Johnny Crossan

[JGL07]

Remember singing the the song Dublins fair City forgot it was about Crossan

I always think that the turning point for City in the 1960s came before the arrival of Mercer and Allison when Crossan was signed.

The team were in the depths following the infamous defeat by Swindon. This followed immediately after the replay loss to Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.

Two weeks after the Swindon match, Crossan arrived and soon lifted the spirits of the supporters. I assume that the moves to replace Poyser were already in place and Crossan’s signing was the first move.

City had some decent players on the books at the time including Dowd, Pardoe, Oakes, Young, and Doyle. Crossan helped to lift the gloom and was a major factor in promotion the following season.

It was sad that Crossan’s legs couldn’t keep him around for the title winning season in 1967-68. However he was central to the ongoing project of 1965-71.

 

[City_Shirts]

Great picture of two former blues Johnny Crossan and Shaun Holmes both of Derry.

Johnny was the City Northern Ireland scout who recommend Shaun to City where he spent three years at the club between 1999-01.

They have remained close friends ever since and Shaun called in to see Johnny recently with a copy of my books at his sports shop.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I always think that the turning point for City in the 1960 came before the arrival of Mercer and Allison when Crossan was signed.

The team were in the depths following the infamous defeat by Swindon. This followed immediately after the replay loss to Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.

Two weeks after the Swindon match, Crossan arrived and soon lifted the spirits of the supporters. I assume that the moves to replace Poyser were already in place and Crossan’s signing was the first move.

City had some decent players on the books at the time including Dowd, Pardoe, Oakes, Young, and Doyle. Crossan helped to lift the gloom and was a major factor in promotion the following season.

It was sad that Crossan’s legs couldn’t keep him around for the title winning season in 1967-68. However he was central to the ongoing project of 1965-71.

Yeah I've always been fascinated by the 64-65 season, both on and off the pitch, as the team was rudderless but extremely talented, whilst the fans were deserting from Maine Road, but seemingly still travelling in large numbers to away games (Huddersfield recorded their highest attendance of the season just a few weeks after the infamous Swindon game at Maine Road)

Aside from Summerbee and Ralph Brand the line-up was virtually the same for the start of 65-66 and yet the team immediately gelled. Meanwhile the crowd for the first home game was higher than virtually every attendance for the previous campaign
However I'm not convinced that the Crossan signing was part of some long term strategy, especially as the City Board were hardly renowned for anything resembling competence.
More like a rare moment of serendipity for him to have arrived just before Mercer and Allison

 

[KS55]

A few? That looked wrong to me so I checked, he made 45 appearances in all comps that season, he was only 28 when he left.

Thanks. The old memory again!

 

[KS55]

Yeah I've always been fascinated by the 64-65 season, both on and off the pitch, as the team was rudderless but extremely talented, whilst the fans were deserting from Maine Road, but seemingly still travelling in large numbers to away games (Huddersfield recorded their highest attendance of the season just a few weeks after the infamous Swindon game at Maine Road)

Aside from Summerbee and Ralph Brand the line-up was virtually the same for the start of 65-66 and yet the team immediately gelled. Meanwhile the crowd for the first home game was higher than virtually every attendance for the previous campaign
However I'm not convinced that the Crossan signing was part of some long term strategy, especially as the City Board were hardly renowned for anything resembling competence.
More like a rare moment of serendipity for him to have arrived just before Mercer and Allison

I was at that game at Huddersfield. 50,000 crammed into the old Leeds road stadium, not entirely safe! It was like a championship decider in our minds.

 

[Phil1]

You’ve done well to drag him away from trying to convert everyone on the religious threads on here.

 

[Harry dowd's gloves]

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!

Think the crowd was about 50,000 that day.

 

[Norman kneejerk]

Yeah I've always been fascinated by the 64-65 season, both on and off the pitch, as the team was rudderless but extremely talented, whilst the fans were deserting from Maine Road, but seemingly still travelling in large numbers to away games (Huddersfield recorded their highest attendance of the season just a few weeks after the infamous Swindon game at Maine Road)

Aside from Summerbee and Ralph Brand the line-up was virtually the same for the start of 65-66 and yet the team immediately gelled. Meanwhile the crowd for the first home game was higher than virtually every attendance for the previous campaign
However I'm not convinced that the Crossan signing was part of some long term strategy, especially as the City Board were hardly renowned for anything resembling competence.
More like a rare moment of serendipity for him to have arrived just before Mercer and Allison

Very interesting subject. Just started going then. Think George Heslop arrived and replaced Mike Batty, Roy Cheetham played a bit less. Stan Horne was steady at left back generally played instead of the ageing but excellentt Cliff Sear. Think Bobby Kennedy who was quite classy played right back replacing Dave Bacuzzi. Dave Connor, Glyn Pardoe and Mike Doyle were definitely around but maybe played more forward.
Definitely remember a roar greeted Jonny Crossan as he crafted another City attack
Those are my hazy recollection anyway !

 

[percypawpaw]

Johnny Crossan, he was a favourite for both me and our Kid at that time, seems a long time ago now, I cant remember the games but always remember the Players and the Stadium, how times have changed, FOC.

 

[spinney]

Very interesting subject. Just started going then. Think George Heslop arrived and replaced Mike Batty, Roy Cheetham played a bit less. Stan Horne was steady at left back generally played instead of the ageing but excellentt Cliff Sear. Think Bobby Kennedy who was quite classy played right back replacing Dave Bacuzzi. Dave Connor, Glyn Pardoe and Mike Doyle were definitely around but maybe played more forward.
Definitely remember a roar greeted Jonny Crossan as he crafted another City attack
Those are my hazy recollection anyway !

love to hear stories from before my time, my 1st game was december 67 but im always keen to hear about great games before 67/68