Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Here is the place to talk about all things city and football!

Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby johnny crossan » Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:01 pm

My Guardian Angel - Johnny Crossan
Paul Hince
January 31, 2011
Image
LET'S GO: Jonny Crossan leads the Blues out in his 60s heyday
Late on Thursday evening, just as I was about to turn in, the telephone rang. The missus took the call.
“It’s for you” she said. “Someone called John Crossan wants to have a word with you.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. Surely it couldn’t be THE John Crossan on the phone? The captain of Manchester City when I signed for the Blues as a professional in the mid-60s – a man I hadn’t seen or spoken to for over 40 years.
I picked up the phone and said hello. The moment I heard those soft Irish tones I knew it was Cross at the other end of the line. And for the next hour or so I felt like a kid again.
City supporters of a certain vintage will know all about Johnny Crossan. But for the benefit of younger readers I should explain that he was a hugely gifted Northern Ireland international inside right (midfielder) who the Blues signed from Sunderland in 1965.
I arrived at Maine Road the following year after being spotted playing amateur football in Manchester’s parks. By that time City, inspired by captain Crossan, had regain their place in the top flight.
The first few months of my professional football career I found unsettling. The dressing room banter at a professional football club is definitely an acquired taste.
Being brought up by a strict but loving grandmother I regarded the banter as crude and, at times, unnecessarily cruel. Crossan was one of the jokers in chief so early on I decided that I didn’t like him much.
Not that I had much to do with him. In those days young reserves like myself rarely mingled with the established first-team players. The stars had their dressing room, we ‘stiffs’ had ours.
In fact, I can’t remember having any meaningful conversations with John until the spring of 1967, just a couple of days before the Easter programme during which the first and reserve teams played matches on Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Monday.
It was the Wednesday of that week after a morning training session. I was walking back towards the dressing room when John jogged up alongside me. I should point out here that the players had nicknamed me ‘Scoop’ because of my previous journalistic background.
“Scoop,” said John. “How about you and me going for a spot of lunch?” To say I was gobsmacked is the understatement of the century. The club captain taking one of the young reserves out to lunch. Was I going to turn down the invitation? Not on your nelly.
John took me to a fashionable French restaurant about half a mile from Maine Road named “L’Auberge de France”.
VIP
All the waiters knew him and treated him like the VIP he was – which I found pretty impressive. Even more impressive was that John spoke to those waiters in fluent French which presumably he mastered while playing earlier in his career for the Belgium club Standard Leige.
John ordered the meal for me – and delicious it was – and we chatted for a while about this and that before he told me why he had invited me for lunch. “Scoop,” he said. “You will be making your first-team debut against West Bromwich Albion at Maine Road this Saturday.
“Don’t go worrying about it. You’ll do fine. If you get into a tight spot just look up and I’ll be there. Don’t bother whether it’s an ambulance ball. Just give it to me and I’ll take the knocks.”
I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. Surely I thought the manager Joe Mercer or first-team coach Malcolm Allison would have told me if I was making my first-team debut that Saturday.
But John wasn’t pulling my leg. I did make my senior debut against West Brom at Maine Road that Saturday and scored twice in the space of 90 seconds midway through the first half.
In truth, both goals had the name Neil Young etched on them. The goals were identical. Two ferocious left-foot shots from Neil were palmed out straight to my feet by the West Brom keeper John Osbourne. It would have been harder to miss them.
And Johnny Crossan was true to his word. Each time I got into trouble that day I looked up and he was there. I lost count of the number of kicks he took for me. By the end he must have been black and blue from neck to ankle without one word of complaint.
That was the man on the phone late last Thursday evening who was the guardian angel looking after a nervous youngster on his debut all those years ago.
He is in his 70s now but his mind is still as sharp as a tack.
We laughed about the old times, talked about the new times and agreed that it was only a matter of time before the Premier League title landed at Eastlands.
John was thrilled when I told him that Colin Bell, who also played that day against West Brom, had beaten cancer.
He was devastated to hear that Neil Young has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
When I put down the phone I thought back to those early days at Maine Road when I didn’t know the real Johnny Crossan. But at least he taught me a valuable lesson. Never – but NEVER – judge a book by its cover.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... ny_crossan
Image
User avatar
johnny crossan
Donated to the site
Donated to the site
Neil Young's FA Cup Winning Goal
 
Posts: 11706
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:25 am
Location: The Barcelona of The North
Supporter of: City
My favourite player is: Merlin

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby Original Dub » Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:10 pm

My gaurdian angel. the bringer of all things youtube.

What? The other one? Oh, my bad.
Original Dub
 

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby Tokyo Blue » Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:59 pm

Nice one, jc. A very good read that. Reminds me of how Paul Hince used to be. In some ways I wish I had seen those players.
Your right leg I like; I've got nothing against your right leg. The trouble is neither have you.
Tokyo Blue
Donated to the site
Donated to the site
Bert Trautmann's Neck
 
Posts: 12278
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 2:33 am

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby Trautmann » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:36 pm

Great, moving story. Thanks
Trautmann
Donated to the site
Donated to the site
Superman's Underpants
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 4:24 am
Location: Vancouver Island

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby richard1836 » Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:43 am

My first game was against Crystal Palace in 1965, which city lost 2-0, the only player who stood out was Johnny Crossan, at the time I did not know his back ground, played against Real Madrid in the E/Cup semi final with Standard Leige, later I wondered why Sunderland ever sold him, shortly after Sunderland signed Jim Baxter, Baxter and Crossan would have been great together. I think his last goal for City was against Leeds United, put there defence on there back side and scored at the Platt lane end, so sad when he left, wonderfull player.
richard1836
Bianchi's Matchday Snood
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:22 am
Supporter of: Manchester City
My favourite player is: Johnny Crossan

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby everyonehatesus » Sat Jun 20, 2015 10:06 am

Cracking read that, thanks for posting.
everyonehatesus
De Jong's Tackle
 
Posts: 1506
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:08 pm
Location: worcester

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby Bluedj » Sat Jun 20, 2015 10:27 am

Very enjoyable read, cheers
Bluedj
De Jong's Tackle
 
Posts: 1725
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:38 am
Supporter of: manchester city
My favourite player is: vincent kompany

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby getdressedmctavish » Tue Jun 23, 2015 9:46 pm

Excellent stuff. I remember Paul Hince and Johnny Crossan very well.I remember Hince playing away to Arsenal, against Peter Simpson I think. His thighs were bigger than Paul who never got a kick. Well he did, plenty. JC was a gifted ball player in the pre title winning team who looked good in the second div. But I think Malcolm decided he would never be strong enough for the running game Allison was developing with athletes like Bell and Summerbee.There's a story about JC throwing up after a run when a pro athlete, Ibbotson? was brought in to develop the players running power. JC was sold which was a shame cos he was a joy on the ball, but the game was turning against that kind of player. Echoes of the discussion we had on here about Merlin last season.
getdressedmctavish
Donated to the site
Donated to the site
Richard Dunne's Own Goals
 
Posts: 997
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:04 am

Re: Johnny Crossan - Guardian Angel

Postby Piccsnumberoneblue » Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:02 am

Love that picture
City and sniffing knickers.
Come on Blues.
Piccsnumberoneblue
Donated to the site
Donated to the site
Pablo Zabaleta's Manc Accent
 
Posts: 13353
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:09 pm
Location: Weirdosville.
Supporter of: Us


Return to The Maine Football forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bear60, gmercer1, ian494, Majestic-12 [Bot], Mase, rosbif cuisson 'bleu', Sparklehorse and 252 guests