memories of him perfectly. It’s wonderful to see him his mid eighties Yeah a superb penalty taker as well
 
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City’s captain and one of my first heroes. Was a significant part of the promotion team but just didn’t have the legs to step up after promotion. A true leader though.
 
mcfcinprague said:
One of my first heroes, a very gifted player who I loved watching play
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Same here, my first real hero when I started watching City in that promotion season. Very skilful and creative player who was also a good finisher. He wouldn't have been out of place in that title-winning side the season after he left.
 
shemnel said:
to my shame i've never heard of Johnny Crossan so i had a google, and what an odd back story.....

"When [Sunderland] made a substantial offer, Derry City offered Crossan a payment deal which he rejected, offering his own. When the Sunderland negotiations broke down, Derry City dropped Crossan, who signed for Coleraine. Derry City ... reported themselves to the Football League authorities for technical breaches of regulations. In January 1959, a commission of inquiry imposed small fines on Derry and Coleraine, but banned Crossan from all forms of football for life"

seems he went of to the Netherlands and only came back to the UK to City when they lifted his ban. So he was banned for life for wanting to move? is this the whole story? is this really how beholden to clubs players were pre-Bosman?
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116 incoming .
Thanks Johnny .
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
Funnily enough, I was talking to an older City fan at the gym this morning, and he was telling me all about Crossan and how he never got enough credit for his part in the City revival.

Crossan was just before my time, but I never realised that he'd actually been signed by George Poyser and not Joe Mercer.

I've since checked and presumably he joined City just after the infamous Swindon fixture at Maine Road.
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It was obvious how good he was when Mercer and Allison decided he would be one of the few players they decided to keep on. He played an important part in our promotion to the 1st division.
 
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